Top News:
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.
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs sign Lilly to four-year deal — ORLANDO — Cubs general manager Jim Hendry has negotiated some big deals before, but he topped himself Wednesday during baseball's winter meetings when Ted Lilly signed a four-year, $40 million deal while Hendry was in a hospital bed.
Scott Miller / CBS SportsLine.com:
Despite GM in hospital, Cubs pad rotation with Lilly — ORLANDO, Fla. — The Chicago Cubs bagged another free agent, but this time they had to go to extraordinary measures to do it: General manager Jim Hendry completed a four-year, $40 million deal with left-hander Ted Lilly after being taken to the hospital because he felt ill.
Discussion:
CubsNet.com
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Lilly's agent set to meet with Yankees … LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Ted Lilly still isn't sure where he'll be pitching in 2007. But it won't be in Toronto. — Lilly crossed the Blue Jays off his list Wednesday and has narrowed his possible destinations to the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees …
Discussion:
GROTA, Lone Star Ball, On the Yankees beat, Baseball Musings, Bucs Dugout and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Chris De Luca / Chicago Sun Times:
Lilly buys Hendry's sales pitch — Ailing GM gets call in hospital: Cubs land veteran lefty starter — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — If leaving the winter meetings to check into a hospital has an upside for Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, it was getting a phone call from free-agent left-hander Ted Lilly …
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.
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Ed Eagle / MLB.com:
Bucs' trade with Braves falls through — Deal would have sent Gonzalez to Atlanta for LaRoche — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Oh, how quickly things can change at the Winter Meetings. — For most of the afternoon Wednesday, it appeared as though the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves …
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Braves pull trade offer from Pirates — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Pirates' proposed trade with Atlanta — closer Mike Gonzalez to the Braves for first baseman Adam LaRoche — was quashed tonight. — Atlanta general manager John Schuerholz pulled …
Jim Salisbury / Philadelphia Inquirer:
Gillick working on deal for starting pitcher — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Despite listing his priorities as a hitter and a reliever, Phillies general manager Pat Gillick continued to move toward acquiring a starting pitcher at the winter meetings yesterday. — "I'm probably more optimistic …
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Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Jennings faces domino effect — Orlando, Fla. - Philadelphia Phillies general manager Pat Gillick sat speechless in the front row of a news conference. It appeared the perfect reaction to the first major trade of the winter meetings involving a starting pitcher.
Discussion:
Purple Row
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:Could Sox have gotten more for Garcia?
Discussion:
Balls, Sticks, & Stuff
Jimmy Golen / Associated Press:White Sox send Garcia to Phillies for Floyd and a player to be named
Discussion:
Blogging Baseball
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Nats Are Unmoved by Early Trade Offers for Cordero — In the teeming lobby of the Dolphin hotel at Disney World, the discussion among club executives, agents and innocent bystanders during baseball's winter meetings centers largely on the concept of "value" in an ever-escalating market.
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Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
O's widen search for left fielder … LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. // With the Orioles growing increasingly pessimistic about their chances of signing free-agent outfielder Luis Gonzalez, they have turned to other options, including the Detroit Tigers' Marcus Thames and free agent Jay Payton.
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Yanks Appear Closer to Signing Pettitte — The Yankees' solution for their immediate future may come from their recent past. Andy Pettitte is committed to pitching again, and Roger Clemens could eventually join him for a reunion with the Yankees. — Pettitte could still return …
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog, The Feeding the Monster Blog, Replacement Level … and Bronx Banter
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NY Daily News:
Yanks hurl a purpose pitch — Need for Andy is real, not nostalgic — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - For three days in his suite here in Fantasyland, Brian Cashman agonized over signing Ted Lilly, a much-coveted free-agent pitcher he knew was his for the taking.
Scott Miller / CBS SportsLine.com:
Giants meet with Bonds' agent, also looking at lefty Zito — ORLANDO, Fla. — Jeff Borris, the agent for Barry Bonds, said he met with the San Francisco Giants for three hours on a bizarre Wednesday at baseball's winter meetings but that his client still has no deal.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
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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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Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Omar feels power — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Omar Minaya, who officially obtained 22-year-old reliever Ambiorix Burgos from the Royals yesterday for Brian Bannister, compared the righthander's arrival to Duaner Sanchez's acquisition last winter. The Mets GM also gloated that Burgos …
