Top News:
Associated Press:
Kearns, Washington agree to three-year contract — WASHINGTON — It was all a tad overwhelming for Austin Kearns when he was dealt to the Washington Nationals by the Cincinnati Reds last season. — He'd never been traded. He went from a team near his Kentucky hometown to one on the East Coast.
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Bill Ladson / washington.nationals.mlb.com:
Nationals, Kearns agree on extension — Team locks up outfielder for three years, avoids arbitration — WASHINGTON — Outfielder Austin Kearns acknowledged that he was surprised when the Reds traded him to the Nationals during the All-Star break last season. The trade meant that he was leaving his home in Lexington, Ky.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
USA Today:
Big-name deals have much going against them — The Colorado Rockies and Boston Red Sox, who spent two months working on a trade involving Rockies' high-salaried first baseman Todd Helton that went nowhere, became the latest to learn the ugly truth: Trade talks involving players with huge contracts …
Discussion:
FishStripes
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KGET-TV:
MLB rubbing fans wrong way with DirectTV deal — In case you haven't heard, Major League Baseball is closing in on a deal with DirectTV that would give the satellite television provider exclusive rights to the Extra Innings Package, which allows viewers to watch out-of-market games.
Janie McCauley / Associated Press:
Matheny retires after concussion symptoms don't improve — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Mike Matheny's decision to retire was made for him. His doctor refused to clear the longtime catcher to play in 2007 after a concussion sidelined him for the final four months of last season.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Associated Press:
New Pirates 1B LaRoche wouldn't mind pitching — The Pittsburgh Pirates traded for first baseman Adam LaRoche to raise opposing pitchers' ERAs, not lower that of their own pitching staff. — Still, deep down inside the man who figures to be the Pirates' cleanup hitter is a pitcher waiting to make his major league debut.
Discussion:
The Parrot
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CBS SportsLine.com:
Armas, Pirates agree to one-year contract — CBS SportsLine.com wire reports — PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates ended their long search for a right-handed starter Thursday, agreeing to a $3.5 million, one-year contract with Tony Armas Jr. — Armas gets $3 million this year …
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates sign Armas for starting rotation — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — The Pirates today signed right-handed starter Tony Armas Jr. to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2008. — He will make $3 million in base pay this coming season, $5 million the following season if the option is exercised.
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Astros would be wise to sign Trachsel — The Astros are short two starting pitchers, one if Roger Clemens returns, which is hardly a sure thing. — What, pray tell, are they doing about it? — Very little. — That's right, the same team that awarded future DH Carlos Lee $100 million …
Associated Press:
AL East in Far East — Yankees, Red Sox take their rivalry to Japan — TOKYO (AP) — The New York Yankees hope to introduce a whole new set of fans to their rivalry with the Boston Red Sox. — And with Daisuke Matsuzaka now pitching for the Red Sox, playing against Hideki Matsui and Kei Igawa …
Associated Press:
Phils, Myers agree to $25.75M, three-year deal — PHILADELPHIA — Right-hander Brett Myers agreed to a $25.75 million, three-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, avoiding arbitration. — A former first-round pick, Myers has won at least 11 games each of the past four seasons.
Discussion:
Blogging Baseball
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Getting down to business — Matsuzaka begins preparing for camp — NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — In any other year, Daisuke Matsuzaka would have been back in Japan, where spring training camps opened yesterday. — Instead, he was here, in the ultramodern offices of his agent, Scott Boras …
Discussion:
MY BASEBALL BIAS
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Jesse Sanchez / mlb.mlb.com:
Caribbean Series ready to go — Puerto Rico hosts tournament, won last year by Venezuela — It's the series before the Series, and the first large gathering of Major League players on a playing field before the start of Spring Training and one of the most anticipated events of the winter.
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Bernie likely to make minor concession — Bernie Williams is leaning toward accepting the Yankees' offer of a minor-league contract, two people familiar with the situation told Newsday Thursday. — The 38-year-old, ultra-popular outfielder is aware that he'll be a long shot to make the 2007 Yankees, the sources said.
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
Roberts signs with Orioles … The Orioles today finalized a one-year deal with Brian Roberts, avoiding salary arbitration with the 29-year-old second baseman. — For 2007, Roberts will get a base salary of $4.2 million, the midpoint of the arbitration figures filed by both parties in mid-January.
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Nate Silver / Baseball Prospectus:
PECOTA Takes on Prospects, Introduction — Last year, we ran our first-ever series of PECOTA-based prospect rankings. This wasn't necessarily intended to be an annual feature, but it proved to generate a lot of good discussion, so here we are again. — Are the PECOTA rankings intended …
Elliott Almond / Mercury News:
Bonds' contract: Deal or no deal? — AGENT: HE WON'T SIGN GIANTS' REVISED PACT — Barry Bonds' done deal isn't: The newly signed one-year agreement between the Giants and their home-run star hit a snag Wednesday. — The main sticking point appears to be a ``personal-appearances'' provision …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
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