New York Mets add pitcher Kelvim Escobar to bullpen via one-year contract  —  Maybe Omar Minaya grew up in one of those households where the kids got to open one of their presents on Christmas Eve.  The Mets' GM did just that for his club late Thursday when he and Kelvim Escobar agreed to terms on a one-year contract.

Coghlan reminisces on holidays past  —  Rookie of Year recalls presents hidden behind curtain  —  MIAMI — As much as the curtain was an annoyance, it also was a big part of tradition when Chris Coghlan was growing up.  —  Hoping to someday preserve his childhood memories …

How NL clubs have addressed '10 needs  —  Atlanta manager Bobby Cox is headed into his 29th and final season of filling out big-league managerial cards.  He has led his teams to a record 15 first-place finishes — including the first in Blue Jays history in 1985 — and guided the Braves …

Pitching brightened year for Rangers  —  Several surprises helped club finish second in AL West  —  ARLINGTON — The one constant in the Rangers organization is change, and 2009 saw potentially the biggest change of all.  —  As the memorable year came to a close, Rangers owner Tom Hicks announced …

20 years later, Martin's legend lives  —  Anniversary of death puts manager's feats in perspective  —  NEW YORK — The images of Billy Martin, to this day — Christmas Day — have not changed.  Any discussion of Martin begins and ends with his behavior on the field and in the dugout, his tussles with umpires and legends alike.

Cursed anniversary: Babe's sale turns 90  —  MLB remembers storied transaction sending Ruth to Yanks  —  Saturday marked the 90th anniversary of the Red Sox selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees.  There was a time when that topic got people's blood boiling.  Now, it is just a transaction in the bio of the greatest player ever.

Report: A's talking with 3B Adrian Beltre  —  SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Comcast SportsNet MLB Insider Mychael Urban is reporting that the Oakland A's have expressed interest in third-base free agent Adrian Beltre.  —  Beltre recently turned down arbitration from the Mariners in hopes of procuring a multi-year deal elsewhere.

A's season one to forget and to build on  —  Losing '09 campaign not without its promising moments  —  For the Oakland A's, it wasn't a memorable year, but one worth remembering.  How is that contradiction possible?  —  Very simple.  The 2009 edition was the first Oakland team since 1998 …

Where did the Mariners go wrong with Morrow?  —  COMMENTARY: Pitcher's Seattle career was a cavalcade of mismanagement, flip-flopping  —  To sit and wonder where it all went wrong for Brandon Morrow and the Seattle Mariners is an exercise in frustration and a walk into the world of bad baseball decision-making.

Marlins stadium workers go underground  —  Public infrasctructure stage of ballpark project under way … MIAMI — From the moment construction began nearly six months ago on the Marlins new ballpark, much of the attention has centered on building from the ground up.