Top News:
Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Indians close to deal with closer Wood — Offer to ex-Cubs fireballer might include option for third year — LAS VEGAS — The Indians appear to be close to signing closer Kerry Wood to a two-year contract, MLB.com has learned. — The offer to Wood might include an option for a third year …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, MetsBlog.com, MLB Rumors, Mariners Blog, Mariners Insider, Bless You Boys, Hot Stove Blog and Hot Foot
RELATED:
ESPN:
Source: Mets agree to 3-year deal with K-Rod — Mets Close To Deal With Francisco Rodriguez — The New York Mets agreed to a three-year deal with free-agent reliever Francisco Rodriguez, a source told ESPN. — The deal, worth $37 million plus addition incentives, is pending a physical.
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Mets, K-Rod reach 3-year, $37M deal … LAS VEGAS — The Mets and star free-agent closer Francisco Rodriguez have agreed to a deal. — The deal, which is expected to be consummated very soon, is said to be for about $37 million over three years. — The Mets badly needed a big-time closer …
Jon Paul Morosi / Detroit Free Press:
Tigers, Mariners actively discussing Putz trade — LAS VEGAS - This morning, the Tigers and Seattle Mariners have discussed a trade that would bring closer J.J. Putz back to his home state. — It's not clear if the clubs are close to a deal, but the talks appear to be ongoing.
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
METS, K-ROD CONTINUE TALKS — LAS VEGAS - Mets officials and representatives for Francisco Rodriguez were huddled this morning in attempts to put the last items in place for a contract that will bring the elite closer to New York on a contract in three-year, $37 million range.
Geoff Baker / Mariners Blog:
Wood to Indians? — UPDATE (2:15 p.m.): A little broken telephone going on. It's actually Orioles catcher Ramon Hernandez going to the Reds for outfielder Ryan Freel et al. Sorry for the mix-up. Expecting an announcement shortly. — The buzz here in the hallways of the Bellagio Hotel …
Associated Press:
Report: Indians nearing deal with closer Wood — CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Indians are close to getting their closer. — The club has offered free agent Kerry Wood, the former Chicago Cubs starter-turned-reliever, a two-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Andrew Baggarly / Extra Baggs:
UPDATED: Giants talk to Sabathia's camp; Yanks rumored to be out, Brewers emerging — UPDATE: An executive close to the CC Sabathia talks told me the perception is that the Brewers are emerging as the frontrunner. — It's been confirmed to me that the Giants had discussions with CC Sabathia's camp …
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Dan Graziano / New Jersey Online:Yankees starting pitching search — updates on Sabathia, Burnett, Sheets, Pettitte
Discussion:
New York Post
Chicagosports / Hardball:
Cubs close to acquiring Jake Peavy — The Jake Peavy-Cubs trade talks have reached a point where it will be a stunner if the Cubs don't acquire Peavy, who immediately would become the best pitcher on a staff that already boasts Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly and Rich Harden.
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Sox interested in Pavano? (And other whispers . . .) — LAS VEGAS — A few things heard while walking through the Bellagio Hotel early this morning . . . 1. The Red Sox are one of a few teams mentioned by agent Tom O'Connell as interested parties for free agent righthander Carl Pavano, a former Boston farmhand.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Providence Journal, MetsBlog.com, Bugs & Cranks, Siberian Baseball and sox1fan.com
Roman Modrowski / Full Court Press:Jake Peavy wants to be a Cub
Discussion:
Chicago Sun Times, ESPN, River Avenue Blues, The Cub Reporter (TCR) and Chicago's Inside Pitch
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Bombers Brewin' up 30M offer for Sheets — LAS VEGAS - While most of the attention in the Yankees' universe is focused on CC Sabathia, the Bombers are preparing to make an offer to another free agent pitcher from Milwaukee in the next 72 hours. — According to a source …
Discussion:
Newsday, MY BASEBALL BIAS, Bugs & Cranks, bronxbanterblog.com, Scott Proctor's Arm and Pinstriped Scranton
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Joel Sherman / Hardball:
3 UP: K-Rod, Ankiel and Sheets — 1. The Mets are about to get much better in the ninth inning and much worse behaved in the eyes of their most heated rivals. Remember how the Phillies and the rest of the NL East have expressed open distaste for the Mets' prancing style, embodied most by Jose Reyes' gesticulations?
John Perrotto / Beaver County Times & Allegheny Times:
Tigers, Dodgers deny interest in Bucs' Wilson — LAS VEGAS — Jack Wilson is not going to be a member of the Detroit Tiger on opening day in 2009 and he also isn't going to be with the Los Angeles Dodgers. — Despite plenty of reports to the contrary, high-ranked officials from both teams …
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Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Kubek honored with '09 Frick Award — Former Yankee was voice of a generation in NBC broadcast — Tony Kubek, the former New York Yankees shortstop who made even a bigger name for himself in his post-playing career as an analyst on NBC's old “Game of the Week” telecasts …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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Tony Massarotti / Boston Globe:
Francoeur for Greinke? — LAS VEGAS — Here are a couple of other things to add to colleague Nick Cafardo's list of items from late last night/this morning: — According to one National League executive, the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves have had serious discussions about a trade …
Discussion:
Baseball Digest Daily Blog, Hardball Times, ESPN, MLB Rumors, Mets Today, Bottom9 Baseball and Talking Chop
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Joe McDonald / Providence Journal:
Second Tuesday afternoon update: Epstein says Red Sox ‘value [Buchholz] tremendously’ — LAS VEGAS — If the Texas Rangers want Clay Buchholz, he won't come cheap. — When told this afternoon that Texas team president Nolan Ryan had said he was interested in Buchholz, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein responded: “I'm sure he is.”
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Darren Rovell / Sports Biz with Darren Rovell:
Billy Ripken Obscenity Bat: He Finally Talks 20 Years Later — Had Billy Ripken not received a shipment of less than ideal Louisville Slugger R161 models that year... Had Billy Ripken not decided to use one of those bats for batting practice that year... Had Billy Ripken not elected to mark that bat in a unique way that year...
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers finalize deal with Lamb — Third baseman seems likely to platoon with incumbent Hall — LAS VEGAS — The Brewers closed the deal with free-agent third baseman Mike Lamb on Tuesday morning, inking the veteran to a one-year contract that had been in the works for several days.
Joel Sherman / Yankees Blog:
Winter Meetings Day 2 Update —Though Garrett Atkins' name has come up a lot this offseason, Rockies officials insist he is not going to be traded. —The Rockies continue to be interested in Aaron Heilman, even if it does not involve a Huston Street trade.
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies closing in on deal for Embree — LAS VEGAS — The Rockies are closing in on the pitcher they believe is the right man for their left-handed bullpen vacancy, nearing an agreement with free agent Alan Embree on a one-year deal, according to a major league source familiar with negotiations.
