Top News:
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies deal Seth Smith to Athletics, add two starting pitchers — Seth Smith spent the winter in wonderland. Today, the questions and uncertainty ended. With the outfielder viewed as a luxury item after the signing of free agent Michael Cuddyer, Smith was shipped to to the Athletics …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
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Troy Renck / On the Rox:
Rockies' Smith avoids arbitration with one-year deal — Seth Smith has spent the winter in wonderland, mentioned repeatedly in trade rumors as the Rockies made a play for Braves' infielder Martin Prado and starting pitchers. Talks have cooled, but Smith remains a potential chip in a deal.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, MLB Daily Dish and Purple Row
Associated Press:
Athletics acquire OF Smith in deal with Rockies
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and Cincinnati Reds
Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Rox trade Smith to A's for Moscoso, Outman
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, HardballTalk, Purple Row and MLB Daily Dish
Fox Sports:
BoSox need to face reality, fix rotation — The Yankees had to upgrade their starting rotation. They knew it. Their fans knew it. The competition knew it, too. — The New York starters were mediocre last year — 14th among 30 big league teams in ERA — and couldn't beat …
Discussion:
Full Count, MLB Rumors and Talkin Sox with Dan
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Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Red Sox To Sign Vicente Padilla — 1:44pm: Padilla received a minor league deal that pays $1.5MM in the Majors, reports the Boston Herald. — 11:34am: The Red Sox reached an agreement with righty Vicente Padilla, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB Network. Boston's interest in Padilla …
Discussion:
Clubhouse Insider, BoSox Injection, Boston Globe, NESN.com and SI Tracking Blog
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Saltalamacchia avoids arbitration
Discussion:
Over the Monster and MLB Rumors
Dan Martin / New York Post:
Yankees eye Damon as DH — With the Yankees in the market for a designated hitter now that Jesus Montero is heading to Seattle, they are looking at a number of options and reportedly already reached out to Johnny Damon and Carlos Pena. — Since they already added $10 million to the payroll …
Discussion:
Full Count and Sliding Into Home
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Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
Yankees may bring back free agent Johnny Damon to play him as designated hitter — With Jesus Montero traded, former Bomber could fit at right price — It was only Friday that Brian Cashman drew a deep breath and executed a tornado of moves that fattened his starting rotation …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, FanGraphs Baseball and HardballTalk
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Tigers Avoid Arbitration With Rick Porcello — The Tigers avoided arbitration with starter Rick Porcello, MLBTR has learned, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $3.1MM. Porcello recently made the easy decision to take arbitration over a $1.344MM option in the Major League deal he signed when drafted.
Discussion:
Beck's Blog, Yahoo! Sports, MLB Daily Dish and Bless You Boys
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Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
Hanrahan, Morton get deals to avoid arbitration — The Pirates reached deals with closer Joel Hanrahan and starter Charlie Morton on Monday, avoiding arbitration with both players. Hanrahan's deal is worth $4.1 million, and Morton will receive $2.445 million next season.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and MLB Daily Dish
Jorge Castillo / New York Times:
Puerto Rico Traces Decline in Prospects to Baseball Draft — Ivan Rodriguez at bat. Mr. Rodriguez, 41, is currently a free agent and playing for one of the Puerto Rican Winter League's four teams. He is the last active Puerto Rican major leaguer to avoid the draft. More Photos »
Discussion:
New York Times and IT IS HIGH!
Associated Press:
Oakland manager Melvin excited about Japan series — TOKYO (AP) - With or without Hideki Matsui, Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin is looking forward to opening Major League Baseball's 2012 season in Japan. — The Athletics and Seattle Mariners open the regular season with a two-game series at Tokyo Dome on March 28-29.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Joe Christensen / Around the Majors:
Twins agree to terms with former Tigers reliever Zumaya — The Twins have agreed to a deal with former Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya, pending a physical, a major league official confirmed today. — The agreement was first reported by MLB.com. — Zumaya, 27, is expected …
Discussion:
Over The Baggy, AaronGleeman.com and Puckett's Pond
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Jason Beck / Beck's Blog:
Zumaya agrees to deal with Twins
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Purple Row, Baseball Nation, Boston Globe, MLB Daily Dish, MLB Rumors, Eye on Baseball, HardballTalk and FenwayNation
Chris Jaffe / Hardball Times:
10th anniversary: Rangers sign Chan Ho Park — Today marks the 10th anniversary of one of the worst free agent signings in baseball history. On Jan. 16, 2002, the Texas Rangers ownership opened up its pocketbooks to give a gaudy five-year, $65 million contract to starting pitcher Chan Ho Park.
Chris Jaffe / Hardball Times:
The possible upcoming Cooperstown ballot apocalypse — Uh-oh. Here it comes. — Here comes the mess, and it's heading straight for Cooperstown. — This January, the Baseball Writers Association of America held its annual Hall of Fame election, this time voting Barry Larkin into Cooperstown.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Baseball Nation
SportsDayDFW com / Dallas Morning News:
National writer: If Rangers sign Prince Fielder, he'd be best hitter in baseball ‘by a mile’ — USA Today baseball writer Bob Nightengale joined KESN-FM's Galloway & Co. last week to discuss the Rangers' meeting with Prince Fielder. Here are some highlights:
