Top News:
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Source: Burnett, Yankees agree on deal … Free agent right-hander A.J. Burnett has reached preliminary agreement on a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the New York Yankees, a baseball source told ESPN.com. — While Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Burnett's agent …
Discussion:
NJ.com, MY BASEBALL BIAS, New Jersey Online, Zell's Pinstripe Blog, Big Apple Sports, Bluebird Banter, MVN, Oriole Post, Pinstripes, Pa., SOX & Dawgs, Scott Proctor's Arm, Mike Silva's NY Baseball …, The Yankee Scrolls, Sliding Into Home, LA Times Sports Blog, IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS, bronxbanterblog.com and YanksBlog.com
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New York Post:
YANK: A.J. IS BURN-ING FOR BOMBERS — Talking to a Yankee recently, A.J. Burnett informed the player they were going to be teammates. — “He wants to come to New York - those words came out of his mouth,” the player told The Post last night. “He really wants to play here.”
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
YANKEES, BRAVES EVEN ON BURNETT — FIVE-YEAR, $80 MILLION DEALS ON TABLE — The Yankees and Braves are essentially in financial flat-footed tie in trying to land A.J. Burnett. Both have offered five years. The Yankees' total package is just beyond $80 million. Atlanta has reached at least $80 million.
Bob Dutton / Kansas City Star:
Royals designate Jason Smith to clear space for Horacio Ramirez — The Royals designated utility infielder Jason Smith for assignment Friday to clear space on their 40-man roster for left-handed pitcher Horacio Ramirez. — Smith, 31, spent the first four month of last season at Class AAA Omaha …
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Chris De Luca / Chicago Sun Times:Peavy just wasn't a necessity — Righty would've made Cubs better …
Mike Fitzpatrick / Associated Press:Farnsworth, Royals reach preliminary agreement
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues
Jon Paul Morosi / Detroit Free Press:
Task at hand: Acquiring a closer — LAS VEGAS — Within the past week, the Tigers traded for a starting catcher (Gerald Laird) and added a pitcher (Edwin Jackson) they believe will help settle their rotation. — They should announce the signing of shortstop Adam Everett any day.
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Dave Sheinin / Nationals Journal:
Nationals Actively Seeking Bullpen Help — Let's take a time-out from our 24-7 Mark Teixeira Watch to visit another area where the Nationals are looking for a big upgrade — the back end of their bullpen. Terrell Young, the 24-year-old right-hander they took in the Rule 5 Draft yesterday, was only a start.
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:St. Louis Cardinals were ‘kicking tires’ at baseball's winter meetings
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Darren Rovell / Sports Biz with Darren Rovell:
Will Madoff Scandal Hurt The New York Mets? (Update) — The real estate investment firm Sterling Equities, co-founded by New York Mets owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, had money invested with Bernard Madoff's firm, CNBC has confirmed. — “Among our various investments …
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Greg B. Smith / NY Daily News:Mets owner Fred Wilpon may have been big loser in Bernard Madoff's …
Discussion:
6-4-2
Jayson Stark / ESPN.com:
Ibanez, Phillies agree to 3-year, $30M deal — The Phillies have agreed to a three-year contract with free-agent outfielder Raul Ibanez, pending a physical. The deal is believed to be worth $30 million over three years. — The 36-year-old Ibanez will become the Phillies' new every-day leftfielder …
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus, Mariners Blog, seattlepi.com Mariners blog, Touching Base, The Good Phight, The700Level.com, Oriole Post, Jorge Says No!, LA Times Sports Blog, 6-4-2, Ivy Chat, Philliesflow.com, MLB Rumors, Mets Merized Online, wrigleyville23, Bucs Dugout, Batter's Box Interactive … and The Big Lead
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Betemit, Wise agree to one-year deals — Infielder, outfielder avoid arbitration; Jenks next on Sox list — CHICAGO — Bobby Jenks now stands as the lone remaining arbitration-eligible player on the White Sox 40-man roster, after outfielder DeWayne Wise and infielder Wilson Betemit agreed to one-year deals on Friday.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Pirates complete signing of Vazquez — The Pirates this afternoon completed the signing of utility infielder Ramon Vazquez to a two-year contract worth a total of $4 million. — Vazquez, 32, is coming off a season with the Texas Rangers in which he batted a career-high .290 …
Patrick Sullivan / Baseball Analysts:
Shaughnessy At It Again — Every year as the Hall-of-Fame vote nears, the debates over certain players intensify. As part of this tradition over the last few years, you can set your watch to a Dan Shaughnessy mail-in supporting the candidacy of Jim Rice. Shaughnessy's case for Rice and …
Tom Hoffarth / L.A. Daily News:
Dodger do some TV repair work for '09: Steiner back on radio fulltime; gig opens for 40-game slate — Read into this however you may, but the Dodgers have decided that having a consistent radio broadcast team means Charley Steiner won't be doing any TV work during the 2009 season.
Richard Griffin / Toronto Star:
Time for Blue Jays to trade Roy Halladay — LAS VEGAS-It's a tough, tough decision to make, but the time has come for the Jays to trade Roy Halladay to a contending club and get a combination package of ready-for-prime-time and future players. The current market shows that there are clubs …
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Heilman moving on with no regrets — Right-hander looking forward to the new opportunity in Seattle — NEW YORK — He had asked for this, in a way. Aaron Heilman had presented the Mets with an ultimatum, delivered with a “Please.” When he said “Start me or trade me,” …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
