• NOTES: I am contractually obligated to mention that the GM Meetings which begin today in Milwaukee usually have less activity than the Winter Meetings which take place next month. Now that that's out of the way. Prince Fielder and Yu Darvish. That's all I'm saying. Jonathan Papelbon already signed the first big deal of the year, so maybe things will get started earlier this season. And maybe Danny Espinosa will shock the world and win the NL ROY this afternoon? Not bloody likely, but we can dream. Prince Fielder and Yu Darvish. Oh, we can dream. The last week was spent praying for the safe return of Nats' catcher Wilson Ramos. A tense week ended late Friday night when Ramos was rescued. The links today start with the last of the Ramos stories...
• THE BIG STORY:
• "The truth is I’m still very nervous, but thanks to God everything turned out well." - Wilson Ramos - "Wilson Ramos’s safety brings some much-needed good news" - Thomas Boswell, The Washington Post
• "Nationals’ catcher Wilson Ramos was lying in a bed in a house in Montalban, Carabobo, Friday night, trying to think, trying to sleep..." - "Nationals' Wilson Ramos tells of kidnapping ordeal" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "For 48 hours, Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos did not know whether he would ever see his family and friends again." - "Nationals' Wilson Ramos happy to be alive after kidnapping" - Brian McNally | Nationals | Washington Examiner
• "[Wilson] Ramos, a soft-spoken man who rarely seeks the spotlight, also must deal with his new-found celebrity. Baseball fans in Venezuela already knew him; now the entire nation is invested in his saga." - "Challenges still await Ramos" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "As for center field, though, if they can't find what they want on the free agent market, a trade could be in the works -- and that's where talks this week could come in handy." - "A few thoughts before, as Wilson Ramos said, 'It's time to move on.'" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times
• "A 60-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man were also arrested as accomplices for supplying the kidnappers with food from their home in the area..." - "Wilson Ramos thankful to be alive" - Ian James, AP/WTOP.com
• NATS BEAT:
• "The final moments of his captivity had been hair-raising, Ramos recounted, as police and the kidnappers exchanged heavy fire..." - "Wilson Ramos arrives home dramatic rescue in Venezuela" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• "Anyway, the general manager's meetings begin today in Milwaukee, and the Nationals can return to their offseason pursuits knowing Ramos is safe and sound." - "Focus turns back to baseball as Nationals prepare for GM meetings" - Ben Goessling, MASNSports.com
• "I've never heard Mike Rizzo or Davey Johnson suggest they aren't happy with Drew Storen as their closer, and I can't imagine they'd pay Madson $40 million or more to be a setup man." - "Back to baseball" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com
• "The Yankees, Angels, Blue Jays, Marlins, Nationals, and Rangers are among the teams that have already expressed interest in Wilson, sources say." - "Execs forecasting 5-year deal for C.J. -- maybe 6" - Jon Paul Morosi, FOXSports.com
• "The GM meetings typically bring far less action than the annual winter meetings, which will come in early December in Dallas." - "Nationals at the GM meetings, a primer" - Adam Kilgore, Nationals Journal - The Washington Post
• No. 10: Steve Lombardozzi; No. 9: Derek Norris; No. 8: Sammy Solis; "'He was injured in the spring,' [Aaron] Fitt said. 'Purke was certainly in the Top 5 in our overall board and just behind (Nationals top selection) Anthony Rendon and Gerrit Cole.'" - "Baseball America's top Nats prospects - No. 7: Matt Purke" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com
• "Over the weekend, former Expos/Twins pitcher Charlie Lea died at the rather young age of 54." - "Charlie Lea career highlights" - Chris Jaffe, The Hardball Times
• Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama): "Compassion is a feeling from deep in the heart that you cannot bear someone else's suffering without taking steps to relieve it."
• NATSTOWN:
• "Winter League Roundup" - NationalsProspects.com
• "There are some nights in baseball where, for even the best teams, absolutely nothing goes right. August 6th’s 15-7 blowout loss was such a night for the Washington Nationals." - "Worst Moments of 2011 - #5: Nats Get Rocked 15-7" - Will Yoder, The Nats Blog
• "Any takers on Mike Rizzo making a really, really BIG splash, in the form of (~300? lb.?) Prince Fielder?" - "It's now appropriate to resume dreaming about signing Prince Fielder again" - Nats Enquirer
• "Rick Ankiel - Age 32 - 8+ Years of MLB Service. How he became a Nat: Signed a 1-year, $1.5 Million contract in December." - "A Few Good Men: 25 - Ankiel" - Capitol Baseball
• NL EAST UPDATES:
• Phillies: "One does not earn the nickname 'Smuggy' without putting his reputation on the line. Since taking over for Pat Gillick after the 2008 season, Ruben Amaro has been the daredevil GM in Major League Baseball." - "Ruben Amaro and Multi-Year Contracts" - Bill Baer, Crashburn Alley
• Mets: "If Reyes is not re-signed, the Mets may try to compensate for that loss of offense by attempting to make Daniel Murphy the full-time second baseman, according to an organizational source." - "Daniel Murphy of Mets to start at second base if Jose Reyes leaves" - Mike Puma, NYPOST.com
• Marlins: "Fish Stripes takes an in-depth look at the new Miami Marlins logo and jerseys and assesses their appearance." - "A Diehard's Take On The New Logos/Uniforms" - Ted Hill, Fish Stripes
• Braves: "Trader Wren will surely be approached by many GMs seeing what it will take to pry Jair Jurrjens and/or Martin Prado (and/or anyone else on the team) away from Atlanta." - "It Could Be A Busy Day For The Braves" - gondeee, Talking Chop