Top News:
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Matthews is the centerpiece — After failing to land a slugger, Angels sign the slick-fielding outfielder to a five-year, $50-million contract. He might bat leadoff. — The Angels, convinced Gary Matthews Jr., won't be a one-year wonder, signed the free-agent center fielder to a five-year …
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Associated Press:
Cashing in — Matthews agrees to five-year, $50M deal with Angels — ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Gary Matthews Jr. had a tough decision, choosing between the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants. — Family won out. — Matthews, whose 7-year-old son lives in nearby Santa Monica …
Discussion:
Only Baseball Matters
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Angels sign Gary Matthews Jr. for $50 million — In yet another eye-popping free-agent signing, the Angels have reached agreement with center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. on a five-year, $50 million contract, FOXSports.com has learned. — The 32-year-old Matthews, who still must pass a physical …
Dean Chiungos / MLB.com:
Holiday Inn award honors utility pair — Eckstein, Inge named Look Again Players of the Year — An unheralded irony exists in a strange parallel between the film industry and the game of baseball. — In the movies, the year's best supporting actor gets an Oscar just for playing a role over a finite period of time.
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FIRE JOE MORGAN
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Spencer Fordin / MLB.com:
Orioles ink Walker to three-year deal — Left-hander completes physical; veteran Parrish re-signs — BALTIMORE — The Orioles confirmed a long-standing rumor Tuesday when they announced that they had signed left-handed reliever Jamie Walker to a three-year contract worth $12 million.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
Roch Kubatko / Baltimore Sun:
Orioles go to bat in hunt for Lee … The competition for free-agent outfielder Carlos Lee appears to be down to three teams, including the Orioles, and the slugger could make a decision by the weekend. — The Orioles, Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies are viewed as the most serious bidders for Lee …
Discussion:
SportsJustice
Newsday:
Wallace Matthews — Crowns most valuable for Jeter — If it's any consolation to Derek Jeter, in 1980 "Ordinary People" won the Oscar for Best Picture over "Raging Bull." A quarter-century later, people laugh about that one and someday, they'll laugh about this one, too, the year Ordinary Player …
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FIRE JOE MORGAN
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ESPN:
Type A behavior — Justin Speier has 17 career saves in 459 outings in a career mostly spent in middle relief, and for that, he got a four-year, $18 million deal from the Angels. Ted Lilly, on the other hand, is 37-34 as a starting pitcher in the American League East the last three seasons …
Associated Press:
Colangelo confirms interest in buying Cubs — CHICAGO — Former Arizona Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo would be interested buying the Chicago Cubs if Tribune Co. puts his hometown franchise up for sale. — Colangelo, chairman of the NBA's Phoenix Suns and former controlling owner …
Associated Press:
Dodgers shell out $45 million for light-hitting Pierre — CBS SportsLine.com wire reports — LOS ANGELES — Center fielder Juan Pierre and the Los Angeles Dodgers finalized a five-year contract worth about $45 million on Wednesday, giving the team additional speed at the top of the lineup.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Up next at pay window — Zambrano figures to benefit from Soriano deal with Cubs — The second-happiest Cub, after Alfonso Soriano, is probably Carlos Zambrano. — Soriano scored big with his $136 million contract and Zambrano stands to become the next beneficiary of general manager Jim Hendry's spending spree.
Tom Van Riper / Forbes:
A Modest Baseball Proposal — Would Microsoft pay an overseas competitor $26 billion just for the right to talk to one of its software engineers about a job? Not likely. Any board parting with 9% of its company's market value for an individual would face a lynch mob at the next shareholder meeting.
