Top News:
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Rangers win Darvish rights with record bid — The Texas Rangers won the rights to negotiate with star Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish by placing a record $51.7 million bid in a posting auction, sources told Yahoo! Sports. — Darvish's team in Japan, the Nippon Ham Fighters, will accept the bid …
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
Jays hope to score in Darvish bidding war — Albert Pujols is an Angel. The marketing potential of a superstar and the team's new regional television rights deal with FOX are two of the biggest reasons why. — Now consider the power of a single national franchise, beamed coast …
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Massive Darvish bid worth the risk for Rangers — Yu Darvish celebrated the announcement that the Texas Rangers had spent $51.7 million just to talk with him by doing what he does often: He worked out. There is a training ethic in Japanese baseball, one passed down from previous generations …
Discussion:
MLB.com and Purple Row
Mark Zwolinski / Toronto Star:
Yu Darvish sweepstakes: Blue Jays no sure bet to win — Conflicting messages and reports all day Monday have clouded the Yu Darvish sweepstakes. — Tweets from highly-respected baseball analysts south of the border as well as from Darvish followers in his native Japan have thrown a curve …
Fox Sports:
Nats working hard to land Gonzalez — The Nationals, continuing their quest to add a left-handed starting pitcher, are pushing hard to land the Athletics' Gio Gonzalez, according to major-league sources. — Gonzalez, 26, is perhaps the hottest pitcher available on the trade market …
Discussion:
Federal Baseball, MLB Daily Dish, NESN.com and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
Gio Gonzalez to Mets unlikely — Although the Mets recently discussed the possibility of acquiring Oakland starter Gio Gonzalez (as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports first reported Thursday), they are unlikely to pursue the pitcher, according to two major league officials familiar with the Mets' thinking.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, MLB Rumors and River Avenue Blues
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Nationals Pushing Hard For Gio Gonzalez
Discussion:
Federal Baseball and MetsBlog.com
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Revamped AL teams major concern for Sox
Discussion:
Over the Monster, MLB Rumors, Federal Baseball and Baseball Nation
Fox Sports:
Source: Diamondbacks, Kubel reach deal — The Diamondbacks, continuing their impressive off-season, have reached agreement with free-agent outfielder Jason Kubel on a two-year, $15 million contract, according to a major-league source. — The deal, which is pending a physical, also includes an option for 2014, the source said.
RELATED:
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Diamondbacks Sign Jason Kubel — The Diamondbacks have signed outfielder Jason Kubel, tweets Tom Krasovic. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who confirmed the agreement earlier today, now tweets that it's official and that Kubel has passed his physical. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says the deal is worth $15MM.
Discussion:
Getting Blanked, Baseball Nation and Amazin' Avenue
Eric Schmoldt / Sports Radio Interviews:
BALCO founder Victor Conte: Ryan Braun is Dead in the Water — All eyes are still on Major League Baseball and National League Most Valuable Player Ryan Braun, who has tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone. Braun is appealing the test and we really haven't heard anything …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Getting Blanked, Washington Post, Baseball Nation and Deadspin
Michael Baron / MetsBlog.com:
Today is David Wright's birthday — I am very much looking forward to watching Wright in 2012. It's a big season for him in a lot of ways, and he has numerous incentives to have a strong year for both himself and the team. He had been vocal about Citi Field's dimensions since the park opened …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Jamie Frevele / The Mary Sue:
The Atlanta Braves Are in a Legal Dispute With Disney Pixar Over Brave For Obvious Reason — In one of the biggest cases of “pick your battles,” the owners of the Atlanta Braves baseball team are reportedly “in negotiations” with Disney Pixar over the title of their next big release, Brave.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, baseballmusings.com and Talking Chop
Fox Sports:
Why the Angels should trade Abreu — Even before the Angels signed Albert Pujols, Bobby Abreu looked like their odd man out. — Now, with Kendrys Morales seemingly on the verge of a comeback, the Angels should consider trading Abreu rather than paying him $9 million to be a part-time DH.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com:
Endy heading to Baltimore with one-year deal — Speedy free agent expected to be O's top reserve outfielder — BALTIMORE — The Orioles crossed an item off their offseason shopping list, bolstering their outfield depth by agreeing to terms with veteran Endy Chavez for one year, pending a physical.
Discussion:
Camden Chat
RELATED:
Zach Links / MLB Rumors:
Orioles Agree To Sign Endy Chavez
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, HardballTalk and Camden Chat
