Top News:
Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Scouting reports for the Top 10 Prospects (How to subscribe) — Omar Minaya seemingly could do no wrong in the early part of his tenure as Mets general manager. He lured premium free agents Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez and Billy Wagner to Queens with rich contract offers.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Patrick Flood, New Jersey Online, Amazin' Avenue and MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com
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Mike Puma / New York Post:
Mets armed for trade — Mets on Twitter — Tweet — As the Mets continue to search under every rock for a starting pitcher, there is a growing sense help won't come from the free-agent scrap heap. — Though free-agent righty Chris Young remains squarely on general manager Sandy Alderson's radar …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, MLB Rumors, Mets Merized Online and NBCSports.com
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
Mets moving slowly on free agent starting pitcher Chris Young …
Mets moving slowly on free agent starting pitcher Chris Young …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Wood back in ‘family’ — Reliever signs 1-year deal for $1.5 million to return to Cubs — Kerry Wood with Ryan Dempster at Ron Santo's funeral. (Steve Green, Associated Press / December 10, 2010) — In what may be remembered as the Pizza Summit, Kerry Wood and Cubs general manager …
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Mark Feinsand / Blogging The Bombers:
Source: Yankees “exploring” Rafael Soriano
Source: Yankees “exploring” Rafael Soriano
Discussion:
The Captain's Blog, TYU, HardballTalk, Bronx Baseball Daily, River Avenue Blues and MLB Rumors
Enrique Rojas / MLB:
Edgar Renteria dislikes Giants' $1M offer — ORLANDO — Edgar Renteria understands the best part of his major league career is over and baseball is a business, but he still hoped for better treatment from the San Francisco Giants after helping the team to the World Series in October.
Discussion:
The Mighty Quinn Media Machine, Fanhouse MLB Blog, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
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Mark Polishuk / MLB Rumors:
Renteria: Giants' Offer Showed “A Lack Of Respect” — Edgar Renteria didn't care for the Giants' recent $1MM contract offer, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. “That offer from the Giants was a lack of respect. A total disrespect,” said Renteria. “To play for a million dollars …
Discussion:
McCovey Chronicles, The Fish Pond and Bugs & Cranks
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Sox add Jenks to the mix — The Red Sox firmly believe relief pitchers are not worth a contract of longer than two years. History shows such deals usually come to be regretted. — General manager Theo Epstein paid the steep price for his convictions yesterday when striking a deal with righthander Bobby Jenks.
Discussion:
sox1fan.com, Chicago Breaking Sports, SawxBlog, The Big Lead and Associated Press
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ESPN:
Source: Red Sox to sign Bobby Jenks
Source: Red Sox to sign Bobby Jenks
Discussion:
Boston Globe, MLB.com, USA Today, SOX & Dawgs, Full Count, The Joy of Sox, Fenway West, It's About The Money and NoMaas.org
Jennifer Floyd Engel / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
No time to go stupid: Rangers have staff options
No time to go stupid: Rangers have staff options
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus, Dallas Morning News and Lone Star Ball
JonPaulMorosi / mlbbuzz:
Sources: Tigers looking at Penny, other veteran starters — The Detroit Tigers' everyday lineup looks complete, now that they have agreed to a one-year contract with Magglio Ordoñez. — But they are still trying to upgrade their starting rotation, major-league sources told FOXSports.com.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Tigers To Re-Sign Magglio Ordonez
Tigers To Re-Sign Magglio Ordonez
Discussion:
Tiger Tales, baseballmusings.com, HardballTalk, Bless You Boys and Fanhouse MLB Blog
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN.com:
Source: Detroit Tigers, Magglio Ordonez OK 1-year, $10M deal
Source: Detroit Tigers, Magglio Ordonez OK 1-year, $10M deal
Discussion:
Bless You Boys, TigerBlog, Yahoo! Sports and The Daily Fungo
Fox Sports:
A's acquire Nats slugger Willingham — Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on MLB on FOX. Follow him on Twitter. — The A's, continuing their quest to upgrade their offense, have acquired outfielder Josh Willingham from the Nationals.
Discussion:
Federal Baseball and baseballmusings.com
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Adam Kilgore / Nationals Journal:
Mike Rizzo and Josh Willingham on the trade
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
A's Claim Phil Humber — The A's claimed Philip Humber off of waivers from the Royals, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). The Royals had designated Humber for assignment earlier in the week. — Humber, 28 next week, posted a 4.15 ERA in 21 2/3 big league innings this year.
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nats, Gaudin come to terms on Minors deal — WASHINGTON — The Nationals agreed to terms on a Minor League contract with Chad Gaudin on Friday, extending the right-hander an invitation to Spring Training. — This past season, Gaudin posted a 1-4 record and a 5.65 ERA with the Yankees and Athletics.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Stephen Nohlgren / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa chamber agrees to take up Rays stadium debate — TAMPA — When the Tampa Bay Rays reached the World Series in 2008, Mayor Mike Nutter of Philadelphia picked up the telephone to propose a traditional wager with his counterpart in this region. — Let's see ... Tampa Bay ... that's area code 813, right?
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Rays Index
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Orlando Hudson signs with Padres — The Padres have signed free-agent 2B Orlando Hudson to a two-year, $11.5 million deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com. — There is not much of a market for Hudson, according to ESPN.com. — The Mets are not interested, at least as far as I can tell.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and Gaslamp Ball
Chris Haft / MLB.com:
Hall won't beckon, but Rueter had fine career — Southpaw's tenure with Giants marked by reliability, winning — SAN FRANCISCO — Kirk Rueter knows he won't be enshrined in Cooperstown. But he'll remain entrenched as a success in San Francisco. — Rueter, who spent 10 …
Pete Iorizzo / Albany Times Union:
Online bond shattered by tragic accident — When he didn't tweet about Cliff Lee, she knew something was wrong. — During the weekend Steven Smith had posted dozens of Twitter messages, a prolific output that his 578 followers had come to expect. — Smith lived in Scotch Plains, N.J., but place is moot in the Twitter universe.
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home, It's About The Money, IT IS HIGH! and The Toy Department
Kyle Stack / Sports Illustrated:
Behind scenes with Major League Baseball's authentication process … It's the top of the first inning in Game 2 of the NLCS in Philadelphia, and Roy Oswalt is getting ready to throw his sixth pitch of the game. The Philadelphia Phillies' righthander has a 1- count on San Francisco Giants …
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals remain interested in adding Webb — WASHINGTON — The Nationals are not done looking for pitching. According to a baseball source, Washington continues to be in the mix to acquire right-hander Brandon Webb. The source said Webb is not in a hurry to make a decision.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Fanhouse MLB Blog and HardballTalk