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:
Associated Press, HardballTalk, Gaslamp Ball, Amazin' Avenue, Deadspin, MLB.com, Baseball Nation, Royals Review, Projo Sox Blog, SawxBlog, Over the Monster, joy of sox, SportsGrid, SOX & Dawgs, The Big Lead, FenwayNationWorld, baseballmusings.com, soxaholix.com, Fenway West, It's About The Money, Boston Sports Media Watch and NoMaas.org
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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.
Steve Buckley / Boston Herald:
Theo Epstein on brink of joining Cubs — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email — Two baseball sources have confirmed that Theo Epstein is on the cusp of leaving his job as general manager of the Red Sox [team stats] to accept a position with the Chicago Cubs that is believed …
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, Pirates Prospects, VFTB and The House That Dewey Built
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:
Bronx Baseball Daily and ESPN.com
Alex Speier / WEEI:
HEIR APPARENT: HOW BEN CHERINGTON EMERGED AS THEO EPSTEIN'S LIKELY SUCCESSOR — It was a time when general managers had suddenly been turned into the iconic faces of franchises. — The Red Sox had engaged in a public and dramatic courtship of Billy Beane, the GM who was quickly coming …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Epstein not out the door — yet
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, Over the Monster, MLB Daily Dish, HardballTalk, The LoHud Yankees Blog and joy of sox
Sean McAdam / Comcast SportsNet:
Epstein close to leaving Sox, heading to Cubs
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Boston Herald and NESN.com
Noah Trister / Associated Press:
Fister, Martinez help Tigers pull to 2-1 in ALCS — DETROIT—Victor Martinez slowed his home run trot to barely a jog, stepping gingerly around the bases after hurting himself with a big swing. — The banged-up Detroit Tigers are teetering but still standing, thanks to Martinez …
Discussion:
Reuters, Bless You Boys and Lookout Landing
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Evan Drellich / MLB.com:
Beltre's knee is hardest hit as sluggers struggle
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
Chris Cox / MLB.com:
Texas must brush aside Comerica Park woes
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score and Bless You Boys
Richard Durrett / ESPN:
Rangers' Napoli at DH for break from catching
Discussion:
Bats, MLB and Yahoo! Sports
Kuiperfan / Joe Posnanski:
The Worst Contracts in Baseball — Dan Quisenberry said many wonderful things in his too-short life, but probably the most famous is his line about the future. “I've seen the future,” he said, “and it's much like the present, only longer.” — A version of that quote kept popping …
Discussion:
Tedquarters and We Should Be GMs
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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
Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:
Yankees' killer instinct appears to have vanished — NEW YORK - Joe Girardi spent a lot of time Tuesday talking about how much “luck” goes into winning a championship. It's a popular anesthesia, meant to keep fans from feeling bitter about early round losses in the playoffs.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and It's About The Money
Chris Jaffe / Hardball Times:
Silver anniversary: the Donnie Moore-Dave Henderson game — 25 years ago, one of the most famous (or infamous) games in baseball history occurred. On Oct. 12, 1986, the greatest pair of LCS of all-time were underway. In the ALCS, the Angels appeared to be on the verge of their first pennant in franchise history.
Discussion:
Halos Heaven and baseballmusings.com
Philly.com:
Phillies GM wants smarter, more productive at-bats — ON THE WHOLE, he'd have rather been in Milwaukee. — Which is where Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. - Philly born, Philly bred - would have been yesterday if his team had advanced to the National League Championship Series instead …
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Daily / Philly.com:
Amaro: ‘This is a championship caliber lineup’
Discussion:
The Good Phight, Phillies Nation and MLB Rumors
Joe Eskenazi / SFWeekly:
Giants Get Sued Over Team's “San Francisco” Logo — It was a deeply dissatisfying year on the diamond for the World Champion San Francisco Giants, who seemingly gave up hits and runs for Lent and toppled right out of playoff contention. So it was eerily symbolic — if no less frustrating …
Discussion:
San Francisco Giants
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Astros Expected To Complete Sale, Move To AL — Astros owner Drayton McLane is expected to complete the sale of the team to Jim Crane in mid-November, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (on Twitter). The arrangement would move Houston to the American League West and even MLB into two leagues of 15 teams.
Discussion:
Where Have You Gone …, MLB Daily Dish and Al's Ramblings
Henry Schulman / San Francisco Giants:
San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey passes a big milestone in his recovery from his serious leg injuries — Good news from Scottsdale, Ariz., if you're a fan of the Giants and Buster Posey. — Dave Groeschner, the Giants' head athletic trainer, just told me that Posey …
Discussion:
McCovey Chronicles, HardballTalk and MLB Daily Dish
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Williams considered Konerko for Sox manager — While team captain wasn't interviewed, he was in candidate mix — CHICAGO — Picture this scenario at the first full-squad White Sox workout of Spring Training at Camelback Ranch next February. — Paul Konerko takes his physical and then joins …
Discussion:
South Side Sox
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