Top News:
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
All-time saves leader Hoffman retires — Closer finishes stellar 18-year career with 601 saves — Trevor Hoffman, certainly the top National League closer of his era, has decided to retire, ending his stellar 18-year career, he told MLB.com in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
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Buster Olney / ESPN:
Discussion:
North County Times, The Captain's Blog and Wezen Ball
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Selig: No expansion of playoffs, replay this year — PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — As owners and general managers prepared to gather this week for their first meetings of the new year, Commissioner Bud Selig told MLB.com that the playoffs and instant replay won't be expanded this coming season.
Discussion:
Bats, TYU, Bluebird Banter, Hardball Times, HardballTalk, Beyond the Box Score and Fanhouse MLB Blog
SPANdemonium:
Mets agree to Minor League Deal with LHP Taylor Tankersley — According to a source, the New York Mets have agreed to a minor league deal with Taylor Tankersley. The deal includes a Spring Training invite and is not yet official but was agreed upon on Friday.
Discussion:
Kranepool Society and Mike Silva's …
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Zach Links / MLB Rumors:
Mets To Sign Taylor Tankersley — The Mets have signed left-handed reliever Taylor Tankersley to a minor league deal, the team announced. Dave Gershman of the SPANdemonium blog first reported the agreement, which includes a Spring Training invitation, and MLBTR confirmed the deal.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and Mets Fever
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Report: Rays sign reliever Kyle Farnsworth — UPDATE: The Rays have agreed to a deal with Farnsworth, but the team has no announcement planned today so it may not be final yet. — DEVELOPING: The Rays have agreed to a one-year deal with reliever Kyle Farnsworth, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Gary Myers / NY Daily News:
Jets' Antonio Cromartie tells Daily News he hates Tom Brady, calls Patriots QB an ‘ass— ’ — Now, it's really personal. — Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie, taking the baton from Rex Ryan, who criticized Tom Brady's post-touchdown “antics” earlier this week, ripped into the Patriots quarterback …
Discussion:
NESN.com, thejetsblog.com, Deadspin, The Big Lead, FanHouse and USA Today
Richard Griffin / Toronto Star:
Jays' older, wiser Wells draws on wealth of knowledge — Nobody really ever told Vernon Wells he had to attend the Jays' recent weekend mini-camp, that concluded Monday at the Rogers Centre, featuring a key combination of 19 veterans and rookies. — Nobody told the centre fielder he had to hop …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Bill Conlin / Philly.com:
Hall voters don't need morals clause to determine who is worthy — “Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.” — Instruction to Voters
Discussion:
Baseball Think Factory and HardballTalk
Bailey Stephens / MLB.com:
First Spring Training workout dates released — Pitchers and catchers report. — Those magical words, which signal the birth of a new baseball season, are fast approaching. That day will be here before we know it, and on Tuesday, baseball fans found out exactly when their team will be hitting …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Sports Illustrated:
Bumgarner, Latos among pitchers at risk of Year After Effect … While baseball in 2010 became The Year of the Pitcher, with offensive numbers dialed back to 1992 levels, the story beneath the story is that clubs are doing a better job than ever developing young pitchers.
Discussion:
Mike Silva's …
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Bronson Arroyo keeps tune with Red Sox — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email — When the Red Sox [team stats] traded Bronson Arroyo to the Cincinnati Reds in March 2006 for Wily Mo Pena, they thought they had a surplus of pitching. — That proved to be even more of a mirage than Pena's power skills.
Michael Baron / MetsBlog.com:
Mets Interested in Dave Bush for Rotation — In seven big league seasons with the Blue Jays and Brewers, Dave Bush has appeared in 193 games, making 184 starts, and is 56-68 with a 4.66 ERA in 1104 innings. — He went 8-13 with a 4.54 ERA in 31 starts and one relief appearance in 2010 …
Discussion:
Tedquarters and Mets Merized Online
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