Top News:
Connor Byrne / MLB Trade Rumors:
Braves Acquire Brandon Phillips — The Braves have announced that they've acquired second baseman Brandon Phillips from the Reds in exchange for minor league pitchers Andrew McKirahan and Carlos Portuondo. Phillips is owed $14MM in 2017, the last year of his contract, and the Reds will pay all but $1MM of that sum.
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Red Reporter, Bless You Boys, Brew Crew Ball, NBCSports.com, CBS Atlanta, ESPN, Redleg Nation, Bucs Dugout, Yahoo Sports and Talking Chop
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ESPN:
Reds trading second baseman Brandon Phillips to Braves — Long rumored to be on the move, Brandon Phillips is finally leaving Cincinnati. A source told ESPN's Buster Olney on Sunday that the Reds have agreed to a trade that will send the second baseman to the Atlanta Braves. — EDITOR'S PICKS
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Fish Stripes, NESN.com and WCMH-TV
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves' Rodriguez to miss significant time for shoulder injury — As pleased as the Braves were to trade for second baseman Brandon Phillips and pay such a relatively small price for the former All-Star, they felt awful about the reason they needed to make the move: to replace injured Sean Rodriguez.
Discussion:
Cincinnati.com, NBCSports.com, Baseball Prospectus, SI.com, Beyond the Box Score, MLB Trade Rumors, Talking Chop and Let's Go Tribe
Kerouac Smith / Fox Sports:
Source: Reds expected to announce trade sending Brandon Phillips to Braves — The Cincinnati Reds are close to finalizing a deal that would send veteran second baseman Brandon Phillips to the Atlanta Braves, a source told FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. — The deal, expected to be completed …
Discussion:
Red Reporter, Sportsnet.ca and baseballmusings.com
Marc Stein / ESPN:
Magic's Serge Ibaka appears in play as trade deadline approaches — While Kevin Durant was reacquainting himself with Oklahoma City soil Saturday night, former teammate Serge Ibaka was a three-hour drive away from the KD-in-OKC tension, playing for the Orlando Magic in Dallas. — Stay tuned, though.
Discussion:
Hoops Rumors, FanRag Sports, NESN.com and Sportsnet.ca
Joe Piazza / Fox Sports:
Detroit Tigers: Team Owner Mike Ilitch Dies At Age 87 — Longtime Detroit Tigers and Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch has passed away at the age of 87. — In a press release from Ilitch Holdings, Inc., Chris Ilitch (Mike's son) announced his father's passing on Friday.
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PR Newswire, Major League Baseball, baseballmusings.com and USA Today
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Associated Press:
Detroit Red Wings, Tigers owner and Little Caesars founder Mike Ilitch dies at age 87
Detroit Red Wings, Tigers owner and Little Caesars founder Mike Ilitch dies at age 87
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Bless You Boys, Associated Press, ESPN, Let's Go Tribe, Yahoo Sports, MLB Daily Dish and Sportsnet.ca
Detroit Free Press:
Next Video … The first time Jim Leyland met Mike Ilitch …
Next Video … The first time Jim Leyland met Mike Ilitch …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, FanRag Sports and USA Today
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
How baseball and the Detroit Tigers became Mike Ilitch's true love
How baseball and the Detroit Tigers became Mike Ilitch's true love
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe, USA Today and Ballpark Digest
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Tigers Owner Mike Ilitch Passes Away
Tigers Owner Mike Ilitch Passes Away
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports, Detroit Free Press and Pro Hockey Rumors
Baseball Prospectus:
The Top 101 Prospects of 2017 — While it's entirely likely you'll skip right ahead to the rankings, we wanted to provide some context for the list. As always, prospect lists are a snapshot in time—in this case January 1, when the list was compiled. It's possible a prospect's situation …
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue, Over the Monster and Lone Star Ball
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Spring training story lines: From the Cubs to the World Baseball Classic — Just 101 days ago, the Chicago Cubs rewrote history. Does it seem longer since the night a smiling, stumbling Kris Bryant tossed the ball across the diamond to Anthony Rizzo, capping a wild Game 7 that clinched …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, Federal Baseball and Washington Post
Peter King / SI.com:
Tom Brady Tells the Story of the Super Bowl 51 Comeback — Plus more on the Falcons, Terrell Owens, John Lynch and 10 Things — Will the Falcons ever get over Super Bowl loss? — The MMQB's Peter King takes twitter questions from his followers on Twitter.
Discussion:
It Is What It Is, NESN.com and ProFootballTalk
ESPN:
Former Syracuse, Celtics 7-footer Fab Melo, 26, dies in Brazil — Former Syracuse 7-footer and Boston Celtics first-round pick Fab Melo died in his home country of Brazil. — Melo was found dead at his home in Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais, Military Police in Brazil confirmed.
Discussion:
Troy Nunes Is An …, The Big Lead, FanRag Sports and NESN.com
Richard N. Velotta / Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Adelson spokesman on withdrawal from stadium project: Raiders were ‘picking his pocket’ — From the start, it seemed like a partnership destined to bring the National Football League to Las Vegas. — The Oakland Raiders, one of the iconic franchises in professional sports.
Discussion:
FanRag Sports, Pro Football Rumors and ProFootballTalk
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Dodgers To Re-Sign Chase Utley — SUNDAY: Utley's contract is believed to include a $2MM salary plus incentives, tweets FanRag's Jon Heyman. — FRIDAY: The Dodgers have agreed to a one-year deal to bring back infielder Chase Utley, according to Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
Discussion:
True Blue LA, MLB Daily Dish, ThinkBluePC and FanRag Sports
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Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Dodgers To Sign Franklin Gutierrez
Dodgers To Sign Franklin Gutierrez
Discussion:
Bleacher Nation, FanRag Sports and Lookout Landing
Zach Buchanan / Cincinnati.com:
In the Name of the Father — THE STORY BEHIND REDS' PITCHER MICHAEL LORENZEN'S FAMOUS HOME RUN. — LA JOLLA, Calif. - The moment was so indelible, Michael Lorenzen will soon have a sculpture of it. On a recent Saturday in his rented home just north of San Diego, he shared some photos …
Discussion:
Cubs Insider, MLB Trade Rumors and Redleg Nation