Top News:
Peter Botte / NY Daily News:
Yankees may give up on Johan Santana — Brian Cashman has remained protective of the Yankees' assembled prospects, while Hal Steinbrenner has been equally shielding of the team's finances. — Hank Steinbrenner? That's been another story for much of the winter.
RELATED:
Mike Puma / New York Post:
LANE MIGHT JOIN YANKS AT 1ST BASE — Just in case Jason Giambi, Shelley Duncan and Wilson Betemit aren't enough at first base heading to spring training, the Yankees have interest in adding free agent Jason Lane, according to a source. — Lane, 31, was not tendered a contract by the Padres …
Joe Christensen / Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Yankees ... Red Sox ... or maybe the Mets — The less talked-about team from New York might be a better match for the Twins in Johan Santana trade talks. — After weeks of speculation that the Yankees and Red Sox were the two favorites to land Johan Santana, the Twins could wind up shipping him to the Mets.
Discussion:
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Joe / Around the Majors:
Santana's asking price hasn't changed — Last month, I wrote that the New York Mets were not to be taken seriously in the Johan Santana sweepstakes. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told me that Mets owner Fred Wilpon was against the idea of signing any pitcher to the kind of contract extension Santana is seeking.
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
New hire completes front-office overhaul — With his lieutenants now in place, new Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak's front office is done taking shape and is moving on to establishing its identity. — The Cardinals announced Wednesday the hiring of Gary LaRocque, a longtime executive with the New York Mets.
Brian McTaggart / Houston Chronicle:
Astros ink 5 to minor league deals — Team announces spring training set to kick off Feb. 14 — Infielder Lance Niekro, the son of Astros all-time wins leader Joe Niekro, was among five players signed by the Astros to minor league contracts and given invitations to spring training Wednesday.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Michael O'Keeffe / NY Daily News:
Roger Clemens hearing postponed — The congressional hearing featuring Roger Clemens and other Major League Baseball players named as steroid users in the Mitchell Report has been postponed until Feb. 13, according to a release by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
RELATED:
Mike Fitzpatrick / Associated Press:Goose: ‘Probably’ would've used steroids
Discussion:
New York Post, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Sliding Into Home, ShysterBall, The Bronx Stop and USA Today
Jay Mariotti / Chicago Sun Times:
Bad time to acquire a juicer — Leadoff hitter could be perfect addition to awesome lineup, but admitted user of performance-enhancing drugs also would kill club's integrity — Is it possible a man can use steroids only once? Does he feel a needle pierce the hide of his buttocks and realize …
Discussion:
vorosmccracken.com
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates approach LaRoche about long-term deal — BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates have approached first baseman Adam LaRoche to discuss a contract that could span three or four years, a signing that would be the franchise's most significant since shortstop Jack Wilson's four-year extension in 2006.
Eric SanInocencio / Rays Anatomy:
Car Jumping Translates Into Baseball Skills.....Right? — As a newcomer to the Rays family, I admit that my past history concerning Tampa Bay's franchise consists on what I watched on television or anecdotes that were mentioned in the news. While I follow them exclusively now …
Joshua Robinson / New York Times:
Study Suggests That Amputee Holds an Unfair Advantage — The Olympic aspirations of Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee sprinter from South Africa, may end soon. Track and field's world governing body is expected to announce that he is ineligible to race against able-bodied athletes …
Discussion:
THE BOOK
USA Today:
Paying for relief: GMs open wallets for bullpen help — IF THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS are going to be contenders in the National League Central for a second consecutive season, they will need three of their new relief pitchers to make comebacks as part of their rebuilt bullpen.
Discussion:
Redlegs Rant
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
D-Backs' Lyon seeks multiyear contract — The Diamondbacks have had brief discussions with the representative for reliever Brandon Lyon about a multiyear contract, but agent Barry Meister said the sides have some hurdles to overcome if a deal is to be reached.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
MLB.com:
Thirty game broadcasts highlight 2008 Mets Spring Training schedule — 19 on TV; 11 on radio; Tickets to Spring Training games at Tradition Field go on sale Saturday, Jan. 19 — FLUSHING — The New York Mets today announced their 2008 Spring Training broadcast schedule which features 16 telecasts …
Curt Feldman / CNN:
Star pitcher trading baseballs for video games — (GameTap.com) — Curt Schilling, the split-finger fastballer from Boston with a penchant for honoring superstitions, playing through pain, and winning, says he intends to play only one more year of baseball. “I'm done.
Discussion:
SawxBlog
