Top News:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Source: M's leading contender to land Weaver — In a blow to the World Series champion Cardinals, the Mariners have emerged as the front-runners for free-agent right-hander Jeff Weaver, FOXSports.com has learned. — Weaver, 31, is deciding whether to push for a one or two-year deal, according to a source close to the negotiations.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Weaver, M's close to deal — SEATTLE — Jeff Weaver is close to finding a home with the Seattle Mariners. — The Mariners are closing in on a deal with the 30-year-old right-hander, a baseball official close to the negotiations said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the contract had not yet been agreed to.
Associated Press:
M's mission: Suzuki talks may drag on for a while — SEATTLE — Ichiro Suzuki's future has become the most important issue for the issue-overloaded Seattle Mariners. — And it may be around awhile. — The six-time All-Star will make $11 million in the final season of a $44 million, four-year deal.
Discussion:
Over the Monster
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:Pirates near two-year deal with Sanchez
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos, The Confluence, Bucs Dugout, The Parrot, MLB Rumors, Sports Frog, Ben Maller's Sports … and Fox Sports
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:Mariners Notebook: Felix looking fit; Hargrove fired up
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Gordon Edes / Extra Bases:
Drew deal done — Outfielder J.D. Drew will indeed appear in a Red Sox uniform this season. A resolution has been reached on his contract, and an announcement of his signing of a five-year, $70 million deal is expected tomorrow. — The issues that kept a final agreement from being struck …
RELATED:
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Finally! Drew, Sox appear ready to roll — The word from the two camps for some time now is that a resolution to the J.D. Drew [stats]-Red Sox [team stats] saga is just a few days away. — It appears the sides really mean it this time. — According to sources familiar with the contract talks …
Jimmy Golen / Associated Press:
Drew, Red Sox finally get agreement — BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox and J.D. Drew finally resolved their wrangling over the outfielder's five-year, $70 million contract — more than seven weeks after agreeing to everything except what to do about his surgically repaired right shoulder.
Discussion:
The Griddle
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Cubs part ways with Rusch — Serious blood clot in lung shortened southpaw's '06 season — CHICAGO — The Cubs announced Thursday that they have released left-handed pitcher Glendon Rusch, whose 2006 season ended early because of a life-threatening blood clot in his lung.
Discussion:
The Cub Reporter
RELATED:
Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:
Rusch, idled by clot, is released — Cubs drop lefty to make room for Floyd — Glendon Rusch, who found a second-chance career with the Cubs, may have seen his career end Thursday when he was released so the club could make room on the 40-man roster for newly signed Cliff Floyd.
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Yankees seek working agreement with China baseball … A contingent of executives from the New York Yankees will fly to China next week with the hope of concluding ongoing negotiations on a working agreement with the China Baseball Association. This could lead to the Yankees dispatching coaches …
Discussion:
Nationals Farm Authority
RELATED:
Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Astros reach agreements with three — One-year contracts for Ensberg, Everett, Lane avoid arbitration — HOUSTON — The Astros signed their three remaining arbitration-eligible players on Thursday, all to one-year contracts. Adam Everett signed for $2.8 million, Jason Lane signed …
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
RELATED:
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Focused Thome looks ahead to 500 — Slugger acknowledges landmark while preparing to stay strong — PEORIA, Ill. — Jim Thome looks ahead at his illustrious baseball career and quickly realizes there are more years in baseball behind him than ahead of him.
Discussion:
Black Sox Blog
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Hall of Fame baseball writer Lang dies at 85 — NEW YORK — Jack Lang, a Hall of Fame baseball writer who for two decades had the pleasant assignment of telling players they'd been elected to Cooperstown, died Thursday. He was 85. — Lang had been ill for an extended period with a variety of ailments …
Discussion:
...getting paid to watch
John Shea / ESPN:
New faces could push Dodgers to top — The Dodgers are hungry. Missing from the World Series the past 18 years and winning just one playoff game in that time, the Dodgers are more than due. They're two years from matching the longest drought in their history — they failed to reach the World Series annually from 1921 to 1940.
Discussion:
Dem Bums
Associated Press:
Japan's baseball owners looking for ways to keep talent from leaving — CBS SportsLine.com wire reports — TOKYO — Japan's baseball owners are looking for ways to reduce the talent drain to the major leagues. — Under Japanese baseball rules, a player cannot become a free agent until …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
RELATED:
Jim Allen / yomiuri.co.jp:SPECIAL REPORT: Talent pool left shallow by lack of leagues
Discussion:
The Griddle
Janie McCauley / Associated Press:
A's, Kielty agree to $2.1 million, 1-year deal — OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics all but completed their roster heading into spring training, agreeing Thursday with outfielder Bobby Kielty on a $2.1 million, one-year contract that avoided arbitration.
Dave Studeman / Hardball Times:
Historical WSAB: 41 through 80 — Last week, I presented a ranking of everyday players based on a new twist on Win Shares: Win Shares Above Bench. I believe this is a definite improvement over basic Win Shares (as discussed last week). Although it's not perfect, it's pretty darn good for ranking the all-time best.
