M's set to sign Ichiro to 5-year deal  —  SAN FRANCISCO — One of the Mariners' biggest concerns this season is about to be resolved.  —  The club is on the verge of locking up Ichiro, their All-Star outfielder whose contract was set to expire after the season, to a five-year contract extension, The Seattle Times has learned.

All-Star notes: La Russa wants larger roster  —  SAN FRANCISCO - Their dugouts are stocked with baseball's best players, yet All-Star Game managers Jim Leyland of the American League and Tony La Russa of the National League couldn't help but pine for a few players who aren't here.

Selig will follow Bonds in HR chase  —  SAN FRANCISCO — The oh-so-obvious dance of discomfort between soon-to-be all-time home run champ Barry Bonds and baseball commissioner Bud Selig continues.  —  And it will continue, right up until the record.  —  Baseball's greatest power hitter …

Young must be dealt before deadline  —  When word came down last week that Nick Johnson still was feeling pain in his right hip and needed to visit a specialist in New York, Washington Nationals fans might have had two reactions:  —  {bullet} Compassion for Johnson, who continues to face …

Vlad captures first Derby crown  —  Angels slugger bests Blue Jays' Rios in final round  —  SAN FRANCISCO — It was State Farm Home Run Derby night at AT&T Park on Monday and Vladimir Guerrero was the finest of Major League Baseball's slugging stars.  —  The Angels right fielder outdueled Alex Rios …

Prospectus Today  —  So Wong He's Right, and Mr. Roberts … Given that it's Free Week, I guess I can put my intended catch-up Unfiltered posts into this space.  For the next four days, we'll be running everything here at Baseball Prospectus free, giving non-subscribers a taste of what they can get for about a dime a day.

Where will A-Rod land?  —  News takes look at which could be next A-team  —  He's pulled off a successful switch to third base, won an MVP and is now taking aim at a hallowed home run record owned by Roger Maris.  But Alex Rodriguez's tenure in the Bronx also is pockmarked with boos, poor Octobers and racy tabloid tales.

Future Shock  —  Risers and Fallers, National League … Continuing from Friday's piece, we move on to the prospects of the prospects in the National League.  —  Arizona Diamondbacks  —  Great Leap Forward: It took a year longer than expected, but Justin Upton is living up to the promise …

Transaction Analysis Special  —  Free Talent All-Stars … Picking All-Stars—whether by fan ballot, journalistic conceit, or individual manager's favoritism—has always been somewhat hit or miss. The standards are invariably slippery, and the insane tokenism requirement that places …

Agent gets 5 years for smuggling Cubans  —  KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — A California sports agent was sentenced to five years in prison for smuggling five Cuban baseball players into the United States.  —  District Judge K. Michael Moore issued the mandatory minimum sentence Monday to agent Gustavo "Gus" Dominguez.

Notes: Rotation about set for post-break  —  El Duque the early favorite to start against Reds on Thursday  —  HOUSTON — The Mets' starting rotation, subject to change as New England's weather, has been established — sort of — for the games following the All-Star break.