Top News:
New York Post:
Hank: ‘We just have to (bleeping) win’ — TAMPA — For Hank's Yanks, with spring training just around the corner, this is the bottom line: Whatever it takes to win championship No. 28. — Hank Steinbrenner, the Yankees co-chairman, is fired up for the 2011 season — even without Cliff Lee in pinstripes.
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily, NESN.com, Subway Squawkers, HardballTalk and An A-Blog for A-Rod
RELATED:
Brian Costello / New York Post:
Yankees GM hints at move to center, not third, for Jeter — Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Bernie Williams . . . Derek Jeter? — It's not happening anytime soon, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman delivered the first hint at Jeter's future yesterday while answering a question at a Q&A with fans at a Manhattan restaurant.
Discussion:
TYU
Dave Allen / FanGraphs Baseball:
Chamberlain's Stuff as a Starter — Yesterday, while doing a question-and-answer session with WFAN, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was asked about Joba Chamberlain's role with the Yankees. Chamberlain has bounced back and forth between the pen and rotation several times, but spent all last year in the pen.
Discussion:
CBS New York and Sliding Into Home
New York Post:
Hank: Yankees ‘just have to (bleeping) win’
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home and Fanhouse MLB Blog
NY Daily News:
Harper: Yankees GM is cold, hard Cash
Discussion:
Red Sox Monster and It's About The Money
Amanda Rykoff / espnW:
When breakfast becomes breaking news
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, Yankeeist, River Avenue Blues, HardballTalk, lenNY's Yankees, Lady Loves Pinstripes, ESPN and NESN.com
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Breaking down the Top 50 Prospects list — With MLB.com's Top 50 Prospect list now fully revealed, it's time to let the debate start. That is, after all, why prospect rankings are done in the first place. — Was Mike Trout the correct top prospect or should phenom Bryce Harper hold the No. 1 position?
RELATED:
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Angels' Trout named MLB.com's top prospect — Speedy outfielder heads list of top 50 up-and-coming players — ANAHEIM — An exceptional athlete with the frame and speed of a free safety and the full-tilt attitude of a young Pete Rose, outfielder Mike Trout now stands alone as the biggest fish …
Discussion:
Getting Blanked and HardballTalk
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Trio of Yankees among Top 50 prospects
Discussion:
Yankees Daily, lenNY's Yankees and Yankeeist
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Illness forces Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli to retire — Rocco Baldelli looked to be a future star, but injuries and a mysterious illness kept him from reaching his potential. — ST. PETERSBURG — Rocco Baldelli would have reason to spend hours, if not days …
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, Yahoo! Sports, HardballTalk, USA Today, Getting Blanked, DRaysBay, SBNation.com, Fanhouse MLB Blog, MLB Rumors, Full Count, Rays Index and NESN.com
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Yankees Sign Bartolo Colon — Nine years ago, Bartolo Colon was a stud pitcher on his way to a 20-win season. As talk of relocation continued, the Montreal Expos went all in, shipping prospects Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore to Cleveland for Colon.
RELATED:
Britt's Bird Watch:
Duke on the Os, handling NY & why he won't be a relief option — Free agent Justin Duchscherer, considered one of the best starting pitchers still on the market, said Tuesday evening that physically he feels “pretty much 100 percent” and shot down the notion that his previous depression issues …
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily, Respect Jeter's Gangster and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com:
Duchscherer at full strength, in body and mind
Discussion:
Tedquarters and HardballTalk
Keith Law / ESPN:
2011 MLB organizational rankings — The Royals top the rankings, but Tampa is surprisingly close behind — As it has the past two years, this complements my annual Top 100 list of prospects. This ranking includes only players who are still eligible for the Top 100 prospects ranking …
Discussion:
Tedquarters and ESPN
RELATED:
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
Source: “very strong possibility” that Andy Pettitte pitches in 2011 — A source close to Andy Pettitte tells me that there is a “very strong possibility” that Pettitte is going to pitch in 2011. He is doing his usual preseason workouts and has had no physical issues thus far.
Discussion:
Zell's Pinstripe Blog, baseballmusings.com and River Avenue Blues
Howard Megdal / Mike Silva's New York Baseball Digest:
Three Out of Three Doctors Agree — The writer Murray Chass, in his January 23 blog entry, re-visited his oft-cited idea that he knows Mike Piazza took steroids, since he saw “back acne” on Piazza while interviewing him in the New York Mets' clubhouse during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Chass wrote:
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Greg Johns / MLB.com:
Ackley ranks fifth in MLB.com's top prospects — Pineda, Franklin join up-and-coming second baseman on list — SEATTLE — When it comes to the future of the Mariners, it's easy to say the prospects are good because, well, their top Minor League prospects are indeed among the best in baseball.
Discussion:
Lookout Landing
RELATED:
Greg Johns / MLB.com:
Mariners beef up 'pen with Minors deal for Ray
Discussion:
Lookout Landing and Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Reds, Johnny Cueto finalize contract — CINCINNATI — Johnny Cueto finalized a $27 million, four-year contract on Wednesday that allows the Cincinnati Reds to avoid arbitration with the right-handed starter and locks up another young player. — The deal includes an option for 2015 …
Michael Miller / Riptide 2.0:
Yasiel Balaguer, 18-Year-Old Cuban Baseball Defector, Trying Out for Seattle Mariners — According to his agents, 18-year-old Cuban baseball prodigy Yasiel Balaguer will have his second tryout with a Major League Team this week when scouts for the Seattle Mariners watch the right-handed pelotero in action here in Miami.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Sarah Trotto / Arizona Daily Star:
Tucson Padres display their look — The Tucson Padres' logo was unveiled on a website, on white T-shirts and on a placard. It was even scrawled across a white-frosted cake served to attendees of a news conference. — The Triple-A baseball organization revealed its new logo and website …
