Top News:
Mark Newman / MLB.com:
Liveblogging MLB Network launch — It's 2009 at last, and that means the MLB Network goes live in an estimated 50 million homes. It's the largest launch in cable network history, and we are liveblogging this New Year's Day all the way. — 5:22 p.m.: Jimmy Rollins is in the house.
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Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Interview: Tony Petitti, President and CEO, MLB Network — Welcome to New Year's Day, 2009. In years past, baseball fans would mark the change of the calendar as a milestone on the way to getting their baseball fix in a few short months. That all changes today at 6pm ET …
Mark Newman / MLB.com:
MLB Network to debut in mere hours — Today's debut to be seen in 50 million households — Studios 3 and 42 are ready, the new talent is ready, the new theme music is ready, the highlights are ready, Don Larsen's perfect game is ready after 52 years under wraps, the remotes are ready …
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Altering Jones deal could lead to Manny — Dodgers discuss reworking contract of unhappy-in-LA outfielder — LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are in discussions to rework the contract of beleaguered outfielder Andruw Jones, with the goal of moving him off the roster while freeing up salary …
Discussion:
True Blue LA
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Drew Silva / MLB Rumors:
Dodgers Trying To Unload Andruw Jones — By Drew Silva [January 1 at 9:55pm CST] — 9:55pm: As pointed out in the comments section below, Andruw's '09 salary could be deferred across several years and would thus gain interest, resulting in a higher total payout. That could work for both sides.
Barry Jackson / MiamiHerald.com:
Florida Marlins likely to sign Scott Proctor — The Marlins are expected to sign former Dodgers right-hander Scott Proctor to bolster a bullpen that has lost several veterans. — Proctor agreed to a one-year contract for $750,000, with another $250,000 in incentives, according to an industry source.
Discussion:
Zell's Pinstripe Blog, MVN, MLB Rumors, Scott Proctor's Arm, Bottom9 Baseball and River Avenue Blues
Mike Puma / New York Post:
RIGHTY IS SNEEZING AT $12M PER YEAR — The Mets are playing Lowe ball, but their target isn't biting. — According to a baseball source, Derek Lowe is hardly overwhelmed by the three-year offer of about $36 million the Mets have extended him, potentially sending the sides toward a protracted stare-down.
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David Lennon / Newsday:Mets make Lowe an offer, but expect slow response
Discussion:
On the Mets beat, ...gettingpaidtowatch, MLB Rumors, NY Daily News and 24 Hours From Suicide
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Giants Aggressively Pursuing Manny? — By Tim Dierkes [January 1 at 10:28pm CST] — 10:28pm: Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle is skeptical about this rumor. His bottom line: “At some point the Giants could consider Ramirez under very specific financial conditions.
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John Sickels / Minor League Ball:
Pittsburgh Pirates Top 20 Prospects for 2009 — Age relative to league isn't everything. . . Pittsburgh Pirates Top 20 Prospects for 2009 — All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don't get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get out of the top 10.
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Yahoo! Sports:
Rangers sign RHP Turnbow to minor league deal — Buzz up! — ARLINGTON, TEXAS (TICKER) —The Texas Rangers on Thursday signed pitchers Derrick Turnbow, Casey Daigle and Elizardo Ramirez to minor league contracts. — Turnbow, who will turn 31 on January 25, has spent the last four seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.
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Lori Lyons / New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Edwin Rodriguez makes jump from Single-A to Triple-A — While celebrating the new year with a new affiliation with the Florida Marlins, the Zephyrs announced Wednesday that they have a new manager in Edwin Rodriguez. — A former infielder who spent parts of three seasons with the Yankees and Padres …
Howard Megdal / New York Observer:
The Pedro Feliciano Project — For players in Caribbean winter leagues like Pedro Feliciano, each game is an exercise in multitasking. — Feliciano, who is currently pitching for Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico, has the immediate task in front of him—helping his team to the Puerto Rican playoffs.
Bruce Markusen / bronxbanterblog.com:
Card Corner-Billy “The Halo” Cowan — Billy Cowan was once described as the “epitome of a fringe ballplayer.” That characterization was dead solid perfect in assessing the journeyman outfielder and onetime Yankee, who bounced from the Cubs to the Mets to the Milwaukee Braves to the Phillies …
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Yanks spend for big results — Team invests in quest to return to postseason glory — NEW YORK — The Yankees' organizational message was so clear heading into the offseason, they might as well have trumpeted it from the message boards that hang on the sides of the old Yankee Stadium.
