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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Associated Press:
Red Sox agree to 4-year, $36M deal with Lugo — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Boston Red Sox reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday with shortstop Julio Lugo that would pay him $36 million over the next four years. — Details of the agreement were provided to The Associated Press …
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 — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — While conceding that Manny Ramírez may be coming back after all — and where have you heard that one before? — the Red Sox completed two moves that should significantly upgrade their offense …
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 …
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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.
ESPN:
Source: Mets to get Burgos from Royals for Bannister — The New York Mets have agreed to a deal with the Kansas City Royals that will send right-handed starter Brian Bannister to Kansas City for right-handed reliever Ambiorix Burgos, ESPN's Steve Phillips reports.
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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.
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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
No life remaining in Manny trade rumors … LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — It's getting to be an annual December tradition, right up there with the winter solstice, gridlock in the mall parking lot and the latest in bad Santa Claus movies: — Red Sox head for the winter meetings …
Discussion:
The Feeding the Monster Blog
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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 …
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Denver Post:
Jennings, trade talks chill out — Rockies pitcher keeping all his options open — Orlando, Fla. - As trade talks stalled for Jason Jennings, the Rockies inched forward on their contract proposal to the right-hander. — Colorado has offered Jennings a three-year, $24 million contract …
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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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 …
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
All is not Wells for Williams — White Sox GM sits tight, with his eye out for a young pitcher — ORLANDO — On Ken Williams' side of the table, the chips are stacked high, like the skyline of Chicago. Other players eye him enviously, waiting to see how he will play his hand.
