Breaking News

The winter meetings are underway, and multiple important details have already dripped out.  Jason Bay is unlikely to re-sign with Boston.  Because of this setback, the Sox have taken the opportunity and extra money from not signing Bay, and have invested it in John Lackey, a 31-year-old ace.  The deal is about the same as Burnett's.  Five years for about 82.5 million dollars. 

The never-ending game of one-upmanship continues.

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly on the verge of inking the top pitcher on the market, John Lackey, to a five-year, $85 million contract.

Reports out of Boston claim that Lackey took a physical with the Sox on Monday, an indication that an official deal is close.

It took five months longer than we expected, but Roy Halladay is a Philadelphia Phillie.

According to Jon Heyman, the Phillies have agreed to a three-team trade with the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners that will send Halladay to Philadelphia, Cliff Lee to Seattle, and a package of prospects from the Phillies and M's to the Blue Jays.

Halladay, 32, will sign a contract extension with Philadelphia to complete the blockbuster.

John Lackey pitched the first game of a double-header between his Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park back in 2007. 

The Angels' ace had looked good, dominant even, all season long. But this just wasn't his day.

After surrendering five runs in the first inning, Lackey walked off the back of the mound and muttered to himself, glaring up at the outfield bleachers and shaking his head as he did: “F*** this place.”

That was then. This is now: John Lackey is the newest addition to the Red Sox' parade of aces. 

It's been a busy Monday with pitchers moving around the league.

Earlier this afternoon, it was reported that the Red Sox and John Lackey agreed to a five year deal worth around $85 million dollars.

Lackey was in negotiations with teams like the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, and Rangers among others, but now, he lands in Boston.

It's a solid move for the Red Sox, who get a top pitcher and a playoff-experienced pitcher to add to a rotation with Josh Beckett and Jon Lester at the top of it already. Lackey probably will be the number two pitcher in that rotation.

The Cincinnati Reds non-tendered outfielder Jonny Gomes on Saturday, according to the MLB.com.

Gomes posted impressive power numbers in 2009, batting .267 with 20 home runs and 51 RBI in just 281 at bats.

The problem was his feast-or-famine numbers against right-hand pitching. He hit 15 home runs in 180 at bats, but managed only 29 non-homer hits on his way to a .244 average against righties.

Matt Cerrone at MetsBlog points to a report out from Beisbol Invernal, which states that Alex Cora left a winter ball game with a back injury.

No additional information on the severity of the injury is available at this time.

This certainly isn’t good news for Omar Minaya, as he has faced criticism as of late for signing the veteran utility man to such a lucrative deal.

When Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings got underway on Dec. 7, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were said to be serious contenders in the bidding war for outfielder Jason Bay.

By week's end, Bay remained unsigned and Angels manager Mike Scioscia told reporters his team had “more pressing needs” to address.

Scioscia may have meant a new starting pitcher, but he might as well have been talking about his bullpen.

On Friday, the Angels announced reliever Jose Arredondo will undergo Tommy John surgery in January and miss the entire 2010 season.

Washington, DC—The Washington Nationals unwrapped their shiny new toy today just in time for the holidays.

On Friday morning, the White Sox signed free agent reliever J.J. Putz to a one-year, $3 million deal. The contract reportedly has incentives that could make it worth as much as $6 million.

The Cubs were reportedly interested in Putz, among other teams, but have been handicapped by their inability to move Milton Bradley.

Putz likely replaces the departed Octavio Dotel in the Sox bullpen but could close if the Sox decide to move closer Bobby Jenks.

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