Top News:
Drew Silva / HardballTalk:
Yankees agree to deal with Rafael Soriano — Brian Cashman sure slow-played this one. — Despite insisting last week that the Yankees would not surrender their first round pick in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft in order to sign a remaining Type A free agent, the Bombers agreed to terms on Thursday night with reliever Rafael Soriano.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, River Avenue Blues, MLB Daily Dish, DRaysBay and Babes Love Baseball
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Yankees add Soriano to bullpen with 3-year deal — The New York Yankees have agreed to a three-year deal with All-Star reliever Rafael Soriano and plan to use him as a setup man in front of Mariano Rivera. The contract is worth about $35 million. — Rivera recently signed a two-year deal …
Discussion:
New Jersey Online and New York Yankees Fan Blog
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals look to replace Harris on bench — WASHINGTON — Utility player Willie Harris is not expected to return to the Nationals. Instead, he will sign with another Major League club as early as this week, according to a baseball source. — Two big league teams have made Harris an offer.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Padres Close To Deal With Chad Qualls — The Padres are close to a deal with Chad Qualls, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The sides are nearing a one-year deal worth about $2MM that includes a club option for 2012, Morosi reports. Hendricks Sports represents Qualls.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, HardballTalk and Fanhouse MLB Blog
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Bill Center / SignOnSanDiego.com:
Padres close to adding C Gregg Zaun, RHP Chad Qualls
Padres close to adding C Gregg Zaun, RHP Chad Qualls
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
NY Daily News:
Brian Cashman says Yankees still unclear on whether Andy Pettitte will retire or return to Bombers — BY STEFAN BONDY IN ARIZONA AND NATHANIEL VINTON IN NEW YORK — PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. - Brian Cashman might have given a hint about Andy Pettitte's future Wednesday at the owners' meetings …
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, Yankeeist, MetsBlog.com and TYU
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Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Braves claim right-hander Varvaro off waivers — ATLANTA — If Anthony Varvaro proves to be as valuable as Eric O'Flaherty has been, the Braves will certainly be happy about their latest attempt to enhance their organization's bullpen depth with a pitcher who had been deemed expendable by the Mariners.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and Talking Chop
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
Angel Pagan says New York Mets, if healthy, can give Philadelphia Phillies a fight in the NL East — Angel Pagan knows that much of the baseball world is “talking about Philadelphia” since the Phillies added Cliff Lee to an already-imposing rotation. But Pagan wants to make sure no one forgets …
Discussion:
Philly.com, Philled In, Tedquarters, Mets Merized Online, Amazin' Avenue, HardballTalk and MetsBlog.com
Laurel Pfahler / TCPalm.com:
N.C. TV station reports son suspected of killing Vero Beach dad — PORT ST. LUCIE — Former players who were a part of the Mets 1969 or 1986 championship teams remember what it was like to be on top in New York. — It's a feeling the Mets hope to experience once again this season.
Discussion:
The Mets Police, MetsBlog.com, HardballTalk and Mets Merized Online
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Frank Robinson hospitalized after dizzy spell — PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — Hall-of-Famer Frank Robinson was taken to Scottsdale Memorial Hospital on Thursday morning because of dizziness and an irregular heartbeat, Major League Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney told the media assembled here for this week's ownership meetings.
Discussion:
USA Today, Federal Baseball, Orioles Insider, Yahoo! Sports and MASNsports.com
Cliff Corcoran / Pinstriped Bible …:
G.O.A.T. — The Greatest of All Time. (AP) — One of the primary attractions of statistical analysis, at least for me, is that it can tell you things that aren't readily apparent. Sometimes, statistics even tell you that what appears to be readily apparent isn't actually true at all.
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus, Tedquarters and River Avenue Blues
MLB.com:
Atlanta Braves to host Philadelphia Phillies in the 2011 Civil Rights Game on Sunday, May 15 — Game will highlight an expanded series of events designed by MLB and the Braves to pay tribute to Civil Rights history in Atlanta and nationwide — Major League Baseball and the Atlanta Braves today announced …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Yahoo! Sports
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Wells admits he got ‘too big for my britches’ — Pitcher apologizes for disappointing sophomore season — Sean Marshall, Koyii Hill, Darwin Barney and Jay Jackson entertain kids at Mt. Carmel Academy. (José M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune / January 12, 2011)
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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Kate King / Stamford Advocate:
Pavia names Bobby Valentine as Stamford public safety director — STAMFORD — Mayor Michael Pavia announced Thursday morning that he has appointed former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine to his cabinet as the city's director of public health and safety.
Discussion:
Fanhouse MLB Blog and Can't Stop The Bleeding
John Tomase / Boston Herald:
Mound of facts against Josh Beckett — '10 tough to overcome — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email + Bio — This is one of those good news/bad news things, so let's start with the good news: Jack Morris, David Cone and Dave Stewart are just three All-Stars who endured seasons …
Discussion:
Over the Monster, Bronx Baseball Daily, YFSF, HardballTalk and baseballmusings.com
News Press:
(2 of 2) — “Everybody ahead of him and everybody behind him was in the Hall of Fame,” Lederer said of Blyleven's statistical counterparts. “It was a play off the Roy Orbison song, ‘Only the Lonely.’ ” — The post analyzed Blyleven's baseball statistics and stated that Blyleven deserved …
Discussion:
Hardball Times and BronxBanterBlog.com