Mark DeRosa signs with San Francisco Giants for two years, $12 million

SAN FRANCISCO -- For several years, Mark DeRosa daydreamed of eventually playing in San Francisco. He enjoys the city's vibe and atmosphere, from walking to the ballpark to trying out top restaurants.

DeRosa

"I felt like it would be a cool place to play and an interesting place to bring my family," he said.

For several years, the Giants pictured DeRosa's powerful bat contributing in the middle of their lineup.

There was mutual interest three years ago when DeRosa first became a free agent. Now, both sides are finally getting their wish. DeRosa signed a $12 million, two-year contract with the club after passing a physical Monday.

In DeRosa, the Giants have found a versatile veteran who can hit for power and give the offense some much-needed punch.

One of general manager Brian Sabean's top priorities this winter was to add a big hitter to drive in runs in the middle of the batting order, and DeRosa brings that ability. He can play several infield spots and the outfield, and it's unclear whether he will work primarily at third base or bounce around.

"The position I'd prefer to play is shortstop because that's the position I played as a kid. But that doesn't matter anymore," DeRosa said. "I don't really care where I am on the field as long as I'm in the lineup. ... I've never really fought to play one position."

That attitude sure is helpful for manager Bruce Bochy, who might continue to count on DeRosa as a utilityman.

Free-swinging slugger Pablo Sandoval is likely to bat cleanup, so DeRosa could easily fit into the No. 5 hole. DeRosa could play first or third.

"He can play anywhere, he's comfortable playing anywhere and seems to thrive moving around," Bochy said.

The 34-year-old DeRosa underwent left wrist surgery after the season, when he batted .250 with a career-best 23 homers to go along with 78 RBIs for Cleveland and St. Louis. He said the Giants' training staff was "pleasantly surprised" by his progress during Monday's physical and he expects to start swinging off a tee in a couple of weeks. The aim is to be full strength by the start of spring training in February.

"He's a winning player and any organization wants as many players like Mark on the ballclub, especially ours that has a chance to turn the corner and get to the playoffs next year," Sabean said. "To get him in here, he spoke of his willingness to show guys around a little bit. We need that. We need to get to the next level with guys like him."

DeRosa was traded from the Indians to the Cardinals on June 27 but was in the St. Louis lineup for three games before hurting his wrist against San Francisco. He spent a stint on the disabled list for an injury that was later diagnosed as a partially torn tendon sheath.

DeRosa was hindered by the wrist, but felt he had to play through it after the Cardinals brought him aboard to help get to the playoffs.

"Looking back on it now, don't know if I would have done the same thing," he said of waiting to have surgery until after the season. "It affected everything I did."

The Giants are eager to see him healthy and ready for a new start come spring. DeRosa said he chose San Francisco over about a half-dozen other teams -- including going back to the Cardinals.

He led St. Louis with five hits (5 for 13) when it was swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL division series.

DeRosa acknowledged being "very close" to returning to St. Louis.

"They're obviously full go on Matt Holliday. I wasn't prepared to wait until he made a decision," DeRosa said. "I was just tired of being a lot of teams' Plan Bs. From a certain standpoint, I wanted to go to a place where I felt comfortable and the team wanted and needed me to be productive. I just felt like this was a good spot."

DeRosa is a career .275 hitter with Atlanta, Texas, the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland and St. Louis. With DeRosa and new hitting coach Hensley Meulens, San Francisco is looking for a more patient approach at the plate focused on on-base percentage rather than just stepping in and swinging away.

"You have to find an identity early on and we didn't do that last year and it came back and bit us," Sabean said.

The Giants also are working on a deal to bring back infielder Juan Uribe. The 30-year-old Uribe played in 122 games at third, shortstop and second in his first season with San Francisco. He batted .289 with 16 homers and 55 RBIs.

San Francisco was in the NL wild-card chase well into September but missed the postseason for the sixth straight year. At 88-74, they won 16 more games than in 2008. Sabean has been committed to boosting the offense for a team that boasts one of the top pitching staffs in baseball, led by two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.

"That was one of the big overriding factors when I decided where wanted to play, the pitching factor," DeRosa said. "Pitching wins games."

Ivan Rodriguez signs two-year, $6 million deal with Washington NationalsRonaldo - I miss United

New York Mets sign right-hander Kelvim Escobar to one-year deal

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets have signed right-hander Kelvim Escobar to a one-year contract.

Escobar

The team announced the deal on Monday. He was expected to get $1.25 million.

Escobar, an 18-game winner in 2007, missed nearly all of the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels because of shoulder trouble. If healthy, he would likely work out of the bullpen for the Mets, who are looking for setup help for All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez.

The 33-year-old Escobar has extensive relief experience from his days in Toronto. He came up with the Blue Jays in 1997 and saved 38 games in 2002.

Escobar was cleared a few weeks ago to pitch by Mets medical director Dr. David Altchek, who performed shoulder surgery on Escobar in July 2008.

Darren Oliver back for his third turn with the Texas RangersDominguez close to Valencia deal

Darren Oliver back for his third turn with the Texas Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Darren Oliver returned to the Texas Rangers, saying his career will end where it began 16 years ago.

The 39-year-old left-hander wasn't ready to say how long his third Texas stint will last after agreeing to a $3.5 million, one-year deal that includes a 2011 option.

“

I don't want to start a Brett Favre thing.

”-- Rangers pitcher Darren Oliver

"I don't want to start a Brett Favre thing," Oliver said Wednesday. "We'll just see what happens this year."

Oliver retired in 2005 after spending two months in the minor leagues and getting released twice. He resurrected his career with the New York Mets a year later, leading to three strong seasons in the Los Angeles Angels bullpen.

Now he's bringing his streak of four playoff appearances to a franchise that hasn't made the postseason since 1999. The hometown factor was important -- Oliver and his family live in the area -- but he said he decided on Texas because he believes his playoff streak will reach five.

"When you get to the postseason year after year, you kind of get used to it and you enjoy it," Oliver said.

Oliver first experienced the playoffs in 1996, when he was a starter and went 14-6 on the first Texas team to reach the postseason. That Texas stint ended in 1998, but he was back two years later.

Four stops in the next three years turned him into a journeyman, and he was a full-time reliever when he came back with the Mets after his year out of the major leagues.

More on the Rangers

Richard Durrett and the rest of the ESPNDallas.com team have the inside scoop on the Rangers, the American League and Major League Baseball. Blog.

The bullpen turned out to be a good place for Oliver. His season with the Mets ended in the NL Championship Series, and he had the lowest ERAs of his career the past two seasons with the Angels. He was 15-3 in three years with Los Angeles.

"I think veteran was kind of secondary to effective," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "You can have a guy out there who has experience but if he's ... not getting outs, it doesn't mean a whole lot at the end of the day. What Darren brings is a combination of the two."

Eddie Guardado was the veteran left-hander in the Texas bullpen the past two seasons, but Oliver's role will be different. Generally, he's likely to pitch earlier in games, and longer, than Guardado did.

"Jack of all trades," Oliver said of his role, noting that he made his first start in five years for the Angels last season. "That's what I did the last three or four years with the Mets and Angels, so I don't see why it would be any different."

Oliver's deal includes a $3 million salary for 2010, plus a $3.25 million club option for 2011 with a $500,000 buyout. The second year of the contract would become guaranteed if Oliver makes 59 appearances. He had a career-high 63 appearances for the Angels in 2009, when he was 5-1 with a 2.71 ERA.

"It kind of feels like it's coming full circle," Oliver said. "I'm just looking for a chance to win here."

Reliever Darren Oliver, Texas Rangers complete dealFabiano ruled out

Washington Nationals, Jason Marquis finalize two-year, $15 million contract

WASHINGTON -- After a game at Nationals Park last season, Jason Marquis had a chance to talk with John Lannan, a second-year pitcher atop a rotation consisting of four rookies.

Marquis

"Lannan just thought there was a lot of pressure on him to lead a staff," Marquis said, "when he was a second-year player and really didn't know what it was about."

On Tuesday, the appropriately named veteran became the Marquis name on that very staff, signing a $15 million, two-year contract to join the Washington Nationals. He immediately jumps to the top of the rotation and adds a vocal presence to a staff that is also expected to include No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg in the near future.

"I've been in their shoes before," Marquis said. "I've looked up to the likes of [Greg] Maddux, [Tom] Glavine and [John] Smoltz and learned a lot of valuable lessons from them, not only on the field but off the field. Hopefully they can feed off what I do in between starts, feed off what I do on the mound and apply it to themselves."

Marquis will receive $7.5 million for each season under his deal. The 31-year-old right-hander went 15-13 with a 4.04 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 216 innings for the Colorado Rockies in 2009. He made his first All-Star appearance thanks to an 11-6 start, but he fizzled down the stretch and wasn't part of the Rockies' postseason starting rotation.

Still, he brings the sort of seasoned, innings-eating presence that Washington's starting rotation has been lacking. Even though Marquis will pitch only once every five days, general manager Mike Rizzo said the addition will have a domino effect on how manager Jim Riggleman handles the rest of the staff.

"We feel that we've checked one of the boxes of our greatest needs with a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher," Rizzo said.

Marquis wouldn't be top-of-the-rotation at a lot of places. He is 94-83 with a 4.48 ERA in a major league career that began in 2000, playing for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs before his season with Colorado.

