Top News:
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Final: Orioles 5, Red Sox 1 — DONE AND DONE (3:40, END 9, 5-1 Orioles) — It's all over, folks. The Red Sox fell to the Orioles this afternoon by a 5-1 score, with most of the damage done against Felix Doubront and Kris Johnson. On an unrelated note, the Sox reassigned two more players …
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Jayson Stark / MLB:
Why the Red Sox had as good a winter as the Yankees — Signings of Smoltz, Penny, Baldelli and Saito fill needs without breaking bank — BRADENTON, Fla. — One team tried to solve its problems with $423 million worth of free agents. The other team brought in a bunch of guys who spent about 423 million days in the trainer's room.
Cork Gaines / MLB Rumors:
Stark On Red Sox Off-Season Moves — By Cork Gaines [March 10 at 5:47pm CST] — In his latest column, Jayson Stark weighs in on the moves the Red Sox made this off-season. While Boston did not spend nearly as much as the Yankees, their moves have a ton of upside potential and that no team …
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
And then there were cuts... FORT MYERS, Fla. — All you Argenis Diaz fans out there will now have to travel to the player development complex to see the shortstop. Pitcher Charlie Zink and catcher Carlos Maldonado have been reassigned to the minor league complex, and Diaz was optioned to Portland.
Discussion:
Over the Monster
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets release Sanchez — Right-handed reliever never the same after 2006 accident — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Convinced that Duaner Sanchez would not regain the form he had in 2006, the Mets released the 29-year-old right-handed relief pitcher on Tuesday morning.
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Marc Carig / New Jersey Online:
Brian Cashman says New York Yankees not actively seeking fill-in for Alex Rodriguez — TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez will remain in Colorado until he's ready to resume baseball activities, general manager Brian Cashman said, though he does not know when the slugger will reach that point.
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Chad Finn / Boston Globe:
Sox re-sign 19 — The Red Sox agreed to terms with 19 players on one-year contracts this afternoon — including lefthander Jon Lester. — But no worries, Sox fans. The signing today was more or less a formality and doesn't impact the long-term contract Lester is reportedly on the verge of signing.
Discussion:
A Red Sox Fan …
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Alex Speier / Full Count:
Red Sox agree to terms with 19 players — The Red Sox announced that they had signed 19 players on the 40-man roster to contracts for the 2009 season. The deadline to do so is March 11. — Agreeing to terms were pitchers Michael Bowden ($400,000), Clay Buchholz ($413,500), Manny Delcarmen …
Barry Svrluga / Nationals Journal:
Kearns, Eckstein, and Adjustments — So I have — in the past, by my fellow scribes - been accused of being the president of the Austin Kearns Apologists Club. It's a nice club over which to preside, because I'm the only one who wants to go to the meetings, and therefore I don't have to consult with anyone else about times or places.
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Pete Pelegrin / MiamiHerald.com:
Amezaga returns to South Florida from Mexico's team in WBC with stiffness in knee — JUPITER — Marlins utility player Alfredo Amezaga returned to South Florida from the World Baseball Classic on Monday after experiencing stiffness in his left knee. — Amezaga is expected to be evaluated by team doctors Tuesday.
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
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Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Spring Game 14: Reds at Yankees — YANKEES — Pitching today: Joba Chamberlain followed by Kei Igawa, Christian Garcia, Phil Coke, Mike Dunn and Anthony Claggett. — REDS — Dickerson CF — Gonzalez SS — Bruce RF — Phillips 2B — Barker 1B — Encarnacion 3B — Nix LF
Escambray Digital:
Fidel Castro's Reflection on Second Baseball Classic — Reflections by Comrade Fidel — I am trying to follow the events of the Baseball Classic, thanks to our national television services. — The game between the teams from Japan and South Korea, Cuba's strongest opponents, took place on Monday March 9.
Discussion:
Mike Silva's …
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Moose pays Yankees a visit — Recently retired righty has no regrets over calling it a career — TAMPA, Fla. — Mike Mussina made the familiar drive to George M. Steinbrenner Field, and the security guards waved him right into Derek Jeter's parking space. 270 wins do a lot to open the gates.
Bill Simmons / ESPN:
THE SPORTS GUY — You don't need stats to know greatness. Meryl taught me that. — Next time you're hanging out with friends, ask them this: “Who is the greatest living actor?” The question will temporarily paralyze them, as if they'd been Tasered. Everyone watches movies, so the answer should be obvious, right?
Discussion:
The Yankee Universe
David Pinto / Baseball Musings:
Still No Score — With the game scoreless in the top of the seventh, Hanley Ramirez just misses a two-run homer. Twice he's hit the ball deep but just short of the wall for outs. Ortiz is up with two out and a man on first. — Update: Ortiz falls behind 0-2, works the count back to 3-2 …
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Pettitte pain-free in Grapefruit debut … TAMPA - For the first time since the middle of last season, Andy Pettitte threw a pitch without pain. — Granted, none of his 31 throws counted toward the Yankees' goal of a ticket back to October, but a healthy Pettitte figures to be a key component …
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Joe Lapointe / New York Times:
Yankees Pitchers Trade Fielding Drills for Putting Practice
Yankees Pitchers Trade Fielding Drills for Putting Practice
Discussion:
NY Super Blog
Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com:
Sheets rehabbing with Rangers doctor — Texas GM says ‘no connection’ between pitcher's work and team — SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Rangers might not be done with Ben Sheets. — Sheets, who is recovering from surgery on his right elbow, is doing his rehabilitation work at TMI Sports Medicine in Arlington …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Bart Hubbuch / Mets Blog:
Minaya: Pagan debating surgery — VIERA, Fla. — Angel Pagan is still mulling over surgery to repair the bone spur in his right elbow, GM Omar Minaya said today. If Pagan opts for surgery, which appears likely, he would miss just 6-to-8 weeks and not the entire season.
Discussion:
Mets Fever
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Fehr does not foresee a salary cap — TEMPE, Ariz. — Although it's a long way off, when the Basic Agreement expires at the end of 2011, Don Fehr said Tuesday he thinks a hard salary cap would be a non-starter in those negotiations. — Fehr, the executive director of the Players Association …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors