Top News:
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Sox get relief in deal — Melancon costs Lowrie, Weiland — Ben Cherington's first major trade since taking over for Theo Epstein as general manager of the Red Sox focused on a much-needed piece, the future closer. — Mark Melancon, once considered Mariano Rivera's successor …
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue, Surviving Grady, The Soxaholix and River Avenue Blues
RELATED:
Chad Finn / Boston Globe:
Red Sox acquire Mark Melancon from Astros — The Red Sox have made a significant addition to their bullpen, acquiring righthanded reliever Mark Melancon from the Astros for infielder Jed Lowrie and reliever Kyle Weiland. The team confirmed the move in a press release this afternoon.
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Red Sox Acquire Melancon For Lowrie, Weiland — The Red Sox acquired reliever Mark Melancon from the Astros for shortstop Jed Lowrie and starter Kyle Weiland, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick first tweeted that Weiland was traded to Houston in a deal that involved a reliever going to Boston.
Fox Sports:
Sources: Nakajima explores alternatives — If Japanese infielder Hiroyuki Nakajima does not want to play for the New York Yankees, there still might be a way for him to join a major-league team next season. — The Yankees could work a sign-and-trade involving Nakajima …
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues, Viva El Birdos, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Mike Silva's …, MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Darvish bidding process is cloak-and-dagger affair — The Yu Darvish sweepstakes is turning into a spy novel. An international man of mystery. Exorbitant amounts of money. Suspense. Lies. Subterfuge. The only things missing are a shifty mole and a double cross.
RELATED:
Paul White / USA Today:
Baseball buzz turns to imports Yu Darvish, Yoenis Cespedes
Discussion:
LA Times Sports Blog, Yahoo! Sports and Washington Post
DanDotLewis / Amazin' Avenue:
An In-Depth Look at the Mets' Finances — The Mets' financial situation is worse than we thought. I've written a few things over the last week or so, and during the process, I keep finding new facts alleged by the media about the dollars and cents — or lack thereof — which make this team run.
Discussion:
DRaysBay, Baseball Nation, Forbes, HardballTalk, Deadspin and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
RELATED:
Jim Breen / FanGraphs Baseball:
Re-Evaluating the Rasmus Trade — When Alex Anthopoulos and the Toronto Blue Jays acquired center fielder Colby Rasmus for Edwin Jackson, Octavio Dotel, and Marc Rzepczynski just before the Trade Deadline last summer, the blogosphere and Twitterverse were exploding with praise for Toronto.
Discussion:
Drunk Jays Fans and Al's Ramblings
RELATED:
Rick Telander / Chicago Sun Times:
Sports today is all a twisted fantasy — This sure isn't the Golden Age of Sport. — I don't know what you'd call it — the Aluminum Age, the Strontium-90 Age? — but it's rare and shimmering only in the way a nuclear explosion is. — The 2011 MVP of Major League Baseball testing positive …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Quinn Roberts / MLB.com:
Giants bringing back Mota for third season — The San Francisco Giants are close to finalizing a $1 million, one-year deal with free-agent reliever Guillermo Mota, according to The Associated Press. — Both sides have agreed to terms and are waiting to complete a physical and final paperwork …
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Cubs, Dodgers Interested In Coco Crisp — The Cubs and Dodgers have been in discussions with Coco Crisp to play left field, MLBTR has learned. The 32-year-old hasn't played left regularly since 2005 with the Indians. — The Cubs' inquiry on Crisp is interesting, since …
Discussion:
True Blue LA and HardballTalk
Phil Mackey / 1500 ESPN SportsWire:
Role still being finalized, but Bill Smith likely returning to Twins — 4:05 p.m. Twin Cities Sports Update - with John Heidt — SportsWire Twins Role still being finalized, but Bill Smith likely returning to Twins — Former general manager Bill Smith appears to have rejoined the Minnesota Twins' organization.
Discussion:
Minneapolis Star Tribune, AaronGleeman.com, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Fox Sports:
Who's still in Fielder market, who's not — Albert Pujols will turn 32 next month. It's very possible that his best seasons are behind him. He just signed a 10-year, $254 million contract with the Angels. — Prince Fielder, 27, is entering his prime. He had the better 2011 regular season.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and Drunk Jays Fans
Jfay / Cincinnati Reds:
Jocketty is still frustrated — Walt Jocketty's progress report on the trade front: — “It's all I've been working on — trying to improve our pitching,” he said. “It's been an extension of the winter meetings. But we're still not close on anything. It's very frustrating.”
Discussion:
HardballTalk
