Mets acquire catcher Johnny Estrada  —  The Mets have landed a catcher - but this one might not be around long either.  As a bonus, the other team took Guillermo Mota.  —  Days after a three-year, $14.4million contract with free agent Yorvit Torrealba collapsed, the Mets shipped reviled reliever Mota …

Holliday second to Rollins  —  Philadelphia's shortstop edges the Rockies' left fielder for MVP  —  Rockies Nation howled with indignation Tuesday when it was announced Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins beat out their man, Matt Holliday, for the National League MVP award.

Yankees' plans for 2008 may hinge on Andy Pettitte's answer  —  The return of Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera give Joe Girardi something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  Now, the Yankees are hoping that Andy Pettitte will give them a nice holiday gift next month.

Hooray! ...  The good old-fashioned trade is back … It's been a long, long time since we've had a baseball winter like this.  —  A winter dominated not by dollar signs, but by buzzing phone lines.  —  A winter in which a two-time Cy Young Award winner (Mr. Johan Santana, ladies and gentlemen) might get traded.

Hunter's list may start with Sox  —  At least five offers are there, but Twins' star CF calls GM Williams 'impressive'  —  A day after feasting on a steak dinner at the 30-acre estate of Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks and receiving a six-year offer, free-agent outfielder Torii Hunter …

Hendry hot on trail of Matsui  —  Cubs general manager Jim Hendry was on the road Tuesday, perhaps courting free-agent second baseman Kaz Matsui, who played for the National League champion Colorado Rockies.  —  Hendry wouldn't give his location, but the Cubs are hot after Matsui.

MLB to auction bug spray Yanks used at Jacobs  —  NEW YORK — Start the bidding on Yankees bug spray.  —  Who could forget New York rookie Joba Chamberlain getting doused with pest repellant during the American League playoffs last month?  Well, here's your chance to own an authentic bottle.

Less was more for Lowell  —  He deemed Boston most valuable place  —  Thirty seven and a half million was enough for Mike Lowell.  —  The Red Sox third baseman cast aside bigger and better offers (the Yankees, Phillies, and Dodgers all were reportedly in the hunt at one time) to stay in Boston and accept three years.

A chip on his repaired shoulder  —  Chavez more motivated than ever after third surgery  —  (11-20) 19:47 PST OAKLAND — Last week, A's third baseman Eric Chavez had his third surgery of the fall, achieving a painful kind of symmetry by adding a left shoulder repair to earlier procedures on his lower back and right shoulder.

White Sox designate Scott Podsednik for assignment  —  Add four players to roster  —  CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox have designated outfielder Scott Podsednik for assignment and have purchased the contracts of catcher Cole Armstrong and right-handed pitchers Jack Egbert, Lucas Harrell and Adam Russell.

Jays' Towers teeters no more  —  T.O. hurler now fits J.P.'s rotation plan  —  Here's a shocker — you haven't seen the last of Josh Towers in a Blue Jays uniform.  —  The right-hander, who was batted back and forth between the rotation and bullpen in 2007 and ended up going 5-10 with a 5.40 ERA …

Veteran outfielder Finley hopes to play in 2008 … After 19 major league seasons, 2,548 hits and a four-month forced sabbatical last summer, Steve Finley reached a decision: He's not ready to give up on playing just yet.  —  Finley, one of only six players in history with more than 300 career home runs …

Founder of Israeli baseball league facing fraud lawsuit  —  BOSTON (AP) -The founder of Israel's financially struggling professional baseball league is being sued by a Florida woman who claims he defrauded her of the $275,000 she invested in his bagel business and used the money for personal expenses and to support the league.

Matsuzaka: 'Not up to my standards'  —  Red Sox righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka arrived at Tokyo's Narita airport earlier today and took some questions from a group of reporters at the scene.  —  The Globe's Daigo Fujiwara provides the following translation of the Q&A session:

Barry Bonds - A guide to help you cut through the noise  —  Keith Scherer is a federal criminal defense attorney.  He also does a lot of urinalysis drug cases in military court.  He contributed the legal analysis to Will Carroll's The Juice, and he is a longtime contributor to Baseball Prospectus.