Top News:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Rangers, Kinsler talking new deal — General manager Jon Daniels has said throughout the off-season that retaining the core players from two World Series runs is the top priority for the Texas Rangers, though for now the process is in the preliminary stages.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Lone Star Ball and Rangers Blog
RELATED:
Joey Matschulat / Baseball Time in Arlington:
Ian Kinsler's Next Big Deal — Times like these tend to call for some kind — any kind — of good news, and it appears that there may be a flicker of good news on the horizon for a team that just watched its 2012 division-winning chances slip dramatically and a disquieted fan base anxious …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Source: Matt Moore, Rays agree — The Tampa Bay Rays have reached agreement with rookie pitcher Matt Moore on a guaranteed five-year, $14 million contract, according to a baseball source. — The deal includes multiple club options and could extend to eight years for a guaranteed $37.5 million …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Getting Blanked, DRaysBay, Pinstripe Alley, Baseball Prospectus, MLB Daily Dish, Full Count, Deadspin and WasWatching.com
RELATED:
Fred Goodall / Globe and Mail:
Matt Moore agrees eight-year deal with Rays — Two months after becoming the youngest starting pitcher to win a team's opening playoff game, Tampa Bay left-hander Matt Moore has agreed to an eight-year contract that could be worth up to US$39.75 million. — The 22-year-old made his major league debut …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Interpreting Scott Boras' Comments On Prince Fielder — There's more finesse to Scott Boras' sales pitch than there is to Prince Fielder's swing, but neither man holds back. In Dallas this week Boras argued that the free agent first baseman can invigorate a fan base and strengthen a lineup …
Discussion:
JSOnline, BBTF's Baseball Primer … and Crashburn Alley
RELATED:
St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
DALLAS • On his morning flight home from the winter meetings on Thursday, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak surveyed the new landscape of his team and saw an opportunity where most will only see a vacancy. — Life without Albert Pujols is not up in the air.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos and MLB Rumors
Mark Polishuk / MLB Rumors:
D'Backs Close To Acquiring Cahill, Breslow — 5:41pm: Neither Miley nor Borchering is involved in the trade, tweets Piecoro. — 5:22pm: Arizona may also send left-hander Wade Miley to Oakland along with Parker and Cowgill, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Doug Glanville / ESPN:
Sharing the gift of Albert Pujols — Sorry, Cardinals fans, but it's time to expose his otherworldly skills to the AL — As Scott Rolen and I leaned on the batting cage at home plate, we watched the hitter in the batter's box very closely. Rolen and I had our own language …
Discussion:
ESPN
RELATED:
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
From zero to $254 million, how the Pujols deal got done
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley, Over the Monster, BBTF's Baseball Primer …, FanGraphs Baseball, Baseball Nation and MLB Rumors
Los Angeles Times:
Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson deals enabled by TV revenue — The Angels' new deal with Fox Sports, said to be worth at least $3 billion and expected to cover 20 years, serves the team and the network. Deal has yet to be officially announced. — The Angels signed free-agent first baseman Albert Pujols …
RELATED:
Bill Shaikin / Dodgers Blog:
Dodgers can hold early sale of TV rights, judge rules [UPDATED]
Discussion:
Baseball Nation and MLB Rumors
Evan Drellich / MLB.com:
Nationals send Balester to Tigers for Perry — The Tigers and Nationals swapped a pair of right-handed relievers on Friday, when Washington sent 25-year-old Collin Balester to Detroit for 24-year-old Ryan Perry. — Balester is out of options after splitting last season between the Majors and Triple-A Syracuse.
Discussion:
Baseball America and Yahoo! Sports
Mike Newman / FanGraphs Baseball:
Rhiner Cruz? 1st Pick? Seriously? — In seeing Rhiner Cruz' name as the top pick in this year's Rule 5 draft, my first thought was this would be the last time I ever spent a tangible amount of time prepping for it. In a moment of clarity, the Houston Astros helped me understand just how important the Rule 5 draft is NOT.
Discussion:
MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com and Project Prospect
Mark Polishuk / MLB Rumors:
Phillies Sign Bush, Lerud, Purcey To Minors Deals — The Phillies have signed Dave Bush, Steven Lerud and David Purcey to minor league contracts, the team announced. All three players will be invited to Major League spring training camp as non-roster players.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
