Top News:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Red Sox, Yankees fighting it out again — The Red Sox didn't make the playoffs. The Yankees didn't escape the first round. — Not to worry. — Another manic off-season is underway, and the game's fiercest rivalry is returning to its usual frenzied state.
Discussion:
WasWatching.com
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Jack Curry / New York Times:
Conflicting Reports on Matsuzaka Bids Put Yankees Out — The mystery about which team will win the right to negotiate a contract with Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Japanese pitcher, continued yesterday. The Seibu Lions know the amount of the highest bid, but, as of last night …
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Report: Red Sox No. 1 bid for Matsuzaka — The baseball world probably will have to wait until Monday to learn for certain which team won the bidding to speak with Daisuke Matsuzaka. But on Friday, clubs appeared to believe a report that the Red Sox prevailed with a bid of about $40 million.
Discussion:
Tales Of A Transplanted …
NY Daily News:
Yanks doubt report of Daisuke to Sox — The last time the Yankees and Red Sox clashed for an international superstar pitcher, the Yanks signed Jose Contreras, leaving Boston executives so frustrated they smashed furniture in their Nicaragua hotel room - depending on who you believe, anyway.
Discussion:
Pride of the Yankees
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:Cubs bid for Matsuzaka, may settle for lefty
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Chicago Tribune:
Dye, Crede win Silver Slugger awards — White Sox third baseman Joe Crede and right fielder Jermaine Dye were among 13 first-time winners of the Silver Slugger award. — The award honors the best offensive performers at every position in each league as voted on by managers and coaches.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Decisions, decisions — Staying course not bad idea for 90-win team, but Sox GM not afraid to shake things up — Baseball's free-agent bidding starts Sunday, but it's only one of several considerations facing general manager Ken Williams as he attempts to sculpt the White Sox into a 2007 title contender.
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Tigers acquire Sheffield for prospects — Veteran outfielder agrees to two-year extension through 2009 — DETROIT — The Tigers' Hot Stove season search for a big-name slugger ended before the stove was really warm. But it didn't come cheap. — Detroit made the first headline move …
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Edmonds, Cards agree on two-year extension — The Cardinals took a first step toward retaining the core of their world championship team Friday by finalizing a two-year, $19 million contract extension with center fielder Jim Edmonds, the team's longest-tenured player as well as its RBI leader the past postseason.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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ESPN:
All-Star Edmonds agrees to 2-year deal with Cardinals — ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals agreed Friday to a $19 million, two-year contract with center fielder Jim Edmonds, their first major move since winning the World Series. — The 36-year-old Edmonds had filed provisionally …
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Leo Standora / NY Daily News:
Mets' Shea goodbye — New Queens park to be named CitiField after U.S. bank - sources — The Mets' new ballpark won't be named after any baseball heroes - you can bank on that. — It'll be called CitiField for Citigroup Inc., the biggest bank in the U.S., sources familiar with negotiations said yesterday.
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Newsday:
Mets stadium: CitiField? — Citigroup is the likely winner for the naming rights of a new Mets stadium. — Shea what? — The Mets have struck a naming-rights deal with Citigroup for their new stadium, according to a person familiar with the situation, and the new ballpark — set to open in 2009 — will be called CitiField.
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
Benson won't seek trade … The Orioles have had talks with the New York Yankees about acquiring 30-year-old pitcher Jaret Wright, according to an industry source. The Orioles likely would have to part with a reliever in return for Wright, who has fallen out of favor in New York after two inconsistent seasons.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Tom Haudricourt / JSOnline:
Hall might get new diamond setting — GM considers moving infielder to outfield — thaudricourt@journalsentinel.com — The likelihood of Bill Hall starting in the outfield for the Milwaukee Brewers on opening day 2007 increased over the past week. And in Japan of all places.
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Wakamatsu returning to Rangers' staff — The Rangers' coaching staff is all but completed. — Don Wakamatsu, the bench coach for the last four seasons, has agreed to return to Ron Washington's staff as third base coach for 2007, general manager Jon Daniels said Friday.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Acta on verge of becoming Nats' manager — Mets third-base coach Manny Acta is on the verge of becoming the Nationals' new manager. — Acta withdrew Friday from his interview for the A's managerial opening, FOXSports.com has learned. — A source with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed …
Discussion:
Capitol Punishment
