Budding slugger may be reined in by squeeze play  —  When the Red Sox acquired Jeremy Hermida early this offseason, they believed they were getting a young outfielder with great upside.  To develop that upside, however, Hermida needs at-bats, especially against lefthanded pitching …

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.

Could Fernando Perez become surprise Chicago Cub  —  Tampa Bay Rays center field could plug hole  —  On Baseball  —  The Cubs clearly aren't blown away by any of the center fielders on the free agent market, preferring to explore trades.  One name to file away is Fernando Perez.

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.

Inbox: Pondering some offseason moves  —  Beat reporter Marty Noble answers Mets fans' questions  —  Shouldn't the Mets try to build a team around speed, defense and pitching?  Why Jason Bay?  Why not Mark DeRosa, Xavier Nady and Jon Garland or Joel Pineiro instead?

Prospectus Q and A: Jim Riggleman by David Laurila  —  Jim Riggleman … David Laurila: How would you describe yourself as a manager?  —  Jim Riggleman: Oh boy, that's an interesting question.  I don't really have a concrete way to answer it other than to say that, like most managers …

Diamondbacks, Bob Howry agree to terms on one-year deal  —  The Diamondbacks continued to address their porous bullpen by agreeing to terms with free-agent reliever Bob Howry on a one-year deal that includes a team option for 2011.  —  The value of the deal is unknown, but it is said to be worth between $2 million and $3 million.

Los Angeles Dodgers Top 20 Prospects for 2010  —  More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP  —  Los Angeles Dodgers southpaw Clayton Kershaw, 2006 first round pick.  (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)  —  Browse more photos »  —  Los Angeles Dodgers Top 20 Prospects for 2010

Not Just Tiger's Temptations  —  No one would have accused me of having multiple ladies on each arm when I was in high school or college.  I was a diligent student, kind of nerdy, the son of a teacher, and as interested in baseball and computers as I was in girls.

Selig a major factor in Dodgers' circumstance  —  As a fan of the Los Angeles Theatre of the Absurd, the coming divorce proceedings in 2010 - Jamie McCourt v. Frank McCourt, or vice versa - promises to titillate beyond imagination, and that's saying a lot since 2009 ended with local golf hero Tiger Woods being waist-deep in titillation.

As the market plays out  —  With a week left before the ball drops on another year, a few free agents on the market might want to consider lowering their demands.  —  Third baseman Adrian Beltre reportedly is seeking $10-15 million a year, but teams aren't forming a line around the block to hand it over.