Top News:
Jayson Stark / ESPN.com:
Sources: Stanton's $325M deal backloaded — If Giancarlo Stanton opts out of his new 13-year, $325 million contract with the Miami Marlins after the first six seasons, he'll be walking away from a staggering $218 million over the final seven seasons, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN.com Tuesday.
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Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Stanton's record deal just isn't right — Marlins ownership simply can't be trusted when it comes to the franchise's future — Giancarlo Stanton's 13-year, $325 million contract with the Miami Marlins is terrific news for him, his accountant, agent Joel Wolfe, the capitalist system …
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Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
White Sox Sign Zach Duke — 12:36pm: The White Sox have announced the signing of Duke to a three-year, $15MM contract. Duke will earn $4.5MM in 2015, $5MM in 2016 and $5.5MM in 2017, according to the team's release. — 11:45am: Duke's contract is a multi-year deal, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
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Matthew Cerrone / Metsblog:
Do the Mets and White Sox match up for Alexei Ramirez? — The White Sox are open to dealing SS Alexei Ramirez, “but it's certainly not something we're pursuing on our end,” their GM Rick Hahn said last week (Kane, Nov. 8). — Are the Mets and White Sox a match? — Matthew Cerrone: Maybe.
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Notes: Seattle shops for bat, Philly scouts Boston's system, more — Notes from around baseball, according to information gathered from major-league sources: — *As the Mariners continue their search for a right-handed hitter, they are more interested in signing free agent Nelson Cruz …
ESPN.com:
Billy Butler, A's agree to 3-year deal — Free agent Billy Butler has agreed to a three-year, $30 million deal with the Oakland Athletics, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. — The Kansas City Royals previously paid Butler a $1 million buyout rather than exercise …
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
JAMES SHIELDS INTERESTS ARIZONA — BUT CAN IT AFFORD HIM? — So far, we've heard very little about the market for free-agent right-hander James Shields. — Well, here is one interested team: — The Arizona Diamondbacks. — The D-Backs tried to trade for Shields and Wade Davis …
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The Players' Tribune:
Not True, Not Funny … Did you read Dan Jenkins' interview with me in the latest Golf Digest? I hope not. Because it wasn't me. It was some jerk he created to pretend he was talking to me. That's right, Jenkins faked an interview, which fails as parody, and is really more like a grudge-fueled piece of character assassination.
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Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Tigers may be weighing ‘Scherzer or Price?’ — President and GM Dave Dombrowski discusses the Tigers' offseason agenda including the latest on Max Scherzer, Joel Hanrahan and Torii Hunter — We can all agree (I think) that Max Scherzer is the top arm available in free agency.
Discussion:
Beck's Blog
Matthew Cerrone / Metsblog:
Relationship between Harvey and Mets management is important — Matthew Cerrone, MetsBlog.com: Matt Harvey has an amazing amount of talent. He also has a powerful and attractive personality, which will continue to make for buzz-worthy moments when playing in New York City, the largest media market in the world.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Diamondbacks tab Ed Lewis to head analytics department — In hopes of improving his organization's fluency in advanced statistics, Diamondbacks Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa turned to the man who first introduced him to those concepts years ago, officially naming Ed Lewis the team's director of analytics on Monday.
Discussion:
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Jon Heyman / CBSSports.com:
(USATSI) — So far this offseason, there hasn't been much that's new and interesting tied to the Yankees — baseball's most storied franchise and usually among its most active winter players. — And there has been very little, if anything, that's been linked to right-hander Max Scherzer — baseball's top free agent pitcher.
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T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Beat reporter T.R. Sullivan answers Texas fans' questions — 9/28/14: Elvis Andrus snags Josh Donaldson's soft grounder to shortstop with his bare hand and slings to first for the out — The Mets are looking for a shortstop and appear to have pitching, whether it is Jon Niese …
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T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Rangers announce 2015 Spring Training schedule
Rangers announce 2015 Spring Training schedule
Discussion:
ESPN and Lone Star Ball
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Cardinals reloading, Braves rebuilding in wake of four-player blockbuster — The trade is a monster, no doubt. Right fielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to the Cardinals, right-handers Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins to the Braves. It's the kind of deal we will discuss for weeks, months, maybe even years.
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Mark Polishuk / MLB Trade Rumors:
John Hart On The Heyward/Miller Trade
John Hart On The Heyward/Miller Trade
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