Top News:
csnphilly.com:
SOURCES: PHILS REACH DEAL WITH PAPELBON — Ruben Amaro Jr. said he wanted a top closer. — He got one. — The Phillies have reached agreement on a four-year contract with free-agent Jonathan Papelbon, multiple sources told CSNPhilly.com on Friday. — The deal, which won't become …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Surviving Grady, Full Count, Bleacher Report and Amazin' Avenue
RELATED:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Report: Papelbon agrees to deal with Phillies — He's shipping out of Boston. — Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com is reporting the Phillies have an agreement with closer Jonathan Papelbon pending a physical. The deal is believed to be four years and close to $50 million with a vesting option for a fifth season.
Discussion:
joy of sox and The Mighty Quinn Media Machine
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Source: Phils eyeing Jonathan Papelbon — The Philadelphia Phillies continued to show “serious” interest in longtime Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon on Friday, as momentum toward a deal to bring back their incumbent closer, Ryan Madson, was disintegrating.
Discussion:
ESPN.com, Boston Globe, Yahoo! Sports, MLB Rumors, Over the Monster, MLB Daily Dish, Lone Star Ball, Phillies Nation, The Good Phight, MLB and CloserNews
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Phillies To Sign Jonathan Papelbon — Jonathan Papelbon's desire to set the market for closers was never a secret — it's now a reality. The Phillies have agreed to sign the 30-year-old to a precedent-setting four-year, $50MM deal that establishes the record for guaranteed money for a reliever.
Discussion:
CloserNews, Bleacher Report and Baseball Nation
Michael Hurley / NESN.com:
Report: Jonathan Papelbon Agrees to Deal With Phillies, Ending Seven-Year Career With Red Sox — Jonathan Papelbon is Philadelphia-bound. — The best available closer on the free-agent market agreed to a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, pending a physical, according to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly.
Discussion:
The Platoon Advantage, Getting Blanked, Baseball Nation, Yahoo! Sports and WasWatching.com
D.J. Short / HardballTalk:
Phillies, Jonathan Papelbon agree to four-year contract — UPDATE II: If you were somehow on the fence about this deal being excessive, this should push you overboard and then some. Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports that Papelbon will also receive a vesting option for a fifth year …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, FanGraphs Baseball and Crashburn Alley
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Papelbon back in play for the Phillies
Discussion:
Phillies Nation and FenwayNation
David Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Pujols to visit Marlins, Jose Reyes ‘almost a done deal’ in Miami — Talk about a Miami Makeover. Not only are they about to become the Miami Marlins with a new stadium, new manager in Ozzie Guillen and new uniforms, but South Florida's Major League Baseball team might be getting a bunch of new players to fill all of that out.
Discussion:
Florida Marlins, MLB Rumors, Riptide 2.0, The Mets Police and Bleacher Report
RELATED:
Mark Newman / MLB.com:
Countdown to Marlins' relaunch under way — It's time for Major League Baseball's hottest new look. You can see it and get it for yourself at Marlins.com tonight, when the Miami Marlins Unveiling is streamed live. — The countdown is under way for the much-anticipated relaunch of this franchise …
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Rebranded Marlins make offers to Pujols, Reyes
Discussion:
Associated Press and Florida Marlins
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
Report: Jose Reyes “almost a done deal” for the Marlins
Discussion:
Bleacher Report
Matthew Leach / MLB.com's On the Beat:
Pujols, Marlins to meet
Discussion:
Fish Stripes, Purple Row, Florida Marlins, MLB Daily Dish, MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Source: Twins, Jamey Carroll near deal — Free agent infielder Jamey Carroll is close to a multiyear agreement with the Minnesota Twins to be the team's everyday shortstop, a baseball source told ESPN.com. — Contract terms for Carroll weren't immediately available.
RELATED:
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Tigers seeking smooth transition at keystone — Johnson, Hill top list of free-agent second basemen — DETROIT — The Tigers broke out of their organizational meetings Thursday night for a weekend break before club officials head to Milwaukee next week for Major League Baseball's annual General Managers and Owners Meetings.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Carroll Nearing Multiyear Deal With Twins — 2:24pm: Carroll's nearing a multiyear deal with the Twins, according to Crasnick (on Twitter). He would be Minnesota's everyday shortstop. — 2:08pm: The Twins continue to pursue Carroll, according to Morosi (Twitter link).
Discussion:
El Lefty Malo, Bay City Ball, HardballTalk, DRaysBay, MLB Daily Dish, Talking Chop and Bluebird Banter
Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
Wilson Ramos abduction in Venezuela: Police gathering evidence, still no contact from kidnappers, 36 hours in — UPDATE, 10:25: Venezuelan authorites have turned to “advanced” investigation tactics, including aerial operations, the Associated Press reports from Venezuela.
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog, Federal Baseball, HardballTalk, Fish Tank blog and SI Tracking Blog
RELATED:
