Top News:
Boston Herald:
Sox break bank — Agree with Drew, Lugo; Ramirez talks may be dead — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Not long after announcing an agreement in principle with outfielder J.D. Drew [stats], the Red Sox [team stats] continued an aggressive offseason spending spree last night by coming to terms …
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Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Mets fall short on Lugo — Set to deal Bannister for reliever — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Despite the Mets' best pitch for Julio Lugo to become their everyday second baseman, he's going to the Red Sox to play shortstop. — Boston is expected to give the 31-year-old Lugo a four-year, $36 million deal.
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:Exciting signs — Red Sox reach terms with Drew and Lugo
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Sox's talks center on Rays' Baldelli — Outfielder could fill leadoff role; Rowand may return — A frozen trade climate began to thaw Tuesday at the winter meetings. — "There were a few things that piqued our interest," White Sox general manager Ken Williams said.
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Jacque: Exit, stage right — Much-maligned Jones may get wish—trade; Cubs leaders for Lilly — ORLANDO — Jacque Jones never could understand why Cubs fans refused to give him the benefit of the doubt after his slow start in April. By September, he had let it be known he wouldn't mind a new address in 2007.
Discussion:
GROTA
Jayson Stark / ESPN:No life remaining in Manny trade rumors
Discussion:
The Feeding the Monster Blog
Sports Illustrated:
Mets to meet with A's, seek Harden — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Mets are expected to meet with Oakland today about acquiring right-hander Rich Harden or possibly another of the A's top starting pitchers, SI.com has learned. — A's GM Billy Beane is due to arrive here Wednesday night.
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USA Today:
Have-nots go bargain-hunting — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — They're watching intently as the free agent market explodes, knowing their chances of signing an impact player have gone from remote to nil, yet hopeful of using the escalating prices to their advantage.
Tom Krasovic / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Old ace, new deal — Maddux, Padres reach agreement on $10 million deal — Pitcher Jake Peavy says the Padres became a better, smarter team yesterday when his friend Greg Maddux and the club reached a preliminary agreement on a one-year, $10 million contract.
Discussion:
Ducksnorts
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Scott Miller / CBS SportsLine.com:
Notebook: Maddux takes Cy Young career to San Diego — ORLANDO, Fla. — Greg Maddux and the San Diego Padres have agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth $16.5 million that, with incentives, could be worth as much as $20 million if Maddux pitches at least 180 innings for the Padres this summer, CBS SportsLine.com has learned.
Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Braves poised to wheel and deal — Rumored trade with Baltimore for Roberts, Penn falls through — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — When Braves general manager John Schuerholz and assistant Frank Wren made an abrupt exit from a steakhouse on Monday night, one top team official was under …
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Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:Angels have little chance to get Ramirez or LaRoche
Discussion:
AZ Snakepit
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Dodgers reach agreement with Schmidt — ORLANDO, Fla. - The Dodgers have landed the biggest free-agent pitching prize to date, reaching a preliminary agreement on a three-year, $47 million contract with right-hander Jason Schmidt, FOXSports.com has learned.
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers turn attention to trade market — Free agent landscape steers Melvin toward alternate options — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Unable to compete in the soaring free agent market, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin is looking to swing some trades before these Winter Meetings adjourn on Thursday.
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Tom Haudricourt / JSOnline:
Rogers the latest pitching prospect to be plagued by injury — thaudricourt@journalsentinel.com — Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - The injury bug has hit yet another pitching prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system. — Right-hander Mark Rogers, the Brewers' first-round draft pick in 2004 …
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Post-Dispatch's Hummel named to Hall of Fame — The Baseball Writers Association of America this morning announced Post-Dispatch baseball columnist Rick Hummel as winner of the Spink Award, and with it enshrinement into the writers' wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards stay in bidding, view options — LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — The Cardinals added new definition to "creative" Tuesday when general manager Walt Jocketty and manager Tony La Russa introduced Braden Looper as a candidate for next season's rotation. — The suggestion comes as the Cardinals continue …
George King / New York Post:
SEXSON MIGHT BE 1ST OPTION — While the Yankees met with Shea Hillenbrand's agent yesterday, another option at first base surfaced. And while Richie Sexson is an expensive alternative, it could be one for the Yankees. — The Mariners have let teams know they are looking to move Sexson …
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Trade talks caught Cordero off guard — Closer hopes to spend the rest of his career in Washington — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Nationals closer Chad Cordero acknowledged on Tuesday that he was surprised that his name was brought up in trade discussions. He hopes to spend the rest of his career in Washington.
Sports Illustrated:
Five Deals I like — Gary Sheffield, OF-DH, Tigers (via trade) — By the time he's through, Sheffield will have had the most itinerant career for a Hall of Famer since Gaylord Perry. As great a hitter as he is, he simply cannot avoid wearing out his welcome. Look at his career.
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Bonds makes surprise appearance at meetings — ORLANDO, Fla. - Nothing that happens this off-season will be more surprising than the sight of Barry Bonds showing up at the winter meetings, looking for a job. — The only time players of Bonds' stature attend the meetings is when they are introduced …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Baltimore Sun:
Angelos' baseball instincts once again are off base — Sometimes, the Orioles just crack me up. Peter Angelos is believed to have quashed a proposed trade that would have sent Brian Roberts and Hayden Penn to the Atlanta Braves for young slugger Adam LaRoche and infielder Marcus Giles …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Tracy Ringolsby / Rocky Mountain News:
Center field will be an inside job — Rockies unwilling to test market further to fill void in outfield — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Rockies have taken their search for help in center field internal. — "We've seen what has become (of) the center field market and we are not going to play …
