Silver Sluggers a mix of old and new  —  Eight incumbents and eight first-timers among 2009 winners  —  The Silver Slugger Awards distributed early this evening went to a perfect mix of the old guard and new guard, as players with established reputations and others starting to earn theirs shared honors …

Former Pitcher John Wetteland Hospitalized  —  BARTONVILLE (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ― Police activity in Denton County has led to a former Major League Baseball pitcher being taken to a Denton-area hospital.  —  Former Rangers pitcher and current Seattle Mariners Bullpen coach John Wetteland …

With only new contract, cries of poverty ring through GM meetings … Inside the no-frills Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport for Major League Baseball's General Manager meeting, there were signs of tough times ahead for ballplayers.  While agent Scott Boras — who represents Matt Holliday …

Jays' Ruiz selected as Triple-A All-Star  —  Career Minor Leaguer's production earns Topps' honor  —  TORONTO — Randy Ruiz swung a powerful bat after an August promotion to Toronto, quickly becoming a favorite among Blue Jays fans with his feel-good story.

Jeter plays a Bronx bummer for movie  —  Give that man an Oscar!  —  No, Derek Jeter hasn't blown through his fortune al ready — he's playing a be draggled bum in a movie.  —  The Yan kees captain and five-time world cham pion is play ing a fictionalized version of himself in the upcoming …

Chicago Cubs must pursue Curtis Granderson  —  (Kirthmon F. Dozier, McClatchy-Tribune / October 4, 2009)  —  He fits all the club's needs, and Detroit Tigers may be eager to deal  —  On Baseball  —  On the third day of the general managers' meetings at the O'Hare Hilton …

The significance of the Mauer market  —  The agent for Joe Mauer wouldn't characterize the state of the catcher's negotiations with the Twins on Thursday, or discuss them in any way, which isn't a surprise.  That's not really Ron Shapiro's style.  We are accustomed to hearing a lot …

LeBron James planning to give up No. 23 out of respect for Michael Jordan, urges others to do same … Miami — Basking in the glow of a victory over the Heat, Cavs superstar LeBron James looked over at his idol sitting in the stands at AmericanAirlines Arena on Thursday night and made a command decision.

All about the high inside fastball  —  What exactly is a high inside fastball?  —  “Well, duh, Nick.  A high inside fastball is a pitch that is high and... wait for it... inside, hence the name.  You don't seem to be very sharp, I think I'm going to stop reading now.”

The Matsuzaka Plan takes shape  —  Theo Epstein said the other day in Chicago that Daisuke Matsuzaka would return to the United States well before spring training and embark on a conditioning program.  —  Via old friend Gaku Tashiro of Sankei Sports, here's a little more information on that:

Discussion: Reds Looking To Deal?  —  SI.com's Jon Heyman reported yesterday that the Cincinnati Reds might field offers for Brandon Phillips, Francisco Cordero, and Bronson Arroyo.  —  We've heard plenty of speculation that the trade market will be more vibrant this offseason than the free agent market …

Hudson agrees to 3-year deal to stay with Braves … ATLANTA (AP) — Tim Hudson agreed to a three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, giving the team a wealth of starting pitching and setting up a likely trade to bolster the offense.  —  Hudson could have returned to the Braves under …

Jon Heyman>DAILY SCOOP  —  More ColumnsEmail JonFollow Jon Heyman on  —  Cries of poverty ring through GM meetings (cont.)  —  7. Judging Roy.  Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos wisely said he has no objection to making trades within the division, and presumably that includes a deal for the pitcher he called …