Top News:
Clark Spencer / Fish Bytes:
Marlins Talking to Jose Reyes — The Marlins are so enamored with All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes that they were in contact with the player at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, the moment the free agent signing period could begin. A contingent of high-ranking front office executives for the Marlins …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Mets Merized Online
RELATED:
Sports Illustrated:
Cubs, Red Sox have similar lists as they hunt for a new manager … The Red Sox and Cubs are now a full week past the deadline to agree on compensation for new Cubs president Theo Epstein. Their difficulty in finding agreement on this issue shouldn't be such a surprise since Epstein …
Discussion:
JSOnline and Baseball Nation
Fox Sports:
Cuddyer won't help Phils get any younger — In many ways, Michael Cuddyer would be a classic Ruben Amaro Jr. signing — an older, high-character type, similar to Raul Ibanez in 2008 and Placido Polanco in '09. — There's just one problem. — Cuddyer, who turns 33 on March 27, will not make the Phillies any younger.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and baseballmusings.com
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Jose Reyes To Meet With Marlins — 3:47pm: The Marlins contacted Reyes one minute into the free agent signing period, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. A group of Marlins executives went to New York this week and it appears they were going to visit Reyes' agent, Peter Greenberg.
Discussion:
Fish Stripes
Michael Baron / MetsBlog.com:
Marlins talked to Reyes, also seek Pujols, Fielder
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Fielder, Pujols On Marlins' Radar
Discussion:
Riptide 2.0, Baseball Nation and JSOnline
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Royals Acquire Jonathan Sanchez For Melky Cabrera — The Royals acquired lefty Jonathan Sanchez and minor league starter Ryan Verdugo from the Giants for outfielder Melky Cabrera, announced the team. — Sanchez, 28, may have been a non-tender candidate for the Giants after a disappointing 2011 season …
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Bob Dutton / Kansas City Star:
Royals get Sanchez from Giants for Cabrera — The Royals filled their biggest offseason need Monday by acquiring an impact arm for their rotation in getting left-hander Jonathan Sanchez from the San Francisco Giants in a trade for outfielder Melky Cabrera. — Sanchez, 28, battled injuries …
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe, The LoHud Yankees Blog and WasWatching.com
Tim Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Cespedes' suitors said to include Yanks, Phillies — Into a free-agent market light on outfielders - light on everything but first basemen, perhaps - strolls Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, the promotional video Jose Canseco wishes he'd thought of, and now the jostling to see and sign him.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and Bucs Dugout
Associated Press:
Giants obtain Cabrera from Royals … KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals traded outfielder Melky Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants for left-hander Jonathan Sanchez on Wednesday, upgrading their starting rotation and clearing the way for hotshot prospect Lorenzo Cain to get a chance in center field.
Discussion:
Only Baseball Matters and baseballmusings.com
Andrew Baggarly / Extra Baggs:
Giants news and notes on Melky Cabrera's new role, Pablo Sandoval's winter plans and how today's …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Yoenis Cespedes: The Showcase — I knew I was in for something special once I saw the email. — It was forwarded to me by a big league exec with a simple “You're welcome.” The original email was sent to nearly 200 people, a veritable who's who of the international scouting community.
RELATED:
Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes on the Nationals' radar
Discussion:
MLB.com and HardballTalk
Aaron Gleeman / HardballTalk:
Twins fire general manager Bill Smith, name former GM Terry Ryan as interim replacement — Minnesota gave zero indication that general manager Bill Smith's job was in jeopardy despite a 99-loss season, with ownership publicly issuing a vote of confidence last month, but today the Twins fired Smith …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, AaronGleeman.com and baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
Richard Durrett / ESPN:
Rangers investigating clubhouse leak — The Texas Rangers are investigating who recorded and then leaked manager Ron Washington's speech prior to Game 7 of the World Series. — “It's unacceptable for this type of thing to be out there,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Monday.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and HardballTalk
Amy Hawley / KSHB:
Sources: New name at the K, maybe today — KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Jackson County taxpayers could be part owners of a name change out at Truman Sports Complex. — Sources exclusively tell NBC Action News the Royals could announce as soon as Monday they have sold the naming rights to Kauffman Stadium.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish
RELATED:
David Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Royals reportedly set to corporately rename Kauffman Stadium
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Globe and Mail:
Obama congratulates Cardinals on World Series win — President Barack Obama says the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals kept him up late during an extra-inning thriller that helped lead the team to victory. — Obama called manager Tony LaRussa Monday and congratulated him on his team's championship season.
