Top News:
The Knobler Blog:
Did Lee damage Yankees — and front office? — It's no surprise to hear someone say the Yankees overpaid for a free agent. — But it sure is a little strange when that someone is the general manager of the Yankees. — That would be the same general manager of the Yankees who joked …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, baseballmusings.com, BronxBanterBlog.com, Boston Globe and FenwayNationWorld
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Mark Viera / Bats:
Cashman Explains Stance as Yanks Introduce Soriano
Cashman Explains Stance as Yanks Introduce Soriano
Discussion:
Lookout Landing and NotGraphs Baseball
Ken Rosenthal / mlbbuzz:
Sources: Pavano “seriously considered” Yankees
Sources: Pavano “seriously considered” Yankees
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues, ESPN, Subway Squawkers, Bronx Baseball Daily, MLB Rumors, TYU and The Sommer Frieze
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Soriano ‘happy to be close to greatest closer’
Soriano ‘happy to be close to greatest closer’
Discussion:
The Captain's Blog, It's About The Money and Sliding Into Home
Mark Polishuk / MLB Rumors:
Twins Agree To Terms With Carl Pavano — The Twins have agreed to terms with right-hander Carl Pavano on a two-year, $16.5MM contract, according to a team press release. Pavano will earn $8MM next season and $8.5MM in 2012, plus an extra $500K should he reach certain incentive clauses.
Discussion:
Twinkie Town and HardballTalk
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Associated Press:
Twins keep Pavano with 2-year, $16.5M contract — MINNEAPOLIS (AP)— Carl Pavano is headed back to the Minnesota Twins with a new two-year, $16.5 million contract. — The team announced the deal on Wednesday night. — Pavano went 17-11 with a 3.75 ERA and seven complete games last season …
Discussion:
ESPN
Steve Popper / NorthJersey.com:
It's wait and see for Jose Reyes, Mets — NEW YORK - The enthusiasm was real and familiar, with Jose Reyes seeming as if he was ready to begin spring training Wednesday morning as he excitedly spoke first to a group of fifth- and sixth-grade kids and then to the media.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and New York Post
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Prospect Watch: Top 10 second basemen — Mariners' Ackley leads a diverse group at the position … The term “natural second baseman” doesn't come up very often. It's not that it never happens, but it's more than common to see any list of second-base prospects consist of shortstops …
Discussion:
Mariners blog
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Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Green shares approach in upcoming book — Former Dodgers slugger puts baseball philosophy on paper — LOS ANGELES — Shawn Green spoke to Dodgers prospects at last week's winter development camp, but he also spoke with new manager Don Mattingly, a conversation delayed by 15 years.
Fox Sports:
A's need to get moving or else — 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. — Free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre was the player the A's wanted most this offseason.
Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER:
Rizzo on Gorzelanny, Hairston — It's turned into a busy day in NatsTown. Actually, it's been a busy week already, with the Tom Gorzelanny trade (which was officially announced this afternoon) and the signings of Jerry Hairston, Todd Coffey and Alex Cora.
Discussion:
Federal Baseball, Nationals Journal, Nats320 and The Goessling Game
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Executive excellence — Lucchino worthy of Fuchs Award — You know the best thing you can say about Larry Lucchino in his role as CEO of the Red Sox? He sticks up for his organization. — Whether it's challenging agents like Scott Boras, or defending the team's name nationally …
Discussion:
The Soxaholix
Mark Polishuk / MLB Rumors:
Padres Agree To Terms With Chad Qualls — The Padres have agreed to terms with right-hander Chad Qualls, according to a team press release. The contract is for one year with a team option for 2012. Qualls will earn $1.5MM next season and it will cost the Padres $1.05MM to buy out the 2012 option …
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, HardballTalk and Yahoo! Sports
Greg Johns / MLB.com:
Mariners to use committee to fill Niehaus' spot — At least five announcers will rotate after Hall of Famer's passing — SEATTLE — The Mariners have made a decision on how best to replace Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus, with the answer being to use a group of familiar personalities …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, ESPN, Lookout Landing and Mariners blog
Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Minor League Transactions: Jan. 11-17 — Arizona Diamondbacks — Atlanta Braves — Baltimore Orioles — Boston Red Sox — Jon Still spent all of last season on the inactive list. A fourth-round pick in '06, he batted .233/.301/.416 for Double-A Portland in '09. — Chicago Cubs
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and Talking Chop
Adam Rubin / ESPN:
Mike Pelfrey to start on Opening Day — With Johan Santana expected to miss the first half of the season, New York Mets manager Terry Collins named Mike Pelfrey his Opening Day starter on Wednesday, during a charity event at Citi Field. — “He deserves it,” Collins said after speaking …
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue, OnTheBlack.com, MetsBlog.com and HardballTalk
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Boston Red Sox's Adrian Gonzalez has first catch after surgery — Adrian Gonzalez tossed a baseball on Monday with his brother Edgar Gonzalez at the Gonzalez Sports Academy outside San Diego, the first time that the left-handed first baseman has played catch since having surgery on his right shoulder.
Discussion:
Red Sox Beacon, Sox #1 Fan dot com, Boston Globe and HardballTalk
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Buster Olney / ESPN:
For baseball: a Lance Armstrong question
For baseball: a Lance Armstrong question
Discussion:
NESN.com, HardballTalk and It's About The Money
Amy Shipley / Washington Post:
Study finds steroids are readily available through Amazon — Back in the 1990s, steroids could be surreptitiously purchased out of the trunk of somebody's car. A decade ago, they could be found in dietary supplements sold on bodybuilding Internet sites. — Now, steroids are readily …
Bailey Stephens / MLB.com:
Former Blue Jays skipper Hartsfield dies — Roy Hartsfield, the first manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, passed away on Saturday at his daughter's Atlanta-area home. He was 85. — Hartsfield's death was the result of complications from liver cancer, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which first reported the news.
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