Top News:
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Angels no longer trying to bring back Teixeira … The Los Angeles Angels withdrew their eight-year offer for free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira on Sunday. — Angels vice president of communications Tim Mead confirmed an earlier ESPN report later Sunday night.
RELATED:
Kat O'Brien / Newsday:
Angels say they're out of Teixeira sweepstakes — The door was opened for the Yankees to jump into the pursuit of Mark Teixeira after the Angels surprisingly pulled out of the bidding yesterday. — The Angels had been considered a leading contender to sign Teixeira, but they took their offer off the table.
Mike DiGiovanna / LA Times Sports Blog:
Angels withdraw offer to Mark Teixeira — Tim Mead, the Angels' vice president of communications, confirmed a foxsports.com report that the team has withdrawn its offer to Mark Teixeira and is no longer pursuing the free-agent first baseman. — The Angels, according to General Manager Tony Reagins …
Discussion:
Walkoff Walk, MetsBlog.com, Sporting News, Halos Heaven, MLB FanHouse, Athletics Nation, Bottom9 Baseball, YFSF and MLB Rumors
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Angels pull out of Teixeira chase — Club confirms it has withdrawn its eight-year contract offer — The Angels confirmed Sunday that they have pulled out of the bidding for free agent Mark Teixeira's services. Team spokesman Tim Mead said the club would have no further comment today.
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Angels pull out of Teixeira chase — Club confirms it has withdrawn its eight-year contract offer — The Mark Teixeira sweepstakes are now exclusively an East Coast derby. — The Angels, withdrawing their eight-year offer believed to be in the $160 million neighborhood …
Discussion:
Halos Heaven
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Impacto Deportivo Manny Report — By Tim Dierkes [December 22 at 8:27am CST] — MONDAY, 8:27am: MLB.com's Bryan Hoch asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman about this report. Cashman responded: “Not true.” — SUNDAY, 10:53pm: According to a report in the Dominican newspaper Impacto Deportivo …
RELATED:
Bombers Beat:
Cashman: Manny 3/$75M report “not true” — Just swapped text messages with Brian Cashman, who wrote two words to splash some cold water on the Impacto Deportivo report of Manny Ramirez receiving a three-year, $75 million offer from the Yankees: — “Not true.”
Discussion:
MLB FanHouse, Red Sox Monster, Sliding Into Home, Pinstripes, Pa., River Avenue Blues and iYankees
Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:
PINSTRIPE POSTS — From the clubhouse to the diamond, Pete Caldera tells you everything you want to know about the Yankees. — Read “Pinstripe Posts” — Klapisch: Girardi, Manny don't mix — As the Yankees continue to toy with the idea of signing free agent bad-boy Manny Ramirez …
David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves' stockings lacking; our top CDs of 2008 — Braves general manager Frank Wren is hitting the Colorado slopes with his family this week, but I think it's probably safe to assume his crackberry will be on his person at all times, just in case. — He would've preferred …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Minaya learning off his own mistakes — In Omar Minaya's four seasons as a general manager in New York, the Mets have recorded 83, 97, 88 and 89 victories. The previous four years, 2001-04, their victory totals came in at 82, 75, 66 and 71. — Somehow, that turn hasn't seemed to comfort Mets fans very much.
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Source: Pirates, Doumit reach deal … The Pittsburgh Pirates have reached an agreement on a three-year deal with catcher Ryan Doumit that will take him through his salary arbitration years, a baseball source told ESPN.com. — The contract includes a club option that will take Doumit into free agency, the source said.
Discussion:
MLB.com, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, whygavs.com, PBC Blog, Bucs Trade Winds, MLB Rumors, Pittsburgh Lumber Co. and Bottom9 Baseball
Tom Krasovic / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Talented teams of the '90s quite different than today — Should a sale go through, whoever buys the Padres from John Moores would be lucky to get a Padres club as talented as the one Moores bought in late 1994. — True, when Moores took control, the Padres were coming off a 47-70 season.
RELATED:
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Huge payday awaits Webb — Last week, the New York Yankees introduced left-hander CC Sabathia in pinstripes, officially making him the latest nouveau riche ace in the baseball world. — His seven-year, $161 million contract exceeds Mets lefty Johan Santana's in length and dollars …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
