Top News:
Kelly Thesier / MLB.com:
Morneau upsets field in AL MVP race — Twins first baseman tops Jeter, Ortiz and Thomas — MINNEAPOLIS — Justin Morneau had some stiff competition when it came to earning American League Most Valuable Player honors, and that was just on his team. — But while the Twins had multiple candidates …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings, It's Outta Here!, The Joy of Sox, Lone Star Ball, Lookout Landing, Mack Avenue Tigers and A Red Sox Fan …
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ESPN:
Morneau edges Jeter to win AL MVP — NEW YORK — Minnesota's Justin Morneau edged the New York Yankees' Derek Jeter to win the American League's Most Valuable Player Award on Tuesday. — Morneau received 15 first-place votes, eight seconds, three thirds and two fourths for 320 points …
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Morneau's fine, but feel free to argue — I am fine with the choice of Twins first baseman Justin Morneau as American League MVP. I also would have been fine with the selection of Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter or Twins catcher Joe Mauer. The whole thing is completely subjective and debatable …
George King / New York Post:
SAY IT AIN'T CO — JETER MIGHT TIE MORNEAU FOR AL MVP — How close was the AL MVP voting that will be announced today? Throughout baseball yesterday an unsubstantiated rumor buzzed the landscape that Derek Jeter and Twins first baseman Justin Morneau had tied for the award.
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Cubs continuing to lure Lugo — The Cubs didn't stop pursuing free agent Julio Lugo after signing Mark DeRosa to play second base. And they haven't stopped pursuing Lugo after signing Alfonso Soriano to be a $136 million outfielder, FOXSports.com has learned. — FOX Bite — Videos
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
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Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Cubs complete blockbuster with Soriano — Eight-year, $136 million contract richest in team history — CHICAGO — For Alfonso Soriano, a 40-40-40 season equals $136 million. — The Cubs, who have been signing players at a dizzying pace, locked in the free-agent outfielder on Monday to an eight-year deal worth $136 million.
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Market favors a Ramírez deal — The list of possible trading partners for the Red Sox in a Manny Ramírez deal shrank by another team yesterday, even as an exploding market makes the remaining $38 million on Ramírez's contract appear a relative bargain.
Discussion:
Lookout Landing
Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs still plan to pursue pitching — Interim President McDonough says Hendry has money left in his budget — With the signing of free agent Alfonso Soriano for $17 million a year and the future addition of at least two more big-name pitchers, the Cubs could start next season …
Discussion:
GROTA
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Rockies, Francis agree to four-year, $13.25M deal … Pitcher Jeff Francis has reached agreement on a four-year, $13.25 million contract with the Colorado Rockies, a source told ESPN.com. The contract includes a fifth-year club option that could bring the total value of the deal to more than $20 million.
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StatsGuru / Baseball Musings:
Probabilistic Model of Range, First Basemen, 2006 — Here's how PMR ranks the first basemen: — Probabilistic Model of Range, First Basemen. Model is Based on 2006 Data Only. Minimum 1000 Balls in Play. — Player In Play Actual Outs Predicted Outs DER Predicted DER Difference — Kendry Morales
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StatsGuru / Baseball Musings:
Probabilistic Model of Range, Centerfielders, 2006 — Let's take a look at how PMR rates the centerfielders this year: — Probabilistic Model of Range, Centerfielders. Model is Based on 2006 Data Only. Minimum 1000 Balls in Play. — Player In Play Actual Outs Predicted Outs DER Predicted DER Difference
Jim Baker / Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Matchups — Most Valuable — After decades as a baseball fan, I still can't figure out what the hell the Most Valuable Player Award is supposed to be. Maybe that's the charm of the award: every season, it means something a little bit different. In some years, it's for the player who had the best season.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
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Kelly Thesier / MLB.com:
Twins finalize 40-man roster — Club leaves one spot open with 39 players listed — MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins finalized their 40-man roster, though they did it with just 39 players. — Four players were added to the roster on Monday, the deadline to add players to protect them from being exposed in next month's Rule 5 Draft.
Discussion:
Nick & Nick's Twins Blog
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Dallas Morning News:
No bargains in free-agent shopping — You have undoubtedly looked at the paper or the Web site - or at least we in the newspaper industry all pray that you have - in the last couple of weeks and seen numbers that make you do spit takes. — Boston paid $51.1 million to talk, yes, just to talk, to Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
Picture Lilly back in Bronx — There is a theme to the Yankees' search for starters this winter, so much so that if they were placing a classified ad it would read, "Wanted: pitchers who can beat the Red Sox." — While this is a mandate in George Steinbrenner's world every year …
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Alou signs one-year deal with Mets — Club declines Glavine's option, but hopes to re-sign him — NEW YORK — The offensive shortfall against left-handed pitching that afflicted the Mets in late summer has been addressed, so too the situation involving Tom Glavine.
