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 …

Talent evaluators split on Aroldis Chapman  —  The Blue Jays have reportedly bid $23 million for Aroldis Chapman.  The Mets and Yankees (and other teams) have bid zero.  And somebody, in the end, is probably going to look very smart, and somebody is going to look less than that.

PADRES: Hoyer still has toe in free-agent pool  —  Around this time last offseason, when all the big names had signed elsewhere, the Padres made their small foray into the free-agent market.  —  What they brought home, for all of $2.35 million, was a starting second baseman (David Eckstein) …

Dodgers sign Ortiz, Restovich to Minors  —  Pitcher, outfielder will be invited to Spring Training  —  LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers signed free-agent pitcher Russ Ortiz and outfielder Michael Restovich to Minor League contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training.

Remaining free agents could fill Mets' need  —  Crop of starters on market include safe bets, risk-reward types  —  While unveiling his big offseason signing in Jason Bay recently, general manager Omar Minaya stressed his offseason imprint on the Mets is not yet complete.

Blue Jays Acquire Zach Jackson  —  The Indians have traded lefthander Zach Jackson to the Blue Jays for a player to be named later, according to a team press release.  He's been assigned to their Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.  —  Jackson, 26, has a 5.81 ERA in 105.1 big league innings …

Padres inquire about lefty Lowry  —  Hurler looking to come back from rib removal  —  SAN DIEGO — A year ago, the Padres struck gold with a San Francisco Giants castoff.  —  Could that happen again in 2010?  —  The Padres are one of several teams who have shown an interest …

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 …

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 :)

Here's the pitch...  The Orioles are looking to add pitching.  Any kind of pitching.  It doesn't have to be a starter, though adjusting the rotation again remains a possibility.  —  “I would say right now we'd like to add a corner infielder, but we don't really have to because we can go internally if we need to.

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.