Top News:
Buster Olney / ESPN:
New GMs turning to sabermetrics — • The Red Sox are meeting with CC Sabathia sometime in the next few days, and so will Yankees GM Brian Cashman, who reportedly met with Scott Boras, the agent for Mark Teixeira and Derek Lowe. It's unclear whether the Red Sox are seriously interested …
Discussion:
Mets Merized Online, iYankees, River Avenue Blues, Boston Herald, Sliding Into Home, The Joy of Sox, MLB Rumors and JSOnline
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Cashman Meets With Teixeira; Sabathia Is on Deck — The gridlocked free-agent market is slowly starting to move, and the Yankees are helping push it along. General Manager Brian Cashman traveled to Washington on Thursday to meet first baseman Mark Teixeira, and he will meet C.C. Sabathia …
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
If Plan B is offense, it might not work — Baseball economics expert Vince Gennaro invited me to Manhattanville College last night to attend the final session of a grad school sports management class he taught. Two groups of students presented their final projects.
Tyler Kepner / Bats:
Cashman Meets With Teixeira, C.C. Next — It turns out Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman's mystery meeting with Scott Boras yesterday took place in Washington - with Mark Teixeira there, too. If you were Carsten Charles Sabathia right now, what would you think about that?
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:Yankees go for Derek Lowe
Discussion:
MLB.com, My Pinstripes, MetsBlog.com, New York Times, Phillies Nation, New Jersey Online and It is about the money, stupid
ESPN.com:
Maddux, 43, to announce retirement, agent says — Greg Maddux has thrown his last pitch. — The four-time Cy Young winner will announce his retirement Monday at the baseball winter meetings in Las Vegas. — Maddux, who turns 43 in April, ranks eighth on the career wins list with 355.
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Big Three pitchers rule Winter Meetings talk … While there could well be a string of free-agent signings at the Winter Meetings that convene in Las Vegas next week — heaven knows, plenty of talent remains available — it will be a surprise if CC Sabathia is among those signing new deals.
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Greg Maddux to retire on Monday — Maddux's agent, Scott Boras, says the pitcher will make his retirement official at baseball's winter meetings in Las Vegas. Maddux, who won 355 games, finished last season with the Dodgers. — Greg Maddux, who won four Cy Young awards and 355 games, will announce his retirement on Monday.
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Rays sign three Minor Leaguers — Childers, Cummings, Richard receive invitations to Spring Training — ST. PETERSBURG — A dormant offseason ended on Friday, as the Rays brought three Minor Leaguers into the fold. — The Rays agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Jason Childers …
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Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Tribe inks Ohka to Minor League deal — Veteran starter's contract includes Spring Training invitation — CLEVELAND — Don't file it in the high-profile bin, but the Indians have signed a pitcher. — The pitcher in question is right-hander Tomo Ohka, a veteran of nine Major League seasons …
Associated Press:
Braves sign free-agent C David Ross — Buzz up! — ATLANTA (AP)—The Atlanta Braves added catching depth by signing free agent David Ross to a two-year, $3 million deal on Friday. — His agent, Ryan Gleichowski, said Ross will earn $1.4 million in 2009 and $1.6 million in 2010 in base salary.
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Chris De Luca / Chicago Sun Times:
Hendry, Williams join GMs for big-money swap meet — Cubs' Hendry, White Sox' Williams among GMs gathering for annual wheel-and-deal convention — Trying to get a clear read on the baseball landscape is tricky at this time of year because so much major talent still is sitting in the clearance aisle.
Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Astros sign Kata to Minors deal — Infielder receives Spring Training invite, could back up Tejada — HOUSTON — The Astros are in need of a utility infielder who can play shortstop to spell Miguel Tejada in 2009, and Matt Kata will have a chance to show he can handle the job.
Dan Graziano / New Jersey Online:
Mets' off-season painfully slow so far — Earlier this off-season, the Mets had the opportunity to trade Aaron Heilman for a 30-year-old pitcher who's averaged 32 starts and 13 wins for the past five years while his teams won four division titles and a World Series.
