Top News:
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
BASEBALL: Arbitration: Abreu, Ollie? — The Yankees intend to offer arbitration to their own free agent, Bobby Abreu, by tonight's midnight deadline, and the Mets likely will do the same with their own free agent, Oliver Perez. — The rest of the local teams' free agents …
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Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
Cards face interesting calls Monday — Decisions whether to offer arbitration big part of free agency — Baseball's Hot Stove season is about to get a lot more interesting. The Cardinals, along with the other 29 Major League teams, are about to lay some of their cards on the table.
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Rice hopes final try equals immortality — Will Sox slugger be worthy of Hall in last regular attempt? — Down to his 15th and final at-bat for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Jim Rice hopes the vote will at last swing him right into Cooperstown, N.Y.
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ESPN.com:
Career steals leader Henderson on HOF ballot — NEW YORK — Career steals leader Rickey Henderson heads 10 first-time candidates on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, joining holdovers Mark McGwire and Jim Rice — eligible for the final time. — Other newcomers are Jay Bell, David Cone …
Discussion:
The 'Ropolitans
Steve Gilbert / MLB.com:
Bell's determination leads to Hall ballot — Gold Glover's career took off with Pittsburgh, Arizona — Jay Bell never thought he would play 18 seasons in the big leagues. — “I made the Indians out of Spring Training in 1988 and I finished with a career high to that point of .218,” Bell said.
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Fuentes plans to visit Mets — One man's trip is another team's future draft pick. Or picks, as it were. — Rockies closer Brian Fuentes has scheduled a visit to the New York Mets as part of his free-agent decision-making process, his agent told The Denver Post. — The Rockies are not in the picture.
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, Hot Foot, Purple Row, The New York Mets Report, The 'Ropolitans, Mets Fever and Mets Merized Online
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Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Mailbag: Who will close for Crew? — Beat reporter Adam McCalvy answers Brewers fans' questions — I know the Brewers don't want to spend a lot of money on a closer like they did with Eric Gagne, but they need to find a decent closer like Trevor Hoffman, or someone like that.
Discussion:
Al's Ramblings
Tony Massarotti / Boston Globe:
Tazawa agrees to 3-year Red Sox contract — In the absence of big offseason news, the Red Sox are continuing to put smaller pieces in place. This week, they likely will confirm one of the worst-kept secrets in baseball. — Junichi Tazawa is coming to Boston.
Discussion:
Mariners Blog, Fenway West, The Bottom Line, Center Field, YFSF, PBC Blog, Baseball Musings and U.S.S. Mariner
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Richard Justice / Sporting News:
Yanks sure could use their other closer in Sabathia derby — Maybe Joe Torre could have closed the deal with CC Sabathia. After all, he has a great reputation with players. — Perhaps he could have convinced Sabathia that pitching for the Yankees would be a wonderful experience.
John Manuel / Baseball America:
Hawaii Winter Baseball Top 20 Prospects List — Baseball America subscribers can read full scouting reports on the Top 20 Prospects in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league, but here is the list of the top 20 prospects from the league, as compiled by John Manuel after talking to scouts and HWB managers.
Jason Parks / Baseball Time in Arlington:
Prospect Interview Series: Blake Beavan — It's not every day that you see a highly touted high school draftee make his professional debut in full-season ball, log over 121 innings, produce an ERA of only 2.37, a WHIP of 1.03, and a .234 batting average against, and still have some question …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
