Top News:
Todd Zolecki / The Zo Zone:
Phillies, Durbin Agree to 1-Year Deal — The Phillies are bringing back a familiar face to fortify their bullpen. — Sources told MLB.com today the Phillies and right-hander Chad Durbin have agreed to terms on a one-year deal, pending a physical. The deal includes a club option for 2014.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, HardballTalk, The Good Phight and MLB Daily Dish
RELATED:
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Reliever Durbin returns to Phillies, source says — Reliever Chad Durbin and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed Monday on a $1.1 million guaranteed major league deal, according to a baseball source. — The deal includes $350,000 in incentives, the source said.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
YES Network:
Michael Kay signs multi-year contract extension with YES Network — Michael Kay, whose voice has been synonymous with the YES Network since its launch in 2002, has signed a multi-year extension with the network to remain its lead New York Yankees play-by-play voice.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and It's About The Money
Matthew Cerrone / Metsblog:
The latest on Michael Bourn, Mets and Draft Picks — The Mets are said to have legit interest in signing free-agent OF Michael Bourn to a long-term deal that would likely be backloaded. — To keep from losing their first-round draft pick as compensation for signing Bourn, Sandy Alderson wants MLB to rule that his pick is protected.
Discussion:
Mets Minor League Blog, Getting Blanked and Al's Ramblings
RELATED:
Nick Cafardo / The Boston Globe:
Braves double down on streaky Uptons
Braves double down on streaky Uptons
Discussion:
HardballTalk, MLB Rumors and Amazin' Avenue
Michael Baron / Metsblog:
Alderson could go watch Brian Wilson again, still looking for relievers
Alderson could go watch Brian Wilson again, still looking for relievers
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Fox Sports:
Kelly Johnson, Rays reach agreement — The Tampa Bay Rays have reached agreement with free-agent second baseman Kelly Johnson on a one-year contract, according to major league sources. — The move will enable the Rays to use Ben Zobrist in right field as well at second base …
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, Bucs Dugout, MLB Rumors, DRaysBay and Rays Index
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Infield a formidable strength for Mets — This is the first installment of a four-part Around the Horn series, taking a segment-by-segment look at the Mets' roster heading into Spring Training. Up first: Infield. — NEW YORK — The 2012 Mets were flawed in many ways.
Susan Slusser / San Francisco Chronicle:
A's confident they can do it again — Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle — Last year, the Angels made the big offseason splash by signing Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson - but the A's were the surprise winners of the AL West. — This year, the Angels again were the big-news team …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, HardballTalk and MLB Daily Dish
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Brewers Interested In Lyle Overbay — The Brewers are talking to free agent first baseman Lyle Overbay about a minor league deal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). Overbay, who played for Milwaukee from 2004-05, is talking to other clubs and expected to reach a decision shortly.
Discussion:
Brew Beat and HardballTalk
James Schmehl / MLive.com:
Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer voice displeasure over change to fake pickoff move — DETROIT — For a pitcher like Rick Porcello, a new rule change that will no longer allow pitchers to fake a pickoff to third base and throw to first isn't a big deal. — For Max Scherzer, it's huge.
Discussion:
Detroit Free Press, McCovey Chronicles, Getting Blanked, Bless You Boys and baseballmusings.com
Jeff Seidel / MLB.com:
Introduction of Taft headlines busy NatsFest — William Howard Taft joined Teddy, Tom, George and Abe in the Presidents Race lineup slated for the 2013 season. (AP) — WASHINGTON — Only in Washington could politics and baseball intertwine so effortlessly.
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Prospect Watch: Top 10 first basemen — Astros' Singleton, Cardinals' Adams, Brewers' Morris among group of big bats … A year ago, when the Top 10 first base prospects were announced, it wasn't the deepest list in the world, with just the top three names hitting the overall Top 100 at the start of the 2012 season.
Discussion:
Pirates Prospects and Bucs Dugout
Darren Rovell / ESPN:
Dodgers launching sports TV network — The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Monday their plans to launch a regional sports network funded almost entirely by Time Warner Cable, a scenario one baseball source says is exactly the type of deal MLB had feared: A team setting up a shell company of sorts in order to pay less in revenue sharing.
Discussion:
True Blue LA
Marc Topkin / Tampa Bay Times:
Rays may still be shopping for bat, bullpen help — Even with deals to bring back DH Luke Scott and Kyle Farnsworth set to be completed this week, and spring training opening in just more than two weeks, the Rays are still on the lookout for help. Maybe another bat and another bullpen arm.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish and MLB Rumors