Top News:
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Andy Pettitte Rejects Yankees' Offer, Making Return Uncertain — In some ways, Andy Pettitte is no different from the dozens of other free agents to start the new year without a team. Players all over baseball are waiting for better offers, and teams are searching for bargains.
Discussion:
Ken Davidoff's baseball …, MY BASEBALL BIAS, In Mo We Trust, Brew Crew Ball, MLB Rumors, Subway Squawkers, Jorge Says No!, It is about the money, stupid, MLB FanHouse, The Sommer Frieze, Bugs & Cranks, Respect Jeter's Gangster, River Avenue Blues, iYankees, IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS, The Yankee Scrolls, My Pinstripes, Pinstriped Scranton and Zell's Pinstripe Blog
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Manny in L.A. still makes sense — Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX.
John Harper / NY Daily News:
Andy rejects offer, but could still return — Although Andy Pettitte has frustrated Yankee brass by declining to accept the Bombers' one-year offer of $10 million, the Yankees haven't closed the door on a deal for the veteran lefthander. — According to a person close to the situation …
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:Pettitte rejects Yankees' contract offer
Discussion:
This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes
Peter Gammons / ESPN:
Romero questions suspension — While Major League Baseball never said J.C. Romero tried to cheat, the 33-year-old reliever who won the third and clinching games of the 2008 World Series has been ruled guilty of “negligence” and will be suspended for the first 50 games of the 2009 season. — Romero
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Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Yankees' RHP Mitre to get 50-game suspension — New York Yankees pitcher Sergio Mitre will receive a 50-game suspension Tuesday for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy. Like Philadelphia Phillies reliever J.C. Romero, Mitre claims he had no desire to break baseball rules …
Sporting News:
MLB to suspend Phillies LHP Romero, Yankees RHP Mitre 50 games — Major League Baseball on Tuesday will suspend Philadelphia Phillies lefthander J.C. Romero and New York Yankees righthander Sergio Mitre for the first 50 games of the 2009 season for using banned nutritional supplements, according to published reports.
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Romero suspended for 50 games — Reliever tested positive despite clearing supplement beforehand — Phillies pitcher J.C. Romero tested positive for use of an over-the-counter supplement and has been suspended for the first 50 games of the 2009 season, Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday.
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Rays land power bat in Burrell — Right-handed slugger signs two-year, $16 million contract — ST. PETERSBURG — The suspense is over: Pat Burrell is the power bat the Rays have been looking to land. — On Monday afternoon, the Rays signed the free-agent slugger to a two-year, $16 million deal.
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Jayson Stark / ESPN.com:Burrell signs two-year deal, will DH for Rays
Discussion:
Bugs & Cranks, The Heater, DRaysBay, sox1fan.com, Bucs Trade Winds, the metropolitans, THE BASEBALL SAVANT, Lookout Landing, Just A Nats Fan, Beyond the Box Score, Rays Index, Fire Brand of the …, Yahoo! Sports, The700Level.com, iYankees, MLB Rumors, El Lefty Malo, Sliding Into Home, Deadspin and Bluebird Banter
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Confident Mets will not raise offer to Lowe, source says — The Mets, confident that they have no serious competition for Derek Lowe's services, do not intend to raise their three-year, $36-million offer to the righthander at this time, a person informed of the club's thinking told Newsday.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, NY Sports Dog, Mets Merized Online, New Jersey Online, 24 Hours From Suicide, A Red Sox Fan …, Mets Fever and Newsday
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David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:Braves still ‘optimistic’ about improving roster
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Markcuban / blog maverick:
The Cubs — With all the support and encouragement I got to buy the team, I think its appropriate to share the decision making process behind what happened and why. Buying the Cubs was a unique opportunity to own one of the most storied franchises in sports.
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Ameet Sachdev / Chicago Tribune:
Bidding for Chicago Cubs may be near a conclusion — Tribune Co. could announce winner in week to 10 days — Tribune Co., owner of the Chicago Cubs, is close to selecting a winning bid for the team from three finalists, according to people familiar with the sales talks.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Bradley joins Cubs; Rangers turn to Cruz — FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS — News that Milton Bradley has agreed to terms with the Chicago Cubs didn't send shockwaves through the Texas Rangers' offices on a chilly Monday. — Bradley, who became an All-Star for the first time last year with the Rangers …
Discussion:
Fantasy Baseball
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Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:Milton Bradley to sign with Cubs
Discussion:
Chicago Sun Times, MLB FanHouse, Bleed Cubbie Blue, South Side Sox, MLB.com and MLB Rumors
Susan Slusser / San Francisco Chronicle:
Giambi, A's close to deal — The A's on Monday announced they have a new radio home, but within the next few days, they could make far bigger news: The team nearly has former Oakland first baseman Jason Giambi back in the fold. — A team source said Monday that the A's are moving toward completing …
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Troy Renck / All Things Rockies:
Marquis could be a hit; Redding remains in mix — A confluence of factors led the Rockies to acquiring Jason Marquis, a transaction that will become official tomorrow. He's a winner, having gone to the playoffs every season of his career. He's a competitor, posting a 2.51 ERA in his Coors Field cameos.
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Tom Verducci / Sports Illustrated:
Old guard squeezed in new market … The baseball actuarial tables have been rewritten. As clubs continue to place greater value on young players under control (witness the new religion about not losing compensatory draft picks), the older free agent is being severely devalued.
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Third lefty is added to pen — The Cardinals' bullpen puzzle became complete Monday — except for one significant piece. — The Cardinals acquired their third lefthanded reliever in two months, signing free agent Royce Ring to a one-year contract. Ring joins Charlie Manning and Trever Miller …
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Fred Mitchell / Chicago Tribune:
Ex-Cub Lee Smith doesn't understand lack of Hall love — Retired Cubs closer fuming over lack of Hall of Fame votes — Jim Murray, the late Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist, once referred to Lee Smith as the active player most likely to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals miss out on Bradley — Slugger picks Cubs; Milledge, Dukes to compete in center — WASHINGTON — The Nationals wanted free agent Milton Bradley to be their center fielder in 2009, but they found out on Monday that the switch-hitter elected to sign with the Cubs.
