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ESPN:
GM: Red Sox to have large payroll — Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said Thursday he expects the team's payroll to be among the highest in baseball when all is said and done this offseason despite the fact that he has just $45 million in guaranteed salary on the books so far for 2013.
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ESPN.com, Over the Monster and ESPN
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Ken Davidoff / New York Post:
Marlins-Blue Jays deal upsets MLB owners — AT THE OWNERS MEETINGS — ROSEMONT, Illinois — Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins' maverick owner, reported to the Major League Baseball owners' meetings looking and sounding cantankerous. — “Not today, boys,” Loria told a group of reporters …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Bluebird Banter
Evan Drellich / MLB.com:
Red Sox, Tribe, Bucs GMs react to trade reports — Cherington, Antonetti, Huntington hear buzz at alumni event — BOSTON — Three Major League general managers were about to go on stage Tuesday night when they learned of the impending Blue Jays-Marlins trade like everyone else: on the web.
Discussion:
Over the Monster
Joe Frisaro / The Fish Pond:
Marlins not intending to trade Stanton
Marlins not intending to trade Stanton
Discussion:
Hit and Run, Brew Crew Ball, Miami Marlins, Fish Stripes, River Avenue Blues, MLB Daily Dish, MLB Rumors, Full Count, Sports Illustrated and HardballTalk
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Bruce seeking to finish his career in Cincinnati — Reds outfielder eyes extension to current deal that runs through 2016 — CINCINNATI — Reds right fielder Jay Bruce has long-term commitments on his mind of late — both of the personal and professional variety.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, HardballTalk and Red Reporter
Fox Sports:
Will Royals be tempted to deal? — Will Kansas City be the next team to pull a blockbuster trade? — Royals general manager Dayton Moore, according to one rival executive, is “feeling the heat” - in a sense, not unlike Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos did when agreed to his 12-player trade with the Miami Marlins.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Over the Monster, Royals Review and MLB Daily Dish
Mike Axisa / MLB Rumors:
Braves To Sign Gerald Laird — The Braves have agreed to sign Gerald Laird, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). MLB.com's Mark Bowman, who first reported that the two sides were close to a deal, says it's a two-year contract (on Twitter). Laird is a CSE client.
Discussion:
Talking Chop and MLB Daily Dish
Debby Wu / MLB.com:
Philippines jumps on sloppy Thailand in qualifier — XINZHUANG, Taiwan — The Philippines took advantage of Thailand's defensive struggles en route to a 8-2 victory on Wednesday in the World Baseball Classic qualifier on Wednesday at Xinzhuang Stadium. — Eighteen-year Major League veteran …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Lee Enterprises / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Goold: Why 21-game winner didn't make my Cy Young ballot — • By Derrick Goold dgoold@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8285 — Whatever scorn or criticism is headed my way based on the ballot I submitted for the 2012 National League Cy Young Award cannot compare to the glare I already received …
Discussion:
THE BOOK
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers sign catcher Lalli to Minor League deal — MILWAUKEE — The Brewers have signed 29-year-old catcher Blake Lalli to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training camp. — Lalli has spent most of his seven professional seasons in the Cubs' organization …
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish and Al's Ramblings
Sean Lynch / Merced Sun-Star:
Merced's Fuentes announces retirement from baseball — MERCED — As the pennant race began to heat up, Brian Fuentes found his mind wasn't on baseball. — The reliever, a product of Merced High and Merced College, unexpectedly found himself in St. Louis after the Oakland A's released him in early July.
Discussion:
Purple Row, MLB Rumors, HardballTalk and Baseball Nation
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
The Statistical Case Against Cabrera for M.V.P. — On Thursday, the American League will announce the recipient of its Most Valuable Player award. The winner is likely to be Miguel Cabrera, the Detroit Tigers star who won the league's triple crown by leading in batting average (.
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
Torii Hunter signs a two-year, $26 million deal with the Tigers — It's not 100% done yet — it's pending a physical — but Ken Rosenthal reports that the Tigers have signed Torii Hunter to a two-year deal. The deal is for $26 million. — Hunter and the Tigers are a perfect fit.
Discussion:
Halos Heaven
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