Top News:
Joel Sherman / Hardball:
METS REACH TERMS WITH PEREZ — The Mets have reached agreement with Oliver Perez on a three-year, $36 million contract that will be finalized when the left-hander passes a physical, the Post has learned. — The Mets now know the likely composition of their rotation with Perez joining Johan Santana …
RELATED:
Joel Sherman / Hardball:
MORE PEREZ FALLOUT: No Manny, No Abreu — The signing of Oliver Perez does just about close the Mets shopping for the offseason. The only items they are still perusing are low-cost alternatives among righty reserve bats and lefty set-up men, the Post has learned.
ESPN.com:
Sources: Mets to re-sign lefty Perez for 3 years — Left-hander Oliver Perez will be taking the hill for the New York Mets again next season. — Perez and the Mets agreed to a three-year, $36 million deal, sources told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick and 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand.
ESPN.com:
Cubs trade twice: Hill to Orioles, Wuertz to A's — CHICAGO — The Cubs traded right-handed reliever Michael Wuertz to the Oakland Athletics for a pair of minor leaguers Monday and sent left-hander Rich Hill, their starter in Game 3 of the division series two years ago, to the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named.
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Spencer Fordin / MLB.com:
Orioles trade for left-hander Hill — Starter acquired from Cubs for player to be named later — BALTIMORE — The Orioles' starting rotation started to take a more rounded shape on Monday, when they acquired southpaw starter Rich Hill from the Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later.
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout
Mychael Urban / MLB.com:
A's acquire reliever Wuertz from Cubs — Deal for pair of Minor League prospects adds bullpen depth — OAKLAND — As recently as a couple of weeks ago, the A's seemed poised to enter Spring Training with five bullpen jobs available. Now there are three.
ESPN.com:
MLB commish Selig paid more than $18M in '07 — NEW YORK — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig made more than all but three of his sport's players in 2007. — Selig received a raise of about $3 million to nearly $17.5 million that year, according to Major League Baseball's latest tax return.
Discussion:
MLB FanHouse, Can't Stop The Bleeding, Baseball Musings, The LoHud Yankees Blog and Rays of Light
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Eric Fisher / SportsBusiness Journal:
Selig's pay climbs past $18 million — MLB Commissioner Bud Selig earned $18.35 million for the league's fiscal year ended Oct. 31, 2007, an amount up 22 percent from the prior year and one that again places him among the highest-paid individuals in all of sports.
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:Selig Sees His Salary Climb to Over $18 Million
Discussion:
The Yankee Universe
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Jays offer Millar Minor League deal — Slugger likely to wait before accepting any offer for 2009 — TORONTO — As this strange offseason of economic uncertainty nears its close and pitchers and catchers prepare to travel to Arizona and Florida for Spring Training's rapidly approaching reporting dates …
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Rich Lederer / Baseball Analysts:
Heyman “Breaks” Another Story — Oh who would ever want to be king? - Coldplay, Viva La Vida — Jon Heyman has done it again. He broke another story on Friday when reporting that Jason Varitek had “reached a two-year agreement with the Red Sox.” — In typical Heyman fashion …
Discussion:
The Yankee Universe, River Avenue Blues, Lone Star Ball, Mets Fever and It is about the money, stupid
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Rangers near deal with Guardado — Veteran would give Texas another left-handed option in bullpen — ARLINGTON — With less than two weeks to go before Spring Training, the Rangers seem more likely to add reliever Eddie Guardado than starter Ben Sheets to their pitching staff when pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 14.
Steve Schrader / Detroit Free Press:
Warning! Matt Millen's on — It was like one of those dire pharmaceutical warnings: … Every time a certain familiar face showed up on camera Sunday during NBC's Super Bowl pregame show, Channel 4 ran a scroll at the bottom of the screen: — “Matt Millen was president of the Lions …
