Top News:
Sports Illustrated:
Manny trade talks 'all but dead' — Red Sox fail to find match for Hall of Fame slugger — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Red Sox are about to call a halt to the Manny Ramirez trade-a-thon, leaving five teams disappointed to varying degrees (six if you count the Yankees).
Discussion:
Purple Row
RELATED:
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Sox agree to deal with Drew — Veteran to sign reported five-year, $70 million contract — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Ending weeks of speculation, the Red Sox plucked talented outfielder J.D. Drew off the free-agent market, agreeing to terms with the left-handed hitter on a reported five-year $70-million contract.
Sports Illustrated:
Red Sox get Drew — Former Dodgers outfielder signs for five years, $70M — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — J.D. Drew completed his long-talked-about deal with the Boston Red Sox, agreeing to a five-year, $70 million offer (pending a physical) to be their right fielder, SI.com has learned.
Discussion:
Extra Bases
ESPN:
Report: Lester's latest CT scan clean — Jon Lester reportedly received good news recently in his ongoing battle with lymphoma. — A source who has direct knowledge of Lester's medical condition told The Boston Globe that the Red Sox left-hander's latest CT scan was clean and his lymphoma seems to be in remission.
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Put up or shut up time — Sox warn teams to give Ramirez offers quickly — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - As good as the Red Sox are getting in their annual exercise in trading Manny Ramirez, this year's so far futile attempt will scale back dramatically after tomorrow.
Drew Silverman PA SportsTicker / Yahoo! Sports:
Red Sox sign OF Drew to five-year, $70 million contract — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (Ticker) — J.D. Drew's financial gamble paid off, and the Boston Red Sox hope they are the ones who hit the jackpot. — The Red Sox and Drew have agreed upon a five-year, $70 million contract …
ESPN:
Maddux agrees to 1-year, $10M deal with Padres — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Greg Maddux and the San Diego Padres reached agreement Tuesday night on a $10 million, one-year contract. — The deal for the four-time Cy Young Award winner contains a $6 million player option for 2008.
RELATED:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Market for veteran closer Gagne is heating up — ORLANDO, Fla. - Quick hits from the winter meetings: — The market for free-agent right-hander Eric Gagne is intensifying, according to a source with knowledge of the reliever's situation. — Some teams want Gagne to ease back into the closer's role …
Tim Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Boras is gatekeeper, again — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Scott Boras ended Monday at baseball's winter meetings well into Tuesday morning, taking a telephone call from "a client on the West Coast" three hours after midnight, returning various phone calls after that, sounding surprisingly energetic, all things considered.
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
The latest from the winter meetings … The winter meetings are under way in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Stay tuned for the latest on trades, free-agent signings and the rumors we're hearing at Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resort: — All times ET — • San Diego was making progress with Greg Maddux …
Discussion:
Talking Chop, Lone Star Ball, The Cub Reporter, MLB Trade Rumors, Purple Row, MetsBlog.com and CBS SportsLine.com
Nick Cafardo / Extra Bases:
Talks heat up on Gagne — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The market for come-backing closer Eric Gagne is heating up, and word is Gagne could be signed by the end of the week. — Smack in the middle of it are the Red Sox. The Sox currently have the best opportunity for Gagne, who would be their closer.
Discussion:
Tribe Report
Associated Press:
Mets executives talk Zito with Boras at meetings — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The New York Mets made their first pitch to Barry Zito and might need to throw some big bucks on the table to land him. — Mets executives met Monday night with Zito's agent, Scott Boras — known for driving a hard bargain.
RELATED:
Sports Illustrated:
Yankees close to Pettitte deal — Veteran lefty may delay retirement; news and notes — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Yankees' search for a starting pitcher that will keep them from having to bank on a healthy Carl Pavano and Randy Johnson is narrowing. As Vicente Padilla came off …
RELATED:
Jim Molony / MLB.com:
Winter Meetings Whispers: Day 2 — Astros southpaw Pettitte considering another season — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — A possible decision by free-agent left-hander Andy Pettitte, the latest Manny Ramirez theories and various trade scenarios were the most persistent whispers of Day 2 of the Winter Meetings.
Will Carroll / Baseball Prospectus:
Will's Mill — More From Orlando — The Manny Ramirez sweepstakes are heating up, with the talk now shifting from the Dodgers (whose offer of LaRoche and Broxton fell short) to the Angels, who are reluctant to offer Scot Shields plus one of their top prospects.
RELATED:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:Speculation heating up at the winter meetings
Discussion:
MLB.com, Boston Herald, Baltimore Sun, Dodger Hill, 6-4-2, Los Angeles Times, MetsBlog.com and MLB Trade Rumors
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Winter meetings: Pirates trot after outfielder Nixon — Atlanta's hot-hitting LaRoche a possibility, too — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Pirates, it appears, are hot for Trot. — On the first day of Major League Baseball's winter meetings …
Discussion:
Mondesi's House, A New Pirates Generation, The Parrot, Honest Wagner and MLB Trade Rumors
Tom Haudricourt / JSOnline:
Brewers' Mench drawing some surprising interest on trade market — thaudricourt@journalsentinel.com — Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - Milwaukee Brewers fans who watched outfielder Kevin Mench play over the final two months of the 2006 season might be astonished that teams actually want to trade for him.
ESPN:
Cards plan to stretch out several relievers in spring — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Tony La Russa was expected to give Adam Wainwright a look for his 2007 rotation. Braden Looper might be coming along for the ride. — La Russa disclosed Tuesday that his World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals …
Discussion:
Cardinals Diaspora
