Top News:
Chad Finn / Boston Globe:
Sox strike deal with Varitek, still seek young catcher — From the pursuit of Mark Teixeira to the retention of Jason Varitek, the Red Sox offseason effectively drew to a close today. The team's roster is all but set, the relationship with its captain ultimately preserved.
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Jayson Stark / ESPN.com:
Sources: Varitek, Red Sox reach one-year deal — It took nearly three months, but the Boston Red Sox have reached an agreement to bring back catcher Jason Varitek on a one-year, $5 million contract, pending a physical and the execution of final details, two major league sources said Friday.
Ian Browne / MLB.com:Decision time looming for Varitek, Sox
Discussion:
blogs.trb.com, Ken Davidoff's baseball …, Boston Globe, Confessions of a She-Fan and Cursed To First
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Limit on free-agent signings is up — Teams can sign up to eight Type A, B players due to flooded market — Because of an exception granted, the Yankees — or any other team — can sign as many as eight Type A or Type B free agents this season, a top baseball official said on Friday.
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Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Yankees have not reached FA quota — Fear not, greedy Yankee fans, the Yankees can sign all the Type A free agents if they want. — A story on MLB.com today said the Yankees had reached the quota on Type A free agents. — This led to — seriously — a dozen e-mails from fans who want Juan Cruz, Adam Dunn and/or Manny Ramirez.
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Yankees sign Bruney — There will be no arbitration cases as Brian Bruney agreed to a one-year contract.
MLB.com:
Cubs, catcher Paul Bako agree to terms on 2009 contract — CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs and catcher Paul Bako have agreed to terms on a 2009 contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. — Bako, 36, last season set career highs with 30 runs scored, 35 RBI and six home runs in 99 games with the Cincinnati Reds.
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Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:
Paul Bako signs to be Chicago Cubs backup catcher — Cubs also in talks to send Rich Hill to Orioles — A couple of old friends are helping the Cubs make final roster adjustments just more than two weeks before they open spring training in Mesa, Ariz. — Not only did the Cubs sign …
Keith Herbert / Newsday:
Pols call for Mets to scrap Citigroup naming rights deal — The Mets' new stadium, Citi Field, has drawn the ire of two members of the House of Representatives. Citigroup is going through with its $400 million stadium naming-rights deal despite its financial troubles. (Newsday / Viorel Flrescu)
Discussion:
umpbump.com, Mets Merized Online, Hot Foot, Can't Stop The Bleeding, Yahoo! Sports, New Jersey Online, Mets Blog, Watchdog and The 'Ropolitans
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Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Torre to appear on ‘Larry King Live’ — Dodgers skipper to give first long-form interview on new book — NEW YORK — He doesn't have the answers yet, only an inkling of what they may be. But Larry King does have plenty of questions, and, regarding his next interview subject, a curiosity perhaps keener than most.
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Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:Joe Torre puts Dodgers in an awkward situation
Discussion:
ESPN, LA Times Sports Blog, steinbrennerblog.infozed.com, Associated Press and bronxbanterblog.com
Joel Sherman / Mets Blog:
Mets sign Maine, avoid arbitration — The Mets have reached agreement with John Maine on a $2.6 million contract, avoiding arbitration, The Post has learned. Maine also can earn $25,000 by pitching 200 innings. — Maine is coming off of surgery to remove spurs from his right shoulder …
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Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Opinion: Manny-Mania hits New York City — Last night, a group of 30 die-hard Mets fans gathered outside the SNY studios, on air during the network's Mets Hot Stove show, in what they described as the Million Manny March, while chanting, “Manny, Manny,” with some carrying signs …
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Troy Renck / All Things Rockies:
Fogg returns to Rox, makes sense to me — Josh Fogg is a Rockie again. He will appropriately be in Tucson, the U-turn capital of the world. His U-turn took a year, but Fogg confirmed to me today that he's coming back on a one-year, minor-leage deal. — Fogg, who went 21-18 with a 5.22 ERA …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Byrd, Rangers avoid arbitration — Outfielder agrees to base salary of $3.06 million for 2009 — ARLINGTON — The Rangers have settled all their arbitration cases after reaching an agreement with outfielder Marlon Byrd on Friday. — Byrd agreed to a base salary of $3.06 million.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Sam Miller / Orange County Register:
He throws a strike at Angels — MORNING READ: A farmhand writes about his year in A-ball. — Recommend — On the greatest day of his life, Matt McCarthy took a call from a Major League baseball scout named Byron, who told him he had been drafted to play baseball for the Angels.
Discussion:
Hardball Times
MLB:
FBI questioned Nitkowski in Clemens probe — NEW YORK — Former Yankees pitcher C.J. Nitkowski was interviewed nearly two weeks ago by federal agents as part of their investigation into whether Roger Clemens committed perjury when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
