Whatever happened to Endy Chavez?  Here's the answer  —  Surprisingly, I've gotten asked more about the status of Endy Chavez this winter than just about any other player.  He became pretty popular during his nearly three months on the Mariner roster last year, before wiping out his right knee …

Why the Beltre Deal Worked for Both Sides  —  Yes, Scott Boras admitted, when he talked to clubs about Adrian Beltre, he was seeking a huge multi-year offer.  But that quest, the agent insisted, was always done with the idea in mind that the third baseman, following a 2009 campaign …

Outrage at HOF voting baseless  —  Changes in MLB culture, punditry since '95 don't mean voters should ditch precedent  —  From the overheated outrage expressed by baseball fans, the blogosphere and, most embarrassingly, the ostensibly objective journalists over the fact that Andre Dawson …

Nationals Interested In Randy Winn?  —  4:12pm: Winn tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson (Twitter link) that he hasn't heard anything about the Nationals' interest.  —  3:13pm: Randy Winn has a new suitor, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (via Twitter).  The Nationals are interested in the 35-year-old outfielder.

AP: Astros agree to $5 million deal with Brett Myers  —  HOUSTON (AP) — Pitcher Brett Myers (FSY) and the Houston Astros have reached a preliminary agreement on a one-year contract that guarantees him $5 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

Five Teams Interested In Jerry Hairston Jr.  —  Five teams have expressed interest in free agent utility man Jerry Hairston Jr., according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com (via Twitter).  Among the interested teams are the Padres, A's (who employ his brother Scott), and the Yankees, with whom he won a World Series ring in 2009.

Dawson awaiting decision on Hall of Fame cap, source says he'd like to go in as a Cub  —  Andre Dawson met with representatives from the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum on Thursday morning in New York before his introductory news conference, but made no announcement on which cap he will be wearing on his plaque.

Scott Podsednik, Dayton Moore, and The Contest  —  One might be tempted to see the Royals' signing of outfielder Scott Podsednik as a move to steal the headlines in the wake of cross-state rival St. Louis' big Matt Holliday contract earlier this week.  Or maybe they just wanted to sneak in the bad news on Friday.

Cards have four remaining spots to fill  —  Post-Holliday scenario leaves $6-7 million available  —  ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals don't have to go to Plan B. However, Plan A is not completely finished yet.  —  “Plan B” became the catch-all term for what St. Louis would do if it was unable to retain the services of Matt Holliday.

Derek Jeter's Girlfriends  —  Since Derek Jeter has put on the pinstripes since 1995, he has attracted more beautiful women than Tiger Woods could shake a stick at.  From Mariah Carey to Minka Kelly, we list them all.  Enjoy and you don't need to thank us :)

Marlins close in on Puerto Rico series  —  Three-game set vs. Mets in late June close to being finalized  —  The Marlins' plans to host the Mets in a three-game series in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this season are close to being finalized, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.

Cust follow-up and Tejada clarification  —  Some snippets from the Jack Cust signing yesterday: His incentives package consists of $50,000 for 500 plate appearances and $100,000 at 550 plate appearances, 575 plate appearances and 600 plate appearances.  He cleared 600 plate appearances …

Miami park reverts to Dolphin Stadium  —  Land Shark sponsorship ends; new name likely up next  —  MIAMI — The Marlins won't be moving into their new ballpark until 2012.  But this year, their current stadium will have yet another new name.  —  No longer will the multi-sport park be called Land Shark Stadium.

Seattle Seahawks targeting Pete Carroll as their next coach [updated]  —  The Seattle Seahawks, who today fired coach Jim Mora, are close to reaching an agreement with USC's Pete Carroll to be their next coach, The Times has learned.  —  A Seahawks contingent including CEO Tod Leiweke interviewed Carroll …