Top News:
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Payroll Is at Heart of Santana Debate — Perhaps the most significant story in a busy Yankees off-season has been the emergence of Hank Steinbrenner at the top of the team's hierarchy. Steinbrenner, the senior vice president, has been outspoken on potential player moves, but he cannot and has not acted unilaterally.
Discussion:
River Ave. Blues, Associated Press, MY BASEBALL BIAS, Sliding Into Home and Bronx Liaison
RELATED:
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
Carlos Delgado: We can win as is — The Mets have been criticized in some circles for having a tepid season around the hot stove, but count Carlos Delgado among those who believe the team can win as is. — Still, Delgado said, he'd welcome Johan Santana, if the Mets can pull off a trade for the Minnesota ace.
David Lennon / Newsday:
A healthy Delgado feels good about Mets outlook — Now that the splint is off his left hand and 2007 is nothing more than a bad memory, Carlos Delgado sounds anxious to begin the upcoming season - regardless of whether Johan Santana is on the Mets. Delgado spoke to reporters yesterday …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Delgado Prepares to Hit; Minaya Is Going to Israel — Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado said his rehabilitation from a fractured left hand was on schedule and that he expected to be at full strength when he reports to spring training in six weeks. As Delgado prepared to begin the next phase …
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Susan Slusser / San Francisco Chronicle:
Another rebuilding move by A's Beane — No one is safe now that the A's rebuilding efforts are in full swing. On Thursday, general manager Billy Beane unexpectedly traded one of the club's most popular and productive players, sending outfielder Nick Swisher to the White Sox for three standout prospects.
NY Daily News:
60 MINUTES OF B-12 — Roger Clemens admits on “60 Minutes” that he received injections of lidocaine and “B-12” - clubhouse code for steroids, according to Jose Canseco's “Juiced” - but denies that his trainer shot him up with steroids or human growth hormone.
Discussion:
Boston Dirt Dogs
RELATED:
New York Times:
Clemens Says Injections Were Not Steroids — In a “60 Minutes” interview that will be shown on CBS on Sunday night, the former Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens admits that he received injections from his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee. But he says that the injections …
CBS News:
Clemens: Trainer Only Injected Legal Drug — Roger Clemens Talks To 60 Minutes In Wake Of Mitchell Report — (CBS/AP) Baseball superstar Roger Clemens denies he cheated by using banned substances and says his accuser, former trainer Brian McNamee, only injected him with the painkiller lidocaine and the vitamin B-12.
Discussion:
Deadspin, YanksBlog.com, MY BASEBALL BIAS, FanHouse, Bombers Beat, The Bronx Block and Scott Proctor's Arm
Steve Silva / Boston Globe:
Clement to Cardinals — The Matt Clement era is officially over in Boston. — The St. Louis Cardinals announced they have signed the former Red Sox righthanded pitcher to a one-year contract for 2008 with a club option for 2009. — “Matt is a very talented pitcher who has been beset …
RELATED:
Toni Ginnetti / Chicago Sun Times:
Sox deal for A's Swisher — Unable to land a center fielder in the free-agent market, White Sox general manager Ken Williams shook up the trade market Thursday to find an alternative. — Williams acquired outfielder Nick Swisher, 27, from the Oakland Athletics, who parted …
RELATED:
Mssickels / Minor League Ball:Chicago White Sox Top 20 Prospects for 2008
Discussion:
Squawking Baseball, FanHouse, Athletics Nation, Sox Machine, Lone Star Ball, MLB.com and South Side Sox
Agence France Presse:
Hideo Nomo to play minor league baseball for Kansas City Royals — TOKYO (AFP) — Hideo Nomo, who once blazed a trail for Japanese players heading to the US major leagues, said Friday he had signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals. — More than a decade after his major league debut …
Tracy Ringolsby / Rocky Mountain News:
Wealth of free agents in waiting — Reality sets in quickly with the start of the new year. — There are 27 players on the free-agent market - Roger Clemens excluded - who made at least $5 million in 2007 who don't have a job yet for 2008. — Home run king Barry Bonds heads the list.
Discussion:
MLB.com
Sports Illustrated:
Jon Heyman: Biggest winners of 2007 — Listing baseball's winners and ‘non-winners’ of '07 — What kind of baseball year was it when the biggest winner was the fellow who investigated the sport's steroid past, and the biggest losers were the best pitcher and hitter of the entire era?
Metstradamus / The Musings and Prophecies …:
Mets Already 0-1 In '08 — I wasn't hopeful about The Celebrity Apprentice. Frankly I thought the show, which had lost steam after the bizarre season in Los Angeles and not being on the air in practically a full year, had no chance. — But with the dearth of programming on right now …
ESPN:
Chat with Scouts Inc.'s Keith Law — Welcome to The Show! On Thursday, Scouts, Inc. senior baseball analyst, Keith Law, will stop by to talk some baseball. — Keith was formerly the special assistant to the general manager with the Toronto Blue Jays and has a wealth of knowledge for you to tap into.
