AGRI Biz

(Update 12/17): After the Red Sox went out and signed John Lackey to a five-year/$82.5 million contract, GM Theo Epstein texted this interesting nugget to Josh Beckett, who will be a free agent at the end of the season: ôI sent Josh a text message as we were finalizing John LackeyÆs deal,ö Epstein said. ôI just told him, æSome might speculate this might mean the end for you in Boston.Æ ...

On Monday, I profiled some non tenders that could command multi year contracts. Well, we might have a surprising name to add to the list: Alfredo Amezaga. Because Amezaga is recovering from microfracture surgery to his left knee, the Marlins felt it was too risky to tender him a contract at Saturday's midnight ET deadline. A natural middle infielder who is an above average defensive center fielder, Amezaga made ...

Update (12/16): As it turns out, GM Mike Rizzo attended Chapman's workout yesterday. No one knows for sure what Rizzo came away with after seeing Chapman throw, but the question needs to be asked again, should the Nationals try to sign Aroldis Chapman? I say yes. With roughly $20 million dollars to spend this winter, the Washington Nationals are a team with options. On one ...

When you look at the Mets' offseason to date, what you see is a whole lot of nothing. The Mets have made no splashy moves, no free-agent signings, and no impact trades as they determine how the market will play out. But while the Mets have remained stagnant, the Mets' chief rivals have all made impact moves that will improve their prospects for 2010: á Phillies Acquired Roy Halladay Braves Acquired Billy Wagner, Takashi ...

The Boston Red Sox have their new left fielder and no, his name is not Holliday or Bay: The Boston Red Sox have reached a tentative agreement on a two-year deal with free-agent outfielder Mike Cameron, a baseball source told ESPN.com on Monday. The deal would be for $7 million to $8 million annually, according to The Associated Press. Cameron will have to pass a physical exam for the ...

By acquiring Cliff Lee from the Phillies yesterday, the Mariners are making a bold statement to the rest of the American League: We're going for it. Sure, the Mariners already signed Chone Figgins, but acquiring Lee is the reason why the Mariners are definitely going for it in 2010. How do I know this? Well, it has nothing to do with cost. Amazingly, the Mariners did not have to part with an excessive amount ...

Is it possible for the Cardinals to re-sign Matt Holliday despite their payroll limitations? It's looking more likely: The St. Louis Cardinals are taking another swing at free agent slugger Matt Holliday . The Cardinals have tweaked their standing offer for the free agent outfielder, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The new proposal is worth around $16 million a season, according to the newspaper. While Cardinals general ...

The inclusion of Cliff Lee in the Roy Halladay trade has to be a hotly debated topic amongst Phillies fans. While I'm sure there are many who are thrilled to have acquired Halladay, the realization that the Phillies gave up their best starting pitcher in the process has to add some sting to the deal. It's obvious that the Phillies decided to include Cliff Lee because it became apparent to them ...

After much speculation today, it looks like the deal is done. John Lackey is a Red Sox: The Boston Red Sox have reached a tentative deal with right-handed pitcher John Lackey , pending a physical, on a deal worth slightly more than the five-year, $82.5 million dollar deal A.J. Burnett signed with the New York Yankees last year, a source familiar with the negotiations told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Wow. ...

Is this the end for Hideki Matsui as a Yankee? According to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, it looks like it: á "The Los Angeles Angels are in serious discussions with Hideki Matsui about supplanting Vladimir Guerrero as their designated hitter, a source familiar with the team's thinking told ESPN.com. A league source told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney that the Angels and Matsui were closing in on a one-year deal for about $6.5 ...