Top News:
Michael Silverman / Clubhouse Insider:
‘Serious interest’ in Red Sox DH David Ortiz from other teams — Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz has choices now. — The free agent is receiving “serious interest” from more than one team, an industry source said today, indicating that Ortiz has more than one offer already.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, MLB Daily Dish, HardballTalk, Boston Herald and Fenway West
RELATED:
Dan Connolly / Orioles Insider:
Orioles' top affiliate will have a new manager in 2012 — The Orioles' top affiliate will have a new manager in 2012. Ron Johnson, a long-time minor-league skipper who spent the past two seasons as first base coach for the Boston Red Sox, is expected to take over as the manager of the Norfolk Tides, the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate.
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Bats, HardballTalk and Full Count
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Source: Red Sox yet to make offer to Valentine
Discussion:
NESN.com and FenwayNation
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Suggestion box opened on behalf of Red Sox
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, NESN.com, Call to the Pen, FenwayNation and MLB Rumors
Zachary Levine / Ultimate Astros:
Tal Smith disappointed with manner of firing, wants to stay in baseball — While not much a believer in titles, deposed Astros president of baseball operations Tal Smith saw a pretty good sign that change was barreling toward his desk when Jim Crane named George Postolos the president and CEO of his would-be ownership group.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Zach Links / MLB Rumors:
Astros Dismiss Ed Wade, Tal Smith
Discussion:
Ultimate Astros, The Crawfish Boxes and Yahoo! Sports
Mark Hale / New York Post:
Former Mets closer Wagner won't consider Phillies offer — The Phillies were interested in having Billy Wagner come out of retirement next season, but the star closer passed on both returning to baseball and rejoining the Mets' arch rivals. — Wagner, who retired after a sparkling 2010 with the Braves …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Dylan Hernandez / Dodgers Blog:
Jonathan Broxton not returning to the Dodgers, agent says
Discussion:
Baseball Nation and HardballTalk
Michael Baron / MetsBlog.com:
Broxton's agent doesn't think he'll sign with Mets
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue and MLB Rumors
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Johnny Narron joins brother on Brewers staff — New hitting coach reunited with bench coach, replaces Sveum — MILWAUKEE — The Brewers have found a hitting coach to replace the departed Dale Sveum, and it's a familiar name. — Johnny Narron, a former Brewers Minor League coach and manager …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
Adam McCalvy / Brew Beat:
Brewers name Johnny Narron hitting coach
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Postcards From Elysian Fields
Lynn Henning / Detroit News for Monday …:
Tigers' sights are on Mark Buehrle, but they're not alone — Six years ago next week, the Tigers signed a 41-year-old left-handed pitcher named Kenny Rogers to balance a starting rotation heavy with youth. — The Tigers are packing for next week's Winter Meetings in Dallas and hope to grab …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Bless You Boys, HardballTalk and The Goessling Game
RELATED:
Marc Topkin / The Heater Feed:
Rays trade C Jaso to Seattle for reliever Lueke — UPDATE, 9:01: Jaso, driving through the California mountains at the time, was caught off-guard by the news, expecting to come to spring training with a solid shot to be the front-line catcher: “Definitely surprised. ... It was a really big shock.”
Discussion:
Lookout Landing, U.S.S. Mariner, DRaysBay, Hardball Times, Rays Index, MLB Daily Dish, MLB Rumors, Yahoo! Sports and FanGraphs Baseball
RELATED:
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Change of heart: Kaat deserves Cooperstown — Decades later, sturdy left-hander looks more like a Hall of Famer — 'Tis the season of “Upon further review,” and high time I use the available mulligan. I should have supported the Hall of Fame candidacy of Jim Kaat.
Discussion:
Hardball Times and Mike Silva's …
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Numbers say Halos struggle to ‘create’ runs — Despite down season, Abreu led club in runs created in 2011 — ANAHEIM — According to the machinery that churns out “runs created,” one of the popular categories in baseball's stat age, the Angels' most productive offensive player in 2011 was ... Bobby Abreu?
Associated Press:
Minor leagues, umpires reach deal — NEW YORK — Five years after striking for the first two months of the season, minor league umpires reached an agreement on a new labor contract Monday, two days before their current deal was to expire. — The agreement calls for salaries to remain …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Fox Sports:
Pujols, Fielder top free-agent market — Beginning next Monday in Dallas, the baseball industry will swarm about the Hilton Anatole in Dallas for four frenetic days. Every text message, phone call and footstep by the high-powered agents and executives will nudge the sport a little closer to spring training.
Discussion:
Federal Baseball and HardballTalk
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Garza to the Red Sox makes sense — ESPN's Buster Olney reported on Twitter today that the Cubs are open to trading Matt Garza. — Here's a crazy idea that just might work: send a few prospects to the Cubs for Garza as compensation for Theo Epstein. — Garza alone is way too much compensation …
Discussion:
Full Count, FenwayNation and Yankees Fans Unite
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Post-Thanksgiving free-agent feeding frenzy begins — The fun starts now. Baseball's offseason isn't like the NFL's, where the best players sign within the first 72 hours, or the NBA's, packing a couple of locked-out, spoiled months into a few days. It's like barbecue: low and slow until the end …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and MLB Daily Dish
