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 …
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 …
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.
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
Carpenter third in Cy Young voting — Cardinals ace finishes behind winner Webb, Hoffman — ST. LOUIS — A late-season fade nearly cost Chris Carpenter the National League Cy Young in 2005, but like his team, he had such a head start on the competition that he held on just the same.
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.
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 …
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.
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 …
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:
