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 …
Discussion:
Yanksfan vs Soxfan, The House That Dewey Built, Baseball Musings and Can't Stop The Bleeding
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Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Complicated matter: Many sides to Sox trading Manny — The Red Sox are busy, busy, busy these days, weighing blockbuster trades (Manny Ramirez), negotiating across the Pacific Ocean (Daisuke Matsuzaka), crossing the T's and dotting the I's on a free agent mega-deal (J.D. Drew) …
Discussion:
The Feeding the Monster Blog
Jeff Goldberg / Hartford Courant:
Lucchino Makes Trip To Far East — Confirms Offer To Matsuzaka — As the halfway point of their window to negotiate with pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka approaches, the Red Sox traveled halfway around the world to help facilitate an agreement. — Red Sox president Larry Lucchino met in Japan …
Discussion:
Boston Herald
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.
Jimmy Golen / Associated Press:
Matsuzaka bid will stand — BOSTON (AP) — 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," said Jimmie Lee Solomon …
Jeff Horrigan / Boston Herald:Manny gets backing: Papelbon hopes team holds onto slugger
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
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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Bucco Blog:
Kip Wells and Tidbits — Kip Wells signed with the Cardinals today. Good for the Kipper. Unfortunately, he won't be able to do much hunting in St. Louis so I wonder what he'll do in his off time? Kip's a great person and I wish him luck. — Wells had offers from the Astros and Rangers …
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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Associated Press:
Wolf leaves Phillies to sign with hometown Dodgers — LOS ANGELES — Left-hander Randy Wolf couldn't pass up the opportunity to come home. — Wolf, who spent much of last season recovering from elbow surgery, finalized an $8 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.
Discussion:
Dodger Thoughts
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Rob Gillies / Associated Press:
Blue Jays: Barajas backed out after signing terms sheet — TORONTO (AP) — Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi claimed Wednesday that catcher Rod Barajas backed out of a deal with Toronto after signing a terms sheet with the team. — Toronto agreed to a $7.25 million …
Fox Sports:
The worst deals this off-season ... so far — Baseball teams are in possession of a verdant and expansive grove of money trees. — What other explanation could there be for what we've seen transpire this winter? Baseball owners, showing the fiscal restraint of Dennis Kozlowski on a meth bender …
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Garcia re-registers on Mariners' radar — Price of pitchers in a dwindling pool improves Freddy's lot — The news just keeps getting worse for the Mariners. They haven't signed a free-agent starting pitcher, nor are they particularly close to doing so.
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 …
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.
Tom Krasovic / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Padres seeking slugger Ramirez? — Counsell spurns S.D.; Yanks get Igawa rights — The Padres haven't ruled out trading for Boston Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez despite concerns about his salary, his subpar defense, his reputation for being lackadaisical and his apparent preference to remain in the American League.
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Crede tale all about cash and dash — Addition of Figgins' speed plus more salary space adds up — You didn't need an MBA to forecast the economic clash between Joe Crede and the White Sox. It has been building for years. — The ending, however, is probably closer than I realized.
Discussion:
GROTA
