Top News:
ESPN:
Utley agrees to seven-year, $85M extension — Chase Utley might be the best second baseman in the National League. Now, the Phillies are paying him as such. — Utley and the Phillies agreed to a seven-year, $85 million extension Sunday, avoiding salary arbitration.
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The700Level.com
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Ken Mandel / MLB.com:
Utley gets seven-year, $85M extension — All-Star second baseman to remain with Phillies through 2013 — PHILADELPHIA — Chase Utley exchanged marriage vows with his fiancée on Saturday afternoon in San Francisco. — A day later, the All-Star second baseman made a similar long-term commitment …
Associated Press:
Chase banks it — All-Star Utley gets 7-year, $85M extension from Phils — PHILADELPHIA (AP) — All-Star second baseman Chase Utley signed an $85 million, seven-year contract extension with the Phillies on Sunday through the 2013 season. — Utley hit .309 last season with 40 doubles, 32 home runs, 102 RBIs and 131 runs.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Chris De Luca / Chicago Sun Times:
Cubs closing in on deal with Floyd — With a nod of approval from new leadoff hitter Alfonso Soriano to give center field a try, the Cubs appear poised to sign veteran outfielder Cliff Floyd to a one-year contract. — The Floyd deal, which might be completed this week …
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Piniella says Soriano candidate for center — Lou Piniella's back acted up on him Saturday morning, forcing him to miss the first half of his first question-and-answer session with fans at the Cubs Convention at the Chicago Hilton. — Would the manager be the first Cub on the disabled list in 2007?
Discussion:
GROTA
Bruce Miles / Daily Herald:Zambrano trying to get 'business' taken care of
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Chicago Sun Times
NY Daily News:
It's 'Moneybull' — Skippers underappreciated, underpaid — It appears the Mets and Willie Randolph are moving inexorably on agreeing to disagree in regard to the manager's value in a contract extension. But while I'm told the negotiations between the two sides have been amicable …
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Dylan Hernandez / Mercury News:
Giants G.M. vague on Bonds talks — UNSPECIFIED ISSUES KEEPING DEAL FROM BEING COMPLETED — The Giants remain in contract talks with Barry Bonds, General Manager Brian Sabean said Friday. But Sabean said that those discussions are at ``the same place it's been for weeks'' because of ``numerous …
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MLB Trade Rumors
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NY Daily News:
Deal or no deal? Bonds waits — SAN FRANCISCO - The Giants still have not finalized a contract with Barry Bonds, and baseball sources say the hangup still is over language about the outfielder's conduct and his entourage. — When Bonds signed his last contract five years ago …
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Ruhle passes away from cancer — Reds coach pitched 13 years in Majors with four teams — CINCINNATI — Former Reds pitching coach Vern Ruhle, who missed the 2006 season while being treated for cancer, lost his battle and died on Saturday night. — Ruhle was five days shy of his 56th birthday.
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Is there a repeat in Cards? — Carpenter confident team has strong hand — Since the Yankees strung together three championships from 1998-2000, there have been six different World Series winners, proof that repeating is so hard to do. When you consider that the Cardinals won last year's title …
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
Joe Hamrahi / baseballdigestdaily.com:
BDD GM Interview: Ned Colletti, Los Angeles Dodgers — Next up in our GM interview series is Ned Colletti of the Los Angeles Dodgers. As you all know, Ned is going through his second off-season with the Dodgers after coming over from San Francisco where he was the assistant general manager to Brian Sabean.
Richard Barbieri / Hardball Times:
This Annotated Week in Baseball History: Jan. 15-21, 1965 — On Jan. 20, 1965, Nick Altrock died in Washington D.C. But the real story is what happened in the nearly 60 years Altrock spent in baseball before that. — Some, maybe even most, players' careers fall into a neat four-part pattern.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Murray Chass / New York Times:
Blue Jays Are Trying to Stay With the Big Boys — By slipping ahead of the Red Sox in last season's final week, the Toronto Blue Jays enjoyed their best division finish since winning successive World Series in 1992 and '93. For a dozen years the Blue Jays had finished no better than third in the American League East.
