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.
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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.
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 …
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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 …
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
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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.
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
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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
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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
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
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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.
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Eischen given invite to Spring Training — Tigers, needing a lefty specialist, give vet Minor League deal — DETROIT — A decade later, Joey Eischen returns. — The Tigers added another name to their list of potential left-handed relievers by signing Eischen to a Minor League contract …
Discussion:
Mack Avenue Tigers
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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
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.
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 …
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 …
