Top News:
Tony Massarotti / Boston Globe:
Teams starting to make pitches — Just as the Red Sox were announcing a new $40.5 million contract for Dustin Pedroia yesterday, baseball's sputtering offseason finally began to whir. The pitching market began to develop, and the price appeared to be going up.
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Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Sabathia's heart may be in S.F. — Just how badly does CC Sabathia want to pitch at home in California? We may find out very soon. — Sources say the Giants are considering a play for Sabathia, although their only hope of landing the big lefthander would be for him to take an extreme hometown discount.
Jack Curry / New York Times:
Agents Work to Avoid a Pay Cut for Pettitte — Before the Yankees ended their disappointing 2008 season, Andy Pettitte toured the new Yankee Stadium. While he was in the spacious clubhouse, he picked out the locker that he said he wanted to use in 2009. — Whether or not Pettitte …
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Yankees have CC in sights, as Braves pursue Burnett — The good news for Yankees fans is that team officials are confident that CC Sabathia, with just one other serious suitor, will come to them sooner than later. — The bad news for Yankees fans it that Braves officials sound just as confident about A.J. Burnett.
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Yankees Rumors: Burnett, Sabathia, Pettitte — By Tim Dierkes [December 4 at 8:56am CST] — The latest on the Yankees front... - Ken Davidoff says the Yankees and Blue Jays were willing to give A.J. Burnett a fifth year vesting option. The Braves seem likely to sign Burnett …
Associated Press:Giants bolster bullpen, agree with righty Howry
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Dave Cameron / FanGraphs Baseball:The Howry signing — Continuing their quest to upgrade their bullpen …
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Joel Sherman / Hardball:
3 UP: Putz Made Available, Bradford and Baldelli — 1. A rumor was floated yesterday that the Mets are working on a blockbuster that would net them both Bobby Jenks and Jermaine Dye from the White Sox, with top prospect Fernando Martinez going to Chicago. Talked to a few Met officials who called it nonsense.
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David Lennon / Newsday:
Mets still not ready to deal Fernando Martinez — The name of Fernando Martinez is sure to come up quite often next week during the winter meetings in Las Vegas, but the Mets are not prepared to deal him. After holding Martinez out of countless trades the past few years, they will be tested again …
Tom Krasovic / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Shortstop Greene heading to St. Louis — The Padres and Cardinals have agreed to a trade that will send shortstop Khalil Greene to St. Louis. — The Padres are expected to get pitching in return for Greene, but this move appears to be more about moving Greene's $6.5 million salary in anticipation of a much smaller payroll in 2009.
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Joel Sherman / Hardball:
KHALIL GREENE TO BE TRADED TO THE CARDINALS — In a continuing attempt to reduce payroll, the Padres were closing in on trading their starting shortstop, Khalil Greene to the Cardinals. Greene is due $6.5 million next year in the final season of his contract.
David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves make offer to free-agent pitcher Burnett — GM Wren wouldn't discuss terms, but offer believed to be four years with option for fifth year — The Braves have made an offer to free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett, who is considered the second-best starter available this offseason behind CC Sabathia.
Fox Sports:
Dodgers are worrying about infield first — The Dodgers have questions all over the infield. That's why Ken Rosenthal says there's a bigger priority than Manny or CC.
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Dan Graziano / New Jersey Online:
Detroit Tigers acquire SS Jack Wilson from Pirates — It seems to be the week for shortstop roulette on the Hot Stove, and the latest is that the Pirates have sent Jack Wilson to the Tigers. — The teams had been in discussions for a while, but according to a person familiar with the deal, it is done.
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Tough call coming for Manny — The last time that the agent for Manny Ramirez spoke with Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti, Barack Obama was on television in the background, making his acceptance speech on the night he was elected president. Since then, the Dodgers withdrew that two-year, $45 million offer to Ramirez.
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Pedroia extension could get ball rolling — Red Sox's other young guns may be next for long-term deals — BOSTON — When Dustin Pedroia signed a six-year contract with the Red Sox on Wednesday that included a club option for 2015, perhaps he was serving as a leadoff hitter in a sense.
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards complete deal for Miller — A deal delayed is now a deal done as the Cardinals completed the signing of lefty reliever Trever Miller today to a one-year deal — Miller adds a bona fide lefty specialist, an element the Cardinals did not have in their bullpen last year …
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