It's official: Adrian Beltre, Bill Hall newest Red Sox  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email  —  The Red Sox [team stats] finalized two important pieces to their offseason puzzle yesterday.  —  The club announced a one-year contract with third baseman Adrian Beltre, one of the best defensive players in the game.

World Series champs against Japanese champs?  It could happen  —  We were just talking about what moves Bud Selig might make to bolster his legacy before he steps down as baseball's commissioner in 2012, so it probably comes as no surprise that he's thinking big.  —  Like, globally big.

Montreal Expos, Forgotten by Many, Are Reuniting in Cooperstown  —  There is an episode of “Newhart,” the 1980s sitcom set at a lodge in Vermont, in which George the handyman considers which baseball team to root for.  The Montreal Expos were somewhat local, but they would not do.

Florida Marlins: Puerto Rico series on tap for 2010, 2011; Iraq trip later this month  —  President David Samson anticipates the Marlins finalizing plans to relocate a June 28-30 home series against the Mets to Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico within the next week.

Gammons: New year brings new season  —  Trek toward Spring Training begins with flip of calendar  —  People always kid me that every year on Dec. 22, no matter how badly it's snowing, I say, “You know what, tomorrow is the first day there is more light than there was today, so therefore we're on our way to a summer solstice.”

Snub of Alomar exposes flaw in voting  —  Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005.  He appears weekly on MLB on FOX.  —  I'm angry, too.  —  Angry that Roberto Alomar did not get elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

Delgado smacks first homer since return  —  Free agent playing winter ball to prove injury is behind him  —  Free agent first baseman Carlos Delgado hit his first home run for the Carolina Giants in the Puerto Rican Winter League on Thursday to help the team advance to the postseason.

Mets' David Wright expects to bounce back in 2010  —  In a lengthy and exclusive interview with The Post, David Wright said he firmly believes he will produce to his expectations in 2010, admitted he has “some things to prove” and maintained that launching homers at Citi Field is simply a matter of his adjusting to the ballpark.

Outfielder Scott Podsednik agrees to deal with Kansas City Royals  —  Free agent outfielder Scott Podsednik has reached preliminary agreement on a contract with the Kansas City Royals.  —  Podsednik  —  The deal will be completed after Podsednik passes a physical exam Friday.

Long already hard at work with Yankees  —  Hitting coach puts time in with Swisher; Granderson on deck  —  NEW YORK — While the rest of baseball clings to its last weeks of Hot Stove hibernation, Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long has already rolled into the new season …

Dunn, Vizcaino Head South In Trade To Braves  —  Many observers looked at the Braves' recent deal that sent Javier Vazquez to the Yankees as a trade for outfielder Melky Cabrera.  As far as both teams' front offices were concerned, that was far from the case.

Cust re-signs with A's  —  I just heard from a source close to the negotiations that DH Jack Cust will return to the A's on a one-year deal worth just over $2.5 million, with incentives that can push the total to close to $3 million.  —  So the A's will have at least some pop in their lineup next year …

Blue Jays claim Bocock off waivers  —  Shortstop recently designated for assignment by Giants  —  The Blue Jays claimed shortstop Brian Bocock off waivers from the Giants on Thursday.  —  Bocock was designated for assignment by San Francisco recently to make room on the 40-man roster for the Juan Uribe signing.

New York Mets Top 20 Prospects for 2010  —  More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP  —  New York Mets rookie outfielder Fernando Martinez (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)  —  Top 20 New York Mets Prospects for 2010  —  All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change.