Top News:
Richard Pérez-Peña / New York Times:
Times Co. Seeking to Sell Its Stake in the Red Sox — The New York Times Company is trying to sell its stake in the Boston Red Sox baseball team, seeking to raise cash and shield its newspaper franchise from rapidly falling revenue, a person briefed on the plans said on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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Adam Kilgore / Boston Globe:
No deal for Youkilis — Kevin Youkilis and the Red Sox will not reach a long-term contract agreement this offseason, said Joe Bick, Youkilis's agent. Youkilis and the team have discussed a possible long-term contract this winter, but the sides currently stand too far apart for a deal to be finished before the 2009 season.
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Red Sox trumped in Teixeira stakes — The Red Sox never needed Mark Teixeira. — That's what I kept hearing from Sox defenders after the Yankees scored a knockout punch in the heavyweight fight with Boston. The Yankees, as we warned all along, swept in and grabbed the prized free agent of the 2008 offseason.
Russell Adams / Wall Street Journal:
New York Times Looks to Sell Red Sox Stake — Seeking to fortify its core assets, New York Times Co. is actively shopping its stake in the holding company of the Boston Red Sox baseball club, according to two people familiar with the discussions. — The Times Co., which faces …
Discussion:
Squawking Baseball
Adam Kilgore / Boston Globe:
Yankees grab prize Sox pined for — $180m deal lures Teixeira to N.Y. — Their familiar and monstrous rivals loomed over the Red Sox the whole time, their deep pockets and pinstripes somehow hidden in plain sight. The real surprise might not be where Mark Teixeira …
Ben Shpigel / Bats:
The Lowe-down — Throughout the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, conventional wisdom held that the Mets were rooting for the Red Sox to sign him. Think about it: Boston presumably would then not have enough money to enter the bidding for Derek Lowe, who sits atop the Mets' pitching wish list.
Boston Globe:
Derek Lowe closing in on deal with Mets — According to a baseball source, The New York Mets appear to be closing in on a deal for free-agent pitcher Derek Lowe. — The deal is believed to be four years in length, or three years with a vesting option. The contract is estimated to be worth between $14-16 million per season.
Discussion:
Faith and Fear in Flushing, MLB FanHouse, Hot Stove Blog, Baseball Insider, Mets Merized Online, MetsBlog.com, Amazin' Avenue, The 'Ropolitans, Mets Fever, Zell's Pinstripe Blog, River Avenue Blues, MLB Rumors, Seven Train to Shea Mets Blog, 24 Hours From Suicide, Mets Geek, Bottom9 Baseball and Yahoo! Sports
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Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Yankees' Teixeira: Behind Flashy Contract, a Humble Professional — At Yankee Stadium sometime soon, Mark Teixeira will put on the most recognizable jersey in American sports, smile for the cameras and answer dozens of questions about his agreeing to a $180 million contract to be the Yankees' switch-hitting …
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Danielle Sessa / Bloomberg:
Brewers Owner Suggests Salary Cap After Yankees Sign Teixeira — A A A — Dec. 23 (Bloomberg) — Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said Major League Baseball may need to impose a salary cap to preserve competition after the New York Yankees spent $424 million to sign three players.
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Kobrien / On the Yankees beat:
Teixeira signing may mean end of Andy Pettitte in pinstripes — For the past few weeks, I've been wondering what Andy Pettitte is waiting on in not accepting the Yankees' one-year, $10 million contract offer. The chances are good now that he has waited too long. As of midday no final decision had been made.
Discussion:
Scott Proctor's Arm
Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Padres sign three pitchers to stock staff — Ex-Giant Correia to vie for rotation spot; infielder Rodriguez returns — SAN DIEGO — Limited by a tight budget, Padres general manager Kevin Towers said a week ago that he hoped to restock his pitching staff with a few free-agent bargains in the weeks leading up to Spring Training.
Marc Katz / Dayton Daily News:
Dragons lose new manager — DAYTON — Jamie Dismuke, who was to manage the Dayton Dragons this summer, has instead taken a job as hitting coach for the Class AAA Gwinnett (Ga.) Braves in the Atlanta Braves organization. — “It's a better situation for me,” said Dismuke …
Herald:
Dickey's decision: Better opportunity with the Twins — The Seattle Mariners offered R.A. Dickey potentially better money than any other team in 2009, but the greater opportunity to pitch in the big leagues was more important. — That's why Dickey, the knuckleball pitcher who spent …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Clark Spencer / Fish Bytes:
Nelson to the Rays — Reliever Joe Nelson is a Tampa Bay Ray. — On Wednesday, the right-hander, whom the Marlins non-tendered, agreed to terms on a one-year deal for $1.3 million. — Nelson was contacted by 20 teams after the Marlins parted company with the 34-year-old reliever …
