Top News:
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Source: Red Sox bring back catcher Shoppach — The Boston Red Sox have reached agreement on a one-year major league contract with free-agent catcher Kelly Shoppach, a baseball source told ESPN.com. The deal is expected to be announced sometime Tuesday. — A source said Shoppach …
Discussion:
The Heater Feed
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Red Sox To Sign Kelly Shoppach — The Red Sox have agreed to sign Kelly Shoppach to a one-year, $1.35MM deal, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). The deal will be announced today, Crasnick reports. — Shoppach, 31, hit just .176/.268/.339 in 253 plate appearances for the Rays in 2011 …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, MLB Daily Dish, Fenway West, Over the Monster, The LoHud Yankees Blog and MLB.com Hot Stove Blog
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Report: Red Sox sign Shoppach — Nick Cafardo reported yesterday that the Red Sox had an interest in catcher Kelly Shoppach. Now Jerry Crasnick of ESPN is reporting that the Sox signed Shoppach to a one-year deal worth $1.35 million. — Shoppach was drafted by the Sox in 2001 and made his major league debut with the team in 2005.
Discussion:
joy of sox
New York Post:
Jeter's booty hauls — Not so classy, captain! — Yankee star Derek Jeter, one of New York's most eligible hunks since his split with longtime gal pal Minka Kelly, is bedding a bevy of beauties in his Trump World Tower bachelor pad — and then coldly sending them home alone with gift baskets of autographed memorabilia.
Discussion:
The Big Lead, Subway Squawkers, NESN.com, Yanks Go Yard, HardballTalk, Deadspin, IT IS HIGH! and WasWatching.com, more at WeSmirch »
Fox Sports:
Rangers not fishing for Fielder, Darvish — That counter-punch to the Los Angeles Angels that many expect from the Texas Rangers probably is not coming. — The Rangers are more focused on trading for a starting pitcher than signing free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder …
Discussion:
MLB.com, Lone Star Ball, Bluebird Banter, HardballTalk, MLB Rumors and Baseball Nation
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Joey Matschulat / Baseball Time in Arlington:
The Rangers And The Case Of The Missing “Payroll Flexibility”
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball and baseballmusings.com
Mark J. Miller / Yahoo! Sports:
Rangers focused on trade for pitcher, not signing Fielder
Discussion:
Red Sox Monster
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Source: Dontrelle Willis, Phillies agree — The Philadelphia Phillies have reached agreement on a one-year major league deal with free agent Dontrelle Willis, a baseball source said Tuesday. — The deal, pending completion of a physical, would pay Willis about $1 million and include additional money …
Discussion:
Philly.com, Yahoo! Sports, Babes Love Baseball, MLB Daily Dish, Phillies Nation and MLB Rumors
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Brewers avoid arbitration with Kottaras — Club tenders pacts to all of its arbitration-eligible players — The Brewers avoided arbitration with George Kottaras, signing the catcher to a one-year contract, and tendered contracts to all of their arbitration-eligible players.
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Brewers, Pirates Swap Veras For McGehee
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, Bucs Dugout, River Avenue Blues and U.S.S. Mariner
Los Angeles Times:
Angels tender contract to Kendrys Morales — The team will commit about $3 million to the switch-hitting first baseman, who hasn't played since breaking his left ankle in May of 2010. Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar and Alberto Callaspo are also tendered contracts.
Discussion:
Halos Heaven
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Associated Press:
Baseball's new labor deal will include extra replay … NEW YORK (AP) Baseball's new labor contract includes more video replay, the chance for a longer All-Star break and a small, but likely welcome perk for players: the chance to get a private room instead of a roommate during spring training.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Rob Neyer / Baseball Nation:
John Rocker Admits Steroid Use During Career — John Rocker's got a new book. — Hey, I'll give it a chance. I love being surprised. Oh, and maybe he was kind enough to mention me! When the excrement hit the fan in 1999, I was one of the very few baseball writers who defended Rocker's right …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Deadspin, Talking Chop, baseballmusings.com and THE BOOK
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
MLB Teams Non-Tender 29 Players — Major League teams non-tendered multiple former All-Stars last night and it won't be surprising if some of the 29 players re-establish themselves as Major League difference makers. For now, however, they're free agents, cut loose because their former teams …
Discussion:
MLB.com Hot Stove Blog
Alex Speier / Full Count:
Source: Red Sox expect to go over luxury tax threshold — According to a major league source, the Red Sox expect to exceed the $178 million payroll threshold that would trigger luxury tax payments for the 2012 season. That is, of course, subject to change, but barring a deal …
Discussion:
FenwayNation
Dan Connolly / Baltimore Sun:
Orioles closing in on multi-year deal with LHP Tsuyoshi Wada — The Orioles are closing in on a multi-year deal with Japanese lefty starter Tsuyoshi Wada, which would re-open their pipeline to Japan, according to an industry source. — A deal is not done, but it is getting close and could be agreed upon today, the source said.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and Camden Chat
New York Times:
Mets, Struggling for Cash, Receive $40 Million Bank Loan — The owners of the Mets, needing cash and unable to turn to Major League Baseball for more financial help, received a $40 million loan from a major bank in the past six weeks. — The team described the arrangement as a “bridge loan …
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Marc Topkin / The Heater Feed:
Sonnanstine non-tenderered, Howell gets contract — UPDATE, 12:37 AM: Executive VP Andrew Friedman explained the decisions, saying they were confident Howell could still regain his pre-surgery and that there was no longer room for Sonnanstine. — On Howell: Friedman noted how much a grind …
Discussion:
Rays Index
Quinn Roberts / MLB.com:
Interesting choices pepper non-tender deadline — The Hot Stove reached another high point Monday night, with clubs making some tough decisions on whether to tender contracts to players under team control. — After the midnight ET deadline passed and the dust settled …
