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:
Sox likely to offer arbitration to Varitek — Catcher would then bring compensation if he signs elsewhere — BOSTON — Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein will face an important deadline when midnight ET strikes at the end of Monday, as he must decide by then whether to extend arbitration offers to his six-year free agents.
George A. King III / New York Post:
FACE DEADLINE TODAY ON ANDY ARBITRATION — The Yankees will be forced into a decision before midnight tonight, one they didn't believe was an issue two months ago: — Whether to offer Andy Pettitte arbitration. — At the end of an unacceptable 2008 season in which the Yankees didn't reach October …
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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Associated Press:
Henderson heads Hall of Fame ballot — NEW YORK (AP)—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, Ron Gant …
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.
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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, MLB Rumors, Hot Foot, Purple Row, The New York Mets Report, Mets Merized Online, The 'Ropolitans and Mets Fever
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.
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
New York Post:
PLAX TURNS HIMSELF IN — WILL PLEAD NOT GUILTY TO WEAPONS CHARGE — Trouble-prone Giants receiver Plaxico Burress arrived at the 17th Precinct to turn himself in after he shot himself in the leg with an illegal handgun at a Manhattan nightclub. — Burress will plead not guilty …
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.
Eric Seidman / FanGraphs Baseball:
Valuing Meche — Following the 2006 season, Gil Meche inked a 5-yr/55 million dollar contract with the Kansas City Royals. The deal underwent immediate scrutiny due to Meche's below average performance throughout the previous few seasons. His ERA ranged from 4.48 to 5.09, with an FIP entrenched in the 4.60-4.70 area.
