Top News:
Kyle Boddy / Hardball Times:
Trevor Bauer needs to be left alone — Trevor Bauer has been traded to the Cleveland Indians as part of a three-team deal. Over the weekend, I was fortunate enough to have presented at Ron Wolforth's Ultimate Coaches' Bootcamp in Montgomery, Tex., with Bauer, who spoke at length on using …
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball and THE BOOK
RELATED:
Zach Links / MLB Rumors:
Reds Acquire Shin-Soo Choo In Three-Team Deal — 8:12pm: The Diamondbacks announced that they have acquired shortstop Didi Gregorius, left-handed pitcher Tony Sipp, and first baseman Lars Anderson from the Indians in exchange for right-handed pitchers Trevor Bauer, Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw.
Danny Knobler / CBSSports.com Sports News …:
Reds in talks to acquire Choo from Indians — The Reds and Indians are deep in talks on a trade that would send Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati. — The Indians would receive center fielder Drew Stubbs and shortstop Didi Gregorius in return. The Reds are expected to receive another player in addition to Choo.
Zach Links / MLB Rumors:
Reds, Indians, D'Backs Talking Shin-Soo Choo Trade
Reds, Indians, D'Backs Talking Shin-Soo Choo Trade
Discussion:
Plain Dealer, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Let's Go Tribe, AZ Snake Pit and Red Reporter
George A. King III / New York Post:
Damon thinks Youkilis will be ‘fine’ with Yankees — Take it from somebody who has been on each side of the aisle for the most intense rivalry in sports: Kevin Youkilis is going to be a wonderful fit in The Bronx after spending eight-plus seasons as a Red Sox.
Discussion:
Surviving Grady
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
Napoli's deal with Red Sox hits snag? — Could Mike Napoli's deal with the Boston Red Sox be in jeopardy? — The Red Sox anticipated introducing Napoli at a news conference Tuesday, according to major-league sources, but did not go forward with the event.
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Over the Monster, Surviving Grady, Baseball Nation, Sporting News Feed RSS, HardballTalk and MLB Daily Dish
Mark Saxon / ESPN:
Dodgers acquire Skip Schumaker — LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired utility player Skip Schumaker from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for minor league shortstop Jake Lemmerman, according to reports. — Schumaker is a .288 lifetime hitter over eight seasons, all in St. Louis.
Discussion:
Baseball America, True Blue LA, MLB Daily Dish and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Matt Gelb / Philly.com:
Phillies likely to seek a one-year rental for rotation — Two days after Zack Greinke signed the richest-ever deal for a righthanded pitcher, Kevin Correia agreed Monday to a two-year, $10 million contract with Minnesota. Last week, former Phillie Joe Blanton signed with the Los Angeles Angels for $15 million over two seasons.
Discussion:
The Good Phight, MLB Rumors and MLB Daily Dish
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Rangers still in the hunt to re-sign Hamilton — Outfielder lone remaining target for impact move; contract length biggest obstacle — ARLINGTON — Now there is outfielder Josh Hamilton. With many of the Rangers' other preferred options starting to slip away, the best hope …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
New York Post:
Brass unhappy with R.A.'s humbug $alvo at Citi kid party — So much for Christmas cheer. — R.A. Dickey used a Mets holiday function yesterday to unload his frustration with the pace of his extension negotiations. And the organization was, according to one official, “not happy” …
Discussion:
Metsblog
RELATED:
Mike Puma / New York Post:
Mets eye Ross, cast R.A. as elf
Mets eye Ross, cast R.A. as elf
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue, MLB Rumors, Metsblog, MLB Daily Dish and HardballTalk
Marc Topkin / The Heater Feed:
Rays close to deal with RHP Roberto Hernandez, former Fausto Carmona — UPDATE, 2:38: Nothing official from the Rays, and it could be several days for the physical, and thus the deal, to be completed. — BREAKING: The Rays are close to signing free agent RHP Roberto Hernandez …
Discussion:
DRaysBay
Jon Heyman / CBSSports.com Sports News …:
Phillies talked Brown-for-Soriano, also eye Ross, FA outfielders — The Phillies, interested in a right-handed batter to hit behind cleanup man Ryan Howard, talked to the Cubs about a swap of Domonic Brown for Alfonso Soriano but may still be slightly more inclined to sign a free agent, such as Cody Ross or someone else.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation, VFTB, MLB Daily Dish, Sporting News Feed RSS, HardballTalk, MLB Rumors, Bleed Cubbie Blue and The Good Phight
Ira Boudway / Business Week:
Why the New York Yankees Cry Foul Over Ticket Prices — Major League Baseball announced on Monday that it is extending its partnership with online ticket broker StubHub (EBAY) through 2017—or at least 27 of the league's 30 teams are. The New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have opted out.
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, ESPN, Pinstriped Bible and baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
Steven Marcus / Newsday:
Yankees to drop StubHub, nearing deal with Ticketmaster
Yankees to drop StubHub, nearing deal with Ticketmaster
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Ben Lindbergh / Baseball Prospectus:
The Royals, the Rays, and the Problem with Windows
The Royals, the Rays, and the Problem with Windows
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score and ESPN