Top News:
Mike DiGiovanna / LA Times Sports Blog:
Mark Teixeira negotiations heating up — LAS VEGAS — The Yankees' imminent signing of free-agent left-hander CC Sabathia to a seven-year, $160-million deal would seem to take them out of the running for Mark Teixeira, but that will hardly ease the competition the Angels face in retaining the free-agent first baseman.
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Jose Mota / Yahoo! Sports:
Nationals extend offer to Teixeira — Buzz up! — LAS VEGAS - The Washington Nationals have stepped boldly into the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, making an offer to the free agent first baseman for seven years and $150 million, a highly placed baseball source said Wednesday morning.
Discussion:
MLB.com, Boston Globe, Nationals Journal, MLB FanHouse, iYankees, Federal Baseball, PE.com, Hot Foot and LA Times Sports Blog
Tony Massarotti / Boston Globe:
Burnett deciding between Yankees and Braves — LAS VEGAS - The Red Sox never seemed fully invested in talks for A.J. Burnett, so it should it come as no surprise that the competition for the pitcher now seems to have come down to two teams: the Yankees and Braves.
Mike DiGiovanna / LA Times Sports Blog:
Cubs inquire about Angels' Chone Figgins — LAS VEGAS — The Chicago Cubs have made trade inquiries about third baseman Chone Figgins, but it will be difficult for the Angels to figure out what they might even ask for in return until they determine whether they can retain free-agent …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Sources: Cubs dig in over Padres demands … LAS VEGAS — Jake Peavy to the Chicago Cubs. It was a trade that once seemed inevitable. — It doesn't seem so inevitable anymore. — As the clock ticked down toward the final hours before the two key principles, the Cubs and San Diego Padres …
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.
Discussion:
MLB FanHouse, Mariners Blog, CastroTurf, Trumbull and Michigan and Bleeding Blue and Teal
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Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Three-way deal could send Putz to Mets — Mariners and Indians also involved in trade talks — LAS VEGAS — The Mets, Mariners and Indians appear to be on the verge of a three-team deal in which J.J. Putz would go to New York as the setup man to the newly acquired Francisco Rodriguez.
Jon Paul Morosi / Detroit Free Press:
Tigers trade for Tampa Bay pitcher Edwin Jackson — Editor's note: Story updated at 11:00 p.m. — LAS VEGAS - The Tigers completed a deal on Wednesday night that sent outfielder Matt Joyce to the Tampa Bay Rays for right-hander Edwin Jackson. — Joyce had been the player that most intrigued …
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Source: Yanks offer fifth year to reel in Burnett … 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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Yahoo! Sports:
Opt-out clause key to Sabathia going to Yankees
Opt-out clause key to Sabathia going to Yankees
Discussion:
New York Post, JSOnline, NY Daily News, MLB Rumors, bronxbanterblog.com, Baseball & The Boogie Down, River Avenue Blues, Sabernomics, New Jersey Online, Ken Davidoff's baseball …, Hardball, NJ.com, Sliding Into Home, Pinstripes, Pa., True Blue LA, It is about the money, stupid, MY BASEBALL BIAS, Can't Stop The Bleeding, MetsBlog.com and Baseball Insider
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Yanks, Sabathia reach 7-year deal
Yanks, Sabathia reach 7-year deal
Discussion:
New York Post, MLB Rumors, MetsBlog.com, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN.com, Baseball & The Boogie Down, New Jersey Online, AZ Snakepit, bronxbanterblog.com, IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS, The Bronx Block, Pinstripes, Pa., Pinstriped Scranton, Phillies Nation, The Bottom Line, New York Times, River Avenue Blues, Projo Sox Blog, SOX & Dawgs, Mets Merized Online, YanksBlog.com, NJ.com, It is about the money, stupid, The Big Lead and Sliding Into Home
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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Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
BBWAA opens doors wider, admits four more Internet writers — Slowly but surely, the Baseball Writers Association of America is becoming more inclusive. The organization just held a meeting here at Bellagio and, for the second straight year, humbly voted to add a few Internet writers to their newspaper-dominated ranks.
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Christina Kahrl / Unfiltered:
Baseball Prospectus and the BBWAA
Baseball Prospectus and the BBWAA
Discussion:
Baseball Digest Daily Blog
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Are the Twins another Peavy player? — In three-way deal, Minnesota could land Cubs' DeRosa — LAS VEGAS — Have the Minnesota Twins emerged as another team that's in play in the proposed multiteam deal that would see Jake Peavy sent from the Padres to the Chicago Cubs?
Discussion:
Twinkie Town
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Geoff Baker / Mariners Blog:
Jeter on Sabathia; M's discuss Hermida with Marlins — UPDATE (3:14 p.m.): I'm now told it was the Mariners who actually approached the Marlins to ask about the availability of outfielder Jeremy Hermida, not the other way around. No doubt looking to see whether they can get him cheap.
Discussion:
Hot Stove Blog, Florida Marlins, MLB.com, MLB Rumors, Bleeding Blue and Teal, Rays Index and Major League Baseball
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Adam Kilgore / Boston Globe:
Boras: Sox offer Tek, multiple offers for Tex — LAS VEGAS — Scott Boras addressed a massive pack of reporters here at the Bellagio at roughly 4:20 p.m. local time. He said Mark Teixeira, the most prominent free agent remaining, has received contract offers from every team with interest …
For the Record:
QUOTE(#4): … what about last year BurghFan? — Capps went on the dl last year on July 2 with should bursitis and did not join the big club again until august 23, - essentially missing 2 months of the season, so get your facts straight on that. — he's also free agent after this season …
David Lennon / On the Mets beat:
Inside the K-Rod signing — With the Mets about to make the Francisco Rodriguez signing official in a matter of minutes, new details have emerged about the speedy negotiations with the free-agent closer that resulted in the three-year, $37-million deal. — When K-Rod and his agent …
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Smoltz's wish list includes Boston — LAS VEGAS — John Smoltz wants to pitch for a team that could take him to the World Series. — He hopes that's still the Atlanta Braves, the team for whom he has pitched since 1988, but the 41-year-old free agent is considering the Red Sox …
Discussion:
MLB.com, Detroit Free Press, MetsBlog.com, Boston Herald, Amazin' Avenue, Mets Fever and Hardball
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Brewers inquire about Millwood — Interest in Rangers righty will grow as free agents dwindle — LAS VEGAS — The Brewers, who are looking for starting pitching after losing out on CC Sabathia, met with the Rangers on Wednesday at the Winter Meetings to talk about right-hander Kevin Millwood.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors