Top News:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Hot stove notes from the winter meetings — NAPLES, Fla. - Notes from the general managers' meetings: — Third baseman Aramis Ramirez actually is guaranteed $75 million in his new five-year deal with the Cubs, not the $73 million that was initially reported.
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Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Free-agent free-for-all could be costly gamble — NAPLES, Fla. — Anybody remember the saying from the 1980s TV game show Press Your Luck? — You know, "Big money, no whammies," or something to that effect. — Contestants kept pushing on, risking more and more of their just-won money until they hit a "whammy" and went bust.
NY Daily News:
For Valentin, 2nd run with Mets — Jose Valentin's surprise performance for the 2006 Mets has earned him another year in Flushing. — The Mets have agreed with Valentin on what is believed to be a one-year contract for a substantial raise - to roughly $3 million - pending a physical …
Discussion:
Tales Of A Transplanted …
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New York Post:
VALENTIN RETURNING TO METS — As a reward for emerging as the productive replacement to Kaz Matsui at second base, Jose Valentin has agreed to a contract with the Mets that will more than quadruple his salary. — Valentin has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with a vesting option for 2008 …
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Rookie Race Too Close to Call — Nats' Zimmerman Has the Numbers, but So Do Others — If the waves are right and it's not too cold, you might find Ryan Zimmerman off the coast of Virginia Beach, wetsuit wrapped around his body, surfboard under his feet. If the rain holds off and the breeze …
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Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
Willis' fate could be decided soon — Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis has spent his off-season getting ready for one of the biggest moves of his life: He's getting married next month. — But a wedding might not be the only change in store for him this winter.
Juan C. Rodriguez / Sun-Sentinel:
Marlins: Pitching depth might bring about trades — If the 2007 season started today, the Marlins would be perhaps the only team to know its starting rotation. — That may not be indicative of their willingness to trade some of their surplus pitching. — The front office enters …
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Nationals Know What They'll Get — When most new managers arrive at their first spring training, there is little that can occur before the introductions. They must meet the new players, slap a few backs, lay down the rules, set the expectations. The feeling-out process is far more important than …
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Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Prospect of Acta has players excited — Patterson among those familiar with reported new skipper — WASHINGTON — Nationals right-hander John Patterson was pitching for the Licey Tigers in the Dominican Winter League in 2004, and he said to himself that his manager, Manny Acta …
Sports Illustrated:
Arms race escalates — Matsuzaka runnerups turning to Zito, Schmidt — NAPLES, Fla. — The winner of the Daisuke Matsuzaka sweepstakes will be known in the States by Monday, people involved in the discussions told SI.com. While the winning team has been kept quiet …
Discussion:
Yanksfan vs Soxfan
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Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
Baseball GMs gather in Fla. for meetings — NEW YORK —With the free-agent market open for business, major league general managers gathered in Naples, Fla., for their annual meetings. — Aramis Ramirez decided not to pursue the free-agent market, agreeing Sunday to a five-year …
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Marcus Hayes / Philly.com:
Soriano might be lone option for Phils — The Phillies' backup plans have evaporated. — Gary Sheffield got traded from the Yankees to the Tigers on Friday. Aramis Ramirez signed a deal to remain with the Cubs yesterday. — They were the righthanded bats the Phillies hoped to acquire …
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Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Humidors attract attention of general managers — Naples, Fla. - Like Kenny Rogers, Major League Baseball is determined to get a better grip on its baseballs. — Before arriving Sunday at the general managers' meetings, Joe Garagiola Jr. met with team equipment managers last week to determine how teams store their baseballs.
Discussion:
Purple Row
Tom Krasovic / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Towers has needs, and also leverage — The Padres' Kevin Towers today departs for baseball's general managers meetings in Florida appearing more empowered than in his 11 previous offseasons as GM. — Given about $30 million in payroll relief, Towers has enhanced spending ability …
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Meche officially a free agent — Mariners will go to market to find pitching — Sunday was the first day in the professional career of Gil Meche that he wasn't a Seattle Mariner. — Meche was one of the dozens of big leaguers who officially became free agents Sunday, able to shop themselves to any organization.
Steve Lombardi / WasWatching.com:
Gwen Lawrence's "Power Yoga For Baseball" … WasWatching: What was the driving force for you behind the concept of applying yoga to baseball conditioning? — Gwen Lawrence: I have been a practicing fitness professional since 1990. I started teaching yoga in 1998 and became involved with local athletic teams shortly thereafter.
