Top News:
Sports Illustrated:
These are the best values to be found in the free-agent bargain bin … The biggest free-agent stars have already signed for big bucks. And while several name players remain — Adrian Beltre, Rafael Soriano, Vladimir Guerrero, Carl Pavano, Derrek Lee and Adam LaRoche to name a half dozen notables …
Discussion:
ESPN, Rays Index, Pinstripe Alley and lenNY's Yankees
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Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Brandon Webb reportedly joining Texas Rangers
Brandon Webb reportedly joining Texas Rangers
Discussion:
Capitol Punishment, Baseball Time in Arlington and NESN.com
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Sources: Brandon Webb joining Texas
Sources: Brandon Webb joining Texas
Discussion:
USA Today, Yahoo! Sports and baseballmusings.com
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Webb agrees to one-year deal with Rangers
Webb agrees to one-year deal with Rangers
Discussion:
The Nationals Enquirer
Ed Price / Fanhouse MLB Blog:
Source: Rangers to Sign Brandon Webb, Pending Physical
Source: Rangers to Sign Brandon Webb, Pending Physical
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball, MetsBlog.com, Fox Sports and New York Post
JSOnline:
Brewers, Capuano part ways — By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel — General manager Doug Melvin told me today that both sides agreed to break off negotiations with left-hander Chris Capuano after the Brewers added Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke to the starting rotation in recent weeks.
Discussion:
U.S.S. Mariner, HardballTalk, MLB Rumors, Al's Ramblings and Rotoworld.com
Palm Beach Post:
FIU baseball star Garrett Wittels charged with raping two teen girls in Bahamas — Florida International University baseball star Garrett Wittels and a group of friends were arrested in the Bahamas last week and charged with the rape of two 17-year-old girls.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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MiamiHerald.com:
FIU baseball star Garrett Wittels charged in rape of two girls in Bahamas — FIU ballplayer Garrett Wittels, who is on the verge of breaking the record for the longest NCAA hitting streak, and four friends were arrested in the Bahamas. His father is confident he will be cleared. — JBURNETT@MIAMIHERALD.COM
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Baseball America and Deadspin
Dallas Morning News:
Nolan Ryan: MLB is overpaying some free agents that shouldn't be getting paid what they are — Here are some highlights: — Cliff Lee was offered a massive amount of money by all three teams that wanted him. When you were offering up those numbers, did you ever wish that you had been pitching in this era instead?
Discussion:
HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Fox Sports:
Brewers bolster bullpen, add Saito — Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since August 2005. He appears weekly on MLB on FOX. Follow him on Twitter. — The Brewers, continuing their off-season restructuring, reached agreement Monday …
Discussion:
MLB.com, HardballTalk, MLB Rumors and Yahoo! Sports
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Mets acquire Chin-lung Hu — The Mets have acquired SS Chin-lung Hu from the Dodgers for LHP Michael Antonini. — I know what you're thinking it, because I'm thinking it too: Hu? I mean, who? — The 26-year-old Hu hit .317 with four home runs and 25 RBI in 206 at bats in Triple last season.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Joe Posnanski / Joe Blogs:
Hall of Fame Week — You know how crazy I am when it comes to writing about the Baseball Hall of Fame. Well, this is Hall of Fame week — the ballots are due by Dec. 31. And I have been writing ... and writing ... and writing. I really need to see a doctor or something.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Mike Singletary / Yahoo! Sports:
Cuba's plan to shop talent may not help MLB — Pedro Luis Lazo retired from baseball the day after Christmas. A horse-drawn carriage took him into the stadium in Pinar Del Rio where he and Jose Contreras — once formed the most fearsome pitching duo in the history of the Cuban league, Serie Nacional.
Scott Lauber / Boston Herald:
Papelbon's 2011 no laughing matter — A few weeks ago, after the news leaked that the Red Sox [team stats] had made a three-year contract offer to New York Yankees great Mariano Rivera, manager Terry Francona was asked if he felt a need to call closer Jonathan Papelbon [stats] to make sure there weren't any hard feelings.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Chris Haft / MLB.com:
Many heroes stepped up in Giants' title run — SAN FRANCISCO — This was the year that the Giants, make that the San Francisco Giants, had awaited forever. — They collected their previous five World Series triumphs while playing in New York, which they deserted for San Francisco before the 1958 season.
Adarowski / Beyond the Box Score:
wWAR: Applying Extra Credit for “Peak” to Wins Above Replacement — WAR is awesome. — For a Hall of Fame guy like me, it's pretty much the best thing ever. I'm constantly looking for a way to rank players historically. So, WAR come along and does the park adjustment, era adjustment, and park adjustments for us.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes, baseballmusings.com and Amazin' Avenue