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Baseball America:
Major League Rule 5 Draft Selections — First Round — Pick — Team — Player, Pos., Previous Org. — *1. — Devil Rays — Ryan Goleski, of, Indians — Stats/Skinny: Hit .306/.391/.557 between Double-A Akron and high Class A Kinston. Joins crowded A's outfield depth chart, but power potential gives him a chance
Discussion:
Talking Chop
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Baseball America:
Rule 5 Draft Blog — The 2006 Rule 5 draft is here, and Chris Kline and John Manuel are blogging live from the Northern Hemisphere ballroom at Disney's Swan & Dolphin resort. — 8:40 a.m.: Early word in the Northern Hemisphere has the Athletics—after paying $100,000 to the Devil Rays …
Associated Press:
Ex-Rays prospect Hamilton picked in Rule 5 draft — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Cincinnati Reds worked out a deal to obtain troubled outfielder Josh Hamilton, sending cash to the Chicago Cubs after they picked him from Tampa Bay in the first round of baseball's winter meeting draft Thursday.
Steve Henson / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers add two big names — Schmidt agrees to a three-year, $47-million deal and Gonzalez agrees to one-year deal as Colletti adds depth, enhancing attempt to trade for a slugger. — LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — In the most impressive recovery of the winter meetings, the Dodgers bounced …
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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:
Bad Altitude, Purple Row, MLB Trade Rumors, MetsBlog.com, Can't Stop The Bleeding and Ben Maller's Sports …
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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 …
George King / New York Post:
PITCH 'EM UP — QUIET CASHMAN ZOOMS — IN ON PETTITTE, ZITO — Andy Pettitte is in play big-time with the Yankees and Barry Zito was on the table last night when Brian Cashman and Scott Boras spent four hours together outside of the Dolphin Hotel. — "Cash is trying to improve …
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
White Sox could trade Garland to Astros — ORLANDO, Fla. - The White Sox might not be done trading starting pitchers. — One day after sending right-hander Freddy Garcia to the Phillies, the White Sox were discussing sending right-hander Jon Garland to the Astros for center fielder Willy Taveras …
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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
The latest from the winter meetings … Things are wrapping up at the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Stay tuned for the latest on trades, free-agent signings and the rumors we're hearing at Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resort: — All times ET — • The White Sox-Astros deal …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Jose De Jesus Ortiz / Houston Chronicle:
Astros set to get pitcher Jon Garland from White Sox
Astros set to get pitcher Jon Garland from White Sox
Discussion:
On the Yankees beat, The Crawfish Boxes, Can't Stop The Bleeding, MLB Trade Rumors, Hot Foot and Lone Star Ball
Andrew Baggarly / Mercury News:
St. Louis expresses interest in the slugger — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols, back to back? It's more than a fantasy league lineup — and more than a rumor. — St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa approached Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris, on Wednesday night and requested …
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Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Rumors continue to surround Nationals — Church's name comes up in potential deal with Phillies — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Nationals didn't get any deals done on Wednesday, but there were strong rumors circulating about the team at Disney World's Dolphin Hotel.
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Nats Are Unmoved by Early Trade Offers for Cordero
Nats Are Unmoved by Early Trade Offers for Cordero
Discussion:
MLB.com, Nats Triple Play, Banks of the Anacostia, William F. Yurasko, MLB Trade Rumors and Ben Maller's Sports …
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Mets zero in on Zito — Ready to make a major pitch — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Despite all the speculation about wild offers from the Texas Rangers and now the San Francisco Giants, baseball officials are convinced the Mets are prepared to do what it takes to land free-agent Barry Zito.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
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David Lennon / Newsday:
Mets no closer on Zito, but A's arms could be targeted
Mets no closer on Zito, but A's arms could be targeted
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Getting dicey with Matsuzaka — Sox not as optimistic about chances to sign Japanese pitcher — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — With a week to go before the clock strikes midnight on the Red Sox' quest to sign Daisuke Matsuzaka, perhaps it should not surprise anyone that the Sox are feeling …
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Winter meetings: Braves pull plug on trade with Pirates — Teams exchange barbs after Gonzalez-LaRoche deal fizzles — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Pirates came close to a trade with the Atlanta Braves, one that would have shipped …
Discussion:
PittsburghLIVE.com, Bucco Blog, MLB.com, A New Pirates Generation, The Parrot and Honest Wagner
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Meetings fruitful for aggressive Cubs — Chicago bolsters rotation, nears deal for left-handed bench aid — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Cubs ended the Winter Meetings with potential help in the rotation and on the bench, but had to leave general manager Jim Hendry behind.
Discussion:
Just A Nats Fan
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Manny not changing uniforms — Slugger likely to remain with Red Sox next season — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein's unofficial Wednesday midnight deadline for trading superstar slugger Manny Ramirez passed with the enigmatic cleanup man still wearing a Boston uniform.
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Helton deal appears unlikely for Angels — Trade with Rockies nearly happened, but L.A. had concerns about first baseman's age, health — LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — The Angels nearly made what General Manager Bill Stoneman called the "big splash," a deal that would have fulfilled owner …