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 …
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
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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
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.
Discussion:
FIRE JOE MORGAN
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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
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 …
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 …
Discussion:
FIRE JOE MORGAN
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Steven Goldman / yesnetwork.com:
Jeter is the real AL MVP — The writers missed the mark this year — THE DUMBEST MVP VOTE IN THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION, INCLUDING THE INFAMOUS 112 CE ROMAN EASTERN CHARIOT LEAGUE VOTE AND THE 1,000,276 CE "LAST MVP BEFORE THE SUN GOES NOVA SO LET'S GET THE !! #@$# OUT OF HERE VOTE"
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:
Speed never slumps — Dodgers finalize five-year, $44M deal with Dodgers — LOS ANGELES (AP) — With power in short supply on the free agency front, the Los Angeles Dodgers went for speed. — Juan Pierre and the Dodgers finalized a $44 million, five-year contract Wednesday …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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
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.
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.
