Top News:
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox shoot down trade rumors about Dye, Jenks — LAS VEGAS - While the White Sox awaited word on whether free-agent Orlando Cabrera would decline their salary arbitration offer, two trade scenarios were shot down Sunday night on the eve of the winter meetings.
RELATED:
Hal McCoy / Dayton Daily News:
Source: Reds deal Bailey for White Sox slugger — Jermaine Dye, a 12-year veteran with a .278 career average, would give team a proven right-handed batter. — With baseball's annual winter meetings unfurling this week at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, rumors run rampant.
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Bailey-Dye Trade Report Shot Down — By Tim Dierkes [December 7 at 10:06pm CST] — 10:06pm: Walt Jocketty on the report: “Wrong. It's not even close.” The Reds haven't had talks with the Sox since before Thanksgiving. — 9:32pm: ESPN's Jerry Crasnick adds that Dye and his agent “haven't heard a word” about a trade.
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
More boom or recession for baseball? — Will tough economic times keep pitcher CC Sabathia and sluggers Manny Ramirez and Mark Teixeira from mega-millions as expected? So far, yes, but this is the week of baseball's winter meetings, when the big bucks usually start to flow.
RELATED:
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:Angels may need to decide soon between Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Jon Heyman / For the Record:Hot Stove News Tracker The Latest Buzz from around the Majors
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Las Vegas dealers — Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin runs a baseball team in middle America. The economy is tough, yet he waits to hear whether CC Sabathia will accept their $100 million offer or whether he'll have to move on to Plan B. — As baseball's winter meetings …
RELATED:
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Every Given Sunday — Winter Meetings Preview — As has been well-documented, the free-agent market has been extremely slow to develop; to date only 11 of the 171 players who filed for free agency have signed contracts. There is no word yet if Donald Fehr has asked Congress for a bailout.
Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Fuentes rejects Rox' arbitration offer — Source says closer is departing; Colorado to receive compensation — LAS VEGAS — The meet-and-greet of the Winter Meetings starts with a goodbye from free-agent closer Brian Fuentes. — Fuentes, 33, will turn down the Rockies' offer of arbitration …
RELATED:
Jon Paul Morosi / Detroit Free Press:
Tigers and Rangers making significant progress on possible trade — LAS VEGAS - The Tigers and Texas Rangers have made significant progress toward a trade that would send catcher Gerald Laird to Detroit and pitching prospect Guillermo Moscoso to the Rangers. — It's not clear if the Tigers would include other prospects in the deal.
ESPN:
Sabathia's agent to meet with Red Sox — The much-ballyhooed face-to-face meeting between Yankees GM Brian Cashman and CC Sabathia was finally scheduled to kick off Sunday night in Las Vegas, according to a baseball source with knowledge of the meeting. But it wasn't Cashman who requested this close encounter.
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Varitek to decline salary arbitration from Red Sox — LAS VEGAS - A source close to Sox catcher Jason Varitek confirmed that Varitek would decline salary arbitration from the Red Sox before the midnight deadline. This will allow Varitek to pursue his free-agent market without being tied exclusively …
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Larry LaRue / Mariners Insider:
Mariners and Raul Ibanez part ways again — Raul Ibanez will decline binding salary arbitration today and, for the second time in his career, leave the Seattle Mariners. — The first time was even less appetizing - the Mariners simply let Ibanez go after the 2000 season, and Kansas City signed him as a free agent.
Discussion:
Baseball Digest Daily Blog, MLB Rumors, River Avenue Blues, iYankees, MVN, Lookout Landing and Pinstripes, Pa.
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Ready to roll the dice in Las Vegas … “In Vegas, I got into a long argument with the man at the roulette wheel over what I considered to be an odd number.” — So did you hear the one about the guy from Houston who walks into a Las Vegas casino, sits down at the blackjack table and says, “Deal me in?”
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Nat Boyle / MLB Rumors:
Rangers Cutting Payroll? — By Nat Boyle [December 7 at 12:10pm CST] — While not making any drastic reductions, the Rangers may be shedding payroll says Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. This could make available Gerald Laird, Hank Blalock, Kevin Millwood, and Vincente Padilla.
RELATED:
