Top News:
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals interested in Nady, Swisher — Washington continues offseason search to add pop to lineup — WASHINGTON — The Nationals have interest in acquiring Yankees outfielder Xavier Nady and first baseman Nick Swisher. The two clubs are currently in trade discussions, according to a baseball source.
RELATED:
Mark Bowman / Hot Stove Blog:
Braves nearing Kawakami deal and preparing Lowe offer — By the time the Braves make their first formal offer to Derek Lowe early next week, they may have already lured Kenshin Kawakami to Atlanta to strengthen the middle of their rotation. Multiple Major League sources confirmed Friday night …
RELATED:
Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Braves taking aim at Lowe, Kawakami — Free-agent righty, Japanese star could both end up in Atlanta — ATLANTA — The Braves are expected to make an offer to Derek Lowe early next week, but by that time they may have already added Kenshin Kawakami to their starting rotation.
David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
T. Hanson on way, but is D. Lowe? — On the day after the John Smoltz terminus in Terminus (that was the original name of Atlanta), as Smoltz stories were splashed all over the newspaper waiting at the end of my driveway, it was an interesting to see the cover of the Baseball America issue waiting in my mailbox.
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Busy Red Sox add reliever Saito — Ex-LA closer joins Penny, Smoltz, Baldelli as Boston signees — The Red Sox continue to stay busy this offseason. On Saturday, they officially announced they have signed reliever Takashi Saito to a one-year contract with a club option for 2010.
RELATED:
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Johnson signs to play in Japan — Former Rays first baseman agrees to one-deal with Yokohama — First baseman Dan Johnson signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Yokohama BayStars of Japan's Central League on Saturday, according to The Associated Press.
Jim Salisbury / Philly.com:
Garciaparra on deck for Phillies? — If infielder Nomar Garciaparra is interested in continuing his career, the Phillies may sign him to be a righthanded bat off their bench. — A team source yesterday confirmed a Fox sports report that said the Phillies had interest in the 35-year-old former …
Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox general manager Ken Williams nixes Jermaine Dye trade rumors — For the second time in a week, White Sox general manager Ken Williams is denying rumors his team is close to making what would be considered a blockbuster deal. — Williams, via e-mail, said he “would not waste” …
Mike Lynch / seamheads.com/blog:
Rocking the (HOF) Vote with Dave Kindred — When I asked sportswriter Dave Kindred if he'd share his Hall of Fame votes with me and my Seamheads group at Facebook, he gladly obliged, then agreed to share his thoughts on this year's Hall of Fame class, and the voting process in general.
Filip Bondy / The Daily Blahg:
Beware the Perfect Yankee — I always get a bit wary when I read or hear things about how a player was born to be a Yankee, or how he is made for pinstripes, or how he is a throwback to another era in the Bronx. — Because we all know these are code words for: The guy is white!
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Team USA roster taking shape — Peavy, Lackey, Oswalt lining up in rotation for '09 Classic — Team USA's roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic started last month with Derek Jeter of the Yankees as the starting shortstop and Davey Johnson as the manager.
Fox Sports:
Stimulant exemptions in MLB on the rise — Major League Baseball authorized about 8 percent of its players to use drugs for ADHD last season, which allowed them to take otherwise banned stimulants. A total of 106 exemptions for banned drugs were given to players claiming Attention Deficit …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
RELATED:
Replacement Level Yankees Weblog:
Extremely Early Projected Standings — Here are the results of 100 trials of the 2009 season using rosters as of yesterday and projections from the Hardball Times. — W: Average wins — L: Average losses — RF: Average runs for — RA: Average runs against
