Top News:
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nats out on Darvish, likely to stick with rotation — Team opts against rich bid for pitcher with no MLB experience — WASHINGTON — The Nationals did not place a bid on right-hander Yu Darvish, a baseball source confirmed to MLB.com. The Washington Post was the first to report that Darvish was not in the Nats' plans.
RELATED:
George A. King III / New York Post:
Yankees behind Blue Jays in race for rights to Darvish — Having made a posting bid above $40 million and possibly close to $50 million, the Blue Jays are the favorites to land the negotiating rights to Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish. — There is a belief the Cubs also made a large bid …
Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
The Nationals did not bid on Yu Darvish — The identity of the team that won the right to negotiate with Yu Darvish has yet to be revealed, but we can count out the Nationals. Washington did not submit a posting bid, according to multiple people with knowledge, opting to stay on the sidelines …
Discussion:
Federal Baseball, HardballTalk, MLB Rumors and Baseball Nation
Gerry Fraley / Rangers Blog:
Signs point toward Toronto as winner of rights to Darvish
Discussion:
Federal Baseball and baseballmusings.com
Bob Elliott / Toronto Sun:
SPORTS BASEBALL — Jays frontrunners for Darvish?
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter
Fox Sports:
Orioles reassign 6 in scouting shakeup — Dan Duquette is taking the Orioles in a dramatic new direction, one that will renew the debate over the value of scouting vs. statistical analysis in baseball. — Duquette, the team's new general manager, essentially dissolved …
Discussion:
Camden Chat, Baseball Nation, School of Roch and HardballTalk
RELATED:
Dan Connolly / Baltimore Sun:
Orioles have added economic adviser to help evaluate players — In a fairly unconventional tweak to the Orioles' front office structure, new executive vice president Dan Duquette has hired an economic adviser with local ties to help determine players' financial value to the organization.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Tribe inks Pie, Lopez to Minor League deals — Both players extended non-roster invitations to Spring Training — CLEVELAND — Protecting the big league club by adding depth through Minor League signings has been an important approach for the Indians in recent years. This offseason is no exception.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Tribe bolsters outfield with deal for Cunningham — CLEVELAND — One goal the Indians had this offseason was to establish more depth in the outfield behind the starting trio. The Tribe believes it has found one possible solution in Aaron Cunningham. — On Friday, the Indians completed a trade with the Padres to add Cunningham.
Discussion:
Baseball America and Gaslamp Ball
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Source: Cubs talking to Paul Maholm — Having decided the bidding was too rich for top left-handed free agents Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson, the Cubs and agent Bo McKinnis have been negotiating the parameters of a deal that would bring left-handed starter Paul Maholm to Chicago next season, a major league source indicated.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Bleed Cubbie Blue
RELATED:
Mark Polishuk / MLB Rumors:
Cubs Negotiating With Paul Maholm — The Cubs are in talks with left-hander Paul Maholm, reports ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine. The team and Bo McKinnis, Maholm's agent, “have been negotiating the parameters of a deal” between the two sides. — Maholm, 29, posted a 3.66 ERA in 26 starts …
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Rockies To Sign Michael Cuddyer — Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd continued a busy offseason today by making his biggest move yet. The Rockies have agreed to sign Michael Cuddyer to a three-year, $31.5MM deal. — Cuddyer, 32, hit 20 homers and posted a .284/.346/.459 line in 584 plate appearances for the Twins this past season.
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, Baseball Nation and MLB Daily Dish
RELATED:
Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Cuddyer agrees to three-year deal with Rockies
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and The LoHud Yankees Blog
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies favorite to land Cuddyer, their primary target
Discussion:
Purple Row
Reuters:
Barry Bonds Gets 2 Years Probation in Steroids Probe — SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Home-run king Barry Bonds was sentenced on Friday to 2 years probation, with no prison time, for his conviction on a single criminal count related to an investigation over steroids use in sports.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer … and McCovey Chronicles
George Vecsey / New York Times:
With One More From the Heart, a Columnist Steps Away — This is a column about a column. — On St. Patrick's Day of 1980, the sports editor of The New York Times asked if I would consider moving back to the sports department. — The editor, Le Anne Schreiber, said she admired the way I wrote about nuns while covering religion.
Discussion:
Deadspin and The LoHud Yankees Blog
Fox Sports:
Fielder should be Cubs' player to lose — Based on what we know — and admittedly, we know only so much — the Cubs are the front-runners to sign Prince Fielder. — No one should schedule a news conference at Wrigley Field. These negotiations might only be in their early stages.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Seattle Times, MLB Daily Dish, HardballTalk and Baseball Nation
MLB.com:
Al Alburquerque undergoes surgery on right elbow — The Detroit Tigers today made the following announcement regarding righthanded pitcher Al Alburquerque: — Alburquerque underwent a surgical procedure to have a screw inserted into his olecranon to stabilize a non-displaced stress fracture in his right elbow.
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, Bless You Boys and Yahoo! Sports