But he has made at least 32 starts in five of the past six seasons. The lone exception was 2008, when he started 28 games for the Cubs.

Meanwhile, Lannan was the only pitcher to make 20 or more starts for Washington last season, when the club finished with a majors-worst 59-103 record. It was the second consecutive year that the Nationals lost more than 100 games.

Despite that recent history, Marquis said the Nationals were on his short list of desired destinations. He listed the signing of Strasburg to a record $15.1 million contract this year, the recent trade for New York Yankees relief pitcher Brian Bruney, and the $6 million, two-year deal given to free-agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez as reasons the franchise is a more attractive place to go.

"It starts with the Strasburg move, obviously," Marquis said. "You can maybe not take him because the money's too high. In the offseason, obviously, you get Bruney from the Yankees. Pudge, his track record obviously speaks for itself. It showed they want to make moves to go in the right direction."

Marquis, who went to high school on Staten Island, had been interested in signing with a New York team. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the pitcher was brought up when he traveled to the winter meetings with Marquis' agents, Sam and Seth Levinson.

Because Marquis was a Type B free agent and was offered arbitration by the Rockies, Colorado stands to receive a compensatory pick between the first and second rounds in June's amateur draft.

Dominguez close to Valencia dealBrewers finalize deal with LHP Randy Wolf, agree with infielder Craig Counsell

Reliever Darren Oliver, Texas Rangers complete deal

More on the Rangers

Richard Durrett and the rest of the ESPNDallas.com team have the inside scoop on the Rangers, the American League and Major League Baseball. Blog.DALLAS -- Reliever Darren Oliver and the Texas Rangers finalized a $3.5 million, one-year contract that includes a club option for 2011.

After spending the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Oliver starts his third stint with Texas. The 39-year-old left-hander began his career with the Rangers, pitching for them from 1993-98. He was back with Texas from 2000-01.

Oliver was 5-1 with a 2.71 ERA in 63 games last season. His deal includes a $3 million salary next year and a $3.25 million option for 2011 with a $500,000 buyout. The second year of the contract would become guaranteed if Oliver makes 59 appearances next season.

"Darren's been one of the most effective, reliable relievers in the game over the past few years," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Tuesday. "We know him well from his previous time with the organization and having faced him more recently, and we're thrilled to add him to our staff."

Texas Rangers sign right-hander Rich Harden to one-year contractDominguez close to Valencia deal

Roy Halladay of Philadelphia Phillies takes out full-page ad thanking Toronto Blue Jays

Buster Olney: Anatomy of a Megadeal

When he took over as Blue Jays GM, Alex Anthopoulos faced a tough task: Engineer a Roy Halladay trade. Buster Olney looks at how the deal was done. Blog

TORONTO -- Former Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay took out a full-page newspaper advertisement thanking the city and the team's fans.

Halladay was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on Dec. 16 after 12 seasons with Toronto. The ad in Tuesday's Toronto Sun said that he felt "blessed" to have been part of the organization since being drafted in 1995.

Said the right-hander: "Toronto will forever have a special place in my heart. The memories will last a lifetime and so will my gratitude."

The 2003 Cy Young Award winner was 148-76 with a 3.43 ERA for the Blue Jays. He was traded to the Phillies in a four-team blockbuster deal that included Cliff Lee.

Seattle Mariners’ Cliff Lee expresses disbelief, shock over tradeSilva facing month out

Lawsuit against ex-major leaguer Sammy Sosa thrown out

Sosa

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- A lawsuit by a business seeking $203,000 from former baseball star Sammy Sosa has been thrown out by a Dominican Republic prosecutor.

Adolfo Feliz said Friday that the suit lacked sufficient evidence.

Carim Abu Nabaa alleged that Sosa didn't pay him a commission of $150,000 on a house sale, $43,000 for a luxury watch, and $10,000 for getting Reggaeton singer Don Omar to perform at Sosa's 41st birthday party.

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New York Yankees welcome Curtis Granderson

NEW YORK -- Curtis Granderson put on his "NY" cap, buttoned up his pinstriped jersey and went right to work for the New York Yankees.

Granderson

On a cold, blustery afternoon, the newly acquired center fielder stood near the loading dock at Yankee Stadium for 20 minutes, helping fans drop off canned green beans, Pringles potato chips and other items during the team's annual food drive.

"It's not something you have to do," Granderson said Thursday. "But when you've been given so much, why not give back? It's something you should do."

Lauded by commissioner Bud Selig, Jim Leyland and many others for his off-the-field contributions, Granderson hopes to equally deliver with his bat, gloves and spikes. He's well versed in who previously roamed center field for the Yankees -- Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Bernie Williams, among others -- and who packs the ballpark.

"Fans that probably know more about you than you do," he said.

The Yankees got Granderson last week from Detroit in a three-team trade that included Arizona. He was a first-time All-Star last summer, and hit 30 home runs and stole 20 bases.

Like a lot of Yankees newcomers, Granderson instantly found himself caught in a numbers game. He wore No. 28 with the Tigers, but manager Joe Girardi intends to bump up one digit and take it next season -- after the Yankees won their 27th World Series championship, Girardi wants to have a new target.

Granderson instead will wear No. 14, the number his father used to wear in a men's softball league.

"I'm not superstitious," Granderson said. Besides, he said with a smile, if all goes well, the Yankees will win their 28th title next year, Girardi will then move up to No. 29 and Granderson can reclaim his old number.

"I want to talk to Curtis a little more" to make sure he's comfortable with the switch, Girardi said.

The Yankees are looking at more changes, too.

"I can't believe we're done yet," managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said, adding that "maybe another bat" would be nice. He didn't mention anyone by name, but free agent Nick Johnson is a distinct possibility.

Free agent Johnny Damon remains in the mix. General manager Brian Cashman praised him as a "perfect" second-place hitter for the Yankees and Girardi echoed that sentiment, saying Damon was an excellent fit for the stadium and the big stage.

"Right now, there's a difference of opinion as to what the pay is, quite frankly," Steinbrenner said.

The Yankees insist they want to cut their $200 million-plus payroll. New York's payroll for next season is at $183.9 million for 14 signed players, including two not expected to be on the opening-day roster, pitcher Andrew Brackman and infielder Juan Miranda.

Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia joined Granderson in the Legends Suite club to formally welcome him. Then all three players headed out, beyond the holiday tree placed on the pitcher's mound, toward the loading dock.

Fans received vouchers for two tickets for their food donations, and many seemed startled to see the three Yankees stars standing behind the counter.

"We have an opportunity to make a difference," Granderson said.

Notes The dates and times of the Yankees' opening series at Fenway Park have been set. New York and Boston will start the season on Sunday, April 4 at 8 p.m., followed by games Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:10 p.m.

Alex Rodriguez told he doesn’t need more hip surgeryPerotti focused on Sevilla

Seattle Mariners' Cliff Lee expresses disbelief, shock over trade

SEATTLE -- Cliff Lee thought he was staying in Philadelphia -- for the rest of his career.

Lee

The Phillies' postseason star proposed a routine counteroffer on a contract extension Wednesday, then headed for the Mississippi River near his Arkansas home to hunt.

He got some stunning news on the drive there.

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. called to tell Lee he had been traded to Seattle for three prospects in a four-team deal that brought Roy Halladay to the Phillies. It was the first time that two Cy Young Award winners were dealt on the same day.

Speaking by cell phone Thursday night while beginning a long-planned vacation in Puerto Rico, the 2008 AL Cy Young winner said he was in "disbelief and shock." The 31-year-old left-hander had been excited to rejoin the Phillies for a run at another World Series.

Instead, he's headed to his third team in five months.

"At first, I didn't believe it. I thought we were working out an extension with the Phillies," Lee said. "I thought I'd be spending the rest of my career there. ... I was under the impression they wanted to keep me there for a long time.

"In my mind, it was going to happen."

Lee was the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner when the Phillies got him from Cleveland on July 29. He went 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA down the stretch, then starred in the postseason by going 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five starts.

Trading Places

Here are the pieces in the trades involving Philadelphia, Seattle, Toronto and Oakland:

PHILLIES GET … 

RHP Roy Halladay (from Toronto)
*RHP Phillippe Aumont (from Seattle)
*OF Tyson Gillies (from Seattle)
*RHP Juan Ramirez (from Seattle)
$6 million cash (from Toronto) 

MARINERS GET … 

LHP Cliff Lee (from Philadelphia) 

BLUE JAYS GET … 

*C Travis d'Arnaud (from Philadelphia)
*RHP Kyle Drabek (from Philadelphia)
*1B/3B Brett Wallace (from Oakland) 

A'S GET … 

*OF Michael Taylor (from Philadelphia via Toronto) 

* -- minor leaguer

Lee earned both of the Phillies' wins in the World Series against the New York Yankees. He was wowed by what he called an "unbelievable" lineup and excellence from top to bottom in Philadelphia's organization.

While saying he was "disappointed, sure," he said he can't blame the Phillies for preferring Halladay.

"Basically, they had an opportunity to get the best pitcher in baseball," Lee said, realizing the Phillies moved him because they wanted to seize a chance to restock their minor league system. "I can't blame them for choosing Roy Halladay over me."

Lee was deer hunting on his property in Arkansas this week when his wife, Kristen, called him to relay reports he might be traded. He dismissed them as rumors -- especially, he said, when he asked the team and "the Phillies kind of downplayed it, made it seem like it wasn't real."

