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
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.
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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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.
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 …
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.
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 …
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.
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Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:
Rowand playing the waiting game — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Outfielder Aaron Rowand is in a tough spot. On one hand, Chicago is where he got his major-league career started before the White Sox traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jim Thome last winter.
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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 …
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Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:Angels have little chance to get Ramirez or LaRoche
Discussion:
AZ Snakepit
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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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.
Bob Dutton / Kansas City Star:
KC close to Burgos trade — Royals are working to send reliever to Mets for starter Bannister and are talking to Orioles about Sanders deal. — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. | Frustrated in the free-agent market, the Royals switched Tuesday to the trade front in a determined effort to bolster their rotation.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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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 …
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
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.
