Top News:
ESPN:
Howard beats out Pujols to win NL MVP award — Ryan Howard won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in his first season. He topped that in his second season by winning the MVP award. — After being named the top rookie in 2005, Howard elevated his performance to a new level in 2006.
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Ken Mandel / MLB.com:
Howard's huge year nets him NL MVP — Phils slugger led Majors in homers, RBIs in first full season — PHILADELPHIA — The sheer force of Ryan Howard's gargantuan home runs cannot accurately be measured in speed or total distance, only by the gasps from those watching such a spectacle.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos, Go Crazy, Folks!, Amazin' Avenue, Can't Stop The Bleeding, WELCOME TO and Baseball Musings
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
Howard wins NL MVP award — NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies was voted the National League's Most Valuable Player on Monday after leading the majors in home runs and RBIs, beating out the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols for the honor.
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Dodgers closing in on Pierre; Roberts on move? — The Dodgers are close to signing free-agent center fielder Juan Pierre, possibly paving the way for free-agent outfielder Dave Roberts to sign with the Giants, Brewers or Rangers, FOXSports.com has learned. — The Orioles are on the fringes …
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Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Source: Dodgers, CF Pierre agree to five-year deal … Free agent center fielder Juan Pierre has agreed to a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a source told ESPN.com on Monday. The deal is believed to be worth $44-45 million. — The deal will become complete when Pierre passes a physical exam, the source said.
Discussion:
Dodger Thoughts, 6-4-2, Bucs Dugout, McCovey Chronicles, Lone Star Ball, Hot Foot and True Blue LA
Sports Illustrated:
Garciaparra and Dodgers agree to $18.5 million, two-year deal — LOS ANGELES (AP) -Six-time All-Star Nomar Garciaparra and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed Monday to an $18.5 million, two-year contract. — The 33-year-old Garciaparra, the NL comeback player of the year …
Discussion:
True Blue LA
Toni Ginnetti / Chicago Sun Times:
Cubs coup, Cubs coup — Hendry lands top free agent as Soriano agrees in principle to 8-year, $136M deal — Cubs general manager Jim Hendry has reeled in the biggest fish in baseball's free-agent pond at an unprecedented total price tag for the franchise.
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Associated Press:
Cubs give Soriano richest contract in club history — CHICAGO — Alfonso Soriano seemed surprised Monday when informed he'd agreed to the fifth-richest contract in baseball history. — "Thank you for telling me," the newest member of the Cubs said. "Like I said before, I'm not even thinking about the money.
Discussion:
Pearly Gates
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Hot Stove Report: A Baby-Bear Market — Before he hooked arguably the biggest fish in the free-agent pond Sunday, Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry told reporters at last week's meetings in Naples, Fla., what was prompting his assertive plunge into free agency. — It wasn't just the Cubs' worst-in-the-league finish.
ESPN:
The missing piece? Mets ink Alou to one-year deal — The New York Mets have signed free agent outfielder Moises Alou to a one-year, $7.5 million contract with a club option for 2008, the team announced Monday. — The son of former San Francisco manager Felipe Alou …
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Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Marlins bolster 'pen with pair of trades — Fish acquire Lindstrom, Owens from Mets; Gregg from Angels — MIAMI — By pulling off a pair of trades on Monday afternoon, the Marlins better positioned themselves in their quest to reconstruct their bullpen. — In two separate deals …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Mailbag: Free agent comings and goings — Bagwell, Nixon, Pujols, Jennings even Ryan, on fans' minds … We could have re-signed Mark DeRosa for similar money that we are paying Frank Catalanotto. Why? What is the logic here and does it signal the end of Gary Matthews Jr.'s stay with Texas?
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Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:Angels land Speier in $18-million deal
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
MLB.com:
White Sox add five players to roster — CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox have purchased the contracts of left-handed pitchers Heath Phillips and Carlos Vasquez and infielder Andy Gonzalez from Class AAA Charlotte, right-handed pitcher Oneli Perez from Class AA Birmingham and right-hander Dewon Day from Class A Winston-Salem.
David Leonhardt / New York Times:
He's a Star, a Free Agent and, Rarer Yet, Only 26 — EARLY last week, the Boston Red Sox bid $51.1 million for nothing more than the right to negotiate a contract with an ace pitcher from Japan, Daisuke Matsuzaka. — The Red Sox now have a month to agree to a deal with Matsuzaka, whose agent is the notoriously tough Scott Boras.
Discussion:
The Feeding the Monster Blog
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NY Daily News:
Mets, Glavine face freedom deadline — Tom Glavine will get the chance to talk contract with the Braves as a free agent as early as today, when the Mets must announce their expected decision to decline his $14 million contract option before midnight tonight.
Discussion:
Talking Chop
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Ben Shpigel / New York Times:Mets' Free-Agent Pursuits Await a Decision by Glavine
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
MLB.com:
Cubs add two to the 40-man roster — The Chicago Cubs have announced that the club has added right-handed pitcher Rocky Cherry and left-handed pitcher Clayton Rapada to their 40-man roster. The Cubs' 40-man roster now stands at 40 players. — Cherry, 27, spent the majority of the 2006 season …
Discussion:
The Cub Reporter
Maury Brown / Baseball Prospectus:
The Ledger Domain — The Sale of the Cubs — Within the industry, the Cubs are something of a mystery. They are the happy residents ensconced within the game's great jewel, Wrigley Field; they are seen by millions via WGN; they have money to burn. For all that, they've had little to show for it since 1908.