"Then the next morning I found out it was real," he said.

The 2008 All-Star, who entered the major leagues with the Indians in 2002, has one season and $9 million remaining on his contract. Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said an extension with Seattle beyond 2010 was not part of the trade negotiations.

Lee said he is "not dead set" on becoming a free agent next winter.

"I'm open to see how it plays out," he said. "I can't give you an answer right now because I don't know what Seattle is all about."

He does know a few things about Seattle:

-Felix Hernandez is good. Lee will join this year's AL Cy Young Award runner-up atop a rotation that is now the envy of baseball.

"As far as just straight stuff goes, it'd have to be him and CC [Sabathia, a former teammate in Cleveland] neck and neck for the best pitchers I've played with," Lee said.

-Center fielder Franklin Gutierrez is a former teammate of Lee's with the Indians. The newest Mariner noted he now has a speedy, pitcher-friendly defense that includes Gold Glove right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, recently signed All-Star infielder Chone Figgins and 2004 All-Star shortstop Jack Wilson.

-Safeco Field is spacious, also pitcher-friendly and a great place to watch a game.

-The team that won 85 games last season is on the rise.

-And the city, to Lee, always "seemed like it was on the other side of the world" when he played here as a visitor. He's never been based farther west than his native Arkansas.

Lee has one other link with a Mariner, the most famous one. In 2004 he was suspended six games for throwing behind Ken Griffey Jr.'s head, when baseball's active home run leader was with Cincinnati. One inning earlier, Lee had given up the 499th home run of Griffey's career, and the superstar had paused to watch the ball's flight.

Griffey is coming back for Year Two of his reunion tour with Seattle in 2010.

"I hope he doesn't hold a grudge on me. I'll ask him if he does," Lee said, laughing and saying he's talked in passing with Griffey since and all seemed well.

Same goes for the surging Mariners. And they may not be done adding. They need a left fielder and are discussing whether to pursue a potential trade with the Chicago Cubs for mercurial outfielder Milton Bradley.

"We're not done yet," Zduriencik said.

Hideki Matsui, Los Angeles Angels agree to one-year deal

Alex Rodriguez told he doesn't need more hip surgery

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez is all set to start his winter workouts.

Rodriguez

The New York Yankees star found out this week that his surgically repaired right hip is holding up fine.

"Great news," he said Thursday.

Rodriguez had surgery last March for torn cartilage and missed the first month of the season. At the time, Dr. Marc Philippon, who performed the operation, thought Rodriguez would need a more extensive procedure in the offseason.

But Philippon recently examined Rodriguez, and an MRI test helped show the three-time MVP had properly healed. The doctor told A-Rod that he was A-OK on Monday.

Otherwise, Rodriguez probably would've been "having surgery today," he said at a Yankee Stadium news conference to formally introduce Curtis Granderson.

Rodriguez was the Yankees' top hitter in the postseason, batting .365 with six home runs and 18 RBIs as they won the World Series. He had 30 homers and 100 RBIs during his injury-shortened regular season.

Philippon checked Rodriguez during the first round of the playoffs and liked what he saw.

"I have to say, I'm impressed with his progression and the way the season went," Philippon said then. "I wouldn't say I'm surprised because you're dealing with a world-class athlete who has a lot of discipline."

Rodriguez said he threw Wednesday for the first time this offseason and could start hitting anytime he wanted. The All-Star third baseman said he was eager to begin his full winter conditioning program.

The Yankees gave Rodriguez a regular day of rest last season, but he said didn't anticipate needing the same breaks next year. As for occasionally taking a day to be the DH, he said that would be fine "once a month."

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Prospective Texas Rangers owner Chuck Greenberg: Nolan Ryan key to deal

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Chuck Greenberg would have withdrawn his bid to buy the Texas Rangers had Nolan Ryan aligned himself with another group.

Ryan

"There's only one Texas Rangers, only one Nolan Ryan. They need to be together," Greenberg said on a conference call Wednesday night.

A day after the investor group that is headed by the Pittsburgh sports attorney and includes Ryan gained exclusive negotiating rights to purchase the Rangers from Tom Hicks, Greenberg said Ryan's involvement was paramount to his pursuit of the team.

Hicks, whose family will maintain a minority stake as one of about a dozen investors in Greenberg's group, selected the bid over two others Tuesday. That was the deadline set by baseball commissioner Bud Selig for Hicks to submit a prospective buyer for the team.

Now the sides will work to negotiate a final deal. At least 75 percent of baseball's owners will then have to approve the sale, which likely won't be completed until opening day in April, or later.

Greenberg, who would be the managing general partner and CEO, said about 80 percent of his investors are from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Ryan, the Hall of Fame pitcher who has been the team's president for the past two seasons, would remain in that role.

"He would have complete authority on the baseball side," Greenberg said. "I have complete confidence in him."

While Greenberg would have the final say on decisions, especially daily operations, there would also be a board of directors to help oversee items such as the annual budget and major projects. Hicks, who said throughout the process of selling that he'd like to maintain an involvement with the team, would likely be one of up to nine board members.

Greenberg owns minor league baseball teams in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and State College, Pa., and recently sold a third team. He previously represented buyers for two NHL teams, Pittsburgh in 1999 and Florida in 2001, and plans to relocate and live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Ryan said the pending change of ownership should relieve some of the franchise's financial stress.

"We'll be able to focus more on what goes on the field and try to be competitive, and not be distracted at times by other problems," Ryan said Wednesday on a separate conference call.

Still, that doesn't mean the Rangers will see an immediate infusion of cash for player moves or changes in Ryan's approach.

"I don't foresee us going against what we have done over the last three years from developing our own talent and bringing it up through our system," Ryan said.

Hicks Sports Group this year defaulted on $525 million in loans tied to the Rangers and the NHL's Dallas Stars, which Hicks has owned since 1996. Hicks has said that was a deliberate move to force lenders to renegotiate terms of the deals.

While the pending sale likely will have no impact on what the Rangers can do this offseason, Greenberg said there will be additional money in the budget for payroll if an opportunity arises to help improve the team once the sale is completed. Such as potential midseason moves.

"Finances will not get in the way of making that decision," Greenberg said.

The Rangers haven't been to the playoffs since 1999, after winning all three of their AL West titles in a four-year span. They have never won a playoff series.

But Texas is coming off only its second winning season (87-75) since its last playoff appearance. The Rangers, with a roster filled with young players, finished second in the AL West behind the Los Angeles Angels and in the AL wild-card race behind Boston. They won one more game than Detroit or Minnesota, who shared the AL Central lead after 162 games."It's clear there is a tremendous amount of pent-up enthusiasm for the Rangers that is just waiting to explode," Greenberg said. "With all the things the Rangers have done the last few years on the baseball side, the club is poised to have a great future. ... Hopefully our group can build off that foundation that is already in place."

Fabiano ruled outTexas Rangers sign right-hander Rich Harden to one-year contract

Hideki Matsui, Los Angeles Angels agree to one-year deal

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Hideki Matsui and the Los Angeles Angels agreed Wednesday to a one-year contract worth about $6.5 million, bringing the World Series MVP and two-time All-Star to the AL West power.

Matsui hit .274 with 28 homers and 90 RBIs last season for the New York Yankees, then was selected World Series MVP despite starting only three of the six games against the Philadelphia Phillies. He went 8 for 13 (.615) with three homers and eight RBIs, tying a Series record by driving in six runs in Game 6.

Matsui

"We are excited to have a player with talent that Hideki brings," Angeles general manager Tony Reagins said in a statement. "He is a professional hitter and we look forward to seeing him in an Angels uniform in 2010."

The 35-year-old Matsui surpassed 100 RBIs four times in seven seasons with the Yankees after coming over from Japan, where he was an enormous star. He just completed a $52 million, four-year contract with New York.

Slowed by surgically repaired knees, Matsui will replace free-agent slugger Vladimir Guerrero as Los Angeles' primary designated hitter. Guerrero has also been hobbled by injuries and will turn 35 in February.

Matsui and the Yankees beat Los Angeles in the AL Championship Series last season. The Angels have won three straight AL West titles and five of the past six, but haven't reached the World Series since winning the 2002 title.

Matsui was among three key free agents on the Yankees. Left-hander Andy Pettitte agreed last week to an $11.75 million, one-year contract. Talks have stalled with left fielder Johnny Damon, whose agent wants more guaranteed years than the team is willing to offer.

Brewers finalize deal with LHP Randy Wolf, agree with infielder Craig CounsellDominguez close to Valencia deal

Brewers finalize deal with LHP Randy Wolf, agree with infielder Craig Counsell

MILWAUKEE -- Randy Wolf understood when Houston pulled a $27 million, three-year offer before last season because of the faltering economy. In the meantime, he made his first postseason appearance and parlayed it into an even bigger contract from the Brewers.

"If I were there, I wouldn't have the opportunity to sign here," Wolf said of his rocky offseason last year. "I think things have a way of ending up in the right way."

A Wolf in Brewers' Clothing?

Could the Brewers be buying a bit too high on 33-year-old Randy Wolf? A breakdown of the left-hander's seven-year career (note: his best ERA from 2003-08 was 4.23):

 2003-08 2009 

W-L 52-40 11-7 

ERA 4.44 3.23 

WHIP 1.38 1.10 

H per 9 IP 9.1 7.5 

K/BB 2.22 2.76 

The 33-year-old left-hander finalized his $29.75 million, three-year contract with Milwaukee, which also re-signed Craig Counsell to a $2.1 million deal Monday. The Brewers also have a preliminary one-year agreement with reliever Claudio Vargas, a deal pending a physical.

