Top News:
Marc Topkin / The Heater:
Rays finalize deal to send Iwamura to Pirates for reliever Chavez — UPDATE, 7:00: Rays make it official, trading Iwamura to Pirates for Chavez. Added bonus, Rays save the $550,000 buyout they would have had to pay Iwamura for declining his option. — UPDATE, 6:06: The Rays …
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Roger Mooney / Bradenton.com:
Rays close to trading Iwamura — The Tampa Bay Rays are rumored to be in the process of finalizing a deal that will send second baseman Akinori Iwamura to a National League team. The trade is expected to be completed Tuesday night. — The team holds a $4.5 million option for 2010 on the second baseman.
Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Official now: Pirates get Iwamura for Chavez — The Pirates are close to acquiring infielder Akinori Iwamura from the Tampa Bay Rays, possibly as soon as tonight. — Word that the Pirates were involved in talks came at 3:04 p.m. today on the Post-Gazette's Twitter account.
Yahoo! Sports:
Hamels, Myers tussle after Game 5 win — PHILADELPHIA - Phillies pitchers Brett Myers — had a short but tense confrontation in the team's clubhouse following Game 5 of the World Series, according to one witness, words that stemmed from Hamels' recent statement that he was eager for his season to end.
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Jon Weisman / Dodger Thoughts:
McCourts used land surrounding Dodger Stadium as collateral — Joshua Fisher's new site, Dodger Divorce, is quickly becoming indispensable as we head into this fall (and winter, and spring ...) of the McCourt ownership. In a recent post, Fisher details the tower of financing that went into the McCourt purchase of the Dodgers.
Sky Andrecheck / Baseball Analysts:
Should the Phillies Have Pulled Cliff Lee With A Big Lead? — The Phillies found themselves in a 3-1 hole going into Monday night. Luckily for them, they had their ace, Cliff Lee, on the mound for them. But the Phillies bats went into overdrive for them as well, putting up six runs in three innings.
John Tomase / Boston Herald:
David Ortiz swings by — Big Papi expects big things in 2010 — CANTON - Theo Epstein has since said the words weren't meant as a shot across the bow, but they sure came across that way. — At the Red Sox [team stats]' season-ending press conference, the general manager directed …
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Five reasons why the Phillies could pull off a shocking comeback (cont.) — • The Yankees have interest in bringing back Johnny Damon — “We need him,” A-Rod said — but could well get competition from at least the White Sox and Giants. The Cardinals, Braves and Red Sox are among …
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Heyman On Damon, Scutaro, Red Sox — The latest from SI's Jon Heyman... - The Yankees are interested in re-signing Johnny Damon, and may be willing to offer two years and $16MM. Heyman believes the White Sox and Giants will be among the other suitors. — Heyman says the Reds “could do worse” than Marco Scutaro at shortstop.
Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
You're not on the mark, Teixeira; he whiffs to end it — No signature Yankees moment for struggling Teixeira, who strikes out with chance to tie it in Game 5. — Photo credit: Thomas A. Ferrara / Newsday | Mark Teixeira is visibly frustrated in the dugout after striking out to end the game.
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Associated Press:
Blue Jays CF Wells will have surgery on left wrist … TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Vernon Wells will have surgery next week to repair damaged cartilage in his left wrist. — The team announced Tuesday that Wells is expected to be ready in time for spring training.
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
AFL's Rising Stars set to shine Saturday — League's top prospects will face off on MLB Network — On any given day in the Arizona Fall League, you can see what amounts to a Minor League All-Star Game. — The Rising Stars Showcase takes it to another level, truly representing the best of the best.
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Gibson scoffs at rest ‘issue’ — PHILADELPHIA — One of the biggest issues raised during the World Series this year has been the philosophy of employing starting pitchers on three days' rest, which, in today's game, basically has gone the way of the dinosaur.
Craig Calcaterra / Hardball Times:
Programming Note — When I started writing ShysterBall in the spring of 2007, the idea was to give myself a place to be where I could escape the stress and unpleasantness of my legal career, if only for the briefest of moments. As time went on, it began to consume more and more of my waking hours and …