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 …
Associated Press:
Giants to make Edgar Renteria their new shortstop — SAN FRANCISCO — Edgar Renteria will become the second free agent to join the San Francisco Giants in as many days, with the team expected to announce Thursday that he will replace 11-time Gold Glove shortstop Omar Vizquel.
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.
Discussion:
PBC Blog, Touching Base, MLB FanHouse, Bucs Dugout, Pirate Revolution and Bless You Boys
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Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
No Jack Wilson Deal — By Tim Dierkes [December 4 at 12:41pm CST] — 12:41pm: Jon Paul Morosi's source says the Tigers' talks for Wilson have become “more active and meaningful” recently. — 12:14pm: Dejan Kovacevic talked to Pirates president Frank Coonelly, who said Wilson has not been traded.
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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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, MLB Rumors, MASN Online, MLB FanHouse, River Avenue Blues and MetsBlog.com
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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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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.
Troy Renck / All Things Rockies:
Reds sign Lincoln to two-year deal — While the Rockies are moving methodically in their search for relievers, a few have come off the board over the last few days. The Cincinnati Reds signed right-handed free agent Mike Lincoln to a two-year, $4-million deal accoding to contract information obtained by The Denver Post.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
MLB.com:
Cardinals ink lefty reliever Trever Miller — Free agent agrees to one-year deal — ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have agreed to terms with free-agent relief pitcher Trever Miller on a one-year contract for the upcoming 2009 season. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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