Top News:
Fox Sports:
Sources: MLB playoffs expanding in 2012 — Baseball's playoffs will expand from eight to 10 teams, starting this season, according to major-league sources. — The sport's new collective-barganing agreement stipulated that additional wild cards would be added in each league no later than 2013.
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog, MetsBlog.com, Extra Baggs, True Blue LA, NESN.com, Pinstripe Alley, Lookout Landing, MLB Daily Dish, CBS New York, MLB Rumors and YFSF
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Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Rangers' signing of Dominican phenom Jairo Beras is investigated by MLB over age discrepancy — Major League Baseball will investigate the Texas Rangers' signing of Dominican prospect Jairo Beras for $4.5 million after questions about his age arose. The Rangers believe he is 17 and eligible …
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Your Morning Phil: Beras, Soler, Braun — Talking baseball: 1. Uh, oh. This could get ugly. One source in the Dominican Republic has reported that The Next Big Thing in Latin America, outfielder Jairo Beras, has agreed to a $4.5 million deal with the Texas Rangers, and the signing raises questions.
Ben Badler / Baseball America:
Rangers' Surprise Signing Draws Industry Scrutiny
Rangers' Surprise Signing Draws Industry Scrutiny
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Tom Haudricourt / JSOnline:
Brewers, Axford talking multi-year deal — By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel — Phoenix — There's a good reason that closer John Axford is the last player on the Brewers' 40-man roster to sign a contract for the 2012 season. — Assistant general manager Gord Ash confirmed Wednesday …
Discussion:
Brew Beat, MLB Rumors, Disciples of Uecker and HardballTalk
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Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Crew, Axford to continue work on multiyear deal — Both sides say they'd like contract extension; talks cordial — PHOENIX — Brewers closer John Axford was quick to explain why he's the only member of the 40-man roster yet to sign a 2012 contract. — “Just like last year, I'm holding out for billions,” he joked.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish and Al's Ramblings
Tom Singer / MLB.com:
Burnett to Pittsburgh for exam on injured eye — Newly acquired pitcher hurt in freak bunting accident — BRADENTON, Fla. — A.J. Burnett is bound for Pittsburgh, where he will undergo additional medical examinations Thursday on his injured right eye. — Burnett bunted a ball …
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Marlins RF prefers Giancarlo Stanton — JUPITER, Fla. — His mom calls him Cruz. Teammates call him Bigfoot. Most baseball fans know him as Mike Stanton, precocious slugger for the Miami Marlins, but his first name is actually Giancarlo. — “The man of a million names,” Stanton said.
Discussion:
Fox Sports, MLB Rumors, Fish Stripes and Deadspin
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Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank blog:
Miami Marlins slugger will go by a new name — Giancarlo Stanton
Miami Marlins slugger will go by a new name — Giancarlo Stanton
Discussion:
HardballTalk and NotGraphs Baseball
Matt Gelb / Philly.com:
Howard sidelined indefinitely — CLEARWATER, Fla. — Ryan Howard has indeed suffered a setback in his recovery from Achilles surgery and will be sidelined indefinitely following a procedure to clean an infection from his original wound. — Foot specialist Mark Myerson performed a …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Yahoo! Sports
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Bob Brookover / Boston Herald:
Phillies awaiting word on Ryan Howard's Achilles injury
Phillies awaiting word on Ryan Howard's Achilles injury
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Final night of '11 still resonates with Rays — PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Luke Scott called the final night of the 2011 season “the greatest night in baseball history,” and that seems to be the general sentiment among fans and players alike. — Rays fans won't soon forget that night at Tropicana Field …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Britt's Bird Watch and HardballTalk
Greg Johns / MLB.com:
Gutierrez suffers right pec injury — PEORIA, Ariz. — Franklin Gutierrez is known as a Gold Glove center fielder who can catch anything hit his way on the baseball field, but the Mariners veteran can't seem to catch a break in the health department after suffering an injury to his right pectoral muscle Tuesday.
Discussion:
U.S.S. Mariner, Yahoo! Sports, baseballmusings.com, HardballTalk and Lookout Landing
Susan Slusser / Oakland Athletics:
Miguel Tejada says he wants to return to the A's — Late last night, I spoke to Miguel Tejada, who won an MVP while playing shortstop for the A's in 2002, and Tejada told me his fondest desire is to return to the team that gave him his first start. — “I would love it,” Tejada told me by phone from Florida.
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, HardballTalk, ESPN.com, Deadspin and MLB Rumors
Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
Davey Johnson's history lesson — The other day, Davey Johnson wanted to share a batting tip he had learned from an old player. Standing around the batting cage, he had a conversation with Danny Espinosa and Ian Desmond about the importance of timing. Johnson's story, just in case, needed a brief prologue about the source.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Doug Glanville / ESPN:
Appreciating Chipper Jones — Longtime Atlanta Brave has been killing opponents softly for a long, long time — Baseball locker rooms are full of debates. Players often debate the best slider in the game, the best infield grass, maybe even the best postgame spread.
Discussion:
MLB
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
Bobby Valentine mocks Derek Jeter's ‘flip’ play, revels over how Jason Varitek ‘beat up’ Alex Rodriguez in 2004 — New Red Sox manager continues to tweak the Yankees — Jason Varitek and Alex Rodriguez duke it out during 2004 game at Fenway Park. — It took Bobby Valentine 10 years to get back into a major league dugout.
Discussion:
the joy of sox
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Alex Speier / WEEI:
JASON VARITEK AND THE TRADE THAT CHANGED A FRANCHISE
JASON VARITEK AND THE TRADE THAT CHANGED A FRANCHISE
Discussion:
Over the Monster, MLB Rumors and baseballmusings.com