Top News:
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.
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Schmidt's signing could impact Zito, Suppan — The Dodgers' signing of right-hander Jason Schmidt to a three-year, $47 million contract could have a significant impact on the markets for two remaining free-agent starters, left-hander Barry Zito and right-hander Jeff Suppan.
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Cubs ink Lilly to four-year deal — ORLANDO, Fla. - The Cubs continued their off-season spending spree Wednesday, reaching preliminary agreement with free-agent left-hander Ted Lilly on a four-year, $40 million contract, FOXSports.com has learned. — Lilly, who turns 31 on Jan. 4, becomes the Cubs' first major pitching acquisition.
Discussion:
Baseball Diamond News
Greg Maddux / ESPN:
Dodgers replace Maddux with ace Schmidt — The Dodgers, who lost three players to free agency on Tuesday, reloaded in a big way Wednesday. — Free-agent pitcher Jason Schmidt and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a three-year contract worth $47 million. — The team has been in the market …
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Schmidt says he's joining Dodgers — Ace right-hander nearing three-year deal to pitch in LA — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Dodgers apparently are on the verge of acquiring the power pitcher they've coveted, as free-agent right-hander Jason Schmidt on Wednesday told former Giants teammates …
David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves' top-heavy payroll presents problems — You want to know why the Braves must trade Marcus Giles and/or Adam LaRoche in order to improve their pitching staff and stay within budget? I'll tell you. Rather, I'll show you. — Because seven guys are eating up 80 percent or slightly more of the $80 million payroll.
Discussion:
Tomahawk
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Winter meetings: Pirates chase Atlanta's LaRoche — Team seen as souring on Suppan, other free-agent pitchers — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Pirates are plenty interested in Atlanta Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche …
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates' trade with Braves on hold — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Pirates are plenty eager to trade for Atlanta first baseman Adam LaRoche, and they have offered closer Mike Gonzalez to get him. — But the Braves are waiting to make sure Gonzalez …
Bill Shanks / braves.scout.com:First on The Braves Show: Ramirez for Soriano
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:Angels have little chance to get Ramirez or LaRoche
Discussion:
AZ Snakepit
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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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 …
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.
Will Carroll / Baseball Prospectus:
I Love the Smell of Rumor in the Morning — It's a terrible, terrible thing when you realize at dinner that your new phone isn't sending the e-mails you've written. As a result, I apologize for no new information during the day, but honestly, you didn't miss much.
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Growing dissent over CBA — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Less than six weeks after baseball's owners and players' union agreed to a new five-year labor contract, signs of dissent are coming from top executives concerned with rocketing salaries. — "I'm already lamenting it," …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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Associated Press:
Piazza close to deal with A's, who add Embree — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Oakland Athletics and left-handed reliever Alan Embree agreed to terms on a two-year contract Wednesday, and the club also was closing in on a deal with Mike Piazza to be designated hitter.
Discussion:
San Francisco Chronicle, MLB.com, Athletics Nation, Lone Star Ball, The Pastime, Catfish Stew and Bucs Dugout
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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.
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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.
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Rich Lederer / Baseball Analysts:
All Things Boston — The Boston Red Sox made the biggest splash of the Winter Meetings on Tuesday by signing free agents J.D. Drew for five years/$70 million and Julio Lugo for four years/$36 million. — Drew and Lugo figure to be major upgrades over Trot Nixon and Alex Gonzalez.
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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Will Bonds leave Giants? It's a mystery … LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The mystery guest of the winter meetings headed off to meet his mystery suitor Wednesday. And for winter-meetings melodrama, you can't beat a cameo appearance by Barry Bonds himself. — But even though Bonds' agent …
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
As Nats Plan for Future, Acta Embraces Present — Manny Acta is all too aware that even the people who run the Washington Nationals are bracing for the looming storm that could be the 2007 season, one in which the club is brazenly frank about how bad it might be.
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.
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.
