Top News:
Chris Haft / MLB.com:
Giants bolster bullpen with Affeldt — Club lands sought-after free agent with two-year, $8 million deal — SAN FRANCISCO — Acting quickly on their vow to strengthen their bullpen, the Giants signed left-hander Jeremy Affeldt to a two-year, $8 million contract Monday.
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Andrew Baggarly / Extra Baggs:
Giants sign LHP Jeremy Affeldt — The Giants made a potentially significant upgrade to their depleted and ineffective bullpen, signing left-hander Jeremy Affeldt to a two-year contract Monday. — Terms haven't become public yet, but Affeldt made $3 million with the Cincinnati Reds.
Janie McCauley / Associated Press:
Giants sign P Affeldt to 2-yr., $8M deal — SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Jeremy Affeldt had considered looking for a job as a closer this offseason. Then San Francisco offered a contract the reliever couldn't pass up. — Affeldt became the first of 171 free agents to agree to a contract …
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Towers: No recent talks with Yanks — Padres' GM dispels rumor of Peavy negotiations with Cashman — SAN DIEGO — Don't count the New York Yankees as a player in the Jake Peavy sweepstakes — not just yet, anyway. — Padres general manager Kevin Towers said on Monday …
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MLB.com:
Yankees to play first-ever exhibition games at New Yankee Stadium on April 3 and 4 against the Chicago Cubs — The New York Yankees announced today they will play the first-ever exhibition games at the new Yankee Stadium against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, April 3 at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday, April 4 at 1:05 p.m.
Tom Krasovic / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Kouzmanoff undergoes surgery to resolve pain in right shoulder — Padres third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder Saturday and “should be ready by spring training,” General Manager Kevin Towers said. — Kouzmanoff, 27, struggled with shoulder pain near the end of the season.
Fred Mitchell / Chicago Tribune:
Rick Sutcliffe still pitching for the Cubs; urges Jake Peavy to consider playing in Chicago — ESPN analyst talks up team to Padres' Peavy — Rick Sutcliffe, who won the 1984 National League Cy Young Award with the Cubs, has been working, on his own, to convince Padres pitcher Jake Peavy to approve a possible trade to the Cubs.
Discussion:
Another Cubs Blog
JSOnline:
Pujols is MVP; Braun 3rd, Sabathia 6th — By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel — St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols claimed his second NL MVP award today, collecting 18 of 32 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
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Kat O'Brien / Newsday:
Yankees gunning for Derek Lowe, A.J. Burnett, sources say — The Yankees have expressed strong interest in righthanded pitchers Derek Lowe and A.J. Burnett in the past couple of days, according to sources familiar with the talks, after offering ace lefty CC Sabathia a contract in the ballpark of six years and $140 million.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Ken Davidoff's baseball …, BASEBALL HOT CORNER, Boston Herald, iYankees, Newsday and Projo Sox Blog
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Mussina's Decision: Leave on High Note, or Go for 300 Wins? — On the last day of the regular season, when he celebrated the victory that had always eluded him, Mike Mussina smiled as he sipped a soda in the manager's office at Fenway Park. He considered the idea of finishing his career …
Discussion:
Joe Posnanski
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Citi Field Name Safe, According to Mets — Just over two years ago, the New York Mets announced that they had reached an agreement with Citigroup for the naming rights to their new ballpark slated to open in 2009 for a record $400 million over 20 years, or $20 million annually.
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Mailbag: Is Metcalf the man at third? — Beat reporter T.R. Sullivan answers Rangers fans' questions — Why won't the Rangers commit to Travis Metcalf at third base? He's earned the shot, and if healthy has been productive. — Metcalf missed the first two months of the season last year with a torn hamstring.
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
K-Rod crossed up on medical data — The Angels don't intend to re-sign Francisco Rodriguez, but they are playing an early role in the bidding for the record-setting free agent. — Paul Kinzer, who represents K-Rod, said he has yet to receive medical reports from the closer's former club …
Christian Red / NY Daily News:
Pedro trying to extend Met life — Pedro Martinez still has “a lot of baseball left in him” and would like to finish his sure-fire Hall of Fame career in Flushing, according to his agent. — Fernando Cuza told the Daily News yesterday that Martinez would “like to stay in New York.”
