Top News:
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Madson-Phils divorce: Boras, Amaro point fingers … Less than a day after reliever Ryan Madson agreed to a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds, agent Scott Boras and Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. sharply disagreed on the chain of events that led …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, HardballTalk, Lone Star Ball and Batter's Box Interactive …
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Jerry Crasnick / ESPN.com:
Source: Reds, Ryan Madson have deal
Source: Reds, Ryan Madson have deal
Discussion:
Associated Press, Baseball Nation, The Good Phight, baseballmusings.com and Bleacher Report
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Reds, closer Madson agree on one-year deal
Matt Snyder / Eye on Baseball:
Reds to sign Madson to one-year contract
Reds to sign Madson to one-year contract
Discussion:
Baseball Insider and Yahoo! Sports
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals unlikely to sign Prince at current price — WASHINGTON — There is a “99 percent” chance that the Nationals will not sign free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder, according to a baseball source. — The news comes a few weeks after ownership met with Fielder and his agent, Scott Boras, in the nation's capital.
Discussion:
Seattle Mariners blog, JSOnline and Federal Baseball
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Lewie Pollis / Beyond the Box Score:
2012 Hall of Fame Vote: BBWAA Should End Secret Ballots — There are no special qualifications voters in democratic societies need to go to the polls except for citizenship, and all a fan needs to cast his or her vote for the All-Star Game is internet access or a ticket to the ballpark.
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, Viva El Birdos and DRaysBay
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Terence Moore / MLB.com:
Integrity, character make future Hall votes easy — Steroid users have eliminated themselves from consideration — You heard of “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” This is about how “Mr. Bonds Blew Cooperstown,” but before I get to that, I'm not saying the following proudly …
Dan Connolly / Baltimore Sun:
Luke Scott agrees to one-year deal with Tampa Bay Rays — Luke Scott, the outspoken, energetic slugger who spent four seasons in Baltimore and was named the 2010 Most Valuable Oriole, has agreed to a one-year deal with the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays that includes a 2013 option, according to an industry source.
Discussion:
DRaysBay, The Heater Feed, MLB Rumors and The Big Lead
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Marc Topkin / The Heater Feed:
Boras: Pena, Damon remain in play for Rays
Boras: Pena, Damon remain in play for Rays
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, HardballTalk, DRaysBay, MLB Rumors and MLB Daily Dish
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Angels, Morales agree to one-year contract — Slugger who missed past 1 1/2 seasons avoids arbitration — ANAHEIM — The Angels avoided arbitration with first baseman Kendrys Morales by agreeing on a one-year contract Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed …
Discussion:
Angels blog, LA Times Sports Blog, Yahoo! Sports and MLB Rumors
Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Mets receive good news on Ike Davis — PHOENIX — Finally, some good news for Mets fans: Ike Davis said Tuesday he is “good to go” for spring training after more than two months of hard rehab on the freakish left ankle injury that cost him most of the 2011 season.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and FanGraphs Baseball
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Randall Chase / Associated Press:
Judge OKs settlement between Dodgers, Fox Sports — WILMINGTON, Del. (AP)—A bankruptcy judge in Delaware on Wednesday approved a settlement between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Fox Sports that clears the way for the sale of the team. — The settlement, reached late Tuesday and quickly approved …
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Luke Adams / MLB Rumors:
Giants Agree To Two-Year Deal With Vogelsong — The Giants and Ryan Vogelsong have agreed to a two-year contract with an option for 2014, reports Mychael Urban of 95.7 FM The Game (via Twitter). The deal is worth a total of $8MM, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, Giants Nirvana and McCovey Chronicles
Wendy Thurm / Baseball Nation:
A Proposal To Break The Territorial-Rights Logjam Between The A's And The Giants — Since just before Christmas, there's been a flutter of rumors suggesting that MLB owners are close to making a decision on whether to permit the Oakland Athletics to move to a new, still-unbuilt ballpark in San Jose, about 40 miles to the south.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Braun, Yount headline Brewers ‘On Deck’ slate — Over 45 players, coaches and alumni to attend Jan. 29 event — MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun, Robin Yount and more than forty other current and former Brewers players, coaches and prospects have committed to attend the team's “On Deck” event in downtown Milwaukee later this month.
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Epstein: Wood talks continue, Garza trade talk overblown — Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epsten said Wednesday that talks with Kerry Wood are continuing, and speculation over a Matt Garza deal has been overblown by the media. — Wood is expected to return to the Cubs …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and detroitnews.com
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Do Quad-A Players Exist? — Just days before acquiring first-base prospect Anthony Rizzo from the Padres, Cubs president Theo Epstein appeared on Chicago radio and reiterated his support for Bryan LaHair. — “Bryan LaHair is our first baseman,” said Epstein. “I don't believe in the concept of 4-A players.
Discussion:
Angels blog