Top News:
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Sources: Hampton agrees to contract with Astros … Pitcher Mike Hampton has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Houston Astros pending a physical exam, two baseball sources told ESPN.com. — The contract will pay Hampton a base salary of about $2 million plus incentives, a source said.
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Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Hampton returning to Astros — Deal is pending physical; lefty won 22 games for Houston in '99 — HOUSTON — The Astros have a deal in place with left-hander Mike Hampton, pending a physical, MLB.com has learned. — General manager Ed Wade declined to comment.
Discussion:
SportsJustice, Ken Davidoff's baseball …, MLB FanHouse, Can't Stop The Bleeding and Bucs Dugout
myfoxhouston.com:
Astros Reach Agreement with Hampton — Major League Baseball sources told FOX 26 Sports on Monday that the Houston Astros have reached a contract agreement with free agent pitcher Mike Hampton. — The agreement is pending Hampton successfully completing a team physical.
JSOnline:
Sabathia, Sheets, Shouse offered arbitration — By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel — The Brewers have decided to offer salary arbitration to three of their free agents — CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets and Brian Shouse. They will not offer arbitration to Eric Gagne.
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Andrew Baggarly / Extra Baggs:Giants could be moving closer to agreement with Renteria
Discussion:
El Lefty Malo
Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Braves don't offer Smoltz arbitration — Club declines to make option available for only classified free agent — ATLANTA — As expected, the Braves didn't offer arbitration to any of their free agents. All Major League teams had until midnight ET on Monday to make arbitration offers to their respective free agents.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
No arbitration offer for Wood — Cubs decide against process for all their free agents — CHICAGO — The Cubs declined to offer arbitration Monday to all of its free agents, including pitchers Kerry Wood and Bob Howry. — Teams had to decide by 10:59 p.m. CT Monday whether to offer arbitration to their six-year free agents.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:Cards Decline To Offer Arb To Springer, Looper, Isringhausen
Discussion:
Al's Ramblings
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
The Yankees offer ... nobody — That's right, nobody. So forget those draft picks. — More to come ... UPDATE, 5:27 p.m.: It came down to economics. The Yankees did not want to risk going to arbitration with any of their players given the salaries they made last season. To refresh your memories:
Discussion:
Baseball Musings, Bombers Beat, YFSF, River Avenue Blues, YanksBlog.com, Zell's Pinstripe Blog, Bottom9 Baseball and Pinstripe Alley
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Ken Davidoff / Newsday:BASEBALL: Arbitration: Abreu, Ollie?
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, New Jersey Online, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Hardball, NY Daily News, Associated Press, The Bronx Stop, Athletics Nation, Mike Silva's NY Baseball …, iYankees, Sliding Into Home, Baseball & The Boogie Down, Ken Davidoff's baseball …, River Avenue Blues, NJ.com, MetsBlog.com and MLB.com
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.
Discussion:
Fox Sports, Boston Globe, Hardball Times, Bluebird Banter, The Griddle and THE FANTASY BASEBALL GENERALS
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Larry LaRue / Mariners Insider:
Mariners hire two coaches, offer Ibanez arbitration — The Seattle Mariners have hired Ty Van Burkleo as bench coach, Lee Tinsley has first base coach and offered outfielder Raul Ibanez arbitration. — Van Burkleo worked as Oakland's hitting coach last year on a coaching staff that included new Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu.
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Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets offer arbitration to lefty Perez — Amazins would recoup Draft picks if southpaw signs elsewhere — NEW YORK — The Mets, as expected, offered salary arbitration to Oliver Perez on Monday, thereby assuring themselves of compensation — two additional picks in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Bob Klapisch / ESPN:
Mets didn't get their money's worth with Pedro — It was four years ago that Pedro Martinez was lured to New York by the Mets, a $53 million check stuffed in his pocket. Pedro wasn't just a free-agent prize; to the Mets he was The One. — Now, 32 wins and no world championships later …
Discussion:
24 Hours From Suicide
Baseball America:
Hawaii Winter Baseball Top 20 Prospects — John Manuel ranks the top prospects from the Hawaii Winter Baseball season.
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
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Yahoo! Sports:
Angels offer arbitration to Teixeira, K-Rod — ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA (TICKER) —The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Monday protected themselves should any of their coveted free agents decide to leave this winter. — The Angels announced that they have offered salary arbitration …
Discussion:
Halos Heaven
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Padres decline arbitration for Hoffman — San Diego looking to reduce payroll for 2009 season — SAN DIEGO — As expected, the Padres declined to offer arbitration to closer Trevor Hoffman on Monday. — San Diego general manager Kevin Towers said on Monday that the Padres opted …
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.
Dick Kaegel / MLB.com:
Grudzielanek looking beyond Royals — KC offers salary arbitration, but infielder likely to decline — KANSAS CITY — Second baseman Mark Grudzielanek indicated on Monday that he'll decline the Royals' offer of salary arbitration. — “I'm probably 95 percent, 98 percent sure I'm going to pass on it,” Grudzielanek said.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
