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11:05 AM ET, January 3, 2012

Ballbug

 Top News: 
Tom Haudricourt / JSOnline:
Nationals a favorite for Fielder  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  An MLB official told me over the weekend that word is spreading in the industry that the Washington Nationals have emerged as a favorite to sign free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder.
RELATED:
Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
On Prince Fielder and the Nationals  —  The Nationals have frequently been linked this offseason with Prince Fielder, the best remaining free agent and the kind of slugger who would instantly make the playoffs in Washington seem closer to likelihood than fantasy.
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Insider: Albert Pujols showed he's human
Susan Slusser / San Francisco Chronicle:
Coco Crisp decides on next team, but won't say  —  Departures are the norm for the A's this winter, with pitchers Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Craig Breslow all dealt away and free-agents Josh Willingham and David DeJesus officially moving on.  —  One of the A's own free-agent outfielders, however, remains on the team's radar.
Discussion: MLB Daily Dish and HardballTalk
RELATED:
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:   Coco Crisp Decides Where To Sign
Baseball Insider:
Yankees choice could be Garza vs. E-Jax  —  The Yankees desperately seek a No. 2 starter, and fortunately for them, there are still many viable alternatives available on the trade and free agent markets.  —  But ultimately, the choice could come down to Matt Garza or Edwin Jackson.
RELATED:
Baseball Insider:
“No real favorite” in 5-team Garza derby  —  There is “no real favorite” in the five-team Matt Garza sweepstakes, according to someone familiar with the talks.  —  The teams involved the derby for the 28-year-old Cubs righthander at this point are the Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers, Red Sox and Marlins.
Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank blog:
Is Marlins All Star Hanley Ramirez finally warming to the idea of third base?  —  Perhaps the biggest question for the Marlins going into spring training is whether Hanley Ramirez will embrace his new position at third base.  Judging from his comments Friday in the Dominican Republic …
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Marlins' Ramirez Says He'll Accept Switch to Third Base  —  SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Hanley Ramirez says he'll accept a position switch to third base so Miami Marlins newcomer Jose Reyes can play shortstop.  —  When Reyes signed a $106 million, six-year deal with Miami last month …
Discussion: FenwayNation
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers await resolutions on Braun, Aoki  —  MILWAUKEE — Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said the club entered the New Year with no word about the status of outfielder Ryan Braun, who faces a 50-game suspension under Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention & Treatment Program.
Discussion: HardballTalk
RELATED:
Chris Jaffe / Hardball Times:
Next week's Cooperstown election results today  —  Next Monday the Hall of Fame will announce who the BBWAA is sending to Cooperstown.  If you want to know who will get in you won't have to wait until then to find out.  Just read on.  —  For the last few years I've issued an annual column predicting …
Rob Bradford / Full Count:
Sources: Red Sox still interested in Hiroki Kuroda, but price may be too high  —  According to multiple major league sources, the Red Sox have remained interested in free agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda.  The cost for the 36-year-old, however, figures to be out of the Sox' price range unless …
Discussion: MLB Rumors and FenwayNation
RELATED:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Sox can't buy their way out of pitching problems
Cincinnati.com:
Larkin is only no-doubter on Hall of Fame ballot  —  PLAYER VALUE RANKINGS ("WAR")  —  My second-favorite measuring tool to gauge who may or may not be a Baseball Hall of Famer is called “WAR” (Wins Above Replacement).  —  It judges a player's career value to his team by determining …
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
Yankees continue to negotiate with Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima  —  Bombers have until Jan. 6 to sign player  —  Hiroyuki Nakajima will likely have to take a pay cut — and will certainly have to accept a backup role — with the New York Yankees.  —  The Yankees continue to negotiate …
Discussion: Sliding Into Home
Dan Connolly / Baltimore Sun:
Orioles expected to hire Rick Peterson, Chris Correnti  —  Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette has been focused on pitching since he took over the club in November, and he's also been doing things slightly differently than in the past.  —  Looks like both trends are continuing.
 
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 More News: 
UTSanDiego.com:
Could Padres' next move be contract extensions?
Discussion: HardballTalk
Tim Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
The softening sadness of a brother's death
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Inbox: How could Darvish shape the rotation?
Discussion: Lone Star Ball
 Earlier Picks: 
Buster Olney / ESPN.com:
Rays top New Year's Power Rankings
Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Braves trainer's wife dies in car accident
Discussion: HardballTalk
TSN.ca:
Blue Jays sign LHP Laffey to minor-league deal
 

 
From WeSmirch:

Deadline:
Justin Baldoni Dropped By WME Following Blake Lively's Sexual Harassment Complaint

Josh Boswell / Daily Mail:
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez to marry this week as secret plans for $600M Christmas wedding revealed

Laurence Miedema / Mercury News:
Rickey Henderson, the greatest Oakland A's player of all time, has died at age 65

 
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