Top News:
Lee Enterprises / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Berkman, Lohse looking for fits as free agents — • By Derrick Goold dgoold@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8285 — With spring training in sight, Lance Berkman acknowledges he's mulling options and “still a little bit in limbo” when it comes to next season and his Hamlet dilemma: to play or not to play.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Getting Blanked, HardballTalk, MLB Daily Dish and SI Tracking Blog
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Cliff Corcoran / Sports Illustrated:
Cliff Corcoran>INSIDE BASEBALL — While the majority of this offseason's top free agents have signed, including 24 of the top 30 according to the Reiter 50, the annual list of the offseason's top 50 free agents compiled by SI.com's Ben Reiter, there are still a handful of key players searching for a team for the coming season.
Discussion:
Royals Review and Fox Sports
Lee Enterprises / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
The added cost of signing Kyle Lohse — • By Derrick Goold dgoold@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8285 — TOWER GROVE • The concept of draft-pick compensation is nothing new for baseball and its free-agent season. Just last year the St. Louis Cardinals received four picks …
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish
Daniel Dale / Toronto Star:
Jose Canseco considers run against Rob Ford to be Toronto mayor — Jose Canseco outlined his potential platform in tweets to the Star at 1:17 a.m. on Friday. “Ford too much trouble to be effective,” he wrote. “Gotta fix budget, traffic, get new $ not from taxes, get more new businesses, and help schools.”
Discussion:
Drunk Jays Fans and NESN.com
Richard Durrett / ESPN:
March 31: Astros vs. Rangers — The Houston Astros' debut in the American League against the Texas Rangers will officially open the 2013 season on ESPN's “Sunday Night Baseball” on March 31. — The 8 p.m. ET game, announced by Major League Baseball on Thursday, will be played at Minute Maid Park …
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Richard Justice / MLB.com:
Myers a savvy move for Indians
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus and Plain Dealer
Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
Opening Night to feature new AL West Texas rivalry
Discussion:
Getting Blanked and Lone Star Ball
Roch Kubatko / School of Roch:
Showalter nearing agreement on contract extension — Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos and Buck Showalter are meeting again today to discuss the manager's contract extension, and an announcement could be made early next week, according to an industry source. — Showalter is flying …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, HardballTalk and MLB Daily Dish
Jeff Schuler / Morning Call:
Catasauqua's Anthony Recker ready for fresh start with New York Mets — The 29-year-old former Rough Rider hopes to land a spot on New York's Opening Day roster. — Pin It — Anthony Recker takes batting practice with the Oakland Athletics before a game against the New York Yankees on August 23, 2011 in Yankee Stadium.
Fox Sports:
Sources: LHP Oliver mulls retirement — Left-hander Darren Oliver's decision on whether to continue his career is more complicated than it might appear. — Oliver, 42, wants to play, but is not willing to return to the Toronto Blue Jays unless the team increases his salary from $3 million, according to major-league sources.
Discussion:
Getting Blanked, The Blue Jay Hunter, HardballTalk, Drunk Jays Fans, MLB Daily Dish, Bluebird Banter and MLB Rumors
Hal Bodley / MLB.com:
Marlins should waste no time dealing Stanton — The Miami Marlins should trade Giancarlo Stanton — the sooner, the better. — Having said that, objections from the already suffering Marlins fans will undoubtedly be deafening. — Obviously, trading a franchise player of Stanton's caliber …
Discussion:
Fish Stripes
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Ben Lindbergh / Baseball Prospectus:
Internet Commenters Try to Trade for Giancarlo Stanton
Discussion:
Fish Stripes, Lone Star Ball, ESPN, River Avenue Blues, Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish
Dan Martin / New York Post:
A-Rod's surgery remains on hold; Yankees GM says to expect fewer homers — No date has been set for Alex Rodriguez's hip surgery and it's not expected to be performed until the middle of the month — at the earliest. — When asked for a potential return date for the third baseman …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and River Avenue Blues
Fox Sports:
Diamondbacks may still trade Upton — Want to know why Justin Upton still might get traded? — Consider: — • The Arizona Diamondbacks have a surplus of outfielders after signing Cody Ross to a three-year, $26 million free-agent contract. — • At least three teams …
Discussion:
Talking Chop, NESN.com, MLB Rumors and SI Tracking Blog
Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Minor League Transactions: Dec. 22-31 — Here we present official minor league transactions, conveyed to us by Major League Baseball, for the period Dec. 22-31. — Baltimore Orioles — Signed: LHP Zach Braddock (released by Brewers in May), LHP Daniel Schlereth (non-tendered by Tigers) …
Discussion:
MLB.com and MLB Daily Dish
Ben Badler / Baseball America:
Orioles Release Top 2011 Latin American Signing Elvis Duran — The Orioles have released their top-paid Latin American signing from 2011, 18-year-old righthander Elvis Duran, after only one professional season. — Duran, a 6-foot-7, 235-pound righthander from the Dominican Republic …
Discussion:
Steve Melewski, MLB Daily Dish, Camden Chat and School of Roch
Michael Baron / Metsblog:
Rubin: Mets to re-sign Omar Quintanilla to a Minor League deal — According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, the Mets will re-sign INF Omar Quintanilla to a Minor League contract with an invite to Spring Training. — In 29 games for the Mets in 2012, Quintanilla hit .257 with five doubles, one home run and four RBI in 70 at-bats.
Discussion:
ESPN, MLB Daily Dish and MLB Rumors
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Greg Johns / Mariners Musings:
Mike Jacobs signed to Minor League deal
Discussion:
SI Tracking Blog, MLB Daily Dish and MLB Rumors
Murray Chass / Murray Chass On Baseball:
THE VOTE BASEBALL WRITERS DON'T NEED — One and done. I placed an X next to Jack Morris on my Hall of Fame ballot, and I was finished voting. If Morris is elected, I will most likely be finished voting period. If Morris is not elected this time, I will vote for him next year in his final year of eligibility and then be done.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and THE BOOK
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Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Larry Walker, Barry Bonds not worthy of Hall of Fame vote ... yet
Discussion:
Purple Row
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Rangers Sign Jason Frasor — 12:07pm: Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter) the deal is worth $1.5MM. — 11:30am: The Rangers have signed free agent right-hander Jason Frasor to a one-year contract, Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest reports (on Twitter).
Discussion:
Drunk Jays Fans and Getting Blanked
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Gerry Fraley / Texas Rangers Blog:
Rangers bolster bullpen, still courting Lance Berkman
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter, Lone Star Ball, MLB Daily Dish, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
