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 …
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Angels lose out in bidding for Japanese pitcher — The Angels are on the verge of falling to 0-2 this off-season. After their top free-agent target, Aramis Ramirez, signed a five-year, $75-million deal Sunday to remain with the Chicago Cubs, the Angels are expected to learn today …
Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
Marlins will talk, but not about Willis — NAPLES — If there Marlins make any trades this winter, chances are they'll tap their surplus of young pitchers. But don't expect Dontrelle Willis to be dangled as trade bait just yet. — Despite speculation that the Marlins left-hander could be moved …
Discussion:
Hot Foot
NY Daily News:
Wild pitch to Japan will cost — NAPLES, Fla. - The winning Red Sox bid just for the negotiation rights to Japanese pitching prodigy Daisuke Matsuzaka, according to my sources, is "upwards of $50 million." Numerous other sources around the general managers' meetings also confirmed the number yesterday …
Murray Chass / New York Times:
Red Sox Foil Yanks in Bidding for Pitcher — This is about the Boston Red Sox and Daisuke Matsuzaka, but first a word about George Steinbrenner, a sad word. Despite all the denials from the Yankees, he is not the man he used to be. Whether old age or illness is the cause …
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
Yanks, Mets move on — With Daisuke on way to Sox, market opens — NAPLES, Fla. - As the general managers' meetings got underway yesterday, the Yankees and Mets both seemed to be moving beyond the Daisuke Matsuzaka sweepstakes, which the Daily News has learned has been won by the Red Sox …
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:Red Sox reportedly win Matsuzaka bid
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Halo Herald, Clubhouse Insider, Extra Bases, Empyreal Environs and YANKEE MANIA
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:Red Sox should be smart with their money
Discussion:
3,079 Miles to Fenway …
NY Daily News:
Willie isn't antsy over new pact — Willie Randolph would like a contract extension, and the Mets would like to give him one to eliminate any lame-duck attachments to the final year of their manager's original three-year deal. — But neither side appears to be in much of a rush …
Discussion:
It's Outta Here!
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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 …
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos, Baltimore Sun, MetsBlog.com, MLB Trade Rumors, Brew Crew Ball, Lone Star Ball and WasWatching.com
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 …
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 …
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.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Greg Cote / Miami Herald:
Management must keep pace — This is the week that reminds us how close the Marlins are to being very good, and the week that begins to tell us whether club management plans to sit idling or to accelerate the process. — Marlins finished a remarkable 1-3-4 in NL Rookie of the Year voting announced Monday …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
NY Daily News:
Hey, no 'Shea'? That's an error — You mean they're actually doing it, after all? They're tossing the name of Shea Stadium in the trash and replacing it with "Citi Field"? — I object! What a rude thing to do in this city and what an insult this is to Bill Shea.
George King / New York Post:
'NEW' SHEFFIELD JUST AS OUTSPOKEN AS EVER — Gary Sheffield, traded last Friday to the Tigers for a trio of minor league arms, said the only person connected to the Yankees he has spoken to is Brian Cashman. — "That's because he was the most honest," Sheffield told The Post of the Yanks GM.
