Top News:
Bill Madden / NY Daily News:
Gary Carter's fight with cancer takes turn for the worse; new tumors found on NY Mets Hall of Famer's brain — Family reveals Kid's grave condition after recent MRI — Gary Carter, one of the heroes of the '86 World Series champion NY Mets (below), is found to have four small tumors …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Bats, Yahoo! Sports, Baseball Nation and Old Time Family Baseball
Aaron Gleeman / HardballTalk:
Fausto Carmona arrested in Dominican Republic for using false identity — Jorge Arangure of ESPN.com passes along word from reporter Yancen Pujols that Indians right-hander Fausto Carmona was arrested in the Dominican Republic and is being charged with using a false identity.
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe, Yahoo! Sports, baseballmusings.com, MLB Rumors and The Big Lead
Joe McDonald / ESPN:
Cherington: Crawford's wrist OK at end of year — BOSTON — There have been some questions why the Boston Red Sox and Carl Crawford waited until January for the outfielder to have surgery on his sore left wrist, but general manager Ben Cherington explained on Thursday that at the end …
Discussion:
Boston Globe
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Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Cherington confident about Red Sox's rotation — BOSTON — The Boston Baseball Writers' Association of America dinner, which took place Thursday night, is always the first hint that Spring Training is finally in the not-too-distant future. And when it comes to the 2012 Red Sox …
Discussion:
Boston Globe
Susan Slusser / Oakland Athletics:
Petaluma's Jonny Gomes nearing a deal with the A's — A source close to the situation tells me that Petaluma's favorite son, Jonny Gomes, is so close to signing a contract with the A's “he could be in green and gold by Monday,” and a second source confirmed that a deal is likely.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
Jon Star / MLB.com:
Veteran infielder Cabrera plans to retire — Two-time Gold Glove Award winner played for nine clubs — Long-time utility infielder Orlando Cabrera announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Wednesday while a guest on a Colombian radio station.
Discussion:
joy of sox
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Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Orlando Cabrera retires
Orlando Cabrera retires
Discussion:
Old Time Family Baseball and The Mighty Quinn Media Machine
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Orlando Cabrera To Retire
Orlando Cabrera To Retire
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, NotGraphs Baseball and Full Count
Jon DeRosa / bronxbanterblog.com:
Leave the Gun. Take the Cannoli. — I can't relate to pitchers. I had to take the ball from the second grade up through freshman year of high school and I hated it most of the time. I could hit, though, until it was too dark out to see the ball. If my dad's arm didn't get tired, we might still be out there.
Discussion:
It's About The Money
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies' Nicasio set to compete; Betancourt's contract extended — Juan Nicasio commanded attention Thursday when he walked into the Coors Field clubhouse, but not for the one-inch scar on his neck. He had a mohawk. — “I like it,” said Nicasio, joking that friend and teammate Esmil Rogers cut it.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank blog:
Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez helping UM pal Jon Jay with celebrity bowling tournament — Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez will participate in Jon Jay's Celebrity Bowling Challenge on Jan. 28 at Lucky Strike Lanes in Miami Beach. — Jay, an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, is good friends with Sanchez.
Discussion:
Marlin Maniac, Variety and JSOnline
Adam Kilgore / Washington Post:
The Nationals look like Prince Fielder favorites — My instant analysis from last night concerning the effect of Yu Darvish's contract on Prince Fielder already seems woefully wrong. I still liked the Rangers' chances to land Fielder, and then Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels said of signing him …
Discussion:
Seattle Times, Federal Baseball and Postcards From Elysian Fields
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Evan Grant / Rangers Blog:
Rangers remain interested in Prince Fielder, but only in “creative” deal
Rangers remain interested in Prince Fielder, but only in “creative” deal
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, Federal Baseball, MLB.com and JSOnline
Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Tribe inks Lewis, Accardo to Minor League deals — Pair invited to Spring Training as non-roster players — CLEVELAND — One of the Indians' goals for this offseason was to add a group of experienced players to add depth behind the Major League roster. The result has been a wave of signings to address that area of need.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Prospect Watch: Top 10 third basemen — Rockies slugger, Minors RBI leader Arenado heads list … Over the past few years, there seemed to be a dearth of legitimate prospects at the hot corner. While it might not quite be a full-on renaissance, this year's Top 10 third-base prospect list does …
Ben Badler / Baseball America:
Yoenis Cespedes Hits First Home Run (With Video) — Yoenis Cespedes has gotten off to a sluggish start in the Dominican League playoffs, but he flashed his bat speed and power potential tonight with his first home run since joining the Aguilas Cibaeñas.
Discussion:
School of Roch, South Side Sox, HardballTalk and Old Time Family Baseball
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Bulked-up Dexter Fowler is center of attention for Rockies — Outfielder targets greater strength, speed — LAS VEGAS — The most arresting sight in the gym on this day wasn't a carved Troy Tulowitzki, another bench press from Jason Giambi or the barreled chest of trainer Mark Philippi that should come with a dresser and nightstand.
Discussion:
Purple Row, HardballTalk, baseballmusings.com and Associated Press
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Yu haul: Rangers land Darvish in $60M deal — ARLINGTON — Yu Darvish is undertaking the journey from Japan to the U.S. with the intention of helping the Rangers achieve their goal of winning a World Series championship. — That is one of the reasons why he is coming to Texas and why the Rangers …
Discussion:
B3: Big, Bald and Beautiful and The Soxaholix
RELATED:
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Rockies To Sign Jamie Moyer — The Rockies have agreed to sign 49-year-old left-hander Jamie Moyer to a minor league deal, the team announced. Troy Renck of the Denver Post reported Monday that the Rockies had offered the veteran a contract. The Rockies will give Moyer the chance to compete …
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, MLB Daily Dish and Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies sign 49-year-old Jamie Moyer to minor-league deal
Rockies sign 49-year-old Jamie Moyer to minor-league deal
Discussion:
On the Rox