Top News:
WCVB-TV:
Sox May Be Closer To Signing Teixeira — BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox may be close to signing Mark Teixeira, the premiere free agent available this off-season. — SportsCenter 5's Mike Lynch reported that team owner John Henry, CEO Larry Lucchino and General Manager Theo Epstein …
Discussion:
LA Times Sports Blog, WEEI Blogs, MASN Online, Nationals Journal, Angels blog and Sliding Into Home
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
General feeling is Sox — They're perceived leaders on Teixeira — One of the general managers involved in the Mark Teixeira negotiations was asked last night, “Are you still in it?” He answered, “I honestly don't know.” — Evidently, Teixeira's final landing spot has become a mystery to some of the people involved.
Discussion:
ESPN, MLB Rumors, Mets Fever, Baltimore Sun, River Avenue Blues, Zell's Pinstripe Blog, MLB FanHouse, Over the Monster, YFSF, iYankees and Angels blog
ESPN:
Sources: BoSox closing in on signing Teixeira … The Boston Red Sox have taken strides toward completing a deal for first baseman Mark Teixeira, major league sources indicated on Thursday evening, to the point that team executives may have face-to-face negotiations with Teixeira's representative, Scott Boras, in the forthcoming hours.
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Red Sox still look like front-runners to win the Teixeira Sweepstakes … With perhaps only days to go, many baseball executives seem to believe the Red Sox have the best chance to sign Mark Teixeira. — “I think he's going to the Red Sox. You think he's going there.
Kat O'Brien / Newsday:
Source: No offers from Yanks to Manny, Teixeira
Source: No offers from Yanks to Manny, Teixeira
Discussion:
NY Daily News, Ken Davidoff's baseball …, WEEI Blogs, MLB Rumors and Scott Proctor's Arm
Jeff Schultz / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Livid Schuerholz: Furcal dealings ‘despicable’ — Braves' president says team will never do business with player agency again — If Rafael Furcal's decision to renege on a verbal agreement with the Braves was the biggest jolt of the team's dreadful winter, this must be the aftershock.
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Red Sox look like front-runners for Teixeira (cont.) — Furcal's unusual double play — The Braves thought they had a “gentleman's agreement” on a deal for Rafael Furcal for $30 million and three years and are said to be “frustrated” that he went to the Dodgers for the same terms after they say his agent agreed with them.
JSOnline:
Brewers sign Nixon, Duffy — By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel — Looking for ways to get some left-handed bats on their roster, the Brewers have decided to take a look at former Boston standout Trot Nixon. — The Brewers just announced that they have signed the 34-year-old outfielder …
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
A Look At The 2010 Free Agent Class — By Tim Dierkes [December 18 at 1:19pm CST] — Since it's more of a reference, I didn't allow comments on our 2010 MLB Free Agents post. This post will be the place for readers to comment on these players, who we'll be talking about constantly a year from now …
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Yankees Blog:
Girardi says Pettitte wants to return — According to Joe Girardi, Andy Pettitte wants to rejoin the Yankees. — “I talked to him recently and he is still excited about coming back,” Girardi said today of Pettitte, who hasn't accepted the one-year, $10 million deal on the table from the Yankees.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies sign pitcher Rusch to one-year deal — Continuing to address their need for left-handed relievers, the Rockies on Thursday signed Glendon Rusch to a one-year, $750,000 minor-league deal today. — Rusch made it clear he wanted to return to Colorado after enjoying a positive experience last season.
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Melvin: Cameron-Yanks deal is ‘dead’ — Brewers GM uncertain if he'd be interested if talks were to resume — MILWAUKEE — As Brewers general manager Doug Melvin sees it, his trade talks with the Yankees are “dead.” — “It's probably not going to happen,” Melvin said.
Discussion:
bronxbanterblog.com
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George A. King III / New York Post:
LITTLE MANNY CHATTER
LITTLE MANNY CHATTER
Discussion:
JSOnline, NJ.com, MLB FanHouse, MY BASEBALL BIAS, Bats, New Jersey Online and Yankees Blog
Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Boone signs one-year deal with Astros — Veteran infielder likely to platoon with Blum at third base — HOUSTON — The Astros on Thursday signed third baseman Aaron Boone to a one-year contract, pending a physical. — Boone fills the Astros' need for a utility infielder who has extensive experience at third.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
Henry Schulman / San Francisco Chronicle:
Ex-Giants infielder Lance Niekro launches comeback, as a knuckleballer — (12-18) 14:07 PST — Twenty years have passed since a Niekro threw a knuckleball in a major-league game. Lance Niekro, the longtime Giants infield prospect, now hopes to become the next to keep the family craft alive.
NY Daily News:
Rocket's lawsuit takes a hit — Authorities told trainer Brian McNamee that he could become the target of a criminal probe if he refused to cooperate with former Sen. George Mitchell's steroid investigation, according to an affidavit filed in federal court in Houston Thursday by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Parrella.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports