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6:45 AM ET, November 18, 2006

Ballbug

 Top News: 
Jim Street / MLB.com:
Hot Stove: Big market for Manny's bat  —  Boston may pull off trade for slugger if right deal comes along  —  The annual Manny Watch has started to flicker.  —  As sure as leaves fall in October, there are always rumors of left fielder Manny Ramirez's departure from the Boston Red Sox.
Discussion: WasWatching.com
RELATED ITEMS:
Chris De Luca / Chicago Sun Times:
Sox trade Cotts to Cubs for Aardsma, prospect
Discussion: Tribe Report
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:   Yankees might make Proctor a starter
Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:
GM MEETINGS NOTES
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Mets, Rangers kick tires on Sox pitchers
NY Daily News:
Brian, Omar in no hurry
Discussion: New York Post and MetsBlog.com
Larry Larue / thenewstribune.com:
Hitters fill market
Jim Street / MLB.com:
Igawa's negotiating rights posted  —  Japanese lefty follows Matsuzaka, Iwamura in bidding process  —  Left-hander Kei Igawa was posted by the Hanshin Tigers on Friday, and Major League Baseball organizations have until Nov. 27 to submit a bid for exclusive negotiating rights to the 27-year-old pitcher.
RELATED ITEMS:
Eduardo A. Encina / St. Petersburg Times:
Rays turning focus to Japanese talent
Discussion: DRays Bay
Associated Press:
Bidding starts for Japanese pitcher Igawa's MLB rights
Discussion: Hot Foot
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Mueller retires, joins front office  —  Dodgers also closing in on multiyear deal for Garciaparra  —  LOS ANGELES — Bill Mueller became the highest-paid special assistant to the general manager in Dodgers history Friday when he was forced to retire as a player and joined the front office.
Discussion: McCovey Chronicles
RELATED ITEMS:
Associated Press:
Bill Mueller retires, takes front office job with Dodgers  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) - Former AL batting champion Bill Mueller, limited to 32 games with the Dodgers last season before undergoing what turned out to be career-ending knee surgery, retired Friday and will serve as a special assistant to Los Angeles general manager Ned Colletti.
Discussion: Camden Chat and Hot Foot
Tim Marchman / New York Sun:
The Red Sox May Have Just Made Insanity the Norm  —  Baseball is an old sport, and it doesn't change all that often.  This week's news that the Boston Red Sox have secured the rights to negotiate with Seibu Lions pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka for the fairly outlandish sum of $51 million represents real change.
Discussion: Giants Win
RELATED ITEMS:
Peter Botte / NY Daily News:
Cy for Santana, Chien-Ming 2nd
Associated Press:
Cora gets $4 million, two-year deal from Red Sox
Discussion: Bucs Dugout
David O'Brien / Braves:
Would Glavine return without no-trade clause?  —  Just when you thought you'd heard enough _ maybe more than enough _ about Tom Glavine's pending decision to pitch next season for the Mets or the Braves (assuming Atlanta makes him an offer), let me point out a factor that's been entirely overlooked.
Discussion: MetsBlog.com
RELATED ITEMS:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Is Glavine returning to Atlanta?
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Angels may want Drew as their center fielder  —  Dodgers fans who are upset about J.D. Drew's decision to opt out of his contract last week might not have to travel far to express their displeasure with the outfielder.  The Angels, according to industry sources, are interested in signing Drew to play center field.
Discussion: 6-4-2
RELATED ITEMS:
Rocky Mountain News:
Ringolsby: When playoffs begin, they can get wild
Discussion: Lone Star Ball
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Notes: Focus returns to rotation  —  With Thomas signed, arms once again top priority  —  TORONTO — Now that Frank Thomas can officially be fitted for his Big Hurt-size Blue Jays jersey, it's time for Toronto to turn its attention back toward its pitching staff.
RELATED ITEMS:
MLB.com:
Blue Jays sign DH Frank Thomas
Discussion: The Griddle
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
At last, there may be a market for Manny  —  For years, the reason the Red Sox couldn't trade left fielder Manny Ramirez was simple — no team wanted to absorb Ramirez's contract.  —  The bigger problem now is that the Sox likely couldn't replace Ramirez with a worthy right-handed complement to David Ortiz.
Andrew Baggarly / Mercury News:
Frandsen might bump Durham  —  The Giants typically don't give opening-day jobs to unproven players, but infielder Kevin Frandsen is forcing the organization to take notice.  —  Frandsen's performance in the Arizona Fall League has the Giants leaning toward giving him a shot at second base …
Discussion: MLB Trade Rumors
RELATED ITEMS:
Henry Schulman / San Francisco Chronicle:
Giants sizing up costly free agents
Discussion: MLB Trade Rumors
Dave / U.S.S. Mariner:
Comparison Fun  —  You know I think the free agent market is nuts.  You know I support acquiring talent via trade instead of paying these prices.  You may not know that there really are good deals to be found, even in this sea of insanity.  For instance, look at this comparison of left-fielders:
Morning Call:
IronPigs fightin' words for biker club  —  Organization says baseball team owners infringing trademark.  —  By Jeff Schuler Of The Morning Call  —  What's the difference between Iron Pigs and IronPigs?  —  A lot, if you're Lehigh Valley's baseball team.  Not so much if you're an international motorcycle club based in Texas.
Discussion: The Griddle
Marc Jimenez / MLB.com:
Owens finishing AFL season strong  —  Late start doesn't keep outfielder from showing promise  —  It might have taken a few weeks, but it looks like Jerry Owens is hitting his stride just as the Arizona Fall League season comes to a close.  The 25-year-old center fielder arrived late …
Discussion: South Side Sox
Murray Chass / New York Times:
Slashing Payroll May Be No Bargain  —  If the Florida Marlins or the Pittsburgh Pirates had made the trades, they would be called salary dumps.  So let's call it what it is, even though it was the Yankees who made the trades.  It was a salary dump by the Yankees, of all teams.  Or was it?
 
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 More News: 
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Injured Cubs making progress in rehab
Discussion: GROTA
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Casey re-signs for one year with Tigers
Discussion: Bless You Boys and TigerBlog
Brian McTaggart / Houston Chronicle:
Astros make offers to two free-agent outfielders
Discussion: MetsBlog.com and ESPN
 Earlier Picks: 
Baltimore Sun:
Orioles shop for bargains, not free-agency home run
Discussion: Denver Post
Joe Sheehan / Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Today  —  The Money of Matsuzaka  —  Fifty-one point one.
George King / New York Post:
SHEA IT'S SO  —  YANKS EYEING HILLENBRAND  —  Shea Hillenbrand's …
Discussion: Pinstripe Alley and Giants Win
 

 
From WeSmirch:

Mike Barnes / The Hollywood Reporter:
Earl Holliman, Actor on ‘Police Woman,’ Dies at 96

Mia Galuppo / The Hollywood Reporter:
‘Wicked’ Pay-Disparity Rumor Debunked: Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Were Paid the Same

Jessica Finn / The US Sun:
Wendy Williams is ‘permanently incapacitated’ from her ‘tragic’ dementia battle, her guardian claims in court

 
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