Top News:
Bob Hohler / Boston Globe:
Inside the collapse — Dedication waned, unity unraveled, and manager lost influence as a once-inspiring Red Sox season ended in epic failure — With their team in peril and their manager losing his authority, three Red Sox pitchers last month were uniquely positioned to prevent …
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball, HardballTalk, Surviving Grady, Associated Press, MLB.com, Baseball Nation, Amazin' Avenue, joy of sox, Deadspin, SportsGrid, Projo Sox Blog, SawxBlog, The Big Lead, NESN.com, The Mighty Quinn Media Machine, Royals Review, Over the Monster, Fenway West, FenwayNationWorld, Sliding Into Home, SOX & Dawgs, soxaholix.com, baseballmusings.com, It's About The Money, Boston Sports Media Watch, Boston Herald and NoMaas.org
RELATED:
Jerry Spar / WEEI:
D&C: THEO HAS 5-YEAR DEAL WITH CUBS — WEEI's John Dennis reported Wednesday morning that Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has agreed with the Cubs on a five-year deal worth more than $15 million. — According to Dennis' sources, the Red Sox granted the Cubs permission to talk with Epstein late last week.
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Tito victim of latest Sox smear campaign — Ex-manager learning the hard way that no one gets out of Boston with reputation intact … BOSTON — Terry Francona is paying a dear price for deviating, however briefly, from the script. — He was supposed to say the decision to end …
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Epstein accepts five-year deal from Cubs — Two team sources confirmed reports that Theo Epstein has reached agreement with the Cubs on a five-year contract and will officially leave the Red Sox before the end of the week. — The deal is believed to be worth $15 million with Epstein receiving …
Discussion:
Empyreal Environs, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Over the Monster and Red Sox Monster
Andrew Marchand / ESPN:
Brian Cashman: ‘I have a job’ … NEW YORK — With Yankees general manager Brian Cashman's current contract scheduled to run out at the end of the month, would he be interested in the new Boston Red Sox opening? — “I have a job,” Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com on Wednesday. — Cashman is expected to keep that job.
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, Bronx Baseball Daily, MLB and ESPN.com
Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:
Epstein embarking on mission impossible — With Cubs, GM will find greater the challenge, harder the task — To understand why Theo Epstein would leave his one-time fantasy job — he grew up in Brookline, Mass., about a mile from Fenway Park — you first have to probe the psyche of big thinkers and dreamers.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
Report: Theo Epstein agrees to a five-year deal with the Cubs — John Dennis of WEEI just reported that Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has agreed with the Cubs on a five-year deal worth more than $15 million. This is a huge moment for the Cubs. Franchise-altering.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, VFTB and The House That Dewey Built
Alex Speier / WEEI:
HEIR APPARENT: HOW BEN CHERINGTON EMERGED AS THEO EPSTEIN'S LIKELY SUCCESSOR
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Epstein not out the door — yet
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball, Baseball Nation, Yahoo! Sports, Over the Monster, HardballTalk, Lone Star Ball and The LoHud Yankees Blog
Aaron Gleeman / HardballTalk:
Jack McKeon used to lock Marlins' clubhouse door to keep Josh Beckett out during games — Josh Beckett is among the Red Sox pitchers who reportedly drank beer, ate fried chicken, and played video games in the clubhouse during games and former Marlins manager Jack McKeon recalls locking …
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Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank blog:
Jack McKeon recalls locking the Marlins clubhouse door to keep Josh Beckett and others in the dugout — Interesting story in today's Boston Globe about the September collapse of the Boston Red Sox. Among the details were allegations by unnamed sources that pitchers Josh Beckett …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Deadspin and HardballTalk
Evan Drellich / MLB.com:
Beltre's knee is hardest hit as sluggers struggle — Nos. 4-7 hitters go combined 0-for-15 in Rangers' Game 3 loss — DETROIT — Rangers manager Ron Washington said keeping Adrian Beltre on the field wasn't a difficult call after the third baseman fouled a pitch off his left knee in the fourth inning.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and Brew Crew Ball
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Noah Trister / Associated Press:
Fister, Martinez help Tigers pull to 2-1 in ALCS
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, Bless You Boys, Reuters and Lookout Landing
Tom Singer / MLB.com:
V-Mart continues despite intercostal strain
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus, Yahoo! Sports and baseballmusings.com
Nate Mink / MLB.com:
Howard undergoes surgery on torn Achilles — PHILADELPHIA — First baseman Ryan Howard underwent surgery on his ruptured left Achilles on Wednesday in Baltimore. Dr. Mark Myerson performed the procedure. — The Phillies did not announce a timetable for Howard's return, but the normal recovery period is 4-6 months.
RELATED:
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
The 3-year, $100 Million Offer — In a post for SI.com, in which he lists the 10 worst contracts in baseball, Joe Posnanski writes: … It makes sense. And, it's interesting Joe brings this up, because the buzz out of Miami suggests this is exactly what the Marlins are thinking of doing …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
Kuiperfan / Joe Posnanski:
The Worst Contracts in Baseball
Discussion:
The Yankee Analysts, Tedquarters and We Should Be GMs
Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com:
Bucs still mulling options with Maholm's option — PITTSBURGH — Though the Pirates do not plan on paying Paul Maholm $9.75 million — the value of the left-hander's 2012 club option — to pitch for them next year, the club has still not entirely ruled out that option being exercised.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and PittsburghLIVE.com
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Rockies Claim Andrew Brown — The Rockies announced that they claimed Andrew Brown off of waivers from the Cardinals (Twitter link). St. Louis had designated the versatile 27-year-old for assignment over the weekend to create roster space for Lance Lynn. — Brown appeared in 11 games …
