Top News:
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals boost offer to Pujols — Image — DALLAS • The Cardinals rejoined the fray for free agent first baseman Albert Pujols on Tuesday by offering the three-time National League MVP a deal believed to potentially approach $220 million for up to 10 years. — Now they wait to see if it's enough.
RELATED:
MLB:
Sources: Marlins ready to move on from Pujols — DALLAS — The Miami Marlins have emotionally moved on from Albert Pujols, and assume he is signing elsewhere, presumably with the St. Louis Cardinals, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. — The team now has heavy offers …
Discussion:
ESPN, Baseball Prospectus, Phillies Nation and Lone Star Ball
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Marlins To Sign Mark Buehrle — The Marlins' heavy offseason spending continued today, as they agreed to sign lefty Mark Buehrle to a four-year, $58MM deal, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The durable lefty will head to the National League for the first time in his career to bolster Miami's rotation.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Fish Stripes, The Big Lead, Baseball Nation and River Avenue Blues
MLB:
Marlins, lefty Buehrle agree to four-year deal — DALLAS — The Miami Marlins plucked another free agent prize Wednesday, reaching a deal with four-time All-Star pitcher Mark Buehrle for $58 million over four years. — Manager Ozzie Guillen praised Buehrle over and over at baseball's winter meetings.
Discussion:
ESPN, baseballmusings.com and Federal Baseball
Bill Madden / NY Daily News:
Miami Marlins out of running for Albert Pujols, turn attention to Prince Fielder — Sources tell Daily News Pujols and Cards are a few million apart on 10-year deal — DALLAS - Albert Pujols appears headed back to the St. Louis Cardinals, prompting the Miami Marlins to switch their attention …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Jayson Stark / ESPN.com:
Sources: Marlins want pitching if Pujols says no
Sources: Marlins want pitching if Pujols says no
Discussion:
ESPN, HardballTalk and MLB
Jayson Stark / ESPN.com:
Pujols delays decision, talks resume Wednesday
Pujols delays decision, talks resume Wednesday
Discussion:
Lookout Landing, Miami Marlins and ESPN
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Case is far from closed in bullpen — DALLAS - The White Sox tried to gauge the Red Sox' interest in right fielder Carlos Quentin, which for the moment is lukewarm, but during those discussions, Sergio Santos's name never came up. — Red Sox evaluators love Santos's stuff …
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, MLB Rumors, Getting Blanked and NESN.com
RELATED:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Day of decision arrives for Ortiz
Day of decision arrives for Ortiz
Discussion:
Comcast SportsNet, MLB Rumors, baseballmusings.com, MLB Daily Dish and Yahoo! Sports
Enrique Rojas / ESPN:
Source: Papi to accept Boston's arbitration offer
Source: Papi to accept Boston's arbitration offer
Discussion:
Boston Globe, MLB Rumors, joy of sox and NESN.com
Luke Adams / MLB Rumors:
David Ortiz Plans To Accept Arbitration
David Ortiz Plans To Accept Arbitration
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, Over the Monster, River Avenue Blues, Full Count and WEEI
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Huston Street says trade from Rockies to Padres is “bittersweet” — DALLAS — Huston Street heard the rumors, read the stories, received the text messages. He knew his days with the Rockies were numbered given the team's bullpen depth and desire to use his money to pursue a veteran starter or everyday player.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
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Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Padres Acquire Huston Street — The Padres found their Heath Bell replacement, acquiring closer Huston Street from the division-rival Rockies for a player to be named later. The Rockies have officially announced the trade. The Rockies are eating $1MM on Street's $8MM salary, tweets Joel Sherman.
Discussion:
Baseball America, CloserNews, FanGraphs Baseball, Baseball Nation and HardballTalk
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Photo: Jose Reyes in a Marlins hat, thanks the Mets — “I have to thank the New York Mets for giving me the opportunity to play in the big leagues,” Jose Reyes said this afternoon, while wearing his new Marlins hat and jersey. “Right now, I'm really excited and happy to go to Miami.I'm part of this family now, and I have to move on.”
