Top News:
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Sources: Yankees to trade Melky for Cameron — The Yankees have found their center fielder for 2009, as they are set to send Melky Cabrera to Milwaukee for veteran outfielder Mike Cameron on Thursday, according to two major league sources. — The Yankees have been saying that Cabrera …
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Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Cameron could join CC in NY — Yankees will reportedly trade Melky to Milwaukee for vet — LAS VEGAS — CC Sabathia might have a familiar face joining him in the Bronx — former Brewers teammate Mike Cameron. — Multiple Major League sources told MLB.com early Thursday that the Brewers …
Discussion:
Bugs & Cranks
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
YANKS OFFER CABRERA FOR MIKE CAMERON — LAS VEGAS - CC Sabathia was not enough. Now the Yankees are zeroing in on adding his pal Mike Cameron, as well. — The Yankees would trade at least Melky Cabrera to obtain Cameron, a speedy, defensively elite center fielder who hits homers, but strikes out at a high rate.
ESPN.com:
Report: Yankees eye Cabrera for Cameron deal — The New York Yankees are on the verge of a deal sending Melky Cabrera to the Milwaukee Brewers for Mike Cameron, according to two major league sources, the New York Daily News reported. — The acquisition of Cameron would give the Yankees …
JSOnline:
Yankees like Cameron AND Hall — By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel — Las Vegas - Not long after the Brewers lost free agent lefty CC Sabathia to the Yankees on Wednesday, talks resumed on a trade that would send centerfielder Mike Cameron to New York for centerfielder Melky Cabrera.
Discussion:
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Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Source: Yanks offer fifth year to reel in Burnett … Yankees Make A.J. Burnett Five-Year Offer — LAS VEGAS — The New York Yankees, making a hard late charge to beat out the Atlanta Braves for A.J. Burnett, offered the free-agent right-hander a guaranteed five-year contract Wednesday, a baseball source told ESPN.com.
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Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Yankees won't wait forever on Pettitte — LAS VEGAS - The Yankees have made it clear that they would welcome Andy Pettitte back to the Bronx next year. How long that remains the case, however, remains to be seen. — While Pettitte remains on the Yankees' radar, a source told the Daily News …
Discussion:
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Newsday:
Yankees reach deal with CC, zero in on Burnett — The Yankees finalized a record agreement with CC Sabathia early yesterday morning, and then they went right back to work. As of late last night, they appeared to be closing in on a deal to also land free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett.
Discussion:
New Jersey Online
Tony Massarotti / Boston Globe:Burnett deciding between Yankees and Braves
Discussion:
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Jim Street / MLB.com:
Mariners deal Putz in three-team trade — Seattle acquires Mets pitcher Heilman, three other players — LAS VEGAS — The Seattle Mariners have agreed to a deal to send right-handed closer J.J. Putz to the New York Mets on Wednesday night as part of a three-team, nine-player trade.
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ESPN.com:
Mets get reliever Putz in 3-team, 12-player deal — LAS VEGAS — The New York Mets obtained J.J. Putz from Seattle on Wednesday night as part of a three-team, 12-player trade that gives them a set-up man for new closer Francisco Rodriguez. — New York dealt seven players …
Keith Law / ESPN:
Putz fills the Mets' eighth-inning void — If the Mets get the healthy J.J. Putz — he missed time with rib and elbow injuries in 2008 — they might actually have acquired the best closer of their offseason, one even better than their new capital-C closer Francisco Rodriguez.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Amazin' Avenue, Hardball Times, FanGraphs Baseball and Mets Minor League Blog
Scott Lauber / Phillies:
HERE'S THE DEAL: PHILS ACQUIRE CATCHER — LAS VEGAS — So, it seems the “small trade” mentioned by Ruben Amaro Jr. will be a swap of catchers. The Phils will send Class AAA catcher Jason Jaramillo to the Pirates for Ronny Paulino, a .278 hitter in parts of four seasons.
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs' budget has room for Peavy trade and left-handed hitter — Losing DeRosa, Marquis would open up millions — LAS VEGAS — It isn't easy being Jim Hendry, but it's sure fun to try. — And truth be told, any fan with a calculator, a computer and Internet service can try to figure …
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Boston Herald:
Scott Boras: Jason Varitek has offer to return — LAS VEGAS - The Red Sox [team stats] have presented a contract offer to Jason Varitek [stats], said agent Scott Boras yesterday at the winter meetings. The deal is believed to be for two years, although the terms remain under wraps.
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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Mets now have terrific twosome in 'pen … LAS VEGAS — The New York Mets of 2008 didn't just have a closer problem. They had a bullpen problem. — The Mets of 2008 didn't just have a ninth-inning problem. They had a how-the-heck-do-we-get-to-the-ninth- inning problem. — Well, not anymore.
Discussion:
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Denver Post:
Bid for Mets' Heilman comes to end — LAS VEGAS — The road to trade for the Mets' Aaron Heilman wasn't going through Huston Street. — So it was that the Rockies lost their shot at the Mets pitcher Wednesday night. Heilman was shipped to the Mariners in a three-team …
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Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Gems can be unearthed in Rule 5 Draft — Cubs' Veal, Tribe's Lofgren among players available Thursday — LAS VEGAS — To get an idea of just how much of a shot in the dark the Rule 5 Draft is, take a look at the past two years. — Last year, the Major League phase produced no great impact-type players.
ESPN:
Source: Farnsworth, Royals make deal — With many teams looking for bullpen help, veteran right-hander Kyle Farnsworth landed on his feet on Wednesday. — A source with knowledge of the negotiations told ESPN's Steve Phillips that Farnsworth has agreed to a two-year …
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Pirates, utility infielder Vazquez close to deal … The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the verge of a two-year, $4 million deal with infielder Ramon Vazquez. — Vazquez hit a career-high .290 with a .365 on-base percentage with the Texas Rangers last season. — A left-handed hitter …
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Abreu's representatives meet with Rays — Club continues to pursue sluggers at annual Winter Meetings — LAS VEGAS — Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman confirmed meeting with free-agent outfielder Bobby Abreu's representatives on Wednesday …
