Top News:
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Cubs relieve Quade of managerial duties — Chicago finished fifth in NL Central in skipper's only full season — CHICAGO — Mike Quade will not be back as Cubs manager. — Theo Epstein, Cubs president of baseball operations, made the announcement Wednesday after traveling to Florida to inform Quade face to face.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Full Count and VFTB
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
New Cubs GM doesn't sugarcoat situation — Hoyer realizes work to be done but is undaunted — Jed Hoyer doesn't have to worry about who will get the credit if the Cubs win the World Series under his watch. — The new Cubs general manager probably will defer to his boss, Theo Epstein …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Baseball Prospectus, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Quade out as Cubs manager; Ryno not a candidate — Mike Quade is out as Chicago Cubs manager with one year remaining on his two-year deal, and Ryne Sandberg won't be considered as his replacement. — Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein flew to Florida on Wednesday to personally give Quade the news.
Discussion:
Deadspin
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Dale Sveum discusses interview with Red Sox — and other notes from Fenway — Dale Sveum just finished a 25-minute session with the media. He spoke eloquently about the passion in Boston and what a great place Fenway Park is for somebody in baseball. — Sveum is well aware …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Theo Epstein / Associated Press:
Cubs fire Quade, pass on Sandberg
Discussion:
Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald and baseballmusings.com
Ramona Shelburne / ESPN:
Steve Garvey prepping proposal to purchase Los Angeles Dodgers — The investment group led by former Dodger greats Steve Garvey and Orel Hershiser is preparing a proposal to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers in a bankruptcy court auction. — To speed the process along, bidders in the auction …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Peter O'Malley wants to run Dodgers — The former team owner has told Commissioner Bud Selig about his plans. He hopes to lead an investment group to buy the club and ‘reconnect the team and the community.’ — Former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley, left, shakes hands with Frank McCourt during …
Discussion:
L.A. NOW, Mike Scioscia's tragic illness and Dodgers Blog
Bill Shaikin / Dodgers Blog:
Frank McCourt agrees to sell Dodgers
Discussion:
L.A. NOW, Los Angeles Times, Mike Scioscia's tragic illness, True Blue LA, Gaslamp Ball, Hardball Times, Baseball Nation, NESN.com, MLB, The Big Lead and 6-4-2
Wallace Matthews / MLB:
Source: Yanks scared off by Oswalt back woes — Although the New York Yankees' offseason priority is adding a starting pitcher, there is one high-profile free-agent starter who has apparently been crossed off the team's shopping list. — No, it's not C.J. Wilson.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation, SI Tracking Blog, River Avenue Blues and ESPN
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Fox Sports:
Agent: Oswalt plans to pitch in 2012 — The agent for Roy Oswalt affirmed Wednesday that the veteran pitcher “absolutely” plans to pitch in 2012, following a season in which he was twice placed on the disabled list with lower back inflammation. — “His back feels great,” Bob Garber told FOXSports.com.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Spencer Fordin / MLB.com:
Top offensive players earn Silver Sluggers — The postseason honor roll expanded Wednesday, when the American League and National League distributed the Silver Slugger Award to the best offensive players at each position. Nine players received the award for the first time, and only six players were repeat winners from last year.
Discussion:
Bats, The LoHud Yankees Blog, AZ Snake Pit, Red Reporter, Bluebird Banter, Baseball Nation and River Avenue Blues
Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank blog:
What should the Marlins do with Chris Coghlan? — Around this time two years ago, Chris Coghlan won the National League Rookie of the Year award after a season that led many to believe the Marlins had found their next star player. — But Coghlan's stock has drastically dropped …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals start manager interviews Thursday — A search committee headed by Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and general manager John Mozeliak today begins what it hopes is a 10-day process to identify the successor to departing manager Tony La Russa. — The committee today holds …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
Nationals, Chien-Ming Wang remain in contract discussions — The Nationals remain in contract talks with starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, whose agent remains optimistic he will ultimately sign with the Nationals. — The status of the talks between the Nationals and Wang are “the same,” said Alan Nero, Wang's agent.
Discussion:
Washington Times, MLB Daily Dish, Federal Baseball, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Mark Saxon / ESPN:
Los Angeles Angels GM plans new way to evaluate players — Incoming Los Angeles Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto signaled a new direction for the way the team plans to evaluate players Wednesday in an interview on 710 ESPN. — Unlike most major league teams, the Angels haven't viewed on-base percentage as a pre-eminent statistic.
Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com:
Markakis resting, recovering from bone bruise — BALTIMORE — Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis, who dealt with a pelvic issue that worsened the final few weeks of the regular season, said on Wednesday that he's still only about “75 percent” healthy. — Markakis isn't worried that the injury …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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