Top News:
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Sox, Drew close — Outfielder in line for $70m, five years — There is still contract language to be worked out, and some question about whether the fifth year of the deal is guaranteed. But the Red Sox are nearing the completion of a deal with J.D. Drew that would pay …
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Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
Yankees win rights to Igawa for $26,000,194 — NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees got a chance to sign a Japanese pitcher on their second try this offseason, winning the rights Tuesday to Kei Igawa after losing out to the Boston Red Sox two weeks ago for Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Jimmy Golen / Associated Press:
Red Sox can't reduce bid for Matsuzaka — BOSTON - The Boston Red Sox cannot reduce their $51.1 million bid for Daisuke Matsuzaka in order to sign him, even if his Japanese team agrees to take less, baseball officials said Tuesday. — "There are no side deals in the situation," …
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Powered
Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
Sox look down on Matsuzaka — Dealing with Boras perilous — The news sent shock waves throughout the baseball world, but nowhere was the noise louder than in Southern California. There, at Scott Boras Headquarters, the $51.11 million for the rights to Daisuke Matsuzaka meant one thing and one thing only.
Discussion:
The Soxaholix
Mark Feinsand / MLB.com:
Igawa's rights go to Yankees — New York reportedly bids $25-$26 million to speak with lefty — NEW YORK — After missing out on star Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka earlier this month, the Yankees made sure not to let history repeat itself when Kei Igawa became available via the posting system.
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
What are the Orioles thinking? — There are two ways to view the Orioles' investment of nearly $42 million in relievers Jamie Walker, Danys Baez and Chad Bradford. — A. The Orioles, coming off nine consecutive losing seasons, needed to overpay each reliever in a three-year contract to attract him to Baltimore, or,
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Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Bradford May Be Bringing Some Relief to Orioles — The Mets' bullpen, the best in the National League last season, is on the verge of losing Chad Bradford, one of the club's most effective relievers. — Bradford has agreed in principle to a three-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Bradford bolts bullpen for Baltimore — The Mets have lost one of the key pieces of their bullpen. Chad Bradford has agreed to a three-year deal with the Orioles worth roughly $10.5 million, pending a physical, baseball officials said yesterday. — The righthanded Bradford, 32 …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards get moving on shopping list — Plunging into a fast-moving market to fill two vacancies before a couple of coveted players got away, the Cardinals brought Adam Kennedy back to the flock and invited Kip Wells to be Dave Duncan's next revival. — Over the holiday weekend …
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MLB Trade Rumors
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Steve Henson / Los Angeles Times:
Lieberthal is ready for blue — Veteran catcher would be happy to back up Martin, if a couple of hurdles don't stop him. — Like pitcher Randy Wolf, catcher Mike Lieberthal is a Philadelphia Phillie who grew up in Southern California. — And like the left-handed starter whose …
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Balls, Sticks, & Stuff
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Any deal for Figgins full of complexity — The agent for speedy Chone Figgins believes the Los Angeles Angels will trade his client. — With 114 stolen bases over the last two seasons, Figgins, 28, would appear to be a potential help to the White Sox. — But other factors suggest …
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Larry Dobrow / CBS SportsLine.com:
Throw clueless GM Littlefield off Pirates' sinking ship — The Pittsburgh Pirates might be one of baseball's two or three franchises truly beyond resuscitation, and I can tell you why in three words: Dave Motherbleepin' Littlefield. — In his five tragic years as the team's executive zookeeper …
Associated Press:
Soriano guaranteed suite on road in Cubs' deal — CHICAGO — Alfonso Soriano will be paid $18 million annually in the final five years of his $136 million, eight-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, the fifth-richest contract in baseball history. — Soriano's deal gives him a complete …
David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
No Braves offer yet for Glavine — Tom Glavine wants to rejoin the Braves and the Braves want the 40-year-old left-hander back in their starting rotation. But as of late Tuesday, a signing seemed far from imminent _ in fact, there was reason to doubt if it would happen at all.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Joe Hamrahi / baseballdigestdaily.com:
Bill James on the Fielding Bible Awards — We are fortunate today to be joined by Bill James. Bill was gracious enough to answer a few questions we had on defensive metrics and the 2006 Fielding Bible Awards! — Baseball Digest Daily (BDD): With the increasing amount of data becoming available …
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Leaving Tucson will be tricky — Sox need replacement before Glendale move — Moving their spring-training home from Tucson to Glendale, Ariz., might seem easy for the White Sox. — Their toughest task will be finding a team to replace them at the facility they share with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Discussion:
South Side Sox
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates shows interest in pitcher Ohka — By Dejan Kocacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — Add Tomo Ohka's name to the Pirates' list of coveted free-agent pitchers. — They are among seven or eight teams, including the high-spending Boston Red Sox, who have made known their interest to Ohka's agent …
