Top News:
Tim Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Pujols continues shopping after Marlins' offer — The contract offer made to Albert Pujols(notes) by the Miami Marlins seems to be about where the St. Louis Cardinals have lingered since spring training, or much closer to Joe Mauer's(notes) numbers than Alex Rodriguez's.(notes)
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Tim Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Is Cy Young winner Verlander a fit for MVP? — It is the nature of things anymore to regard tomorrow above today, and so within a few minutes of his winning the American League Cy Young Award on Tuesday, Justin Verlander(notes) was asked to assess his qualifications as AL MVP, the result of which will be announced Monday.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, MLB Daily Dish, Fish Bytes, Baseball Nation, The Big Lead, MetsBlog.com, Florida Marlins and Fish Tank blog
Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank blog:
Marlins offer to Albert Pujols is for less than $200 million; Roy Oswalt inquiry
Marlins offer to Albert Pujols is for less than $200 million; Roy Oswalt inquiry
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Sources: Cardinals' GM, Pujols' agent to meet
Sources: Cardinals' GM, Pujols' agent to meet
Discussion:
Associated Press, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
ESPN:
Terry Francona hasn't ruled out managing in 2012, but not for Chicago Cubs — Former Boston Red Sox skipper Terry Francona didn't completely rule out managing again in 2012, but he did pull himself out of the running for the Chicago Cubs job and said he would take a step back after not getting the St. Louis Cardinals position.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish
RELATED:
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Dale Sveum has second interview with Boston Red Sox … MILWAUKEE — Top Red Sox brass dined with managerial candidate Dale Sveum on Wednesday afternoon, but emerged from the meeting mum on whether they had decided on him as their next skipper. — “We're not going to say anything until …
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Agent: ‘It would be shame’ if Wakefield didn't return to Red Sox
Agent: ‘It would be shame’ if Wakefield didn't return to Red Sox
Discussion:
NESN.com
Evan Drellich / MLB.com:
Maddon, Gibson named 2011's top skippers — Rays staged historic run to playoffs; D-backs went worst to first — Both men were responsible for remarkable turnarounds in 2011 — one on the drop of a dime in a one-month span, the other in stark contrast to the team's finish from a year previous.
Discussion:
The Yankee Analysts and Batter's Box Interactive …
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Managers of Year: Maddon, Gibson … NEW YORK (AP) — Kirk Gibson took a tough-guy approach. So much so, he brought three Navy SEALs to spring training. — The SEALs wrote D, W and I on a board. The letters stood for a sense of purpose, not a traffic offense: “Deal With It.”
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies pursuing No. 3, No. 4 starter — MILWAUKEE — When the Rockies claimed Wandy Rodriguez on waivers in August, they privately realized the urgency of the situation. Colorado had leverage, willing to take on the entire $36 million remaining in his contract.
Discussion:
Purple Row and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Troy Renck / On the Rox:
Roy Oswalt squarely on Rockies' radar in search for pitching
Roy Oswalt squarely on Rockies' radar in search for pitching
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Ramos set to play in Venezuela Wednesday — Nationals treating catcher with care one week after abduction — WASHINGTON — Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos is expected to play for Tigres de Aragua of the Venezuelan Winter League on Wednesday night. — Ramos' return to the field comes …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Baseball America:
2012 Cincinnati Reds Top 10 Prospects — Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched …
Discussion:
Better Off Red, Red Reporter, redsminorleagues.com and Redleg Nation
Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Braves campaigning to get Murphy into Hall — ATLANTA — Bobby Cox, Phil Niekro, Pete Van Wieren and many of the most respected figures in Atlanta Braves history have long said they believe Dale Murphy belongs in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. — With Murphy scheduled to be on the Hall …
Fox Sports:
Dodgers in no rush to ink Kershaw — Matt Kemp got his payday. Will ace lefty Clayton Kershaw get his? — MILWAUKEE — Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw eventually will get the Matt Kemp treatment. — Just not yet. And, as the Dodgers reduce payroll, don't expect them to sign any major free agents, either.
Discussion:
Washington Post, CloserNews and MLB Rumors
Bill Shaikin / Dodgers Blog:
Dodgers sue Fox Sports, alleging interference in team sale [UPDATED] — The Dodgers sued Fox Sports on Wednesday, alleging the television company is trying to “interfere with the sale of the Dodgers and their assets in bankruptcy.” — The suit was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Mike Scioscia's tragic illness and Yahoo! Sports
Jon Paul Morosi / mlbbuzz:
Fielder's next stop: Brewers unlikely, Parma possible? — Already, we know the identity of one mystery team in the Prince Fielder sweepstakes. — Cariparma Parma, of course. — You're not familiar with them? Well, Fielder is. — The free agent slugger was in Parma, Italy …
Discussion:
Al's Ramblings
Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com:
Blue Jays acquire Kimball on waivers from Nats — TORONTO — The Blue Jays claimed right-hander Cole Kimball off waivers from Washington on Wednesday afternoon. — The Nationals had been trying to outright Kimball to Triple-A, but they were unable to get him through waivers.
Discussion:
Batter's Box Interactive …
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Ike Davis is healthy, back and ready to go — This afternoon at Citi Field, Ike Davis enthusiastically declared, “I'm healthy. I'm back. I feel great and I'm ready to go.” — According to Davis, his ankle injury is behind him and he's happy he didn't have surgery because, right now, it would mean he'd still be in a boot.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Marc Carig / New Jersey Online:
Yankees invite C.J. Wilson to New York to meet with team — MILWAUKEE — Pleased with what he termed general manager Brian Cashman's “aggressiveness,” the agent for free-agent pitcher C.J. Wilson said tonight that the Yankees have invited him to New York to meet with team decision-makers.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball, It's About The Money, Pinstripe Alley, ESPN, Bronx Baseball Daily, MLB Rumors, HardballTalk and River Avenue Blues
RELATED:
Chad Jennings / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Notes from Cashman: Trades, relievers and rotation plans
Notes from Cashman: Trades, relievers and rotation plans
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, Pinstripe Alley and The Yankee Analysts