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 …
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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.
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.”
MLB.com:
Mets acquire RHP Connor Robertson from Arizona — The New York Mets tonight acquired righthanded relief pitcher Connor Robertson from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for lefthanded pitcher Scott Schoeneweis and cash considerations. — Robertson, 27, was 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA in nine games with Arizona this past season.
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MLB.com:
D-backs acquire Scott Schoeneweis from Mets — Arizona sends Connor Robertson to New York in trade — (PHOENIX, AZ) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired left-handed pitcher Scott Schoeneweis and cash considerations from the New York Mets in exchange for right-handed pitcher Connor Robertson …
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Associated Press
Tom Heleba / Baseball Insider:
Nats, Harris Agree — From Dave Sheinin: — The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with outfielder Willie Harris to a two-year, $3 million contract. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made the announcement. — The versatile and durable Harris enjoyed …
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MLB Rumors
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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 …
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6-4-2
Diane Pucin / Los Angeles Times:
Charley Steiner will do radio only for the Dodgers — Team will look for another TV announcer for games when Vin Scully isn't there. — Charley Steiner understands perception. — So when the Dodgers told him Thursday he would do no Dodgers television broadcast work, only radio from now on …
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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.
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Associated Press
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Chris Forsberg / Boston Globe:
Report: Sox make offer to Kawakami — From the Globe's Daigo Fujiwara: — Nikkan Sports, one of Tokyo's biggest daily sports/entertainment newspapers, is reporting that Red Sox have offered Kenshin Kawakami a 3-year, $21-million deal. — The report appeared in Saturday morning's edition of Nikkan Sports.
Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
Cubs sign Gaudin to one-year deal — The Cubs got busy Friday on the tender date for arbitration-eligible players, signing relievers Chad Gaudin ($2 million) and Neal Cotts ($1.1 million) to one-year contracts and tendering contracts to their four other arbitration-eligible players …
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Associated Press
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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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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
Discussion:
Bugs & Cranks
Guillermo Contreras / MySanAntonio.com:
Feds nab one of worst deadbeat dads — READ — One of Texas' worst deadbeat dads has been arrested after a long stay abroad, the San Antonio Express-News has confirmed. — Troy Lee Neel, a former professional baseball player accused of owing almost $725,000 in child support, was taken into custody in Los Angeles on Thursday.
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Associated Press
Jay Jaffe / Sports Illustrated:
BP: Yanks could easily get burned by A.J. … The winter meetings in Las Vegas may have ended, but the Yankees are still busy. Two days after landing the free agent market's most coveted hurler, CC Sabathia, they've bolstered their rotation with another free agent, A.J. Burnett.
