Yankees Explore a Trade to Send Johnson Home  —  Randy Johnson is 43 and coming off back surgery and two uneven seasons in New York.  He does not have much time left to add to his legacy, and if he does, he may not end up doing it as a Yankee.  That is because the Yankees appear open …

Angels will be Hillenbrand's fifth team since '01  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Free agent first baseman Shea Hillenbrand and the Los Angeles Angels agreed Tuesday to a $6.5 million, one-year contract.  —  Hillenbrand, who split last season between Toronto and San Francisco, gets $6 million next year …

Rangers couldn't wait for help  —  Lack of homegrown pitching talent forced team to move Danks  —  There are Rangers fans out there who are still wandering through the house, picking up rivers of ribbon, pieces of paper and tendrils of tinsel in a daze.  —  Yes, the gift-giving frenzy can leave a person in that zombie-like state.

Enough Teasing  —  So on Christmas, I had enough information to post that something was close.  But first, let's talk about the continuing Randy Johnson rumors.  Yes, there's a possibility that he's headed out of New York and due to his no-trade clause, the only location he'd approve a deal to would be Arizona or Southern California.

Heartfelt gesture  —  Ortiz helps establish cardiac unit for children in Dominican Republic  —  SAN PEDRO DE MACORIS, Dominican Republic — Last January, David Ortiz was preparing for the 2006 baseball season in his hometown of Santo Domingo.  Unlike previous seasons …

Sox swap potential for potential  —  McCarthy, groomed for starting job, traded to Rangers for lefty Danks  —  Even with the news during the winter meetings that the White Sox had traded veteran pitcher Freddy Garcia, starting pitcher-in-waiting Brandon McCarthy was skeptical.

Davis on Hall ballot for first time  —  Injuries the only thing that slowed speedy outfielder  —  CINCINNATI — Eric Davis never gave up on a play, and he refused to give in on his playing career when his body told him to do so.  —  This is a man who lacerated a kidney trying to make a catch.

Dreamseats can become a reality  —  Baseball fans can catch all of the action in comfort, style  —  The best seat in Major League Baseball history might have been immediately behind home plate when Babe Ruth was calling his shot at Wrigley Field at the 1932 World Series.

Tribe close to deal with Foulke  —  Reliever's agent says contract could be finalized this week  —  CLEVELAND — The Indians are closing in on another closing candidate.  —  The club is on the verge of signing free-agent right-hander Keith Foulke to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2008 …

Gossage hopes this is his year  —  Former flamethrower seeks Hall induction as pioneering closer  —  Rich Gossage is hoping that his eighth year on the Hall of Fame ballot will be sprinkled with some magic.  Each year since the Baseball Writers Association of America has had the opportunity …

The Top 50 Mets of All Time: #50 Rey Ordonez  —  Posted on Tue Dec 26, 2006 at 02:35:42 AM EST  —  We begin our list of the fifty best players in the history of the Mets' franchise with the unusual selection of Rey Ordonez.  What makes his inclusion so bizarre is that his value as a Met came exlusively from his glove.

Season begins and ends with optimism  —  Bucs' big ideas for '06 dashed early, but progress made late  —  The Pittsburgh Pirates ran the gamut of emotions in 2006, from the genuine optimism that they were on the verge of snapping their long streak of losing seasons, to the bitter disappointment …