Top News:
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Seattle close to deal for Weaver — Rather than return to the World Series champions, free-agent righthander Jeff Weaver was poised Thursday night to accept a deal with the Seattle Mariners and land with his third West Coast team in as many seasons. — Terms of Weaver's pending deal remain unknown …
Discussion:
U.S.S. Mariner, Lookout Landing, Viva El Birdos, MLB Trade Rumors and Ben Maller's Sports …
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates likely left out of Weaver mix — Free-agent pitcher looks set to sign with Seattle — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — Scratch Jeff Weaver, too? — The Pirates' ongoing pursuit of a right-handed starter appears to have produced another swing and miss …
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Lefty Rhodes winds his way back to Mariners — Hoping to bolster starting pitching, Seattle also pursuing Weaver, Redman — The Mariners reached into their past Thursday by signing veteran left-handed reliever Arthur Rhodes. At the same time, the club was trying to close in on a deal with right-handed starter Jeff Weaver.
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.
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Drew, Red Sox finally connect — He'll officially sign deal today — After finally acquiring contract relief in case J.D. Drew's troublesome right shoulder causes him to miss significant time, the Red Sox are expected to make official the signing of a five-year, $70 million deal today …
Discussion:
Peter's Red Sox Forever, The Feeding the Monster Blog, Baseball Musings and The Soxaholix
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MLB.com:
Business of baseball taking new turns — Owners looking for new ways to expand team's revenues — A group of executives from the New York Yankees will make a trip to China and Japan next week. — A company connected to the Boston Red Sox — the Fenway Sports Group — is about to invest in a NASCAR stock-car team.
Discussion:
The Biz of Baseball
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Mets sign Sele to deliver — The Mets added another pitcher to their spring-training rotation competition, announcing the signing of righthander Aaron Sele to a minor-league contract. Sele, 36, went 8-6 with a 4.53 ERA in 28 appearances (15 starts) for the Dodgers in 2006.
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Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets sign Sele to Minor League deal — Right-hander invited to Major League Spring Training camp — NEW YORK — The next contestant, please. — The Mets have added another name to their roster of potential starting pitchers — Aaron Sele. The 36-year-old right-handed veteran of 14 seasons …
Discussion:
6-4-2
Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
Marlins' Gonzalez is duty bound — For Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez, civic duty comes before baseball duty. — Instead of preparing for spring training, Gonzalez has spent the past three weeks of his off-season in a Cobb County, Ga., courtroom as a juror in a civil trial …
Discussion:
FishStripes
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Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Sanchez has MRI on shoulder — Results show inflammation, tendinitis, but no structural damage — MIAMI — After experiencing some discomfort in his throwing shoulder, Marlins right-hander Anibal Sanchez underwent a precautionary MRI on Monday, a source confirmed to MLB.com Thursday.
George King / New York Post:
A NEW CARL — RECOVERING PAVANO SET TO TAKE THE HILL — You have heard this before. Now, get ready to arch your eyebrows again. Carl Pavano will throw a bullpen session today in Phoenix. — After spending the winter in Phoenix working out with fitness guru Brett Fischer to reinvent …
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Seeking Edge in China, Yankees Put Baseball First — The Yankees consider themselves the most driven team in a competitive sport, so their push to boost baseball in China is not purely altruistic. They believe there is talent to be cultivated in China, and when future prospects have a choice …
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Thomas Boswell / Washington Post:
An Embarrassment Of Pitches — This week, Ted Lerner said he thought this winter's expensive free agent signings "could take baseball out of control." His son Mark finds the current payroll explosion "shocking." They're both correct. But they should realize two things.
Discussion:
Nats320, Federal Baseball, William F. Yurasko, Al's Ramblings, Ben Maller's Sports … and District of Baseball
NY Daily News:
The good News man — Lang loved making the Hall's call — There will be an empty chair on the dais at the Baseball Writers' Association of America's annual dinner Sunday at the New York Hilton, a tribute to our intrepid leader, Jack Lang, who died at 85 of liver disease yesterday morning …
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Farid / The Beltway Boys:
IT'S BILL LADSON'S TIME TO SHINE IN THE BLOGGER'S SPOTLIGHT — [January 24th] — (Here is the - nearly - finished interview. There may still be a few typos, but I'll fix those later. It's time to post NOW). — After getting off the phone with Bill Ladson - who graciously gave …
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Mark Kiszla / Denver Post:
Helton, Rockies could do the splits — If Todd Helton would only take his creaky body, broken bat and $16.6 million salary and leave town, maybe the meatheads who own the Rockies could afford to buy a clue. — But don't count on it. — In their relentless pursuit of mediocrity …
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.
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