Top News:
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Source: Cubs to acquire Heilman — The Chicago Cubs have acquired pitcher Aaron Heilman from the Seattle Mariners for infielder Ronny Cedeno and pitcher Garrett Olson, a baseball source told ESPN.com. — Heilman and Olson have already been involved in trades this offseason.
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Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Cubs Acquire Aaron Heilman For Cedeno, Olson — By Tim Dierkes [January 28 at 11:39am CST] — 11:39am: ESPN's Jerry Crasnick says the Mariners acquired Cedeno and Garrett Olson from the Cubs for Heilman. Essentially, the Cubs moved two out of options players in Cedeno and Felix Pie …
ESPN:
Cubs closing in on trade — The Chicago Cubs are close to pulling off a deal that would bring them right-handed reliever/starter Aaron Heilman. In exchange for Heilman, the Seattle Mariners are looking for Ronny Cedeno and a young pitcher. Heilman came to Seattle from the New York Mets …
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Cubs won't rule out adding more arms — Even with Heilman, more pitching may be in North Siders' future — The trade that brought right-hander Aaron Heilman to the Cubs from the Mariners does not necessarily preclude them from continuing to bolster their pitching staff before the start of the season …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
D'Backs Agree To Terms With Jon Garland — By Tim Dierkes [January 28 at 2:52pm CST] — 2:52pm: More details from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick: Garland gets $6.25MM in '09 and the 2010 option for $10MM has a $2.5MM buyout if the D'Backs reject it. If Garland rejects it it's a $1MM buyout.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, River Avenue Blues, Viva El Birdos, Fire Ned Colletti Now, iYankees and Sons of Steve Garvey
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ESPN.com:
Source: D-backs to add Garland to rotation — Jon Garland, who won 14 games for the Los Angeles Angels last season, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a source told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. — Garland agreed to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2010.
Fox Sports:
Dodgers have even clearer path to sign Wolf — The pitching dominos might be starting to fall. So is Randy Wolf next? Our Ken Rosenthal went straight to the source for answers.
Tyler Kepner / Bats:
Torre on Jeter, A-Rod, Beltrán, Pavano, Brown and More — I am not a speed reader, like my colleague Jack Curry, so there is no way I can quickly finish my copy of “The Yankee Years.” But just from scanning it for a couple of hours, it is filled with extraordinary tidbits and rich detail.
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Mark Hale / New York Post:MUSSINA SAYS TORRE BOOK WON'T HURT
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, iYankees, NJ.com, Sliding Into Home, YanksBlog.com, New Jersey Online and Hardball
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Benoit may be lost for season — Rangers righty has surgery to repair torn rotator cuff — ARLINGTON — The Rangers, still over two weeks away from Spring Training, have suffered another major setback in their pitching staff. — Right-hander Joaquin Benoit underwent surgery on Tuesday …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
2 Pitchers Warm Up on Stage, Not Mound — FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Joba Chamberlain pitches with his right hand and writes with his left. Jon Lester does the opposite. Chamberlain is the Yankees' prized young arm, and Lester fills that role for the Boston Red Sox.
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Jon Heyman: The latest on the best remaining free agents … The stunning thing about this free-agent market isn't that there are still about 100 players without jobs, it's that at least a dozen of the unemployed are excellent players in their prime. — It isn't just patient …
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
The latest on the best remaining free agents (cont.) — 9. Joe Crede. He's said to have a clean bill of health, though past back trouble obviously is worrisome to some. The Giants, Twins and Rangers have shown interest. — 10. Randy Wolf. Depending on reports, Wolf rejected either $22 million …
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers, Sheets no closer to reunion — GM Melvin reached out after Red Sox signed Penny, Smoltz — MILWAUKEE — At every winter stop, a Brewers fan would ask general manager Doug Melvin the same question, and it was usually the first one asked. — Is there any chance the Brewers will look at re-signing Ben Sheets?
Mets Blog:
Bowa: Dodgers need Manny — At least one person is ready to admit his team needs Manny Ramirez. Dodgers third-base coach Larry Bowa is adamant that his team should bring back Ramirez, who is a free agent. — “I'm going to tell you something right now, if Manny Ramirez doesn't sign with us, we're in deep trouble.
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Joel Sherman / Hardball:
David Weathers signs with Reds — The Reds avoided arbitration with David Weathers by signing the bulldog reliever to a one-year contract with an option worth $3.9 million, the Post has learned. — Weathers will make $3.5 million this year with a club option for 2010 worth $3.7 million or a $400,000 buyout.
Chris Haft / MLB.com:
Giants to add Clark to front-office post — ‘The Thrill’ played in San Francisco for eight seasons — SAN FRANCISCO — “The Thrill” is back with the Giants. — Will Clark, who remains one of the club's most popular players since the franchise moved to San Francisco in 1958 …