Wolf is the big offseason acquisition for the Brewers, and general manager Doug Melvin said they wanted to be aggressive early in the offseason to fill their needs instead of waiting.

But, he had to get to know Wolf first, so he traveled to Los Angeles just before the winter meetings along with owner Mark Attanasio.

"The only thing I knew about Randy was that he looked like Geoff Jenkins," Melvin joked. "With that said, we had a nice visit out there. ... It worked out very well."

Wolf went 11-7 with a 3.23 ERA in 34 starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season after agreeing to a $5 million, one-year contract 1 months after the Astros pulled their offer, citing a poor economy. Wolf went on to make an extra $3 million in performance bonuses with L.A.

He had initially expressed some disappointment with the Dodgers failure to seriously pursue him, but said he had an open mind throughout the process.

"I wasn't set on going back to L.A. When the Brewers came out very early and showed me that I was a priority this offseason, I looked at them a lot closer and realized this would be a great fit for me," Wolf said. "As I thought about it more and more it became more and more exciting. I was really happy when things got worked out and I became a Brewer."

The Brewers have made starting pitching a priority after finishing last season 80-82 and posting the highest ERA among starters in the majors at 5.37. Wolf said he thinks the staff will have a big turnaround.

"When I look at last year and how it went for the starting staff, I don't see how it could possibly happen again. When you look at it, you had some good pitchers that had some really bad years," he said. "I think I can help this staff, but I think the guys that are on the staff can do a much better job and they will do a much better job."

Wolf is expected to be behind young right-hander Yovani Gallardo at the top of the rotation. He gets $9.25 million next year and $9.5 million in each of the following two seasons. The deal includes a $10 million club option for 2013 with a $1.5 million buyout.

He can make an additional $250,000 a year in performance bonuses: $125,000 each for 190 and 200 innings. He has a limited no-trade clause and would get $250,000 each time he's dealt.

Still, he said before he agreed to a contract, he talked to closer Trevor Hoffman about coming to Milwaukee to make sure it was the right fit.

"I knew he was going to give me a true, honest opinion," Wolf said.

Wolf is 101-85 with a 4.13 ERA in 11 major league seasons with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Diego and Houston. The New York Mets also were interested in trying to sign him.

Counsell, who made $1 million last year, played in 130 games last season and batted .285 with four homers and 39 RBIs.

The 39-year-old Counsell can earn $500,000 in performance bonuses: $50,000 each for 50, 75, 90 and 110 games, and $100,000 each for 125 games and 75 and 100 starts.

Melvin said it was important to bring back Counsell, who lives in the Milwaukee suburb of Whitefish Bay, because second baseman Rickie Weeks is returning from wrist surgery and rookie shortstop Alcides Escobar will be a starter.

"People might talk about his age, but he had one heck of a year last year both offensively and defensively," Melvin said. "We're fortunate to be able to have him come back here, I think it's another sign again, how sincere we are about winning and Craig at this stage of his career wanting to be here, too."

Ivan Rodriguez signs two-year, $6 million deal with Washington NationalsDominguez close to Valencia deal

Ivan Rodriguez signs two-year, $6 million deal with Washington Nationals

WASHINGTON -- Ivan Rodriguez insisted Friday he wants to be an everyday player. He also insisted -- kept saying so, over and over -- that what he cares about most is winning.

Rodriguez

Both of those stances make the catcher's decision to sign a $6 million, two-year deal with the Washington Nationals a fascinating one.

This is, after all, a club that figures it has a star-in-the-making at catcher in Jesus Flores, even if the kid is coming off shoulder surgery. And this is also a club that led the major leagues in losses in 2008 and 2009, accumulating more than 100 each year.

"He's a very prideful guy. And he thinks his skills are at their finest. He might be right. You never know. ... He's going to be a significant contributor to the ballclub," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. "Now if that means 70-80 games, or if that means 70-80-90-100 games, those are questions that will be answered throughout the course of the season. The best problem that I'll have all season is: Who of these two hot catchers are we going to play on a daily basis?"

Flores was injured in May, when he was hit by a foul ball, returned for three at-bats in early September, then had surgery to repair a torn labrum. He hit .301 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 93 at-bats, and Rizzo said Flores is expected to be ready for spring training.

Flores is 25 and has played in 198 games in the majors.

Rodriguez is 38 and has caught a record 2,288 games, earning 14 All-Star selections, 13 Gold Gloves and the 1999 AL MVP award along the way. He also has a .299 career batting average, with 2,711 hits, 305 homers and 1,264 RBIs, and has thrown out 42 percent of would-be basestealers.

All of which is why Rizzo opened Friday's news conference at Nationals Park by calling the player known as Pudge "certainly the greatest catcher in our generation -- and quite possibly the greatest catcher in the history of baseball."

And why Rodriguez said: "I'm ready to play every day. We discussed that. I'm a player that I still can play every day and I will play every day and, basically, the thing is just, you know, to do my best for the club. I know that it's hard for me to play 162 games. That's impossible for a catcher. But as long as I'm healthy, and I'm feeling great physically, I'll be in the field playing."

He split last season between Houston and Texas, hitting a combined .249 with 10 homers and 47 RBIs in a total of 121 games. Rizzo indicated he thought that was too high a total.

And while the Nationals are looking for better on-field production from Rodriguez, they also want him to mentor Flores, guide what could be an inexperienced pitching staff and provide leadership in the clubhouse.

Rodriguez has done this sort of thing before: join a losing team with an eye to steering it in the right direction.

After helping the Florida Marlins win the 2003 World Series, he signed a free-agent deal with the Detroit Tigers, who were coming off a 119-loss season.

How did other players react to that move?

"They say, 'What are you doing? Why are you signing here? Why don't you go to a winning team?' I say, 'Detroit is a major league ballclub. You cannot take anything for granted,'" Rodriguez recalled. "I just said, 'Hey, I'm going to make this team better and get them to the playoffs.' And that's what we did. Two years later, in 2006, we were in Game 1 of the World Series. Nobody was thinking that was going to happen."

Ibra won’t play friendliesTexas Rangers sign right-hander Rich Harden to one-year contract

Texas Rangers sign right-hander Rich Harden to one-year contract

INDIANAPOLIS -- Rich Harden and the Texas Rangers completed a one-year contract Thursday that guarantees the pitcher $7.5 million.

The deal calls for a $6.5 million salary next year and includes an $11.5 million mutual option for 2011 with a $1 million buyout. Harden can earn an additional $2.5 million next year in performance bonuses.

The oft-injured right-hander had to pass a physical before the agreement was finalized.

"When he's out there, this is a guy with No. 1 ability. He's a stopper in the true sense of the word. That's something we felt we needed," general manager Jon Daniels said on a conference call.

Texas reached a preliminary agreement with Harden on Wednesday, the same day it traded starting pitcher Kevin Millwood to the Baltimore Orioles along with $3 million for reliever Chris Ray and a player to be named.

Millwood is owed $12 million next year, so the deal freed up money for the Rangers to land Harden. The team had cash flow problems this year, with Major League Baseball stepping in to provide assistance, and owner Tom Hicks is trying to sell the team.

Daniels, however, said the topic of ownership came up very little during Texas' discussions at the winter meetings this week.

"It really was more about payroll and what we wanted to accomplish with the club under those parameters, regardless of the status of ownership," Daniels said. "It was more about, we could creatively figure out how to improve the club. We felt from this regard we had to move some pieces around to acquire somebody like Rich, and we're happy we did."

Harden struck out 171 batters in 141 innings last season, going 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA for the Chicago Cubs, who acquired him from the Oakland Athletics in July 2008 along with right-hander Chad Gaudin for right-hander Sean Gallagher, catcher Josh Donaldson and outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson.

Harden, who turned 28 last month, is 50-29 with a 3.39 ERA in seven big league seasons. He has been slowed by seven trips to the disabled list for a strained left oblique (2005), strained back (2006 and 2009), sprained elbow ligament (2006), and strained shoulder (twice in 2007 and once in 2008).

Daniels declined to discuss the specifics of Harden's MRI exam. He said the Rangers were comfortable that the pitcher's previous injuries didn't involve deeper structural issues with his elbow or shoulder.

"We understand we're going to have to take some steps to keep him healthy," Daniels said. "We understand the risk involved."

Harden joins a rotation led by right-hander Scott Feldman, who went 17-8 with a 4.08 ERA last season.

"We like our chances with those two guys up there," Daniels said.

Harden can earn an additional $500,000 each next year for 155, 165, 175, 185 and 195 innings. He would get $250,000 if traded, and he has a limited no-trade clause.

Atletico duo sign onFlorida Marlins’ Chris Coghlan, Oakland Athletics’ Andrew Bailey voted top rookies

MLB winter meetings: Whitey Herzog elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

INDIANAPOLIS -- Manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey are the newest members of baseball's Hall of Fame.

The Veterans Committee announced the voting results Monday. They will be enshrined in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 25.

Herzog

Herzog managed in the majors from 1973 to 1990 and won the 1982 World Series and three NL pennants with the St. Louis Cardinals. He became the 19th manager to make the hall.

