Top News:
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Red Sox explore catching options — Work on potential Jason Varitek replacement — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email — Jason Varitek and the Red Sox [team stats] might discover that being together is better than being apart, but if the team and its free agent captain …
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Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Tazawa set to choose Red Sox — Right-hander reportedly will announce decision early next week — BOSTON — The Red Sox appear poised to add to their recent track record of landing Japanese pitchers, as right-hander Junichi Tazawa has reportedly decided to join the franchise that already has Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima.
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Rangers out of running for Tazawa — Right-hander reportedly will sign with Red Sox next week — ARLINGTON — Rangers officials are quietly acknowledging that they expect Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa to sign with the Boston Red Sox. — The Rangers have not publicly commented …
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Red Sox unveil 2009 spring schedule
Red Sox unveil 2009 spring schedule
Discussion:
The Mighty Quinn Media Machine
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Angels might take more serious run at Sabathia — A pair of lefthanders on the Yankees' radar - one whom they know very well, one whom they don't - are both talking with West Coast teams. The bad news for the Yankees is that the Angels' interest in CC Sabathia appears more serious than the Dodgers' interest in Andy Pettitte.
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Fox Sports:
K-Rod's agent: No talks until winter meetings — Francisco Rodriguez's agent won't start detailed discussions with teams until the winter meetings open in Las Vegas on Dec. 8. Paul Kinzer, who represents the free-agent closer, doesn't expect the marketplace to get busy for another 10 days.
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Dylan Hernandez / Los Angeles Times:
Frank and Jamie McCourt have a question for Dodgers fans — Would you rather have a top free agent or 50 youth fields in L.A., Frank and Jamie McCourt wonder. — Would Dodgers fans react negatively if the team were to pay big money to free agents when the nation's economy is in sharp decline and many Americans are losing their jobs?
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Dodger Thoughts, Fox Sports, MLB FanHouse, True Blue LA, Can't Stop The Bleeding, 6-4-2 and It is about the money, stupid
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Diamond Leung / PE Angels Baseball:
LA may not sweeten offer to Manny — Download story podcast — The Press-Enterprise — Citing the unpredictable state of the economy, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt hinted Tuesday that the team would be reluctant to sweeten the two-year contract offer that would have instantly given Manny Ramirez …
Discussion:
My Pinstripes
Todd Zolecki / Philly.com:
Phils contact Lowe, Burnett — The Phillies continue to talk with free-agent lefthander Jamie Moyer about a new contract, but the parties have yet to reach an agreement. — Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said he remains hopeful Moyer will be back.
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Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Braves remain among Burnett's suitors — Agent: 'Everything's been positive' in discussions with Atlanta — ATLANTA — Agent Darek Braunecker has been down this road before. Just four years ago, he carried A.J. Burnett into the free agent market with the intention of landing a five-year deal.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Marc Hulet / Baseball Analysts:
The 2008 Rule 5 Draft: Previewing the Pitchers — There are only 15 more shopping days left. Major League Baseball's Rule 5 draft will occur on at the end of the Winter Meetings on Dec. 11. The draft, which is explained here, has become extremely popular in the eyes of online fans …
Baltimore Sun:
O's add ex-Reds GM to front office — Krivsky, 54, hired as special assistant to MacPhail — The Orioles today named former Cincinnati Reds front office executive Wayne Krivsky as special assistant to Andy MacPhail, president of baseball operations. Krivsky has more than 30 years …
Joe Christensen / Around the Majors:
Twins enter Thanksgiving in a holding pattern — Happy Thanksgiving, folks. All quiet on the Twins' front. — Apologies. I know many of you are dying for some nuggets to chew on with your turkey and stuffing, but I'm anticipating a quiet holiday. — A Padres official told me they've …
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Brown's Latest: Fuentes, Hoffman, Wilson, Aurilia — By Tim Dierkes [November 26 at 7:13pm CST] — Here's a look at the latest from Yahoo's Tim Brown. — The Mets kicked around the idea internally of signing both Brian Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman. The eighth inning would be a tough sell for either pitcher though.
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Free agents who could very well be bargains … Several front office people surveyed for this story had a difficult time mustering enthusiasm for the concept: a piece on potential free-agent bargains. — “Free-agent bargain is an oxymoron,” said an American League official.
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Manuel a man of many blessings — Mets skipper thankful for the lessons hardship has taught him — NEW YORK — The Manuel family will be walking on Thursday afternoon. Twenty or so of them will hit the streets of Loomis, Calif., a suburb of Sacramento, and try to walk off some of the big dinner …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com