Top News:
Fox Sports:
Marlins ready to make major noise — The meetings with Buehrle and Reyes will take place in South Florida, one source said. The meeting with Cespedes, which will include Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, will take place in the Dominican Republic. — The Marlins' No. 1 priority is upgrading their rotation.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, MLB.com and Florida Marlins
RELATED:
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
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:
Baseball Nation and JSOnline
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Fielder, Pujols On Marlins' Radar — South Florida's MLB team may have changed beyond recognition by the time the 2012 season begins and it has nothing to do with what they'll be wearing. As they prepare to move into a new stadium, the soon-to-be Miami Marlins are targeting baseball's top free agents.
Discussion:
Riptide 2.0, Baseball Nation and JSOnline
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
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:
Let's Go Tribe, The LoHud Yankees Blog and WasWatching.com
Andrew Baggarly / Extra Baggs:
Giants news and notes on Melky Cabrera's new role, Pablo Sandoval's winter plans and how today's trade sets up the rest of the offseason — Just finished the conference call with Brian Sabean, Bruce Bochy and Melky Cabrera. Here are the main news points, including some offseason news on Pablo Sandoval.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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
T.R. Sullivan / Postcards From Elysian Fields:
Maddux withdraws from Boston; Cubs still in play — Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux confirmed Monday that he has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Red Sox manager's job. — He has not done the same with the Cubs. He is still scheduled to interview with them but said he wants …
Discussion:
WEEI, Full Count, HardballTalk, Bleed Cubbie Blue, MLB Daily Dish, Baseball Nation and Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
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:
AaronGleeman.com, Yahoo! Sports and baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
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:
River Avenue Blues and HardballTalk
RELATED:
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Talented Cuban defector Cespedes is an odd sight
Discussion:
Federal Baseball, MetsBlog.com, Florida Marlins, ESPN, Yankees Fans Unite, River Avenue Blues, Full Count and MLB Daily Dish
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:
HardballTalk and Yahoo! Sports
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.com and MLB Daily Dish
RELATED:
David Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Royals reportedly set to corporately rename Kauffman Stadium
Discussion:
HardballTalk
