Top News:
John Schlegel / MLB.com:
MLB.com writers weigh in on 2013 HOF ballot — With Barry Larkin safe at home among the immortals in Cooperstown, the 2013 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot is now up to bat and already delivering plenty of sock for those who will submit votes a year from now.
RELATED:
Jim Reeves / ESPN:
Juan Gonzalez gone from HOF ballots — Specter of steroids outweighed imposing numbers by former Rangers slugger … The slick promotional publication hit the mailbox sometime in late November or early December, just as it has for several years now. On the cover was the man we came to know and love as “Juando the Condo.”
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball and ESPN.com
Baseball Hall of Fame:
Barry Larkin Elected to the Hall of Fame
Discussion:
Bats and WasWatching.com
Carp / Rangers Report Blog:
Re-living the most remarkable season
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Getting Blanked and It's About The Money
David Kaplan / csnchicago.com:
Wood's time with Cubs appears all but over — While new Cubs baseball management has said all the right things about re-signing Kerry Wood as they go about the process of rebuilding a 71-win team, it appears that talking may be as far as they are going to go to get a deal done with the popular pitcher.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, River Avenue Blues, MLB Daily Dish, ESPN and Barry Larkin Nation
RELATED:
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs boost depth by signing Maholm — Former Pirates lefty tweets he's looking forward to Cubs Convention — Former Pirates lefty Paul Maholm has signed with the Cubs. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution Photo) — Paul Maholm will go down as the first Cub in history to announce his signing on Twitter.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, FanGraphs Baseball, MLB Rumors and CBS Chicago
David Kaplan / csnchicago.com:
Tigers, Cubs talking Garza trade
Discussion:
DRaysBay, Getting Blanked, Call to the Pen, MLB Rumors, Bless You Boys, The LoHud Yankees Blog, HardballTalk and CBS Chicago
Buster Olney / MLB:
Source: Selig to be offered two-year extension — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig will be offered an extension to his current contract, a highly placed source said. — Selig, 77, has one more year remaining on his current contract. He has previously said he intends to retire in 2012.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Twins Fan From Afar and baseballmusings.com
Buster Olney / ESPN.com:
The battle over Jeff Bagwell — Buster Olney writes that Jeff Bagwell is seemingly close to the Hall of Fame — earning 56 percent of the votes this year — but yet so far because of the ramifications of his era and PED suspicions that some writers can't seem to overlook.
Discussion:
Federal Baseball, River Avenue Blues, Bronx Baseball Daily and The LoHud Yankees Blog
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Brewers, Carlos Gomez Avoid Arbitration — The Brewers avoided arbitration with center fielder Carlos Gomez, agreeing to a one-year deal in the $2MM range, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Boras Corporation represents Gomez, who had a projected salary of $1.8MM, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Mariners To Sign Aaron Heilman — The Mariners have agreed to sign Aaron Heilman to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to Spring Training, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick tweets. Frontline represents the 33-year-old right-hander. — Heilman spent the first half of the 2011 campaign …
Discussion:
Lookout Landing
Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com:
Oliver acquisition beefs up Blue Jays' bullpen — TORONTO — The Blue Jays put the finishing touches on their bullpen Monday morning by officially signing left-hander Darren Oliver to a one-year contract. — Oliver will earn $4 million in 2012, with a club option valued at $3 million for the following season.
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog and Bluebird Banter
Carroll Rogers / Atlanta Braves:
Bout time? Q and A with Braves third baseman Chipper Jones — It's a little less than six weeks from when Braves pitchers and catchers report for spring training on Feb. 19, and I haven't bugged Chipper Jones all offseason. What's up with that? — Well let's say that's remedied …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Talking Chop
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Orioles sign Taiwanese left-hander Chen — The Orioles have signed left-hander Wei-Yin Chen of Taiwan to a three-year contract with a club option for 2015. The team formally announced the agreement on Tuesday. — Chen, 26, spent the last four years with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan's Central League.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