"I think he was one of the guys who started managers looking at doing more creative things," Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith, one of Herzog's star players, said.

Smith was on the 16-member panel that elected Herzog. Candidates needed 12 votes to make it, and Herzog got 14. The 78-year-old Herzog missed by one vote in the 2007.

Harvey

Harvey umpired in the National League for 31 seasons before retiring in 1992. He worked five World Series.

The 79-year-old Harvey also missed by one vote two years ago. He was picked on 15 of 16 ballots this time, and became the ninth umpire in the Hall.

"He belongs in there," said Hall of Fame manager Tom Lasorda, another committee member. "He had the players' respect. He had the pitchers' respect -- most of the time."

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says some teams lost money in 2009Guardiola keen on Danny

New York Jets bring in New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi to teach quarterback Mark Sanchez to slide

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mark Sanchez is learning how to slide like a Yankee.

Don't worry, Jets fans. The rookie quarterback isn't looking to trade in his pads for pinstripes. He was just working on his sliding technique Tuesday with Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who guided New York to its 27th World Series title last month.AFC East blog

ESPN.com's Tim Graham writes about all things AFC East in his division blog.

•Blog network: NFL Nation

"I've never really been a slider," Sanchez said. "In baseball, I slid headfirst. In football, I've done the same thing or tried to get out of bounds or throw the ball away. It's something that you need to learn at this level."

Jets coach Rex Ryan wants Sanchez to make more of a conscious effort to slide and avoid potential injuries.

"When we bring Joe Girardi in, this is all about business," Ryan said. "Mark understands that. We kid about the 'Sanchise' name, but he's the face of our franchise. We've got to keep him healthy."

Sanchez is nursing a sore left knee, which he injured when he was tackled at the end of a scramble in New York's 17-6 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. He wears a brace on his left leg, which hampers his ability to slide on that side.

"He was a guy that grew up sliding off his left leg and was tentative sliding off his right leg," Ryan said. "It was a confidence-building thing, and know you've got the best teacher in the game teaching you how to do this."

Girardi instructed Sanchez how to hook his right leg correctly and how to protect the ball while sliding.

"He wears a brace on his left leg, so we tried to help him learn how to slide on the other leg," Girardi said. "It's not an easy thing to do."

The quarterback found out Girardi was going to be his special sliding instructor just before practice.

"Coach said he'd have someone out to work with me on sliding," Sanchez said. "I thought he meant it would be one of the coaches or a quarterback coach or something."

Sanchez slid 10 to 15 times on a mat, making like Derek Jeter.

"He's too valuable and he needs to understand that we need him out there and people are going to take shots at him if he doesn't start sliding," Ryan said of Sanchez. "I really did want to make an emphasis to Mark and get the best guy that we can in the area."

Ryan said he came up with the idea of bringing in someone from the Yankees on Monday night.

"We're bringing in a world champ to get this done," Ryan thought.

So he put in a call around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to Yankees president Randy Levine, who he met at the wedding of Jets owner Woody Johnson. Girardi was at the team's facility a few hours later.

"Coach Ryan called me," Levine said. "I gave it to [general manager] Brian Cashman, [assistant GM] Jean Afterman and Joe Girardi, and we were glad to help."

Ryan said he had no idea who was going to show up from the Yankees organization.

"I knew whoever it would be from the Yankees would be a lot more impactful than if I would teach Sanchez to slide," he said. "As far as I was hitting them, I never had to slide when I was a kid."

Ryan was asked if he tried to get Rickey Henderson, baseball's stolen base king.

"Rickey Henderson? No, because he always slid headfirst," Ryan said with a laugh. "That's our problem. He's seen way too much of Rickey Henderson. Girardi was a catcher, so you know he was sliding feetfirst, so that's how we went."

Girardi had a memorable slide on an RBI triple in Game 6 of the 1996 World Series, when the Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves.

"This is probably the first football player he's ever done that with, but he's a natural," Ryan said. "He did an outstanding job. He even talked about protecting his left hand. He did a way better job than I knew I could do, and I was right."

Girardi watched practice along with his son, Dante, and Yankees coaching assistant Brett Weber.

"I'd had the chance to meet Coach Ryan at Yankee Stadium earlier this year, and I'm glad I was around to take the trip out to visit him," Girardi said. "Football practice is so much different than batting practice because there is so many facets of the game that need to be covered."

Girardi also addressed the team after practice.

"That was great, man," cornerback Darrelle Revis said. "He gave us a little pep talk about the outcome they had this year and telling us about the ups and downs they had. I took something out of it, and it was unity. It was a great speech."

And, as for Sanchez's potential as a basestealer?

"Um, no, he's not fast," Revis said with a laugh.

World Series: New York Yankees’ CC Sabathia to start Game 4 on 3 days of restFlores hit by swine flu

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Ross Ohlendorf working as Department of Agriculture intern

WASHINGTON -- An e-mail requesting an internship arrived atthe Agriculture Department this summer with an impressive resume:Princeton University degree in operations research and financialengineering, 3.8 college GPA, 1520 SATs.

Ross Ohlendorf didn't mention his 95 mph sinking fastball, butit probably wouldn't have hurt his chances. Department officialswere impressed that the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher wanted to workfor them in the offseason.

Ohlendorf

Doug McKalip, confidential assistant to Agriculture SecretaryTom Vilsack, recalled the secretary's reaction when told ofOhlendorf's e-mail: "Are you serious? A major league player wantsto do this?"

Good location is key to both pitching and landing a job, andOhlendorf had mastered that this summer, arranging to catchVilsack's opening pitch at a Pirates game in Pittsburgh because ofthe pitcher's interest in agriculture.

"I talked to him briefly afterward and told him my familyraised longhorns," Ohlendorf recalled in an interview at his USDAoffice. "A little while later, it came into my head that it wouldbe a great opportunity to intern here in the offseason."

Hefollowed that up with an e-mail to McKalip.

Ohlendorf said he and his father are involved in their longhorncattle business outside Austin, Texas -- the pitcher works on theranch's Web site, even during the baseball season -- and that he'sbeen developing an interest in how government works.

"So this was a really good opportunity to combine the two," hesaid.

Now, Ohlendorf shows up every day at the office for hisinternship in a kind of throwback to earlier times when baseballplayers had to supplement their income working offseason jobs.

Except that Ohlendorf isn't getting paid, and he usually takesafternoons off to work out. He typically logs a little more than 20hours a week, and plans to extend his eight-week internship, whichbegan last month, by two weeks.

Ohlendorf, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound right-hander, shares a small office with another USDA employee. His work ismainly focused on animal identification -- the nationwide trackingsystem intended to pinpoint an animal's location after a disease isdiscovered.

"I've really enjoyed it," he said. "In addition to learning alot of things and meeting a lot of neat people, I've gotten to dosome cool events too."

He mentioned one at the EisenhowerExecutive Office Building, next to the White House, focused onyouth sports, and another at a local elementary school with firstlady Michelle Obama, a fellow Princeton grad, aimed at promotinghealthy eating among children.

"If you know Ross," said Ohlendorf's baseball coach atPrinceton, Scott Bradley, "everything about his life is alwaysabout making himself better and making himself more educated. He'snot someone who wants to sit and not do anything. This is a perfectfit for him."

Ohlendorf said he's also picking up some insights that mighthelp the business back home.

"We haven't sold our beef directly to consumers very often,"he said. "But longhorn beef's very healthy, and our meat for themost part is grass-fed. I'm becoming more familiar with the demandfor grass-fed and local products. There's more of a market that wecan explore. ... I'm just learning about certification programsthat USDA runs, where you can become organically-certified, orgrass-fed certified."

Many of the cattle on the ranch are sold to people who want toraise registered longhorns, Ohlendorf said, "because they like theway they look, and they want to get enjoyment out of raising them,more so than for the end product."

Ohlendorf, 27, had a breakout season this year, winning 11 gamesas a starter for the last-place Pirates and posting a 3.92 ERA. Hewas drafted in 2004 by the Arizona Diamondbacks, who traded him tothe New York Yankees as part of the deal that brought Randy Johnsonback to Arizona. New York later shipped him to Pittsburgh inanother multiplayer trade.

Ohlendorf's college thesis was on the investment return formajor league teams on draft choices.

ESPN's Tim Kurkjian haswritten that Ohlendorf "may be the smartest player in baseball andthe smartest person in almost any room he enters."

His teammate, pitcher Zach Duke, said he wasn't surprised thatOhlendorf is spending his offseason interning with the government.

"He's a guy who has an unquenched thirst for knowledge," Dukesaid in a telephone interview. "This is something he's verypassionate about, and if he can learn more about the industry andthings that can affect his business in a positive way, he's goingto do it."

"He's kind of a geek, as we refer to him," Duke added with alaugh. "I'm kind of jealous of him after talking to him because hetold me he's doing all this stuff, getting to meet people" likeMichelle Obama. Duke said he's spending his own offseason "justkind of hanging out."

Ohlendorf said he might consider a career in public serviceafter playing baseball.

"At this point, there are a lot of things that interest me, butit is certainly one of them," he said.

But like a pitcher carefulnot to telegraph his pitches, Ohlendorf declined to share any viewson public policy -- except to say he's impressed with the USDA'sefforts at promoting healthier lifestyles for kids.

Now that's good politics.

