Top News:
Fox Sports:
Sources: Angels to trade Napoli to Jays — FOX Sports — The Angels, largely dormant for much of the off-season, are set to trade catcher Mike Napoli to the Blue Jays, major-league sources say. — The deal will become official once the players involved pass physicals.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, 6-4-2, Batter's Box Interactive …, MLB Rumors, SFGate and Lone Star Ball
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Blue Jays, Angels Swap Vernon Wells For Mike Napoli — 5:41pm: Wells has waived his no-trade clause and underwent a physical in Anaheim today, Rosenthal reports. Juan Rivera could also be headed to Toronto along with Napoli. — 5:22pm: Rosenthal hears from a source that Toronto …
Discussion:
Drunk Jays Fans, HardballTalk, Fanhouse MLB Blog, River Avenue Blues and Beyond the Box Score
Trsullivan / Postcards from Elysian Fields:
Rangers going after Ramirez - Angels and Rays Also In the Mix — The Rangers are pursuing free agent outfielder/designated hitter Manny Ramirez. He would be the big right-handed bat at DH and off the bench. It would likely mean far more playing time for Michael Young at first base and would cut into Mitch Moreland's playing time.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, MLB Rumors and Texas Rangers
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Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Source: Rays talking to Johnny Damon
Source: Rays talking to Johnny Damon
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Halos Heaven, mlbbuzz, HardballTalk and Joe Posnanski
Joe Smith / St. Petersburg Times:
Rays reportedly closing in on deal with Damon
Rays reportedly closing in on deal with Damon
Discussion:
DRaysBay
Joey Matschulat / Baseball Time in Arlington:
Report: Rangers “Aggressively Pursuing” Manny Ramirez
Report: Rangers “Aggressively Pursuing” Manny Ramirez
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Lone Star Ball, MLB Rumors, baseballmusings.com and The Process Report
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Prospect Watch: Top 10 right-handed pitchers — Hellickson, Teheran, Drabek head list of potential future aces … The adage about never having enough pitching has some truth to it, and there appears to be plenty of pitching coming up through Minor League systems.
Discussion:
Mariners blog
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Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Prospect Watch: Top 10 left-handed pitchers
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Most underrated players in the game — The list includes Ryan Zimmerman, Andrew McCutchen and Carlos Ruiz, among others — The closer on my All-Underrated team, Trevor Hoffman, retired last week. You probably caught wind of that someplace. — So what better excuse is there to kick off a bunch of spirited saloon debates?
Discussion:
Around the Majors and Where Have You Gone …
Associated Press:
Judge: Former players must testify — SAN FRANCISCO — Some of Barry Bonds' former teammates, along with other retired Major League Baseball players and perhaps current player Jason Giambi, will have to testify at the slugger's upcoming perjury trial, a federal judge said Friday.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and Yahoo! Sports
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Howard Mintz / Mercury News:
Bonds case: Judge rules former pro athletes can testify in upcoming trial
Bonds case: Judge rules former pro athletes can testify in upcoming trial
Discussion:
Fanhouse MLB Blog and HardballTalk
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Cardinals Sign Nick Punto — The Cardinals announced that they signed Nick Punto to a one-year deal, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach (on Twitter). It's a $700K deal, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Agent Charles Schneider represents the longtime Twin.
Discussion:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Yahoo! Sports and HardballTalk
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Joe Christensen / Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Twins ready to do without ‘insurance policy’ Punto
Twins ready to do without ‘insurance policy’ Punto
Discussion:
The Platoon Advantage, HardballTalk, THE BOOK and Around the Majors
Sports Illustrated:
Here's why Mark Teixeira could be the next Jason Giambi in pinstripes … Is Mark Teixeira facing a dip in his career? The New York Yankees first baseman turns 31 in April and is coming off a season in which he hit .256 — 34 points below his lifetime average entering the year (.290).
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily, Sliding Into Home and River Avenue Blues
Jeff Pearlman / CNN:
Tracking down my online haters — Editor's note: Jeff Pearlman is a columnist for SI.com. He blogs at jeffpearlman.com. — (CNN) — Matthew is a college student from a small suburban town in Missouri. He loves the Kansas City Chiefs and spending Sundays in front of the TV watching football.
Discussion:
Better Off Red, Patrick Flood and HardballTalk
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Brewers Sign Jeremy Reed — The Brewers announced that they signed Jeremy Reed to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. — The 29-year-old appeared in 14 games for the Blue Jays last year, but spent most of the season at Triple-A. He hit .279/.342/.412 in 358 plate appearances …
Chicago Sun Times:
Ozzie admits Jenks' words stung, but Oney's went too far — The mood is upbeat, the expectations sky-high. — The only potholes in the White Sox' rearview mirror on an otherwise smooth road leading to this weekend's SoxFest — and, more important, all that follows …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Yahoo! Sports, HardballTalk and Boston Globe
Jim Shonerd / Baseball America:
Scouting reports for the Top 10 Prospects (How to subscribe) — After winning back-to-back National League West titles and making consecutive NL Championship Series appearances in 2008-09, the Dodgers fell to fourth place last year. As if its first losing record since 2005 wasn't bad enough …
Discussion:
True Blue LA, VIN SCULLY IS MY HOMEBOY and ESPN
Sports Illustrated:
Notes from an arbitration scorecard — • Prince Fielder's deal for $15.5 million, a record, was praised as a good one for the player. “Very high,” one competing exec called the number. Even so, it was nice to see the Brewers complete a wonderful winter by getting …
Discussion:
NESN.com and SOX & Dawgs
Ted Berg / Tedquarters:
If park factor is so important, why don't they put it on the scoreboard? … - Jeff Francoeur. — OK, Jeff Francoeur, I don't want to come off as mean-spirited here or anything so please, don't take this the wrong way. But here's the thing, bro: You're a terrible hitter.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, HardballTalk and Mets Merized Online
Steve Popper / NorthJersey.com:
New Met Young: My arm is ready to go — It was with little surprise that Mets manager Terry Collins announced Wednesday that he was handing the ball to Mike Pelfrey as his opening day starter. And a day later the Mets officially secured the final piece of their rotation when Chris Young passed …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
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