Top News:
Ben Badler / Baseball America:
MLB Declares Yoenis Cespedes A Free Agent — The bidding for Yoenis Cespedes can begin. — Major League Baseball informed teams today that Cespedes, a 26-year-old Cuban outfielder, is now a free agent. Cespedes recently received his Dominican residency, a prerequisite for MLB to declare …
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The LoHud Yankees Blog, MLB Rumors and River Avenue Blues
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Joe Frisaro / The Fish Pond:
Marlins primed to bid for Cespedes — Cuban sensation Yoenis Cespedes is on the verge of becoming a free agent, and the Marlins are expected to make a strong push for the 26-year-old outfielder. — Cespedes has established residency in the Dominican Republic, which had kept him in a holding pattern for months.
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Evan Drellich / MLB.com:
Bailey avoids arbitration with one-year contract — BOSTON — The Red Sox have avoided salary arbitration with Andrew Bailey by signing the closer to a one-year, $3.9 million contract, according to a baseball source. — The deal, which includes $100,000 in incentives, was first reported by CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
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The Knobler Blog:
Red Sox like Oswalt, but does he like them?
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Eye on Baseball, Boston Globe and Over the Monster
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Latest On Roy Oswalt
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Marc Topkin / The Heater Feed:
Rays close to deal with INF Jeff Keppinger — The Rays are closing in on a deal with INF Jeff Keppinger. — If negotiations are completed and he passes his physical it is likely to be announced by the end of the week. — Keppinger, 31, split last season between the Astros and Giants …
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DRaysBay, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
In DC, new National Gio feels at home — Club introduces new southpaw in ballpark news conference — WASHINGTON — The Nationals introduced Gio Gonzalez to the local media at Nationals Park on Wednesday afternoon. The news conference came a little over a month after they acquired …
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T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Teams said to have interest in Rangers' Uehara — ARLINGTON — The Rangers are still drawing considerable interest from other teams in reliever Koji Uehara, according to a Major League source. — A trade to the Blue Jays fell through when Uehara exercised his no-trade clause, and the Orioles have shown interest.
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Richard Durrett / ESPN:
Source: Koji Uehara rejects trade to Toronto
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Sox to wear 1972 red throwback uniforms for Sunday home games — When Detroit and newly acquired slugger Prince Fielder come to U.S. Cellular Field in mid-April, the White Sox will counter with memories of former slugger Dick Allen. — The Sox announced Wednesday they will wear …
Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:
New Cubs pitching coach old-school — Nothing too fancy, Bosio just wants pitchers to get guys out — Pitcher Kerry Wood waves to the crowd at the Cubs Convention. (Chris Sweda / Tribune Photo) — If you believe that printouts from Carmine II or Big (Cubbie) Blue …
MLB.com:
Rockies and RHP Rafael Betancourt Agree on Contract Extension — Two-Year Contract Includes Option for 2014 — The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club has agreed to terms on a contract extension with right-handed relief pitcher Rafael Betancourt through 2013, with an option for 2014.
Discussion:
Hardball in the Rockies
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Reds, Masset Sign Extension — The Reds signed arbitration eligible reliever Nick Masset to a two-year extension, the team announced (on Twitter). As MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker shows, Masset had filed for a $2.9MM salary through arbitration, while the Reds had countered with $2.1MM.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Baseball Nation, MLB Daily Dish, Cincinnati Reds and Redleg Nation
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
Jose Bautista's drug testing seems something less than random — It's from the Dominican newspaper Hoy. And because I forgot all that Spanish I knew 20 years ago, I'm using Google translate to read it. — But the upshot: Bautista spoke at a banquet the other night and noted that in the past two years …
Discussion:
Getting Blanked, Drunk Jays Fans and baseballmusings.com
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Reds acquire Valdez in swap with Phillies — In trade for infielder, club sends left-handed reliever Horst — CINCINNATI — The final item on the Reds' offseason wish list — a backup infielder who can play shortstop — appeared to be checked off on Wednesday.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Mark My Word
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
Cardinals sign Motte to one-year contract — ST. LOUIS — Compromise can be a beautiful thing. Jason Motte and the Cardinals reached agreement Wednesday on a one-year contract for 2012, avoiding arbitration. — The deal is worth $1.95 million, according to CBSSports.com …
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