Florida Marlins’ Chris Coghlan, Oakland Athletics’ Andrew Bailey voted top rookiesSwine flu blow for Barca

Albert Pujols of St. Louis Cardinals is unanimous National League MVP

NEW YORK -- Albert Pujols' third National League MVP award put him in select company. Only Barry Bonds has more.

"I'm just humbled," Pujols said.

Pujols won unanimously Tuesday, becoming the first player to repeat since Bonds won four in a row from 2001-04. Pujols, who also won in 2005, received all 32 first-place votes and 448 points in balloting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He became the first unanimous MVP since Bonds in 2002.

NL MVP Voting

By unanimous vote, Albert Pujols became the first player since Barry Bonds to win back-to-back NL MVP awards. It is Pujols' third MVP award. A breakdown of the voting:

Player, team Total 

Albert Pujols, Cardinals 448 

Hanley Ramirez, Marlins 233 

Ryan Howard, Phillies 217 

Prince Fielder, Brewers 203 

Others receiving votes: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies; Andre Ethier, Dodgers; Pablo Sandoval, Giants; Chase Utley, Phillies; Derrek Lee, Cubs; Matt Kemp, Dodgers; Ryan Braun, Brewers; Adrian Gonzalez, Padres; Todd Helton, Rockies; Chris Carpenter, Cardinals; Adam Wainwright, Cardinals; Matt Holliday, Cardinals; Jayson Werth, Phillies; Shane Victorino, Phillies; Tim Lincecum, Giants; Yunel Escobar, Braves; Mark Reynolds, D-backs; Joey Votto, Reds; Yadier Molina, Cardinals; Miguel Tejada, Astros; Huston Street, Rockies; Justin Upton, D-backs; Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals; Jeremy Affeldt, Giants; Chris Coghlan, Marlins; Brad Hawpe, Rockies.

A big part of the Cardinals' success this year was the acquisition of Matt Holliday in July. Holliday, who hit cleanup behind Pujols, helped St. Louis win the NL Central and then became a free agent.

"The whole city of St. Louis wants Matt back and myself, obviously," Pujols said. "He came at the right time, right when we needed it, right when we were struggling a little bit."

While the Cardinals have five division titles and six playoff appearances in nine seasons since Pujols joined the team, they have won the World Series only once, in 2006.

"I always make a joke. I got 10 fingers. I want to get nine more rings," he said. "I want to get as many as Derek Jeter has so far [five]. Obviously that's hard to do."

Pujols does have one individual goal -- the Hall of Fame.

"Obviously, there is still a long way to go," he said.

Pujols led the majors in homers (47), runs (124), slugging percentage (.658) and intentional walks (44), and topped the NL in on-base percentage (.443). He was second in the league in doubles (45) and third in batting average (.327) and RBIs (135).

He was especially dangerous with the bases loaded, going 10 for 17 with five grand slams, three doubles and 35 RBIs.

"I think it was the most consistent year," he said. "I was pretty much hot April until almost September."

Florida's Hanley Ramirez, the NL batting champion, was second with 233 points, followed by Philadelphia's Ryan Howard (217) and Milwaukee's Prince Fielder (203), who tied Howard for the big league lead in RBIs at 141.

Pujols didn't homer in his final 89 regular and postseason at-bats after Sept. 9, then had surgery Oct. 21 to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. He had feared he might need ligament replacement, which probably would have forced him to miss the first half of next season.

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"My elbow was fine," Pujols said. "I don't put that as an excuse. I was still playing every day out there."

Pujols, who turns 30 in January, joined Hall of Famer Al Simmons (11) as the only players with 100 or more RBIs in each of their first nine seasons. Pujols also set a big league record for assists by a first baseman with 185.

Pujols became the fourth player to win the NL MVP three times. Bonds won seven in the 1990s and 2000s. Stan Musial (1940s), Roy Campanella (1950s) and Mike Schmidt (1980s) each won three.

Five players have won three AL MVPs: Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle and Alex Rodriguez.

In addition to Pujols and Bonds, the only unanimous NL winners were Orlando Cepeda (1967), Schmidt (1980), Jeff Bagwell (1994) and Ken Caminiti (1996). Unanimous AL winners have been Hank Greenberg (1935), Al Rosen (1953), Mantle (1956), Frank Robinson (1966), Denny McLain (1968), Reggie Jackson (1973), Jose Canseco (1988), Frank Thomas (1993) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1997).

St. Louis players have won 17 MVPs, second in the majors behind 20 for the Yankees. Pujols has been voted among the top 10 in nine consecutive years, finishing second in 2002, 2003 and 2006; third in 2004; fourth in 2001; and ninth in 2007.

Pujols receives a $200,000 bonus for winning the award. He is signed for next season at $16 million, and the Cardinals hold a $16 million option for 2011, so the sides might soon turn their attention to a contract extension.

"We don't want this to drag into the 11th hour, but nothing's imminent," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said in St. Louis. "I don't think anybody could envision what he's accomplished, on and off the field."

Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins was voted the AL MVP on Monday, receiving 27 of 28 first-place votes.

Tony La Russa still undecided about return to St. Louis CardinalsAtletico rejected big-money bids

Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer near-unanimous pick as AL's MVP

NEW YORK -- Joe Mauer became only the second catcher in 33 years to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award, finishing first in a near-unanimous vote Monday.

The Minnesota Twins star received 27 of 28 first-place votes and 387 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Yankees teammates Mark Teixeira (225 points) and Derek Jeter (193) followed, while Detroit's Miguel Cabrera drew the other first-place vote and was fourth with 171 points, one point ahead of the Angels' Kendry Morales.

Mauer became the second Twins player to win in four years, following Justin Morneau in 2006.AL MVP Voting

Joe Mauer received 27 of 28 first-place votes to win his first AL MVP award. The only other player to get a first-place vote was the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, who finished fourth. A breakdown of the voting:

Player, team Total 

Joe Mauer, Twins 387 

Mark Teixeira, Yankees 225 

Derek Jeter, Yankees 193 

Others receiving votes: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers; Kendry Morales, Angels; Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox ; Jason Bay, Red Sox; Ben Zobrist, Rays; Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners; Alex Rodriguez, Yankees; Chone Figgins, Angels; Aaron Hill, Blue Jays; Bobby Abreu, Angels; Mariano Rivera, Yankees; Adam Lind, Blue Jays; Michael Young, Rangers; Zack Greinke, Royals; Robinson Cano, Yankees; Evan Longoria, Rays; Justin Verlander, Tigers; CC Sabathia, Yankees; Michael Cuddyer, Twins; Victor Martinez, Indians/Red Sox; Jason Kubel, Twins; Placido Polanco, Tigers; Felix Hernandez, Mariners; Ian Kinsler, Rangers.

After missing April with a back injury, Mauer homered in his first at-bat of the season and went on to lead the AL in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.444) and slugging percentage (.587), the first AL player to top all three categories in the same season since George Brett in 1980.

Mauer set a major league record for highest batting average by a catcher and won his third batting title, becoming the first repeat batting champion since Nomar Garciaparra in 1999-00.

Mauer set career bests with 28 homers and 96 RBIs, had more walks (76) than strikeouts (63) and batted .378 after Morneau's season-ending back injury Sept. 12, helping the Twins overtake Detroit for the AL Central title. He was voted to his third All-Star team and won his second straight AL Gold Glove.

Born in St. Paul, the 26-year-old can leave the Twins and become a free agent after the 2010 season, when he is due to make $12.5 million. Minnesota is expected to try to sign him to a new deal.

Ivan Rodriguez in 1999 had been the only catcher since Thurman Munson in 1976 to win the AL MVP. The other catchers to win in the AL were Mickey Cochrane (1934), Yogi Berra (1951 and 1954-55) and Elston Howard (1963). NL catchers to win were Gabby Hartnett (1935), Ernie Lombardi (1938), Roy Campanella (1951, 1953 and 1955) and Johnny Bench (1970 and 1972).

In addition to Mauer and Morneau, other Twins to win were Zoilo Versalles (1965), Harmon Killebrew (1969) and Rod Carew (1977).

Mauer receives a $100,000 bonus for winning the award, and Cabrera gets $200,000 for finishing fourth. Cabrera's first-place vote came from Keizo Konishi of Kyodo News, a member of the Seattle chapter.

Teixeira led the AL with 122 RBIs and tied for first with 39 homers. Jeter was second to Morneau in the 2006 voting and finished third behind Juan Gonzalez and Garciaparra in 1998.

Atletico rejected big-money bidsMilwaukee Brewers trade SS J.J. Hardy for Minnesota Twins’ CF Carlos Gomez

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says some teams lost money in 2009

CHICAGO -- Some teams lost money in 2009, baseball commissioner Bud Selig said Thursday after the final owners meeting of the year.

"There was no question about that," Selig said. "I don't think the concerns have been ameliorated at all. I think the concerns are still there because all these people have their own economists."

Selig said final figures for this year are still being calculated and everyone is living in the most difficult economic times since the Great Depression. He declined to identify the teams.

"I think of all the heartache that's in the world," Selig said. "We live in this environment. We don't live in a bubble. And so, I think the clubs in some areas have been hit a lot harder than others."

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Major League Baseball's average attendance dropped 6.7 percent last season from an average of 32,528 in 2008 to an average of 30,350. Total attendance of 73.4 million was baseball's fifth-highest.

"Given the economy, the fact that we drew 73.5 million people is a testament to this sport's popularity and everything that has been done is remarkable," Selig said.

