Top News:
John Tomase / Boston Herald:
Sox finalists: Bobby Valentine, Gene Lamont — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email + Bio — It's down to two. — The long and winding Red Sox [team stats] managerial search has entered its final stages, and barring a surprise, the team has whittled its list to a pair of finalists: Gene Lamont and Bobby Valentine.
Discussion:
Fox Sports, Boston Globe, Full Count, Mets Merized Online and MLB Rumors
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Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
No new manager until next week — Here's what we know in terms of finding a new manager: — Nothing will be settled today according to team sources and the earliest an announcement will be made is next week. Gene Lamont did indeed meet with ownership earlier this week, so he joins Bobby Valentine in that regard.
Jeff Jacobs / Hartford Courant:
Bobby Valentine Will Be Fun With Red Sox, But It Won't End Well
Bobby Valentine Will Be Fun With Red Sox, But It Won't End Well
Discussion:
Over the Monster and Boston Globe
Nancy Dillon / NY Daily News:
Former NY Mets outfielder Lenny Dykstra holds first sit-down interview since plea in grand theft auto case — Jail, rehab humble Dykstra — Former Mets Lenny Dykstra says he now looks at world from a cleaner, clearer perspective. — LOS ANGELES — The former Met known as “Nails” …
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, Kranepool Society, Amazin' Avenue and HardballTalk
Adam Berry / MLB.com:
Report: Chili Davis to be A's hitting coach — Former slugger coached this past season in Red Sox system — The A's have hired Chili Davis to be their new hitting coach, according to a report by Comcast SportsNet New England. — Davis, 52, served as the hitting coach for Boston's Triple …
Discussion:
Giants Win, Pinstripe Alley, Yahoo! Sports and Halos Heaven
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
Pujols will likely decline Cards' arbitration offer — Should All-Star sign elsewhere, St. Louis gets two Draft picks — ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals formally offered arbitration to Albert Pujols on Wednesday, ensuring that if the superstar is playing for another club in 2012, they'll get some recompense.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Pujols sticking with Lozano as his agent — Free agent first baseman Albert Pujols told The Post-Dispatch late Wednesday night that Dan Lozano will remain his agent and that he will not change representation in response to an online report that used unnamed sources to allege his agent was involved in sordid activities.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers offer arbitration to Fielder, K-Rod
Brewers offer arbitration to Fielder, K-Rod
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter and Yahoo! Sports
Peter Gammons / MLB.com:
Nathan signing puts Feliz in rightful place — Rangers have long planned for righty to pitch in rotation — This was always the plan for Neftali Feliz. Oh, Game 6 remains painful for Rangers fans, but not the kind of angst that has had John McNamara and Roger Clemens taking shots at one another for 25 years.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Greg Johns / MLB.com:
Halman's funeral set for Tuesday in Netherlands — SEATTLE — The funeral service for Mariners outfielder Greg Halman will be held Tuesday in Driehuis, about five miles north of his hometown of Haarlem in the Netherlands. — The family is also holding a public viewing on Sunday …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Dan Connolly / Orioles Insider:
Klentak talks about leaving the Orioles — Matt Klentak, who spent the last four years as the Orioles' director of baseball operations, said today that leaving the club to become an assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Angels was just too good of a career move to ignore.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Yankees, Garcia reach deal — Freddy Garcia has reached agreement with the Yankees on a one-year deal worth about $4 million, plus incentives. — Garcia went 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA for the Yankees in 2011 after signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal in the offseason.
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Transcript of Press Conference with Bud Selig, Michael Weiner Announcing MLB Labor Deal — When MLB's labor deal was announced on Tuesday, it sets in motion a host of changes that will drastically alter how the game functions, both on and off the field. — The following is a transcript …
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Could some of the Cubs' culture bite the dust? — In a year of change, perhaps Cubbies, ‘Go, Cubs, Go’ will go bye-bye — Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein during a news conference to announce the hiring of manager Dale Sveum on Nov. 18. (US Presswire Photo)