Top News:
New York Post:
Sabathia agrees to $122M deal with Yankees — It was getting close. But CC Sabathia and the Yankees were able to get his new contract done last night to avoid the ace opting out of his previous deal. — Sabathia tweeted the announcement of his new contract at 7:23 p.m. …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Sliding Into Home and Bombers Beat
RELATED:
CBS New York:
CC Sabathia Willing To Lose Weight, Says Deal With Yankees Not About Money — NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — For CC Sabathia, there's no better place to pitch than Yankee Stadium. — He'll do whatever it takes to stay on the mound as the Bombers' ace — even if it means trimming down.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Ian O'Connor / ESPN:
CC-Yankees marriage was worth saving — On tough day for celebrity unions, Sabathia, Yanks scored a win for home, sweet home … Had CC Sabathia filed for divorce from the New York Yankees, even Kim Kardashian would have declared it a silly, impetuous call.
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley
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
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 …
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley, MLB Rumors, River Avenue Blues, MLB Daily Dish, Lone Star Ball, New Jersey Online and Boston Globe
Scott Lauber / Clubhouse Insider:
Pete Mackanin: 'Who wouldn't want to manage the Boston Red Sox?' — Pete Mackanin was drafted by the Washington Senators in 1969. Since then, he has worked in baseball as a player, a minor-league manager, a coach, an interim manager and a scout. He has rubbed elbows with such notable managers …
Discussion:
Over the Monster and HardballTalk
RELATED:
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Grady Sizemore may be right fit — Oft-injured free agent could replace Drew — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email — The Red Sox [team stats] are looking for a right fielder to replace J.D. Drew [stats]. — Yesterday, Grady Sizemore became an intriguing option that the Sox …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Mackanin makes his case to Sox — As the Red Sox search for a manager, they almost certainly will not interview a candidate with more experience than Pete Mackanin, who was at Fenway Park yesterday to meet with team officials. — Mackanin, a youthful-looking 60, has managed more than 2,000 games …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, HardballTalk and Boston Globe
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Compensation deadline today — Today is the deadline for the Red Sox and Cubs to agree on compensation for Theo Epstein and no tangible progress has been made, according to general manager Ben Cherington. — “It's a difficult deal to work out because it's too hard to quantify the value of Theo Epstein,” Cherington said.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and The Soxaholix
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Red Sox decline options on Wheeler, Atchison
Discussion:
Surviving Grady
Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank blog:
Defensive hit: Infield coach Perry Hill will not return to Marlins in 2012 — After making defensive strides in 2011, the Marlins will need a new infield coach in 2012. — Perry Hill won't be back because of chronic problems with his left knee. — Brandon Hyde, the Marlins' bench coach in 2011, also won't return.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank blog:
Gaby Sanchez, Omar Infante hoping to win Gold Gloves for Marlins
Discussion:
Halos Heaven, Lone Star Ball, Bless You Boys and Boston Globe
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
GM Sandy Alderson says Mets plan to make low contract offer to free agent SS Jose Reyes — Alderson expects negotiations with star shortstop to move slowly — Mets don't expect contract talks with Jose Reyes to move as fast as the free agent does on the bases. Reyes may be pointing to the door when he sees Mets' first offer.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
RELATED:
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Pictures of New Wall and Dimensions at Citi Field
Discussion:
Fantasy Baseball 365 and Tedquarters
Andrew Keh / New York Times:
Mets Make It Official: Citi Field to Shrink
Discussion:
Faith and Fear in Flushing, Deadspin, Amazin' Avenue, BBTF's Baseball Primer … and baseballmusings.com
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Frank McCourt appears close to agreeing he'll sell Dodgers — People with knowledge of negotiations say a settlement may be near. An eventual sale would probably include Dodger Stadium and could command a price of $1 billion. — Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.
Discussion:
Mike Scioscia's tragic illness, SI Tracking Blog, Baseball Nation, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
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 …
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Indians acquire Lowe; Sabathia stays with Yanks — NEW YORK (AP) - Three days before the opening of the free-agent market, the Cleveland Indians acquired pitcher Derek Lowe from the Atlanta Braves for minor league left-hander Chris Jones on Monday in the first significant trade of the offseason.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Braves trade Lowe to Indians
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus, Talking Chop, Let's Go Tribe and baseballmusings.com
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Indians Acquire Derek Lowe
Discussion:
Terry Pluto, Plain Dealer, FanGraphs Baseball and Talking Chop
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:
DRaysBay, MetsBlog.com, MLB Daily Dish and Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Tony La Russa ends his career on top — Longtime manager won three World Series titles and is third all-time in wins (2,728) — In life, it very rarely works this way. In sports, it almost never does. — Ride on a parade float, showered in confetti, one day. Stroll off into the setting sun the next day.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos and ESPN
RELATED:
Espn.Com / MLB:
Going out a champ: La Russa says he's retiring
Discussion:
ESPN, Faith and Fear in Flushing, VFTB and Athletics Nation
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Chapman misses AFL start with sore shoulder — Reds catching prospect Grandal sidelined with finger injury — CINCINNATI — Aroldis Chapman was scratched from his planned Arizona Fall League start on Monday because of a sore left shoulder. The Reds' left-hander made two relief appearances …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Athletics Nation
