Top News:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Scherzer part of Rizzo's grand plan, or Lerner's all-in play for 2015? — FOX Sports — Knowing whether it was Nats GM Mike Rizzo (left) or owner Ted Lerner who ultimately made the call on acquiring Max Scherzer could be the biggest barometer for the club's true intentions for the roster this season.
Discussion:
Washington Post and Bleacher Report
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Washington Post:
Nationals complete deal with free agent pitcher Max Scherzer — The Washington Nationals radically altered the baseball landscape Sunday night, ending a winter of relative inactivity by agreeing to a seven-year contract with free agent pitcher Max Scherzer, according to a person with direct knowledge of the talks.
Discussion:
Providence Journal, Mark Bradley blog, Bleacher Report, New Jersey Online, Federal Baseball, Viva El Birdos and Fox Sports
Jon Heyman / CBSSports.com:
Max Scherzer in talks with Nationals and others on 7-year deal; deal soon — Top free agent pitcher Max Scherzer is talking to the Nationals and at least one other club about potential seven-year scenarios, sources said. — The Nats have a chance to win the services of the top free-agent pitcher after coming out of nowhere.
Jon Heyman / CBSSports.com:
(USATSI) — Top right-handed starter Max Scherzer and the Nationals are in agreement on a seven-year deal, CBSSports.com has learned. — Details of the deal beyond the seven years are not known. — Scherzer was reported by the Washington Post to have been “very close” …
Discussion:
The Big Lead, New York Post and The LoHud Yankees Blog
Thomas Boswell / Washington Post:
Signing Max Scherzer makes Washington Nationals better — right now and beyond — When a baseball team signs one of the best pitchers in baseball to a long-term free agent contract, then it just got significantly better. There's risk. It might have overpaid. In a few years, today's jewel could be tomorrow's fool's gold.
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue, Federal Baseball and HardballTalk
Jeff Sullivan / FanGraphs Baseball:
Nationals Build Potential Super-Team, Add Max Scherzer
Discussion:
Washington Post, Baseball News Source, Federal Baseball, baseballmusings.com, South Side Sox, NESN.com and MLB Daily Dish
Fox Sports:
BREWERS COMMITTED TO JIMMY NELSON, SO SCRATCH JORDAN ZIMMERMANN — JP Morosi — Since I previously made the case here for the Milwaukee Brewers to trade for Jordan Zimmermann, I should share with you something Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said on the subject Monday.
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Fox Sports:
JP Morosi — Despair not, Wisconsin sports fans. Your favorite team remains involved in a competition certain to grip the nation's attention over the next two weeks. — Which team will trade for Jordan Zimmermann? — See? Sunday's fourth-quarter collapse in Seattle actually was for the best.
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Rangers close to landing Gallardo
Discussion:
JSOnline, Fox Sports, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Lone Star Ball
Charlie Wilmoth / MLB Trade Rumors:
Cubs Acquire Dexter Fowler For Valbuena, Straily — The Astros and Cubs have officially announced that the Astros have traded outfielder Dexter Fowler to Chicago for infielder Luis Valbuena and righty Dan Straily. It's a win-now move for both teams, with the Cubs trading from depth to upgrade …
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs acquire Dexter Fowler from Astros
Discussion:
Ultimate Astros and baseballmusings.com
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Cubs acquire Fowler from Astros for Valbuena, Straily
Discussion:
Purple Row and Cubs 101
Jamie Samuelsen / Detroit Free Press:
Jamie: Cabrera needs patience, discipline with ankle injury — Jamie Samuelsen, co-host of the “Jamie and Wojo” show at 6 p.m. weekdays on WXYT-FM (97.1), blogs for freep.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free Press nor its writers.
Discussion:
Bless You Boys and Bleacher Report
William Boor / MLB.com:
Righty appeared in 20 games for Angels in '14 — 9/21/14: Yoslan Herrera induces a grounder from Adam Rosales, starting the inning-ending double play and escaping a bases-loaded jam — The Angels have released Yoslan Herrera in order for the right-hander to play for Yokohama …
Discussion:
Sporting News Feed RSS
Plain Dealer:
Packers OC Tom Clements on Cleveland Browns radar for OC vacancy — The Green Bay Packers' Tom Clements is someone the Cleveland Browns may be interested in interviewing for their vacant offensive coordinator job. (AP) — Mary Kay Cabot, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Mary Kay Cabot, Northeast Ohio Media Group
Discussion:
ProFootballTalk and JSOnline
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Wacha says he's ‘extremely healthy’ — Before he grabbed a pen to sign autographs at the Cardinals' Winter Warm-Up, pitcher Michael Wacha spent an hour or so of his offseason where he spent so much of the season. — Wacha had another MRI scan Sunday morning so that team physicians could pry …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Lagares, Granderson, Cuddyer key to New York's success in 2015 — MLB.com's Mets reporter Anthony DiComo talks about the Mets signing Michael Cuddyer to a two-year deal … NEW YORK — Last winter, the Mets signed Curtis Granderson to add legitimacy to the middle of their lineup. It didn't work.
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