Discussion:
Fish Stripes
RELATED:
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Will the Mets trade David Wright?
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Pirates Sign Erik Bedard — The Pirates have agreed to sign lefty Erik Bedard, MLBTR has confirmed. Canadian journalist Marc Brassard first tweeted news of an impending $4.5MM deal, and the Pirates have since announced the deal. Bedard is represented by SFX. — Bedard, 32, is coming off his healthiest season since 2007.
Grant Brisbee / McCovey Chronicles:
A Love Letter to Andres Torres — The 2010 Giants were not expected to win the World Series. No, please, sit down. Hear me out. It was a bit of an unexpected run. Everything came together in just the right way, and the baseball monkeys ended up producing the entire works of Shakespeare …
Discussion:
Extra Baggs and Tedquarters
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Andrew Baggarly / Extra Baggs:
BREAKING: Giants trade OF Andres Torres and RHP Ramon Ramirez to the Mets for OF Angel Pagan
BREAKING: Giants trade OF Andres Torres and RHP Ramon Ramirez to the Mets for OF Angel Pagan
Discussion:
Wahoo's on First
Michael Baron / MetsBlog.com:
Mets trade Pagan to the Giants for Torres & Ramirez
George A. King III / New York Post:
Yankees trying to trade Burnett — DALLAS — The Yankees have inserted A.J. Burnett into the trade market at the Winter Meetings, The Post has learned. — According to multiple teams, the Yankees have let it be known they will listen to offers for Burnett and are willing to pay $8 million …
Fox Sports:
A's Gonzalez hottest lefty at meetings — DALLAS — The left-handed pitcher most in demand at the winter meetings is not either of the top free agents, C.J. Wilson or Mark Buehrle. — No, the lefty generating the most attention is the Athletics' Gio Gonzalez, who is attracting trade interest …
Discussion:
Oakland Athletics, Major Lee-ague, HardballTalk, Baseball Nation, Federal Baseball, Phillies Nation, Philliesflow.com and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Clubs eyeing undervalued talent in Rule 5 Draft — Unprotected Minor Leaguers can be taken by others Thursday — DALLAS — The final act of the Winter Meetings — the Rule 5 Draft — might seem to be an anticlimactic conclusion every December, what with all the talk of free-agent signings and trade rumors.
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
MLB agreement says Frank McCourt must sell Dodgers by end of April — McCourt's sale agreement with Major League Baseball allows him to decide whether he will sell the parking lots surrounding Dodger Stadium. Initial bids for the team and stadium are due Jan. 13.
Discussion:
Dodgers Blog
RELATED:
Richard Sandomir / New York Times:
Among Potential Dodgers' Bidders, Magic Johnson Brings More Than Name Recognition
Among Potential Dodgers' Bidders, Magic Johnson Brings More Than Name Recognition
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish
Jean-Jacques Taylor / ESPN:
Josh Hamilton would like extension … GARLAND, Texas — Josh Hamilton, entering the final year of a two-year, $24 million deal he signed before last season, said he'd like to get a deal done with the Texas Rangers on a contract extension before the season starts.
Discussion:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, HardballTalk, Full Count, MLB Rumors and Rangers Blog
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Mets sign Frank Francisco to a 2-year, $12 M Deal — The Mets and free-agent reliever Frank Francisco have agreed to a two-year, $12 million deal, according to FoxSports.com. — Ken Davidoff of Newsday was first to report on Twitter that the two sides reached agreememt, after which Jon Heyman …
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue and Tedquarters
RELATED:
Luke Adams / MLB Rumors:
Mets Agree To Two-Year Deal With Francisco
Mets Agree To Two-Year Deal With Francisco
Discussion:
Mike Silva's …, Baseball Nation, MLB Daily Dish, CloserNews, HardballTalk and Yahoo! Sports