Top News:
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
Five too high for A.J. Burnett: Yankees — The Yankees are on an all-out pitching blitz, but A.J. Burnett's desire for a five-year contract has bogged down the Bombers' pursuit of the righthander, according to a baseball executive familiar with the team's thinking.
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Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Yankees may not make Burnett an offer — Club reportedly could pass on righty if he insists on five-year deal — The Yankees haven't been shy about floating large sums of cash in their search for pitching this offseason, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're ready to meet one of the requests of free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett.
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
What if Sabathia, Burnett, Lowe jilt Yankees? — Whiffing on 3 biggest free-agent pitchers could cause chaos — With no playoffs in 2008 and a new stadium opening in 2009, the New York Yankees are trying their hardest to make the three top free-agent starting pitchers extremely rich.
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
YANKEES: Five years for Burnett? — His agent says he can get it, but Yanks would prefer only four — Darek Braunecker, the representative for A.J. Burnett, said Friday night that his client will be able to sign a five-year deal this offseason, although he didn't identify the team willing …
Alex Walsh / MLB Rumors:
Yankees “What If”: No A.J., CC, Lowe? — By Alex Walsh [November 22 at 2:47pm CST] — No new official information has been reported from either side—but that may be precisely why articles about the scenario where the Yankees fail to sign a big name free agent starting pitcher this offseason are starting to show up.
Poughkeepsie Journal:
Mets reportedly considering adding closer Hoffman — MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE — This winter's market for closers has created a sort of perfect storm for the New York Mets — in desperate need of a closer and presented with a surplus of candidates and not enough big-market teams to pay them all.
Tom Boorstein / SNY.tv:
Hoping for more from Cano — Committed to youngster, Yanks need more at keystone — Major League Baseball's award season has come and gone, and the debate associated with it has subsided. Every year, didn't get any votes. — Now, no one is saying that Albert Pujols didn't deserve …
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Nick Zaccardi / MLB.com:
Patience becoming a virtue for Bourn — Center fielder off to a hot start at the plate in Dominican — It took until November, but center fielder Michael Bourn is finally producing at the plate in 2008. — Playing winter ball for the first time, the speedy leadoff man has addressed three key areas …
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
Bill Madden / NY Daily News:
Madden: Hal takes reins, but News had it last year — Quite a historic week in baseball - George Steinbrenner officially cedes control of the Yankees to his younger son, Hal, Mike Mussina becomes the first pitcher since Sandy Koufax in 1966 to retire off a 20-win season and Dustin Pedroia becomes …
Kate Sheehy / New York Post:
METS MAY PAY FOR CITI SLUMP — EDGY ABOUT $400M DEAL — The Mets better not get too attached to the name Citi Field. — Team officials are said to be increasingly nervous as struggling Citigroup's stock continues to plummet - and potentially endangers their $20 million-a-year naming-rights deal for the new $850 million stadium.
Discussion:
New York Times, SPORTSbyBROOKS, Field of Schemes, Can't Stop The Bleeding and 24 Hours From Suicide
Associated Press:
Dodgers' Billingsley fractures leg in fall at home — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley had surgery on Saturday after fracturing his leg in a fall at his Pennsylvania home. — Team spokesman Josh Rawitch said that the 24-year-old Billingsley slipped on ice outside his house in Reading …
Dylan Hernandez / Los Angeles Times:
Joe Beimel's days with Dodgers apparently over — Agent Joe Sroba says team has expressed no interest in re-signing the left-handed reliever, and GM Ned Colletti confirms Sroba's belief that Dodgers ‘want to go in a different direction.’ — Unless the Dodgers change their minds …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
John Sickels / Minor League Ball:
Washington Nationals Top 20 Prospects for 2009 — Alexander Hamilton, my favorite Founding Father — Washington Nationals Top 20 Prospects for 2009 — All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don't get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get out of the top 10.
