SCOTT-STOVE LEAGUE  —  RAYS MAY DANGLE KAZMIR - HEAR THAT, METS?  —  The free- agent market is deep in center fielders, Scott Boras clients and Grade C possibilities - and all of it is expected to be very expensive.  —  "It will be worse than a C [grade]," an NL executive countered.

Marlins expected to shop Cabrera  —  Baseball's hot-stove season gets under way today with one scenario already sizzling - Alex Rodriguez replacing Miguel Cabrera at third base for the Marlins.  —  Sound crazy?  Perhaps.  But at least one half of the equation is real.

Letter to fans from GM Huntington  —  Pirates name Russell as new Bucs skipper  —  Dear Pirates fans:  —  I am extremely excited to officially announce today that we have hired John Russell as the new manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  John's hiring is another significant step in the process …

Interview: Tim Marchman  —  One of the best writers in the city, Tim Marchman covers baseball for The New York Sun.  Last week, he was generous enough to sit down and answer some questions for MetsGeek about sportswriting, The Collapse, and his opinions on the team as the offseason begins.

The Bill James Handbook 2008 - Part One  —  A United States Postal Service Priority Mail envelope was sitting on my desk at home when I returned from a two-day trip to Arizona last Friday.  I opened it up and was pleasantly surprised to find The Bill James Handbook 2008 inside.

Dodgers to introduce Torre as manager  —  LOS ANGELES —Joe Torre will be front and center for his first day in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform.  The new manager's introductory news conference Monday was to be held in center field at Dodger Stadium, not in some room in the ballpark's interior …

Well .... Fukudome  —  About to get on a flight for Orlando _ third trip to Orlando in 12 months, which, I believe is in violation of the Geneva Convention.  Anyway, the GM meetings are there and so, I doubt I'll see a single set of mouse ears.  (If you want to find the source of my Disneyphobia …

Probabilistic Model of Range, 2007, Teams  —  Baseball Info Solutions sent me their final stats for 2007 over the weekend.  That means it's time to start presenting the 2007 Probabilistic Model or Range.  If you're new to this, you can find explanations in this archive.

Breaking down all MLB team needs  —  LIKE THIS STORY?  —  The Hot Stove is upon us once again.  —  With the Boston Red Sox newly crowned, it's time for the focus to shift to next season.  That, of course, means that all clubs will be working to address their needs in the coming weeks.

Q&A with Andy MacPhail  —  O's president of baseball operations answers Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec's questions ahead of the general managers meetings  —  Hired in June to head the Orioles' front office, president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail faces a daunting task this offseason …

Hey Pedro, give Mets blessing to get Schilling  —  Pedro Martinez, if you're reading this, please don't throw a fit just yet.  Give me a chance to explain.  —  I know Curt Schilling is far from your best friend - surely you're not having sleepovers, as Alex Rodriguez would say - but let's put aside your personal issues for a second.

'We need to evolve'  —  Even if he was not the Cardinals' first choice as general manager, John Mozeliak resounded as an extremely popular one when announced Wednesday afternoon at Busch Stadium.  —  The fit was a comfortable one.  Club chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. introduced Mozeliak …