Top News:
Dylan Hernandez / Los Angeles Times:
Deferred payments key issue in Dodgers' offer to Manny Ramirez — The club's two-year, $45-million offer included only $10 million this year and $10 million in 2010 if the slugger picked up the player option, a source says. Negotiations are continuing. — Reporting from Scottsdale …
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Boras to Dodgers: Manny would accept $45M … Agent Scott Boras has told the Los Angeles Dodgers that Manny Ramirez is willing to return to the team for $45 million over two years, with $25 million in 2009 and a player option for $20 million in 2010. — At first glance that appears …
Steve Henson / Yahoo! Sports:
Ramirez and the Dodgers could be closing in — Buzz up! — PHOENIX - Manny Ramirez wants his money and he wants it now. That's what the late-night emails and last-minute posturing are all about. The Los Angeles Dodgers likely will fork it over and Ramirez would be in uniform …
Jon Weisman / Dodger Thoughts:
Boras' rejection of Ramirez offer riles Dodgers — At 8:30 p.m. tonight, the Dodgers made the rather unusual move of issuing a statement that shows their exasperation with Manny Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras: … It's interesting to note that the Dodgers aim their venom at Boras, even though ostensibly Boras is working for Ramirez.
ESPN.com:
Dodgers say Manny Ramirez turns down latest offer; agent says counterpropsal made … PHOENIX — Whether Manny Ramirez has rejected yet another offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers depends on whom you ask. — The Dodgers announced Thursday night the star outfielder's agent, Scott Boras …
Pete Caldera / NorthJersey.com:
Yanks young pitchers learned vital lesson — TAMPA, Fla. - If each Yankees starter exits spring training healthy, Phil Hughes will be the ace of Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's staff - with Ian Kennedy probably following him in rotation. — That's a significant step back from last year …
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Todd Zolecki / MLB.com:
Phillies release veteran Eaton — Right-hander has $9 million remaining on contract — CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Phillies released right-handed pitcher Adam Eaton on Friday. — Eaton, who makes $8.5 million this season, plus $500,000 on a club option for 2010, was not a candidate to win the fifth spot in the Phillies' rotation.
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David Murphy / Philly.com:
Garciaparra no longer an option; Victorino in WBC; Eaton reaction — One more note from this morning — general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Nomar Garciaparra is no longer an option for the Phillies. — It is the Phillies' belief that Garciaparra has narrowed his options to either the Oakland Athletics or retirement.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Mark Zuckerman / Washington Times:
Nats sources say GM's job in jeopardy — Jim Bowden's tenure as general manager of the Washington Nationals, a position he has held since the franchise relocated from Montreal more than four years ago, could be down to its final days. — According to team and league sources …
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Chico Harlan / Nationals Journal:Kasten: “Mike Physically Led Our Team In There...”
Discussion:
Fire Jim Bowden, Washington Times, Federal Baseball, NATIONALS NEWS NETWORK and The Nationals Enquirer
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers sign pair to one-year deals — Gallardo is only pre-arbitration player yet to reach terms — PHOENIX — The paydays just keep on coming. — The Brewers on Friday finalized one-year contracts with reliever Carlos Villanueva and catcher Mike Rivera, leaving right-hander Yovani Gallardo …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
George Vecsey / New York Times:
The Incredible Shrinking Baseball Player — Baseball clubhouses seem to be getting bigger this spring, with more room to move around. Or maybe the players are becoming smaller. — Out of the roughly 1,000 major leaguers in spring training camps, a couple of dozen appear …
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
Cards to add two pitchers to camp — Injuries prompt action; team toys with idea of borrowing arms — FORT LAUDERDALE — A couple of inconvenient injuries have left the Cardinals in a tight spot for the first week or two of Spring Training. — Manager Tony La Russa reiterated on Thursday …
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
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Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Baldelli's energy crisis — FORT MYERS, Fla. - He's dressing in Manny's locker, he's got Nomar's number, and he's enshrined in the Rhode Island Italian-American Hall of Fame, right there alongside Ernie DeGregorio. — Oh, and his name is Rocco. — How can he be anything but a fan favorite at Fenway Park?
Adam Schefter / NFL.com Blogs:
Ravens lose Scott to Jets; Lewis gone, too? — As if it weren't bad enough to lose linebacker Bart Scott, now the Ravens are in serious jeopardy of losing free-agent linebacker Ray Lewis, too. — Sources close to Lewis were adamant Friday that one of the game's greatest defensive players …
Anthony Castrovince / CastroTurf:
Sizemore pulls out of World Baseball Classic — Grady Sizemore isn't going anywhere, after all. — Sizemore informed the Indians on Friday morning that he will not be representing the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic because of soreness in his left groin.
