Sabathia Signs With Yankees

The New York Yankees and CC Sabathia have reached an agreement over a $161 million 7-year contract. Sabathia was one of the most coveted free-agents, but had only received offers from New York and Milwaukee. Other teams were reported to have interests in him, including the Dodgers, but no actions were ever made.

Winter Meetings - Day 2

The Dodgers had a quiet Day Two at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, though they did finalize deals with Casey Blake and Mark Loretta. GM Ned Colletti has made inquiries about numerous players, including Manny Ramirez, CC Sabathia, and trade options for Andruw Jones, according to MLB.com. Talks are limited on the option on Jones, however, as LA will be stuck with paying the majority of his salary. A new spot has opened on the Dodgers radar, as closer Takashi Saito's condition is shaky and uncertain. Trevor Hoffman's name has come up as a possible replacement if Jonathan Broxton is kept in the setup role.

Dodgers Already Make Things Interesting

Yahoo Sports is reporting that 3B Casey Blake has accepted the Dodgers' tentative 3-year offer. Blake, a mid-season trade acquisition from Cleveland, filled third-base for LA in the second half, a position that has created much chaos for the Dodgers since Adrian Beltre's departure in 2004. This report comes on the heels of news that CC Sabathia told Dodger GM Ned Colletti that he would like to play for Los Angeles come next season. CC's interest has created an opportunity for the Dodgers to make an open offer to the lefty, rather than just remaining in the "interested" category. News also came that Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe and Blake have all rejected the Dodgers' offer of arbitration. Arbitration is usually seen as a formality, in which the main goal is to get draft pick compensation if the free-agents sign with other teams.

Colletti Has His Hands Full in Vegas

The MLB Winter Meetings in Las Vegas are approaching, meaning all 30 GMs and too many agents to count will be talking in the Bellagio Hotel, negotiating and settling on deals for various players. This is where Dodgers GM Ned Colletti will make many key decisions, having to fill 14 empty roster spots created by free agency. Derek Lowe and Brad Penny are both essentially lost, meaning there could be as many as 3 empty spots in the rotation, coupling with Greg Maddux's retirement. Talks continue with Manny Ramirez and 3B Casey Blake, both of which look optimistic considering no offers have been made to Manny, and the Twins and Indians are both reported to have dropped out of talks with Blake. The situation with Rafael Furcal is the most confusing, as both he and LA have shown little interest in one another, but shortstop holes are being filled up quickly, not to mention his rejection of Oakland's initial offer. The Dodgers have shown a varying degree of interest in free-agent pitchers CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Randy Johnson, and Trevor Hoffman, as well as trades with the Pirates concerning SS Jack Wilson. Colletti himself has made just two offers all postseason: the 2-year contract to Manny Ramirez, and the 3 offers of arbitration to Manny, Blake, and Lowe. The arbitration, however, was done solely to get draft picks from teams who would sign the three if they all reject the Dodgers' offers. Trade talks with the Padres concerning Jake Peavy have ceased apparently, not just with Los Angeles, but nearly every other team that has shown interest in him, other than the Cubs.

Dodgers Get in on Sabathia

The Los Angeles Dodgers are prepared to offer CC Sabathia a $100-120 million 6-year contract, reports MLB.com. The former CyYoung pitcher is seen as the best pitching free agent, and is being courted by the Yankees, Angels, Brewers, and Giants. CC is a California native who prefers the NL so he can bat.