Top News:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Red Sox, Rockies discussing Helton trade — The Red Sox are in serious discussions with the Rockies about acquiring first baseman Todd Helton, but a trade hinges on how much of Helton's contract the Rockies would be willing to assume, FOXSports.com has learned.
Discussion:
Fire Brand of the …, Off the Facade, The Baseball Critic, MLB Rumors, Baseball Musings, MetsBlog.com, Hot Foot and Shea Faithful
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Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies launch talks on Helton — Red Sox explore deal for veteran — The Rockies are in discussions with the Boston Red Sox involving a trade of Todd Helton, according to multiple baseball sources. — Nothing is imminent, but negotiations are expected to resume Monday or Tuesday …
Discussion:
Purple Row, El Guapo's Ghost Rambles …, Can't Stop The Bleeding, Yanksfan vs Soxfan and Talksox
Tracy Ringolsby / Rocky Mountain News:
Helton trade up in the air — Todd Helton's future with the Rockies is in limbo. — The Rockies and Boston Red Sox have been discussing trade possibilities involving Helton since November, as reported originally by the Rocky, but have struggled to look for a fit since …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Rox confirm Helton talks with Red Sox — CEO Monfort is exploring financial ramifications of such a deal — GREELEY, Colo. — Rockies CEO Charlie Monfort acknowledged on Saturday that he is exploring the financial ramifications of a proposed trade that would send first baseman Todd Helton to the Red Sox.
Discussion:
Roto Authority Fantasy …
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
GM Williams clarifies Buehrle situation — Talk of southpaw's departure from White Sox premature — CHICAGO — It took three questions into the Town Hall Meeting during Saturday's second day of SoxFest for the topic of the Mark Buehrle-Ken Williams contract extension discussion to be revisited.
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Who's sorry now? Williams — White Sox GM says he has been too blunt, apologizes to Buehrle — Ken Williams admits he has a problem because he is too blunt. — The White Sox general manager apologized Saturday to Mark Buehrle and Buehrle's parents during a 30-minute conversation …
Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:
Buehrle knows this is it — Sox left-hander, GM Williams agree he's gone after '07 — White Sox general manager Ken Williams and starting pitcher Mark Buehrle seemed to agree on at least one thing Friday night: After the 2007 season, the left-hander is gone.
Tom Wheatley / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Bing Devine: 1916-2007 — Vaughn Pallmore "Bing'' Devine was a collector's item among sports executives. — Not because his career spanned almost 70 years, most with his beloved Cardinals, from his start as an office boy in 1939 to his death Saturday (Jan. 27, 2007) at age 90, still employed as the team's special assignment scout.
Discussion:
The Griddle
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R.B. Fallstrom / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Former Cardinals GM Bing Devine dies at age 90 — Bing Devine, the St. Louis Cardinals general manager who helped build teams that won three NL pennants and two World Series in the 1960s, died Saturday. He was 90. — Devine, who had been ill since Christmas, died at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, said his widow, Mary Devine.
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Kazmir insists shoulder is fine … ST. PETERSBURG - If your biggest concern about the upcoming season is the state of Scott Kazmir's left shoulder, the just-turned 23-year-old ace says there is nothing to worry about. — "Not at all," he said. "I don't even see that as a question."
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Under radar for no good reason — Reds' Harang, others deserve a closer look — Quick now. Who led the National League in complete games last year? — We'll give you a hint. He was the same guy who led the NL in strikeouts. He had six complete games out of 35 starts and went 16-11 with a 3.76 earned-run average.
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Players delve into lineup debate, too — Focal point is Tracy's decision to bat Wilson second — Cherly Karashin of Carnegie gets an autograph yesterday from Freddy Sanchez at the 2007 PirateFest. — For all the staged games available at PirateFest, which opened last night …
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Rangers' Otsuka is OK with old role — Rangers' former closer willingly returns to pitch in eighth inning — egrant@dallasnews.com — For a few minutes Friday evening, Akinori Otsuka awkwardly searched for words to describe his new role as the Rangers set-up man to Eric Gagne.
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Super Bowl has nothing on these red-hot topics — Not to demean the NFL, but in baseball Indianapolis is home to the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate. Chicago is home to, well, the Cubs. — The Super Bowl TV audience dwarfs even that of American Idol, but so what?
Murray Chass / New York Times:
Middle Relievers Are Moving Front and Center — In an effort to raise the performance standards of their bullpens, teams have raised the standard of living for the pitchers who populate those bullpens. The more important they are perceived to be, the more money middle relievers are earning.
Dave Campbell / Associated Press:
Santana vows to avoid Twin distractions of pressure and pay — MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — By winning his second AL Cy Young Award in three years, Johan Santana set himself up for a big payday when his contract expires after the 2008 season. — While the Minnesota Twins ponder the possibility …
