Top News:
Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com:
Bucs sign pair of Indian hurlers — Patel, Singh earn contracts after being discovered at contest — PITTSBURGH — The Pirates, who have emphasized a need to find talent via every available outlet, have gone where no team has gone before. — On Monday, the Pirates signed two young Indian pitchers …
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Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Novice pitchers from India sign with Pirates — Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh, cricket players who had not picked up a baseball until April, on Monday became the first athletes from India to sign professional baseball contracts, agreeing to deals with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Associated Press:
Pirates sign contestants of Indian reality TV show — PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates hope Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel really do have million-dollar arms. — The two 20-year-old pitchers, neither of whom had picked up a baseball until earlier this year, signed free-agent contracts Monday with the Pirates.
Rob Iracane / Walkoff Walk:
Baseball Yatra is Great Success: Pirates Sign Rinku and Dinesh
Baseball Yatra is Great Success: Pirates Sign Rinku and Dinesh
Discussion:
Deadspin, Hardball Times, NPB Tracker, MLB FanHouse, SPORTSbyBROOKS, Bucs Dugout and Where have you gone …
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Giants-Renteria Rumor False — By Tim Dierkes [November 24 at 6:00pm CST] — 6:00pm: Additional denials have come in via Andrew Baggarly and Derrick Goold. Baggarly says Renteria is the Giants' fallback for Furcal. He notes that the Tigers would've loved to see Renteria sign today, as they're unlikely to offer him arbitration.
Discussion:
Bay City Ball, River Avenue Blues, Bless You Boys, El Lefty Malo, Tiger Tales, MVN, The Detroit Tiger Weblog, McCovey Chronicles and Hot Foot
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Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Hurdle tabs Baylor to fix hitting woes — The Rockies got their “Groove” back Monday. — Don Baylor, nicknamed “Groove” for a quote given when he was a 21-year-old prospect with the Orioles, returned to Colorado as the club's hitting instructor. — This isn't a public relations ploy, manager Clint Hurdle insisted.
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T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Rangers enter Tazawa sweepstakes — Organization among four teams courting Japanese pitcher — ARLINGTON — The Rangers are one of four teams that have made serious offers to Japanese free agent pitcher Junichi Tazawa, his manager told the Kyodo News in Japan.
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Yankees Expect Big Things From Canó and Rodriguez — Joe Girardi will not be filling out the first lineup card of the new Yankees' season for more than four months. But Kevin Long, the hitting coach, can peek ahead to April and tell which two hitters will be difference makers.
Discussion:
Bats, Newsday, bronxbanterblog.com, It is about the money, stupid, iYankees and Pinstripe Alley
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Angels' attention shifts from Mark Teixeira to CC Sabathia — Club is in discussions with the free-agent pitcher and could offer him a contract that approaches the $140-million offered by the New York Yankees. Source says the Angels are reluctant to guarantee more than seven years to Teixeira.
Discussion:
It is about the money, stupid
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Agent denies Perez deal in the works — Left-hander waiting to see how free-agent market plays out — WASHINGTON — Agent Martin Arburua denied an ESPN.com report stating that the Nationals are working on a multi-year deal for his client, left-hander Odalis Perez.
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NY Daily News:
Brian NcNamee and lawyers give evidence in Roger Clemens probe — Agents from the FBI came to New York in September to collect cheek-swab DNA samples from Brian McNamee and his lawyers as part of the ongoing investigation into whether Roger Clemens perjured himself before Congress.
Discussion:
Fox Sports
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers ink deal with Bourgeois — Speedster signs Minor League contract with invite to Spring Training — MILWAUKEE — The Brewers signed speedy outfielder/infielder Jason Bourgeois to a Minor League contract on Monday and invited him to big league Spring Training.
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Astros Acquire Lumsden — By Tim Dierkes [November 24 at 4:36pm CST] — According to MLB.com's Jim Molony, the Astros acquired lefty pitching prospect Tyler Lumsden from the Royals for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The Royals had designated him for assignment a few days ago …
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
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T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Mailbag: Pitching remains top priority — Beat reporter T.R. Sullivan answers Rangers fans' questions — Do you foresee any trade involving either Kevin Millwood or Vicente Padilla that could happen this offseason and to what possible teams, with what possible players?
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Steve Gilbert / MLB.com:
D'Antona released by D-backs — Infielder will sign contract with Yakult Swallows in Japan — PHOENIX — The D-backs on Monday released infielder Jamie D'Antona so that he could sign a contract with the Yukult Swallows of Japan's Central League. — “Baseball has brought me places I never thought I'd travel to,” D'Antona said.