Veteran Klesko a Giant; now what about Bonds?  —  Ex-Padre gets one-year deal; club still working on language of Barry's contract  —  Ryan Klesko became the latest in a swell of former San Diego Padres to follow manager Bruce Bochy up the coast Tuesday, when the Giants signed the veteran …

White to sign with Twins  —  Rondell White and the Twins are close to a deal that would guarantee him $2.75 million next season, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.  The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the week, pending him passing a physical.

Mets Step Up Zito Effort by Making a House Call  —  When it comes to pursuing an elite free agent, there is no setting too exotic or remote for Mets General Manager Omar Minaya.  He spent Thanksgiving 2004 wooing Pedro Martínez in the Dominican Republic, swung by Puerto Rico …

Mets in L.A. to meet Zito  —  The Mets took their pitch to Barry Zito yesterday, flying to Los Angeles to court the free-agent pitcher.  —  Team officials remained hopeful the pitcher would eventually visit New York, but they had to go to agent Scott Boras' turf for their first face-to-face meeting with the lefthander.

Yankees Are Taking a Look at Loretta  —  The Yankees' search for a first baseman has veered from one veteran to another, with a homegrown player and a Rule 5 draft pick mixed in.  The latest name to surface is Mark Loretta, a free agent, who spent last season as the second baseman for the Boston Red Sox.

Agent says Pirates among top suitors for Suppan  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  The Pirates' hot-and-cold pursuit of free-agent starter Jeff Suppan apparently is heating up again.  —  They are one of three teams making the most serious bid for his services …

It's Official: Vidro Leaves Nats for Seattle  —  The Washington Nationals' offseason has been spent eliminating big, expensive, aging pieces and replacing them with smaller, cheaper, younger ones.  So it was that on a day made notable by the official elimination of the longest-tenured …

Matsuzaka will give this a spin  —  Lifestyle issues aside, the biggest change Daisuke Matsuzaka may face here is pitching in a five-man rotation, according to lefthanded pitcher Alex Graman, a former Yankee farmhand who last season spent his first year in Japan as Matsuzaka's teammate on the Seibu Lions.

Phillies close to deal with Barajas  —  Veteran will help tutor young, up-and-coming backstop Ruiz  —  PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies appeared to have upgraded at catcher Tuesday by agreeing to a deal with Rod Barajas.  —  A baseball source said the team was close to signing the veteran backstop, though the terms were unknown.

think big!  —  By morning, I will happily off-grid for a week, back in action on 12/28 or so.  In the meantime...  Rescued from the cabinet of VHSs at my father's house on Long Island (and digitized by my buddy, LB), it's Think Big, the 1987 inspirational video starring the New York Mets' Gary Carter …

Rose backs McGwire, hopes exhibit helps with reinstatement  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — Pete Rose thinks Mark McGwire should be in baseball's Hall of Fame, and hasn't given up hope that he'll get there someday, too.  —  Baseball's banished hits king said Tuesday that McGwire …

Hendry nears deal with Floyd  —  Cubs general manager Jim Hendry began recruiting Cliff Floyd as the baseball coach at Creighton nearly 16 years ago.  Now he's finally on the verge of reeling him in.  —  Sources said late Tuesday the Cubs were close to signing Floyd to an incentive-laden deal …

Radke retires after 12 seasons  —  Longtime Twins right-hander won 148 career games  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Brad Radke could have made millions more as free agent in baseball's exploding market this winter.  —  His mind was made up, though, and the Minnesota Twins are losing one of the franchise's …