Top News:
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Coco Crisp Traded To Royals — By Tim Dierkes [November 19 at 11:09am CST] — 11:09am: The deal is official, according to a Royals press release. — 10:23am: SI.com's Jon Heyman confirms the deal. — 10:02am: Red Sox exec Ben Cherington was on XM's MLB Home Plate radio station recently.
RELATED:
Tony Massarotti / Boston Globe:
Expect Sox to break bank for Teixeira — Here's a prediction: By the time this is over, win or lose, the Red Sox effectively will have made Mark Teixeira the largest contract offer in the history of your storied franchise. — Preposterous, you say? Clearly, you have not been paying attention.
Dick Kaegel / MLB.com:
Red Sox deal Crisp to Royals — Boston receives reliever Ramirez in return for center fielder — KANSAS CITY — The Royals acquired center fielder Coco Crisp from the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday in exchange for relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez. — The deal was announced by the Royals at 11 a.m. CT.
Discussion:
Boston Globe, The 'Ropolitans, Sox and Pinstripes, Pinstripes, Pa., iYankees and MLB Rumors
Chad Finn / Boston Globe:
Crisp dealt to Royals for Ramirez — Ramon Ramirez, the righthanded relief pitcher the Red Sox acquired from the Kansas City Royals this morning for center fielder Coco Crisp, might be a mystery to Boston fans right now. But if general manager Theo Epstein proves correct …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings, Center Field, Baseball Insider, The Bottom Line, SOX & Dawgs and Walkoff Walk
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Sox ship Crisp to KC for Ramirez — Right-hander addresses Boston's need for bullpen help — BOSTON — For more than a year, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said that he did not feel any urgency to deal center fielder Coco Crisp and that he would only do so if it improved the team.
Discussion:
The House That Dewey Built
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Yankees and Red Sox in battle over pitcher A.J. Burnett — The Yankees and Red Sox won't meet again on the field until April, but the two American League East rivals are preparing to square off for the services of at least one major free agent in the coming weeks.
Discussion:
Baseball America, Fox Sports, SOX1FAN, It is about the money, stupid, New Jersey Online, SOX & Dawgs, Red Sox Monster and ESPN
Associated Press:
Red Sox deal Crisp to Royals for reliever Ramirez — BOSTON — Outfielder Coco Crisp was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday for reliever Ramon Ramirez. — Royals general manager Dayton Moore called the switch-hitting Crisp a “championship-caliber player” who will help Kansas City move forward.
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN.com:Source: Red Sox reach out to A.J. Burnett's agent
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:Red Sox acquire Ramon Ramirez for Coco Crisp
Discussion:
Keep Your Sox On
George A. King III / New York Post:JOHNNY: GIMME A CC, GIMME AN A.J. ...
Discussion:
MLB.com, bronxbanterblog.com, Bombers Beat, Hot Stove Blog, YanksBlog.com and NY Daily News
Cardboard Gods:
Cardboard Gods: Freddie Patek — In 1971, Bobby Murcer hit .331 with a .427 on-base percentage. He was the most effective offensive performer in the league, evidenced by the statistical measure that best adjusts for league and park conditions, OPS+; Murcer posted a league-high 181 in that category.
RELATED:
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:Hardware score — Pedroia adds MVP to his trophy haul
Discussion:
Surviving Grady
New York Post:
BERNIE: I'M NOT DONE YET — Musician Bernie Williams said last night he has a new CD coming out in April called “Moving Forward.” — Just in case any GMs like Brian Cashman are interested, Williams also said he has not shut the door on his baseball career. Williams, 40, is not totally ready to move forward away from baseball.
RELATED:
David Lennon / Newsday:
Bernie still not ready for the retired life — Bernie Williams, part-time musician and now actor, still won't commit full-time to retirement. Williams, who will have a featured role in the upcoming movie, “Keeper of the Pinstripes,” remains hopeful that his baseball career is not quite over.
Dan Graziano / New Jersey Online:
Yankees-Sabathia: What's the holdup? — Things don't move as quickly this time of year as we all hope they would or think they should. The Yankees offered CC Sabathia $140 million for six years last Friday, and the popular question now is: “What's taking him so long?”
Discussion:
iYankees
RELATED:
Dan Hayes / North County Times:
PADRES: Where are all of Peavy's suitors? — Cubs may be out of running after re-signing Dempster — The news that the Chicago Cubs signed pitcher Ryan Dempster on Tuesday could severely affect the club's participation in the Jake Peavy sweepstakes. — But according to some published reports, it might not.
RELATED:
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Prominent hitters who may swing it in '09 or call it a career … The Hot Stove season is off to a fine start for Ryan Dempster, Jeremy Affeldt and Eri Yoshida, the 16-year-old female knuckleballer who was drafted by a Japanese League club this week. And life is good if your name happens to be CC Sabathia …
Dan Graziano / New Jersey Online:
Tough to find the right fit to bolster the Mets' offense — Of course they need a closer, and a couple of starting pitchers, and at least a couple of new faces in the bullpen setup corps. This is where the Mets' off-season focus is right now, and where it should be.
Discussion:
Mets Fever
RELATED:
Richard Justice / Houston Chronicle:
Commentary: Valverde, Wigginton have to go — Goodbye, Jose Valverde. You, too, Ty Wigginton. Pick up your lovely parting gifts at the door. — The Astros seem likely to trade both of them in the next few weeks. You won't like the reason. Don't shoot the messenger.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Bluebird Banter, The Crawfish Boxes, The Musings and Prophecies … and Kranepool Society
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Mets have choice of either K-Rod or Fuentes — The Mets have many goals and many choices in this baseball offseason, but as they take in the lay of the land now, they think they know this: — Acquiring a closer will be first on their list of accomplishments.
Associated Press:
Oakland owner: Make 1st round of playoffs 1 game — NEW YORK — Lew Wolff has a way to shorten baseball's postseason: Make the first round best-of-one. — “I'd make it one-game-and-you're-out for the first series,” the Oakland Athletics owner said Wednesday. “It would be exciting. It would be great.”
