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4:50 PM ET, January 16, 2012

Ballbug

 Top News: 
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies trade Seth Smith to Oakland, 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.
Associated Press:
Rockies trade Seth Smith to Oakland  —  DENVER — The Colorado Rockies have traded outfielder Seth Smith to the Oakland Athletics for right-hander Guillermo Moscoso and left-hander Josh Outman.  —  Monday's deal came a deal after Smith and the Rockies avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $2,415,000.
Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Rox trade Smith to A's for Moscoso, Outman
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 …
RELATED:
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 …
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Saltalamacchia avoids arbitration
Discussion: Over the Monster and MLB Rumors
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.
RELATED:
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Tigers agree to terms with Porcello, Coke
Discussion: SI Tracking Blog
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Zumaya agrees to deal with Twins
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 …
RELATED:
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
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.
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!
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Angels, Callaspo agree on one-year deal  —  ANAHEIM — The Angels agreed to a one-year contract with infielder Alberto Callaspo on Monday, thereby avoiding arbitration.  —  The deal is worth $3.15 million, according to a source, which is slightly higher than the reported figure Kendrys Morales agreed to …
Discussion: Yahoo! Sports
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
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
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 …
RELATED:
 
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 More News: 
SportsDayDFW com / Dallas Morning News:
National writer: If Rangers sign Prince Fielder, he'd be best hitter in baseball ‘by a mile’
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Bat will determine Flores' future position
Discussion: Mets Merized Online
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals extend Gio's contract through 2016
Discussion: Call to the Pen
Chris Jaffe / Hardball Times:
10th anniversary: Rangers sign Chan Ho Park
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Bean-counting GM Beane deserves a better place to work
 Earlier Picks: 
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
DeWitt: Cards did their best to re-sign Pujols
Tom Singer / MLB.com:
Rasmus, Blue Jays agree to one-year deal
Discussion: Yahoo! Sports
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Source: Bartolo Colon agrees to join A's
 

 
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Maria Sherman / Associated Press:
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