Top News:
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:
Fish Tank blog, HardballTalk and Bluebird Banter
RELATED:
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Girardi, Yanks prepping for life in tougher AL East — Blue Jays' potential mega-deal with Marlins could shift balance of power — NEW YORK — Yankees manager Joe Girardi expects the challenge of repeating as American League East champions to grow even tougher next season …
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog
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:
Boston Globe and Over the Monster
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.
Discussion:
ESPN.com, Over the Monster and ESPN
Joe Frisaro / The Fish Pond:
Marlins not intending to trade Stanton
Marlins not intending to trade Stanton
Discussion:
Hit and Run, Fish Stripes, Miami Marlins, Brew Crew Ball, River Avenue Blues, Sports Illustrated, MLB Daily Dish, MLB Rumors, Full Count 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, MLB Daily Dish 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, Royals Review, Over the Monster 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:
Bleed Cubbie Blue and HardballTalk
Jon Heyman / CBSSports.com Sports News …:
Yankees remain hopeful on Kuroda, but competition comes on several fronts — CHICAGO — The Yankees continue to negotiate with free-agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda in hopes of beating several other suitors — the Dodgers, Red Sox and now the Angels — plus another country.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Over the Monster and The LoHud Yankees Blog
Sam Miller / Baseball Prospectus:
Single-Number Metrics and MVP Leaderboards … 1. If the point is to get it right, then the answer is probably yes. This assumes we could agree upon a single-number metric, but considering that usually the single-number metrics line up fairly well, well enough that there's not a great deal …
Discussion:
THE BOOK
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
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