Top News:
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Official Elias Rankings — MLBTR has obtained the official Elias rankings for this offseason. The list below includes all unsigned ranked free agents. — Once the regular season ended, the Elias Sports Bureau took all players over the 2010-11 period, divided them into five groups for each league …
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Fox Sports:
New MLB labor agreement within reach — In the bad old days, the tension was evident, the rhetoric disdainful, the contempt palpable. — The owners would try to break the union. The union would dig in against the owners. Work stoppage after work stoppage would commence, and once upon a time …
Discussion:
It's About The Money
Ben Cafardo / ESPN MediaZone:
ESPN2 to Televise First-Ever Rawlings Gold Glove Awards Show — ESPN2 will televise the first-ever Rawlings Gold Glove Awards Show - emanating from ESPN's Baseball Tonight studio in Bristol - Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 10 p.m. ET. The one-hour telecast, hosted by Baseball Tonight's Karl Ravech …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, JSOnline, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Camden Chat, Baseball Nation, Lookout Landing, River Avenue Blues and AZ Snake Pit
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Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank blog:
Gaby Sanchez, Omar Infante hoping to win Gold Gloves for Marlins — Marlins fans shouldn't be surprised to learn that first baseman Gaby Sanchez and second baseman Omar Infante are among the finalists at their positions for Gold Glove Awards. — ESPN2 will televise the first-ever Rawlings Gold Glove Awards Show at 10 p.m. Tuesday.
Discussion:
Bless You Boys, Halos Heaven, Lone Star Ball and Boston Globe
Associated Press:
Braves trade Lowe to Indians … NEW YORK (AP) — A person familiar with the trade says the Cleveland Indians have acquired pitcher Derek Lowe from the Atlanta Braves for a minor league pitcher. — Lowe, who has 166 career wins, was acquired Monday for left-hander Chris Jones …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and Let's Go Tribe
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ESPN.com:
Sources: Braves trade Derek Lowe — The Atlanta Braves have traded Derek Lowe to the Cleveland Indians, sources tell ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. — Lowe was traded for left-handed pitching prospect Chris Jones, a source familiar with the trade told Olney.
Discussion:
ESPN, Full Count and Braves Journal
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Indians Acquire Derek Lowe
Discussion:
Plain Dealer, FanGraphs Baseball, Baseball Nation and Talking Chop
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Hot Stove Round-Up: Braves trade Lowe, McClouth is free
Discussion:
HardballTalk, MLB Rumors and Mets Merized Online
D.J. Short / HardballTalk:
Yankees, CC Sabathia agree to contract extension — Well, here's a surprise. — CC Sabathia just announced that he has agreed to a contract extension with the Yankees. — Most expected Sabathia would forgo the remaining four years and $92 million on his contract and hit free agency …
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Cash Kruth / MLB.com:
CC agrees to contract extension with Yankees — Left-hander poised to remain in pinstripes through 2017 season — CC Sabathia will remain in New York, having reached agreement with the Yankees on a contract extension, the team announced on Monday. — Sabathia inked a one-year …
Discussion:
The Captain's Blog
ESPN:
Source: Yanks, CC reach five-year, $122M deal — CC Sabathia has announced he is staying with the New York Yankees. — Sabathia — Sabathia announced in a video that he and the Yankees have come to terms on a contract extension that will keep the husky left-handed ace from exercising his opt-out clause and testing free agency.
Discussion:
Plain Dealer and It's About The Money
Espn.Com / MLB:
Going out a champ: La Russa says he's retiring — Tony La Russa is calling it a career after 16 seasons as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. — La Russa — La Russa, 67, only days removed from winning his third World Series title, made the announcement during a Monday morning news conference.
Discussion:
ESPN, VFTB, Faith and Fear in Flushing and Athletics Nation
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Joey Nowak / MLB.com:
La Russa announces his retirement as skipper
Discussion:
Royals Review, True Blue LA, MLB Daily Dish, Baseball Nation, Mark My Word and Deadspin
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals manager La Russa retires
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Joe Smith / St. Petersburg Times:
Rays pick up option on RHP James Shields — As expected, the Rays have picked up the $7.5 million option for RHP James Shields for next season, according to agent Page Odle. — Shields, 29, is coming off a spectacular bounce-back season in which he racked up a major-league high 11 complete games …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and Yahoo! Sports
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Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
Nationals name Davey Johnson manager for 2012 — The Nationals this morning formally announced Davey Johnson as their manager for the 2012 season, exercising an option in his contract and continuing a tenure that began last season amidst upheaval and concluded with one of the most promising …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and baseballmusings.com
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Andrew Keh / New York Times:
Mets Make It Official: Citi Field to Shrink — Three seasons after the Mets opened Citi Field, they are making significant alterations, lowering walls and bringing in fences in an attempt to make it easier to hit home runs, and perhaps allow David Wright to regain his equilibrium as a player.
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue, BBTF's Baseball Primer …, Deadspin and baseballmusings.com
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
White Sox Exercise Option On Jason Frasor — The White Sox exercised their $3.75MM club option on reliever Jason Frasor, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. — The Sox have a good collection of relievers under contract for 2012, but exercising the option on Frasor makes sense since he has positive trade value.
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Fox Sports:
Eckstein dishes on Pujols' future — After Tony La Russa's retirement announcement Monday, there were two huge questions looming over the World Series champions. — Who will succeed La Russa as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals? And what impact will the new manager have on Albert Pujols' free agency?
