Top News:
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Jays have interest in Mike Rizzo — The Toronto Blue Jays have expressed interest in Mike Rizzo, the Washington Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager, as a candidate to replace Paul Beeston as team president and CEO, two industry sources told ESPN.com.
Discussion:
Washington Post, ESPN, Bluebird Banter, Nats Insider, Federal Baseball, HardballTalk, MLB Trade Rumors and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
RELATED:
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Source: Melky, White Sox have 3-year deal — White Sox manager Robin Ventura talks about the expected position battles and how Chicago's recent additions will help them compete — CHICAGO — The 2014-15 offseason has become the holiday gift that keeps on giving for the White Sox fan base.
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score, Let's Go Tribe and Ball Eight
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Sox's stealth pursuit of Melky Cabrera pays off — The White Sox's stealth pursuit of Melky Cabrera paid off late Saturday when the Blue Jays outfielder agreed to a three-year deal. — MLB.com confirmed the 30-year-old Cabrera agreed to a deal worth an estimated $42-$43.5 million, pending a physical.
Discussion:
Royals Review and SBNation.com
Shi Davidi / Sportsnet.ca:
Blue Jays to receive compensatory pick for Cabrera — TORONTO - Melky Cabrera's split from the Toronto Blue Jays, essentially decided when the team signed Russ Martin and traded for Michael Saunders, was finalized Sunday when the left-fielder reportedly reached agreement with the Chicago White Sox on a $42-million, three-year deal.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Let's Go Tribe, CBSSports.com and Bleed Cubbie Blue
Nick CafardoGLOBE / BostonGlobe.com:
MLB teams always wonder if they did enough in offseason — At some point there will be that awkward discussion: Did we do enough? — Every organization has it. You do X and Y, but you run out of money for Z. So, you start the season vulnerable in an area or two.
Discussion:
The Good Phight, HardballTalk, MLB Trade Rumors and Phillies Nation
RELATED:
Boston Herald:
Lucchino on Lester: “We failed”
Discussion:
Union-News, ESPN, Over the Monster, Providence Journal, HardballTalk, MLB Trade Rumors and Full Count
Joe McDonald / ESPN:
Red Sox say Masterson will start
Discussion:
Over the Monster, AZ Snake Pit and Beyond the Box Score
Richard Goldstein / New York Times:
Sy Berger, Who Turned Boyhood Heroes Into Brilliant Rectangles, Dies at 91 — Sy Berger, who transformed a boys' hobby into a high-stakes pop culture niche as the father of the modern-day baseball trading card, died on Sunday at his home in Rockville Centre, N.Y., on Long Island. He was 91.
Discussion:
Faith and Fear in Flushing and CBSSports.com
Kristie Ackert / NY Daily News:
Met brass debates taking swing for Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang — The Mets have scouted the 27-year-old and internally seem split on the shortstop. — With reports that Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang will be posted for bidding by major league teams on Monday, the Mets are still “undecided” …
Discussion:
New York Post, HardballTalk, Amazin' Avenue, MLB Trade Rumors and Metsblog
Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
Bryce Harper, Nationals avoid grievance hearing after settling on 2015 salary [UPDATED] — Outfielder Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals will avoid a grievance hearing over his 2015 salary after the sides reached a settlement Sunday evening with a two-year, $7.5 million contract …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, baseballmusings.com, CBSSports.com, SBNation.com, HardballTalk and Federal Baseball
Patrick Saunders / Denver Post:
COLORADO ROCKIES / MLB — ROCKIES MANAGER WALT WEISS ASSUMES MORE SAY IN TEAM'S OPERATIONS — The Denver Post — Rockies manager Walt Weiss no longer will have an assistant general manager's office in the team clubhouse, next to his own. (Lenny Ignelzi, The Associated Press)
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, Rockies Zingers Colorado …, Rox Pile and Purple Row
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Padres eyeing another megadeal . . . but is that enough? — FOX Sports — If the Padres are able to add Justin Upton (right) to recently acquired Matt Kemp in their outfield, it will give them their highest Opening Day payroll, as well as some rare high hopes.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Richard Justice / MLB.com:
Outfielder/first baseman can be as productive as he was with Cardinals — 8/26/14: Allen Craig sends a home run to right-center field in the 11th, scoring Daniel Nava with his first homer in a Red Sox uniform — So your favorite baseball team didn't land Melky Cabrera …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors and Al's Ramblings
Bob Dutton / Mariners Insider:
Mariners notebook: Miller's most-likely future? Starting shortstop — SEATTLE —While Brad Miller's athleticism makes him a candidate for a position switch, multiple Mariners officials contend he is far more likely to open next season as the club's starting shortstop.
Discussion:
Metsblog, CBSSports.com, U.S.S. Mariner, Amazin' Avenue, New Jersey Online and HardballTalk
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Phillies Notes: Wood, Utley, Gonzalez — While we wait to learn about the finalization of the deal sending Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers, let's check in on the latest out of Philadelphia: — The Phillies have asked the Cubs about lefty Travis Wood, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Philly.com and The Good Phight
RELATED:
Matt Swartz / The Hardball Times:
Extending Ryan Howard Is Not What Killed the Phillies
Discussion:
Fox Sports and baseballmusings.com
