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.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, MLB Rumors, MLB FanHouse, Pinstripes, Pa., River Avenue Blues and Phillies Nation
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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 …
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.
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.
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.
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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.
Discussion:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MetsBlog.com, MLB Rumors, River Avenue Blues, MLB FanHouse and MASN Online
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.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, DRaysBay, Ken Davidoff's baseball …, The 'Ropolitans and Mike Silva's NY Baseball …
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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 …
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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Fox Sports:
Market shaping up for Adam Dunn — He may not be Manny or Teixeira, but signing Adam Dunn won't cost a pick. That means teams are lining up, Ken Rosenthal says.
Associated Press:
Giants bolster bullpen, agree with righty Howry — SAN FRANCISCO — Giants general manager Brian Sabean can check the bullpen off his to-do list heading into next week's winter meetings in Las Vegas. — San Francisco took another step to bolster its bullpen Wednesday, agreeing a $2.75 million …
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score, Bugs & Cranks, SFGate, Bucs Dugout, MLB Rumors, Baseball Musings and MLB.com
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Dave Cameron / FanGraphs Baseball:The Howry signing — Continuing their quest to upgrade their bullpen …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Astros welcome back Hampton — Veteran lefty returns to club where he's had greatest success — HOUSTON — Ed Wade's first order of business when he began his opening statement at Wednesday's press conference was to give Mike Hampton “his Astros jersey back,” a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment …
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Young pitchers hold key to Reds' NL Central fortunes — Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty isn't making any promises, but he says if everything falls into place, there's no reason his team can't be a sleeper next season. — “We're coming,” Jocketty says.
Mark Bowman / Hot Stove Blog:
Braves close to signing Dave Ross — Looking to improve the production they received from their backup catchers last year, the Braves are close to signing Dave Ross to a two-year deal worth approximately $3.5 million. Ross confirmed the signing could come as early as Thursday.
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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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Hot Stove: CC and the Giants Edition — It's been nearly three weeks since the Yankees offered CC Sabathia 140 million of their hard-earned YES Network/New Yankee Stadium dollars. You may have noticed that CC hasn't said yes. — Yet. — The Yankees still seem supremely confident that he will, one of these days, weeks or months.
Discussion:
MLB.com, AaronGleeman.com, Mets Merized Online, Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness, Around the Majors and MLB Rumors
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 …
Discussion:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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John Hickey / seattlepi.com Mariners blog:
M's add Branyan to hit, then Adair, Wetteland to coach — The Mariners started the day by signing first baseman/third baseman DH Russell Branyan, the first free agent to be signed by new Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik. — Then later Wednesday the club will announce the addition …
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