With the free-agent market set to open Friday, teams and agents are uncertain whether the economy will impact salaries.

"Revenues as a whole were flat at best and I think there's still a lot of people, and obviously we're still focused on our fans, that are still struggling," Los Angeles Angels owner Arturo Moreno said.

Moreno has two players who became free agents after helping the Angels win the AL West: right-hander John Lackey and third baseman Chone Figgins. The Angels have already kept Bobby Abreu, agreeing to a $19 million, two-year contract.

Re-signing both Lackey and Figgins could be difficult.

"I think there's going to be X amount of players that are going to probably get great contracts and I think there's a lot of players that I think it's going to happen like last year, where there are going to be good players available towards the end," Moreno said.

Selig said there was no discussion at the meeting of increasing the use of video review by umpires, a subject that has been debated following several missed calls during the postseason.

Owners also heard reports and welcomed new Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts.

"It was very interesting. Once again, just learning," Ricketts said after emerging from the meeting.

The Cubs, who drew over 3 million fans again last season, had the third-highest payroll at the beginning of last season behind the New York Yankees and New York Mets.

"I'm not going to make any predictions on the economy. I think we did OK as a team," Ricketts said.

Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks is putting together a group of local investors, including Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach, for a bid that would enable him to keep majority ownership of the team.

Several other groups have been identified as potential bidders.

"I don't know what's going on," Selig said. "The bids are due tomorrow and I'll be anxious then to see them."

Selig didn't say much about the St. Louis Cardinals' decision to hire Mark McGwire as their hitting coach.

"Let's see how it all plays out. I've talk to Tony La Russa a lot about it and I've talked to Bill DeWitt about it," he said, referring to the Cardinals manager and owner.

McGwire, who hit 70 homers in 1998 and retired in 2001 with 583 for his career, became notorious when he refused to discuss the past when testifying at a 2005 congressional hearing about steroids.

Owners also heard reports on the annual civil rights game, the World Cup, legislative affairs, baseball's Internet division, the first-year MLB Network and the amateur draft.

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San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum wins second consecutive Cy Young

NEW YORK -- Giants ace Tim Lincecum won the NL Cy Young Award on Thursday for the second consecutive season to become the first repeat winner since Randy Johnson, emerging from one of the tightest votes in the history of the honor.

NL Cy Young Voting

Giants ace Tim Lincecum had enough support across the voting board to win his second straight NL Cy Young Award. A breakdown of the voting:

Player, team 1st-place votes Total 

Tim Lincecum, Giants 11 100 

Chris Carpenter, Cardinals 9 94 

Adam Wainwright, Cardinals 12 90 

Others receiving votes: Javier Vazquez, Braves; Dan Haren, Diamondbacks.

Lincecum led the NL with 261 strikeouts and tied for the league lead with four complete games and two shutouts. The wiry right-hander, nicknamed "The Freak" for his giant stride, went 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA.

Only 10 points separated the top three vote-getters. Chris Carpenter was second and St. Louis teammate Adam Wainwright was third, despite getting the most first-place votes.

Lincecum received 11 first-place votes, 12 seconds and nine thirds for 100 points in balloting released by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Carpenter had nine firsts, 14 seconds and seven thirds to finish second with 94.

Wainwright, who led the NL with 19 wins and 233 innings, had 12 first-place votes, five seconds and 15 thirds for 90 points. Closer Trevor Hoffman, who finished behind Braves starter Tom Glavine in 1998, is the only other player to finish with the most firsts and not win the award.

Two voters, Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus and Keith Law of ESPN.com, did not include Carpenter on their ballots. Carroll had Wainwright in the top spot, Lincecum second and Arizona's Dan Haren third. Law voted for Lincecum, Atlanta's Javier Vazquez and Wainwright in third. Those were the only votes in any position for Haren and Vazquez.

The six-point gap between Lincecum and Carpenter is tied for the third-closest in the NL since the ballot expanded to three pitchers in 1970. The 10-point margin from first to third is the second closest for the NL ballot.

Lincecum, who had a $650,000 salary and could be headed for a big raise if he goes to arbitration before next season, did not have any bonus provision for winning the award. Carpenter receives $100,000 for finishing second, Wainwright $100,000 for winding up third and Vazquez $70,000 for being voted fourth.

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Colorado Rockies' Jim Tracy, Los Angeles' Mike Scioscia named managers of year

NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Angels could have crumbled when pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a car accident in April, overcome by waves of grief and sadness.

Mike Scioscia kept them moving forward.

Managers of the Year voting

Angels manager Mike Scioscia and Rockies manager Jim Tracy were named the AL and NL managers of the year. A breakdown of the voting:

American League

Manager, team 1st-place votes Total 

Mike Scioscia, Angels 15 106 

Ron Gardenhire, Twins 6 72 

Joe Girardi, Yankees 4 34 

Don Wakamatsu, Mariners 2 19 

Ron Washington, Rangers 1 19 

Others receiving votes: Jim Leyland, Tigers, 2.

National League

Player, team 1st-place votes Total 

Jim Tracy, Rockies 29 151 

Tony La Russa, Cardinals 2 55 

Joe Torre, Dodgers 1 33 

Others receiving votes: Bruce Bochy, Giants, 18; Charlie Manuel, Phillies, 10; Fredi Gonzalez, Marlins, 4; Bud Black, Padres, 2.

"There wasn't one defining moment," he said. "I think as the season started to evolve guys found that sense of purpose to play baseball again and they played it at a very, very high level."

For his deft touch during a trying season, Scioscia won the AL Manager of the Year award on Wednesday for the second time. Jim Tracy of Colorado was selected for the NL honor.

Tracy became the second manager to win the award after taking over during the season, joining Jack McKeon for Florida in 2003. Less than an hour after the award was announced, the Rockies said Tracy had been rewarded with a three-year contract.

"What we're talking about this afternoon, it's probably as flattering an experience as I've come to realize during the course of my professional career in athletics," Tracy said. "And obviously a new contract is extremely exciting. But what is more intriguing for me is what is still out there for our ballclub."

Tracy received 29 first-place votes and two seconds for 151 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Scioscia got 15 first-place votes, 10 seconds and one third for 106 points.

The Rockies promoted Tracy from bench coach after Clint Hurdle was fired in late May and won the wild-card race. Scioscia and the Angels paid tribute to Adenhart with their fifth AL West title in six years.

"Some things, you're never prepared for," Scioscia said. "But those things really weren't about us. They were about the Adenhart family and I think as we supported them we found some peace."

Ron Gardenhire finished second in the AL voting for the second straight year and fifth time during his eight seasons as Minnesota manager. He also placed third in 2002, when Scioscia was honored for the first time, but has never won the award. Tony La Russa of the Cardinals, a four-time winner, was a distant second in the NL with 55 points.

Lou Piniella of the Cubs and Joe Maddon of the Rays were honored last year.

Colorado was 18-28 and 14 games behind NL West-leading Los Angeles when general manager Dan O'Dowd dismissed Hurdle on May 29 and offered the job to Tracy.

"I didn't immediately say yes," Tracy recalled. "I asked for 60 minutes to think about it and he told me you can have 60 but you can't have 61 because he needed somebody down in the dugout to manage that night."

Tracy was sold when O'Dowd told him he just wanted to see the team play better. He thought he could take care of that -- and the Rockies responded to his steady hand. They went 74-42 the rest of the way, extending the division race to the final weekend before settling for the wild card.

There was no Rocktober this year -- Colorado lost to Philadelphia in the division series -- but it was still quite the turnaround for the club and Tracy, who was fired after leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 68-94 record in 2007.

The 53-year-old Tracy was out of baseball before becoming the Rockies' bench coach in November 2008.

"With as young as we are and with as much as we grew in such a short period of time, I can't even begin to tell you how much I'm looking forward to the future," he said.

Scioscia managed the Angels to their third consecutive division title during one of his most difficult seasons in the dugout. Los Angeles has earned six postseason berths in the last eight years under Scioscia, who was a catcher for the Dodgers for 13 seasons and retired in 1994.

The Angels used 14 starting pitchers and played without sluggers Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero for long stretches due to injuries. The team's biggest challenge was moving past the sorrow it felt after Adenhart's death.

"For a long time, it wasn't easy for our club," Scioscia said.

Scioscia, who turns 51 on Nov. 27, was credited for giving his players time to grieve while gently insisting on accountability as an early slump lingered. Los Angeles responded by surging to another division title and making it to the AL Championship Series, eliminating postseason nemesis Boston along the way.

The baseball honors continue Thursday with the NL Cy Young Award.

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Kansas City Royals' Zack Greinke wins American League Cy Young Award

NEW YORK -- Zack Greinke won the American League Cy Young Award on Tuesday, beating out Felix Hernandez after a spectacular season short on wins but long on domination.

Greinke went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA for the Kansas City Royals. Hernandez went 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA for the Seattle Mariners.AL Cy Young Voting

Royals ace Zack Greinke won the American League Cy Young Award overwhelmingly Tuesday. A breakdown of the voting:

Player, team 1st-place votes Total 

Zack Greinke, Royals 25 134 

Felix Hernandez, Mariners 2 80 

Justin Verlander, Tigers 1 14 

Others receiving votes: CC Sabathia, Yankees, 13, Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, 11.

Greinke received 25 first-place votes and three seconds for 134 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Hernandez drew two firsts, 23 seconds and one third for 80 points.

The Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander was third with the remaining first-place vote and nine thirds for 14 points. He was followed by the New York Yankees' CC Sabathia with 13 points and Toronto Blue Jays' Roy Halladay with 11 points.

The NL winner will be announced Thursday.

Greinke's ERA was the lowest in the AL since Pedro Martinez's 1.74 ERA in 2000 and his 242 strikeouts were second in the league behind Verlander.

It was quite a turnaround for the 26-year-old right-hander, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft but led the AL in losses in 2005 when he went 5-17.

He left spring training in February 2006 and went home to Florida with what later was diagnosed as a social anxiety disorder. He started working out in the minors about six weeks later and returned to the majors in late September.

Greinke was 7-7 the following year and 13-10 in 2008 before his breakout season.

His victory total matched that of the Arizona Diamondbacks' Brandon Webb three years ago for the fewest by a starting pitcher to win a Cy Young Award in a non-shortened season and was the fewest by an AL starter to win in a full-length season.

Kansas City, which tied for last place in the AL Central at 65-97, scored just 13 runs in his eight losses and 21 runs in his nine no-decisions. He failed to get a victory in six starts in which he allowed one run or none.Cy Young Winners On Non-Winning Teams

The Royals went 65-97 last season, by far the worst winning percentage of an AL team that had a Cy Young winner.

Cy Young winner Season Win pct. 

Z. Greinke, K.C. 2009 .401 

P. Hentgen, Toronto 1996 .457 

G. Perry, Cleveland 1972 .462 

R. Clemens, Toronto 1997 .469 

R. Clemens, Boston 1987 .481 

He was particularly sharp at the start and finish, going 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA in April and 5-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his last eight starts. He didn't allow any runs in his first three starts and any earned runs in his first four, and his 0.84 ERA through 10 starts was the first below 1.00 in the major leagues since Juan Marichal's 0.55 in 1966.

He struck out 15 over eight innings against the Cleveland Indians on Aug. 25 and followed five days later by pitching a one-hitter at Seattle. After Kenji Johjima's soft second-inning single, Greinke retired his final 22 batters.

Greinke, who agreed to a $38 million, four-year contract last winter, receives a $100,000 bonus for winning.

The first-place votes for Hernandez came from Chris Assenheimer of The Chronicle-Telegram in Elyria, Ohio, and Mark Feinsand of the Daily News In New York. Verlander's first-place vote was cast by Steve Kornacki of Booth Newspapers in Michigan.

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Florida Marlins' Chris Coghlan, Oakland Athletics' Andrew Bailey voted top rookies

NEW YORK -- Florida Marlins left fielder Chris Coghlan won the National League Rookie of the Year award in a close vote Monday, and Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey took the AL honor.

Rookies of Year voting

A's closer Andrew Bailey and Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan were named the AL and NL rookies of the year on Monday. A breakdown of the voting:
American League

Player, team 1st-place votes Total 

Andrew Bailey, A's 13 88 

Elvis Andrus, Rangers 8 65 

Rick Porcello, Tigers 7 64 

Others receiving votes: Jeff Niemann, Rays, 21; Gordon Beckham, White Sox, 10; Brett Anderson, A's, 4.

National League

Player, team 1st-place votes Total 

Chris Coghlan, Marlins 17 105 

J.A. Happ, Phillies 8 94 

Tommy Hanson, Braves 2 37 

Andrew McCutchen, Pirates 2 25 

Casey McGehee, Brewers 1 18 

Others receiving votes: Randy Wells, Cubs, 3; Garret Jones, Pirates, 2; Everth Cabrera, Padres, 1; Dexter Fowler, Rockies, 1; Gerardo Parra, Diamondbacks, 1; Colby Rasmus, Cardinals, 1.

Coghlan edged Philadelphia Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ, receiving 17 first-place votes and 105 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Happ, the only player picked on all 32 ballots, had 10 first-place votes and 94 points.

Bailey, an All-Star in his first major league season, was selected first on 13 of 28 ballots and finished with 88 points. Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus was the runner-up with 65 points, one more than Detroit Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello.

Coghlan dug himself out of an early slump and had a superb second half. Emerging as a pesky leadoff hitter for the Marlins, he batted .321 with nine homers and 31 doubles in 128 games. He scored 84 runs and drove in 47.

Called up from the minors in May, the 24-year-old Coghlan topped NL rookies in batting average, runs, hits (162), total bases (232) and on-base percentage (.390). He became the third Florida player in seven years to win the award, joining shortstop Hanley Ramirez (2006) and pitcher Dontrelle Willis (2003).

Happ's versatility was a huge plus for the Phillies, who won their second consecutive NL pennant before losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series.

The left-hander went 12-4 with a 2.93 ERA in 35 games, including 23 starts. He led NL rookies in innings (166), strikeouts (119) and complete games (three).

Atlanta Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson finished third in a competitive field with two first-place votes and 37 points. Pittsburgh outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who came in fourth, also was chosen first on a pair of ballots. Milwaukee infielder Casey McGehee received the other first-place vote.

Bailey went 6-3 and saved 26 games, 24 more than any other American League reliever. He also led the league's rookie pitchers with a 1.84 ERA.

He is the eighth A's player to win the award, tying the New York Yankees for most in the AL.

Bailey made the Oakland roster out of spring training and got an opportunity to close due to injuries. He took advantage of it, earning a surprise trip to the All-Star Game in July as Oakland's lone representative.

The 25-year-old right-hander struck out 91 and walked 24 in 83 1/3 innings. He yielded only 47 hits, holding opponents to a .167 batting average.

Bailey became the third Oakland player in six years to win the award, joining closer Huston Street (2005) and shortstop Bobby Crosby (2004).

The AL Cy Young Award winner will be announced Tuesday.

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Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves agree on three-year contract

ATLANTA -- Tim Hudson agreed to a $28 million, three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, giving the team a wealth of starting pitching and setting up a likely trade to bolster the offense.

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Hudson could have returned to the Braves under a $12 million option, but the sides focused on a longer deal after the right-hander showed he had overcome major elbow surgery.

His new deal calls for salaries of $9 million in each of the next three seasons, and the Braves get a $9 million club option for 2013 with a $1 million buyout. If Hudson pitches at least 600 innings over the next three seasons, he would receive a $500,000 bonus after the 2012 season.

The 34-year-old grew up in neighboring Alabama and said all along he was willing to give the Braves a discount to remain close to home. The agreement was reached quickly after the team completed its postseason organizational meetings.

The pitcher said it actually took longer to schedule a physical and set up insurance for the new contract than the actual negotiations.

"I did all I could do to get healthy and show them they could have confidence in me," said Hudson, who returned to start seven games late in the season after missing a full year. "They came to me with an opening offer than was more than fair. They showed me they really wanted to get something done, as did I."

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The Braves now have six starters under contract for next season: Hudson, Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami.

Jurrjens (14-10, 2.60 ERA) and Hanson (11-4, 2.89), both 23, are the long-term cornerstones of the staff and Vazquez is coming off one of the best seasons (15-10, 2.87) of his career. Vazquez, who is heading into the final year of his contract, might be the most attractive pitcher in a trade since Lowe (15-10, 4.67) and Kawakami (7-12, 3.86) are both in the middle of expensive, long-term deals.

"We felt like the strength of our ballclub was the starting rotation, and we wanted to continue to have that as our strength," general manager Frank Wren said. "Now we have the ability to go out and continue to mold our ballclub. Quite frankly, I don't know what it's going to look like on Opening Day, but it's starting to take form. This is the first step."

The Braves ranked third in the NL with a 3.57 ERA, while the offense improved after Wren made trades for first baseman Adam LaRoche and center fielder Nate McLouth. But LaRoche is a free agent and the team may be reluctant to sign him to a long-term deal with top prospect Freddie Freeman close to being ready for the big leagues.

The outfield also needs an upgrade. Left fielder Garret Anderson is a free agent and unlikely to return, while Wren must weigh any moves with an eye toward making room for the team's best prospect, outfielder Jason Heyward, who could make the jump to the big leagues as soon as next season.

Then there's the bullpen: co-closers Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez have both filed for free agency; the team would like to bring at least one of them back.

"This does give us depth and strength in one area of our club and allows us to have flexibility to do other things now," Wren said. "We're a work in progress."

Hudson, a former 20-game winner in Oakland, was the ace of the Braves' staff until he tore up his elbow during the 2008 season. He underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery and was out for a full year.

But he returned at the end of this past season to go 2-1 with a 3.61 ERA in his seven starts, proving to the Braves that his right elbow would be at full strength in 2010.

"I'll tell you what, man, it feels really, really good," said Hudson, who recently began his offseason conditioning program. "It feels just as normal as my left elbow. I didn't think I would ever be able to say that."

Hudson, who was part of a rotation in Oakland that included Barry Zito and Mark Mulder, believes the Braves have a chance to be even better with Jurrjens and Hanson leading the way.

"J.J. and Tommy are two of the best young pitchers I've seen in a long time," Hudson said. "I'm willing to say this is by far the best staff I've been on in my big league career. We have some great pitchers who can go out there and give us a great chance to win every time."

Hudson also looks forward to being around for Bobby Cox's last season as manager. He has already said that he'll move into an advisory role with the team after one more year in the dugout.

"He deserves a great season, if not a championship season," Hudson said. "He's such a pleasure to play for. We're going to go out there and give it all we've got."

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