Top News:
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Pettitte holding onto his pinstripes — Veteran left-hander signs incentive-laden, one-year deal — NEW YORK — Andy Pettitte is still a Yankee. — Yankees GM Brian Cashman held a conference call with Pettitte on Monday afternoon to announce that they agreed to a one-year contract …
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ESPN:
Pettitte, Yankees near 1-year deal — The New York Yankees and Andy Pettitte are close on a deal that will bring the veteran left-hander back for a year, Major League Baseball sources told Buster Olney on Monday. — Pettitte — The deal, sources told Olney, could be done as soon as Monday afternoon.
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Pettitte's deal is done — Conference call in a few minutes. I'll post some audio as soon as I can. — It's a $5.5 million deal that could balloon to as much as $12 million based on innings pitched and roster time. As I've written here for weeks, it makes complete sense and creates great flexibility in the rotation.
John Harper / NY Daily News:
Sources: Pettitte to sign 1-year deal with Yanks — It made too much sense all along for them not to do it, and finally the Yankees and Andy Pettitte have essentially agreed on a one-year deal that will put him in pinstripes again this season. — Final details are still being worked out …
Arthur Staple / Newsday:
Pettitte, Yankees agree to one-year deal — Andy Pettitte and the Yankees are close to a deal, according to an AP source. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) — Andy Pettitte and his agent, Randy Hendricks, may have employed a curious negotiating technique with the Yankees …
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Pettitte and Yankees Reach a Deal — Andy Pettitte tracked the Yankees' moves this winter with a mix of excitement and confusion. Each new star made Pettitte more eager to return. Each splashy contract made him wonder why the Yankees insisted on cutting his salary.
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
Pettitte, Yankees agree at $5.5 million — NEW YORK (AP) — Andy Pettitte and the Yankees agreed Monday to a $5.5 million, one-year contract that brings the left-hander back to New York. — Pettitte can make an additional $6.5 million on performance bonuses and bonuses based on time on the active roster.
Cjennings / Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees Blog:Minor league impact of Pettitte's major league contract
Sports Illustrated:
Revealing excerpt from Joe Torre's new book … So, do you want me to manage? — Joe Torre began the meeting with that simple question. He was sitting in the Legends Field office of George Steinbrenner. There was a time, as recently as only 24 months earlier, when Torre could look …
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Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates add Fogg-like pitcher Vasquez — Hearing dates set for McLouth, Maholm; payroll near $50 million — If there is a familiar feel to the statistics of Virgil Vasquez, the pitcher the Pirates claimed off waivers yesterday from the Detroit Tigers, there probably is a reason …
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Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Pirates claim pitcher Virgil Vasquez — The Pirates today claimed starter Virgil Vasquez off waivers from the San Diego Padres, adding him to the 40-man roster. — Vasquez, a 26-year-old right-hander, went 12-12 with a 4.81 ERA for the Detroit Tigers' Class AAA affiliate.
ESPN.com:
Royals, Greinke agree to four-year, $38M deal — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Right-hander Zack Greinke and the Kansas City Royals agreed Monday to a $38 million, four-year contract that avoided a salary arbitration hearing next month. — Greinke went 13-10 with a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts for Kansas City last season …
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Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers re-sign infielder Counsell — Veteran passes physical and finalizes one-year contract — MILWAUKEE — Craig Counsell will be back for a fourth season with his hometown team. — The veteran infielder passed a physical exam on Monday and finalized a one-year, $1 million contract to return to the Brewers.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Troy Renck / All Things Rockies:
Atkins' hearing date a secret; Fogg still possible addition — The Rockies feel like Garrett Atkins' asked for too much in arbitration with his $7.95 million request. Colorado countered with a $6.65 million. — “Either way, it's going to be a lot of money and I will be happy,” Atkins admitted.
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Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Peavy deal could follow Cubs sale — Friars ace may be on move once Chicago changes ownership — A previously discussed trade of All-Star right-handed pitcher Jake Peavy from the Padres to the Cubs is expected to be revived once the sale of the Chicago club is finalized later this spring, sources close to the situation told MLB.com.
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Three ink Minors deals with Mets — Mackowiak, pair of pitchers get invited to Spring Training — NEW YORK — With less than three weeks to go before pitchers and catchers report, and the Mets — excepting their pursuit of one last starting pitcher — all but set on their roster, the team has set about the process of tinkering.
Troy Renck / All Things Rockies:
Astros avoid arbitration with Wandy Rodriguez — Nothing signals the approach of spring training like the crack of the bat and the ka-ching of the cash register. While the Rockies have one remaining arbitration case with a date set for Garrett Atkins, the Astros avoided arbitration today …
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Pursuit of Sheets opens up for Texas — Yankees seem to drop out of running after re-signing Pettitte — ARLINGTON — The Yankees were believed to be one of the Rangers' potential competitors in the pursuit of free-agent pitcher Ben Sheets. — But they seemed to drop out of the picture …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Ladies and gentlemen: The MexHex — Introducing — and debunking? — a theory on Hernandez's curse — NEW YORK — So, you all were so sure you knew the reason for the Mets' collapses the last two seasons. Blame it on the bullpen, you said; and the offense disappeared at the least opportune times.
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Outfield a question mark for Braves — Francoeur locked in right, but two spots empty as spring nears — ATLANTA — The Braves are just a little more than three weeks away from holding their first full squad workout, and as they enter January's final week, they still haven't finalized plans for two of their outfield spots.
