Top News:
Larry Stone / Seattle Times:
Dodgers beat M's to Kuroda — The Mariners lost out on one of their prime pitching targets, Japanese free agent Hiroki Kuroda, who agreed Saturday on a three-year contract to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. — The deal will be worth $35.3 million, according to mlb.com.
RELATED:
Tim Dierkes / MLB Trade Rumors:
Mariners Targeting Blanton? — So far this winter, we haven't heard much about the Mariners getting involved for Joe Blanton. However, Buster Olney says today that "it appears they are in the thick of the trade bidding" for the 27 year-old righty. Blanton has a career ERA of 4.10 …
Discussion:
The Bronx Block
Rev Halofan / Halos Heaven:
The Dan Haren Trade: Glass Half Empty for the Angels — There is a detailed analysis of the Dan Haren trade over at the subscriber-driven Baseball Prospectus, and for Angel fans, it is not a pretty picture. — In short, don't pop the division crown corks any time too soon, especially you pre-2009-11 AL West crown revelers.
RELATED:
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Oakland's Top 11 Redux — Just five days after publishing my Oakland Top 11 Prospects, Billy Beane, David Forst, and the gang over in O-Town decided to completely blow things up by trading Dan Haren and deceptive reliever Connor Robertson to Arizona for most of the D'backs minor league system.
Discussion:
South Side Sox
Jim Reeves / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Searching for a cure to these Hall of Fame ballot blues — Every December my Hall of Fame ballot arrives in a plain brown manila envelope. This year, that seems especially fitting. — So I'm sitting here, staring at the 25 names listed on the ballot, wondering what I'm going to do.
RELATED:
Woody Paige / Denver Post:
Help Woody cast his Hall votes — I'm sitting here, looking out the window and pondering the snow, the sun, the creek, the peak and the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. — I've got the Global Colding thing figured out, but not the ballot. — I need your help.
Discussion:
Purple Row
Bernie Miklasz / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:No dancing for La Russa — skipper takes report in stride
Discussion:
Joe Posnanski
Cincinnati Enquirer:
Still wanted: Pitching — My plan for today was to write something profound off the Mitchell Report and performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. — But really, what's left to say? Baseball had a huge drug problem. Big Bud Selig's going to mete out some punishment. It will cost some guys games and money.
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Hot Stove: We will ... come up with a new slogan — Anyone taking jabs at the Pirates in 2008 will have to find a fresher approach than poking fun at the marketing slogan. — In other words: — We will ... find new material. — Yes, the "We will" slogan, born in early 2006 and stamped …
Associated Press:
Athletics starter Gaudin to have surgery on hip — OAKLAND, Calif. — Right-hander Chad Gaudin needs surgery to repair a tear in the cartilage of his left hip joint, the Oakland Athletics said. — The 24-year-old pitcher, who spent the entire 2007 season in the starting rotation …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Eduardo A. Encina / St. Petersburg Times:
Report costly, not valuable — ST. PETERSBURG - With all due respect and acknowledgment of what the Mitchell report intended to accomplish - to document across 409 pages at a reported $20-million cost that, yes, baseball has a drug problem - one can't help but think that the money could have been better spent with some forethought.
Discussion:
Mets Fever
Kobrien / On the Yankees beat:
Cano playing winter ball — Robinson Cano is playing winter ball for Las Estrellas Orientales (the team in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic). He made his season debut Friday, going 2-for-4. He also played yesterday, going 0-for-3 with a walk.
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Pettitte does the right thing — Pitcher comes clean; what about Clemens? — Andy Pettitte did the honorable thing late yesterday when he admitted, in the wake of the Mitchell Report, that he took human growth hormone on two occasions while recuperating from an elbow injury in 2002.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
NY Daily News:
Andy Pettitte can spare us the crocodile tears and contrived 'regret' — A little over a year ago, it was reported in the Los Angeles Times that a former Yankee pitcher named Jason Grimsley had accused some major-league players of using performance-enhancing drugs in a federal agent's affidavit.
Carlos Frías / Palm Beach Post:
'Select A Seat' turns lonely for Marlins — 'Twas 10 days before Christmas And the Marlins were relying On a handful of fans But no one was buying. — The Marlins may have chosen the wrong weekend to open Dolphin Stadium for their annual "Select A Seat" day.
