Top News:
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Spring Game 13: Blue Jays at Yankees (includes A-Rod surgery update) — YANKEES — Pitching today: Andy Pettitte followed by Ian Kennedy, Dan Giese, Dave Robertson, Jose Veras and Jon Albaladejo. — BLUE JAYS — Adams LF — Hill 2B — Lind DH — Overbay 1B — Lane CF — Snider RF
Discussion:
MY BASEBALL BIAS, A DIE HARD YANKEES FAN, Sliding Into Home, Yanks and more and Scott Proctor's Arm
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Kobrien / On the Yankees beat:
First players sent to minors — The Yankees sent their first players to the minor leagues today. — They re-assigned right-handed pitchers J.B. Cox, George Kontos and Kanekoa Texiera to minor league camp, and optioned right-hander Andrew Brackman to Class-A Charleston.
NY Daily News:
A-Rod A-OK after successful surgery … Alex Rodriguez underwent successful hip repair surgery Monday at a Colorado clinic. — The 80-minute procedure was performed by Dr. Marc Philippon, a specialist known as the “hip doctor to the stars.” — “Alex is doing very well,” Philippon said.
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Associated Press:
Chipper Jones leaves game with mild oblique strain — TORONTO (AP) — United States third baseman Chipper Jones left Sunday night's game against Venezuela after five innings with a mild oblique strain and will be evaluated again Monday. — Jones was injured swinging at a pitch in the fifth inning …
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Wallace Matthews / Newsday:
Seems like Yankees are panicking — The Yankees are acting as if Alex Rodriguez is Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle, the kind of player they can't win without, despite the sorry fact that so far, he has only been the kind of player they can't win with. — By announcing that A-Rod will undergo …
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ESPN:
Lester extension makes good business sense — One can make the case that of all the left-handed pitchers younger than 26 years old, Cole Hamels and Jon Lester would have the most value on the open market. Each is 25. Each has pitched World Series-clinching games.
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Joe Christensen / Around the Majors:
Twins were wise to pass on Gagne; Cordero update — FORT MYERS, FLA. — The Twins had a $3 million guaranteed offer on the table for reliever Eric Gagne before they agreed to their $1.3 million deal with reliever Luis Ayala. — The decision to go with Ayala instead of Gagne looks better now …
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Buster Olney / ESPN:
Is Strasburg the best prospect ever? — So just how good is Stephen Strasburg, the San Diego State right-hander who is regarded as the No. 1 talent in this year's draft? — “The best I've ever seen,” says a longtime scout. “And it's not even close.” — C'mon. Better than Mark Prior?
Troy Renck / All Things Rockies:
Details on Cabrera, Garciaparra contracts with Oakland — The Oakland A's are nothing if not contrarian. At a time when small market teams are trimming their budgets, Oakland has opened its wallet. The A's will have around a $60 million payroll — still well below the Rockies' $73 million 00 …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Dallas Morning News:
Blalock a healthy gamble for Texas Rangers — SURPRISE, Ariz. - A torn left hamstring. Carpal tunnel release surgery. Thoracic outlet syndrome. — And, on the flip side, career highs in on-base and slugging percentage. — The last two years have been the strangest of Hank Blalock's Rangers career.
Jim Baumbach / Newsday:
Delgado believes Pudge can help Mets — SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - An Ivan Rodriguez-to-the-Mets campaign could pick up steam if Pudge continues to have a strong showing in the World Baseball Classic. — Rodriguez, teammates with Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran on the Puerto Rico team …
Discussion:
24 Hours From Suicide, Mets Fever, Ya Gotta Believe, MetsBlog.com and Can't Stop The Bleeding
Associated Press:
South Korea edges Japan 1-0 in WBC — TOKYO — Kim Tae-kyun drove in the only run Monday to help South Korea beat defending champion Japan 1-0 and finish first in Pool A of the World Baseball Classic. — Both teams had already advanced to the second round, and Monday's game was to determine the seedings.
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Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Franklin is in the mix to be St. Louis Cardinals closer — JUPITER, FLA. — Cardinals manager Tony La Russa on Sunday officially placed righthander Ryan Franklin squarely “in the mix” for the team's closing vacancy, insisting that in many ways Franklin is the more qualified to take on the job …
Tom Verducci / Sports Illustrated:
WBC Five Cuts: USA-Venezuela … 1. I would not want to be Luis Sojo. The Venezuela manager was on the hot seat even before the WBC began, with the highly enthusiastic Venezuelan press grilling him to the extent of asking questions about “life and death.” And it has turned out to be a rough tournament for Mr. Sojo.
Steve Popper / Amazin' Stories:
The Final Santana Stage — If you think you've been waiting to see Johan Santana in a Grapefruit League game, it's probably no more than he wants to pitch in one himself. — Throwing a bullpen session on the six-pack of mounds just outside Tradition Field, the sort of side session …
