Top News:
Adam Rubin / Surfing the Mets:
Garcia lands with Mets — Freddy Garcia is a Met. The righthander agreed to a minor-league deal with the Mets tonight, the Daily News has learned. It's believed he can earn as much as $8 million to $9 million if he makes the team and reaches all of his incentives.
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Chicago Breaking News:
Ricketts family is winning Cubs bidder: $900M — After nearly two years of intrigue, the billionaire Ricketts family has emerged as the winning bidder to purchase the Chicago Cubs from Tribune Co. for about $900 million, sources close to the situation said this evening.
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David Roeder / Chicago Sun Times:
Source: Ricketts is preferred bidder for Cubs — Tribune Co. has selected a favored bidder for the Chicago Cubs and has forwarded the offer to the media company's creditors, sources said today. — One person familiar with the process said the endorsed bid was from Thomas Ricketts, president of corporate bond dealer Incapital LLC.
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Schilling: Red Sox need Varitek — Right-hander feels club would be better served by its captain — During Curt Schilling's heyday with the Red Sox, the ace right-hander would often call WEEI AM 850's “The Big Show” on a regular basis just to talk sports or straighten the hosts out on a certain topic.
Discussion:
Red Sox Monster
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Danielle Sessa / Bloomberg:
Mets Not Interested in Free-Agent Manny Ramirez, Wilpon Says — Jan. 22 (Bloomberg) — The New York Mets aren't interested in signing free-agent Manny Ramirez, according to the team's chief operating officer, Jeff Wilpon. — Wilpon said General Manager Omar Minaya hasn't proposed adding the outfielder …
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MLB:
Mets sign Cora, ink Garcia on minor league deal — NEW YORK — Alex Cora and the New York Mets finalized a $2 million, one-year contract Thursday, giving the team a backup infielder who also could displace Luis Castillo at second base. — In another move, the Mets agreed to a minor league contract …
Keith Law / MLB:
Law: Top 100 prospects — Welcome to the second annual ESPN.com ranking of the top 100 prospects in baseball. Last year's No. 1 prospect, Evan Longoria, ended up winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award, setting a high standard for the player at the top of this year's list.
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Jon Heyman: These teams are the most likely to get deals done … The 100 or so free agents who remain free, including stars (or near stars) like all-time great slugging savant Manny Ramirez plus Bobby Abreu, Adam Dunn, Orlando Hudson, Oliver Perez and Ben Sheets, shouldn't fret. Not yet.
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues, Ken Davidoff's baseball …, MLB Rumors, Lone Star Ball and Zell's Pinstripe Blog
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
These teams are the most likely to get free-agent deals done (cont.) — Even so, it's still a mystery to many why Varitek didn't take arbitration. And even Red Sox owner John Henry asked Varitek in their well-publicized meeting a week ago why he didn't take the arbitration offer.
Mike Cranston / Associated Press:
Oldest ex-major leaguer Werber dies at 100 — CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Bill Werber, who was the oldest living ex-major leaguer and a teammate of Babe Ruth, died Thursday. He was 100. Werber, a career .271 hitter who led the American League in stolen bases three times, played with Ruth …
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Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Troy Glaus has shoulder surgery, could miss 12 weeks — Two days after appearing at the Cardinals' Winter Warm-Up, third baseman Troy Glaus underwent right shoulder surgery Wednesday that likely will make him unavailable Opening Day, the club announced today.
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Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Kent bids farewell as a player — Retires after 17 seasons as top home run hitter at second base — LOS ANGELES — Fighting the emotions caused by putting an end to a 17-year Major League career, Jeff Kent recalled an important lesson he learned during those years.
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Sports Illustrated:
It's a crime that Keith Hernandez isn't in the Hall of Fame … Go to the water cooler, any water cooler on any day, gurgle the words “baseball” and “Hall of Fame,” and before long you'll have a fight on your hands. This year especially. I'm still hearing it:
Ryan Divish / Mariners Insider:
Wrapping up the spring luncheon (updated 4:28 p.m.) — Alright, sorry for the delay in getting the stuff from today's Seattle Mariners spring luncheon posted to the blog. We were provided lunch afterward and we sat with new Director of Amateur scouting Tom McNamara, which was pretty cool …
Bernie Miklasz / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals' GM Mozeliak fires back at flippant fan online — What happens when a baseball general manager enters the Internet jungle? — Debating topics on the online chats and forums can be a full-contact sport. — I should know; I've been hosting “Bernie's Press Box” on STLtoday.com for nearly 10 years.
Daulerio / Deadspin:
Ex-Fiancee Corroborates McGwire Steroid Claims Made In Book Proposal — Lauren Brown was engaged to Jay McGwire in 1996, the same time he was consistently supplying the former home run king with steroids. She's relieved the truth about Mark's steroid use is finally out.
Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Slow market doesn't worry Gonzalez — Veteran confident he can help out a team, but also realistic — MIAMI — From his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., Luis Gonzalez is staying busy around ballparks. Every other day, he alternates between taking his son to baseball practice and his daughters to softball.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Reds done shopping for the winter — Payroll likely to remain approximately $74 million in 2009 — Reds Spring Training opens in just over 22 days, but the roster you see when camp starts on Feb. 14 should look just like the one you see now. — The Reds have hit the maximum they want to spend …
