Top News:
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:
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Talented Cuban defector Cespedes is an odd sight — Cuban center fielder Yoenis Cespedes, who defected mid-summer and expects soon to be cleared for free agency, is being billed by his agents as the hitting version of Aroldis Chapman(notes) and is seeking a contract similar to the $30 million …
Discussion:
Florida Marlins, MetsBlog.com, ESPN, Pinstripe Alley, Bronx Baseball Daily, Yankees Fans Unite, Full Count and MLB Daily Dish
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
Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes on the Nationals' radar — The Washington Nationals may attempt to find their center field solution in the curious form of Yoenis Cespedes, a 26-year-old Cuban defector who will likely command a contract richer than $30 million.
Discussion:
Federal Baseball and HardballTalk
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 …
RELATED:
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:
The LoHud Yankees Blog and WasWatching.com
David Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Royals reportedly set to corporately rename Kauffman Stadium
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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:
baseballmusings.com and HardballTalk
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:
MLB Rumors, Baseball Nation and JSOnline
Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com:
Dan Duquette agrees to become O's new GM
Discussion:
Britt's Bird Watch and The LoHud Yankees Blog
Dan Connolly / Boston Herald:
Duquette interviews for a second time with Orioles for general manager
Discussion:
Camden Chat and The Big Lead
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 Bytes, HardballTalk, Fish Stripes and Mets Merized Online
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
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
Bgh / Viva El Birdos:
What Are the St. Louis Cardinals Looking For in a Manager? — More than any player Tony La Russa was the St. Louis Cardinals. The clichés of his tenure—playing a hard nine, taking the season one game at a time, making winning plays—came to define the Cardinals as an organization.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and St. Louis Post-Dispatch
