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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Doug Miller / MLB.com:
Mets sign Garcia to Minor League deal — Incentive-laden contract reportedly can reach nearly $9 million — The New York Mets have agreed to a Minor League deal with veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia, according to the New York Daily News. — Garcia, who started three games for the Tigers …
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue
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 …
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Mets To Sign Freddy Garcia — By Ben Nicholson-Smith [January 22 at 7:32pm CST] — According to Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News, the Mets have agreed to a minor league deal with Freddy Garcia. Rubin heard that the deal could be worth $8-9MM if Garcia makes the team and reaches all his incentives.
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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Gordon Edes / Yahoo! Sports:Hot Stove Daily: Boston Red Sox
Discussion:
Boston Dirt Dogs, SOX & Dawgs, Boston Sports Media Watch, Over the Monster and Boston Globe
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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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.
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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 …, Lone Star Ball, MLB Rumors and Zell's Pinstripe Blog
Keith Law / ESPN:
Top players by organization — Here's a snapshot look at the top prospects in each organization. For full reports on many of these players, see my ranking of the top 100 prospects in the minors. — For organizations in the top 10 in Wednesday's ranking of farm systems, I've listed their top 10 prospects.
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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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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.
RELATED:
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 …
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Former Senators slugger discusses career in Washington — The Nationals are planning to unveil a statue of Frank Howard in Center Field Plaza at Nationals Park this coming season. The honor is well deserved because Howard was one of the best position players to play for the Washington Senators.
Discussion:
Federal Baseball
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:
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.
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.
