Top News:
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Sox get the word today — Decision on Matsuzaka expected to go their way — NAPLES, Fla. — The lure for the Japanese baseball fan will be watching the matchup between Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Matsui. — Evidently, a Japanese rivalry within the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is blockbuster good.
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Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Red Sox bid puts pressure on Yanks — If Boston lands Japanese ace, New York might look at White Sox to keep pace — NAPLES, Fla. — This time, the rumors almost certainly are right. The Boston Red Sox are getting baseball's top international prize, 26-year-old right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka …
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:Turning to Zito — With Matsuzaka off board, Mets put A's lefty in their sights
Associated Press:
D-Backs' Webb wins wide-open NL Cy Young race — NEW YORK — Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks won a wide-open race for the NL Cy Young Award, beating out San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman on Tuesday. — One of six pitchers who tied for the league lead with a pedestrian total of 16 wins …
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout
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Lindsey Frazier / MLB.com:
Webb takes home NL Cy Young — Right-hander beats out Hoffman, Carpenter for honor — PHOENIX — Arizona right-hander Brandon Webb made his first All-Star appearance in 2006 and ran off a 30-inning scoreless streak. Now he has capped the year off with his greatest achievement.
Tom Krasovic / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Hoffman has Cy Young shot — Trevor Hoffman has a fighting chance of winning his first Cy Young Award today. Four of six voters polled said they listed Hoffman first on their three-deep ballot. — Thirty-two members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America cast votes at regular season's end.
New York Post:
METS TARGET ZITO, NEAR DUQUE DEAL — By MARK HALE in New York and JOEL SHERMAN in Naples, Fla. — Following the aggressive nature of their GM, Omar Minaya, the Mets yesterday actively moved on their key issue - the rotation - by all but completing a deal to retain Orlando Hernandez …
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Sports Illustrated:
Mets re-sign El Duque — Veteran righty gets two-year deal to stay at Shea — NAPLES, Fla. — The Mets have agreed to a two-year deal for about $11 million to bring back Orlando Hernandez, who was a pleasant surprise after they acquired him from the Diamondbacks in a trade last summer, SI.com has learned.
ESPN:
DeRosa cashes in on career year, to sign with Cubs — Mark DeRosa is poised to cash in on his career year. — The Chicago Cubs have reached an agreement on a three-year contract with DeRosa worth approximately $13 million, a team official familiar with the deal told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
MLB.com:
A's purchase 143-acre parcel from Cisco Systems with intent to construct new ballpark — A's and Cisco agree to 30-year naming rights deal for new stadium — OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland Athletics owner and managing partner Lew Wolff announced today the A's have reached an agreement to purchase …
MLB.com:
Mariners announce agreements with nine Minor League players — Seattle Mariners Director of Player Development Frank Mattox today announced that the Mariners have come to agreement on 2007 minor league contracts with ten minor league free agents. — Signed to contracts with AAA Tacoma were …
Toni Ginnetti / Chicago Sun Times:
Cubs won't raise ticket prices for '07 — The Cubs will hold the line on ticket prices for 2007 after having their second-most successful season at the box office despite finishing in last place in the National League Central. — In a letter sent Monday to season-ticket holders …
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Mariners explore pitching options — As part of their exploration of available starting pitching, the Mariners have made contact with the agent for right-hander Tomo Ohka. — The two sides have talked twice in recent weeks, but negotiations are still in the preliminary stage.
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Kicking the tires on some big bats … NAPLES, Fla. — Baseball's general managers began their 2006 meetings by donning Hawaiian shirts and taking a field trip to a local bowling alley, where San Diego's Kevin Towers and the White Sox's Kenny Williams showed them how it's done.
Discussion:
Redleg Nation
Steve Henson / Los Angeles Times:
Team will be active in free agency — The Hot Stove League is already piping hot. Major League Baseball's general managers are meeting in Naples, Fla., and teams are able to make offers to free agents. — Here are some questions and answers on what lies ahead for the Dodgers this off-season:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Latest notes from the GM meetings — NAPLES, Fla. - Notes from the general managers' meetings: — How hot is free-agent right-hander Gil Meche? His agent, Casey Close, says that more than half of the teams in the majors have expressed interest in the pitcher, with about one-third …
