Valverde, Tigers agree to terms  —  Deal is for two years, stabilizes back end of bullpen  —  DETROIT — The Tigers are poised to sign the veteran closer they hoped to add.  They agreed to terms Thursday with Jose Valverde on a two-year contract with an option for a third …

Florida Marlins' Josh Johnson agrees to 4-year, $39M deal  —  Pitcher Josh Johnson reached an agreement on a four-year, guaranteed $39 million contract that will keep him with the Florida Marlins through 2013.  The pitcher confirmed the agreement to ESPN.com Thursday.  —  Johnson

The Mets and Boras Are at Odds on Beltran  —  After experiencing sharp pain in his right knee, Carlos Beltran was examined Tuesday morning in Boulder, Colo., by Dr. Richard Steadman, a top orthopedic surgeon who concluded that Beltran should have arthroscopic surgery to repair an arthritic condition.

Addition by subtraction  —  By eliminating one huge minus, Piniella's positive Cubs can win 90  —  No Roy Halladay?  No Chone Figgins?  No fill-in-the-blank-check slugger for the middle of the order?  —  No problem, Cubs fans.  —  The Cubs might not have added much to their second-place team …

‘Great exchange of ideas’ to advance game  —  Commissioner, Special Committee discuss variety of topics  —  PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — The first Special Committee meeting called by Commissioner Bud Selig on Thursday afternoon began at 2 p.m. MT and lasted four hours.

Tribe signs Redmond to be backup backstop  —  The Indians have signed 38-year-old Mike Redmond to a one-year contract to be their backup catcher.  It is their first Major League free agent signing this offseason, and it brings their 40-man roster total to 39.  The financial terms of the agreement were not immediately available.

Cincinnati Reds Top 20 Prospects for 2010  —  More photos » Charles Rex Arbogast - AP  —  Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2004.  (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)  —  Browse more photos »  —  Top 20 Cincinnati Reds Prospects for 2010

Glavine mulling new job with Braves  —  Legendary left-hander says he's unlikely to pitch again  —  ATLANTA — Tom Glavine is not ready to officially declare that his legendary pitching career is complete.  But as he nears this likely reality, he has wondered whether it's time to mend relationships …

‘Fakes, phonies, creeps, cheaters’  —  (J.B. Forbes/PD and Otto Gruele/Allsport)  —  Former Cardinals slugger Jack Clark apparently isn't enamored of the current hitting coach, especially in light of Mark McGwire's admission a few days ago that he had used steroids in 1998-99 when he played …

Bell, Padres come to terms, avoid arbitration  —  Closer agrees on one-year deal for $4 million in 2010  —  SAN DIEGO — Leading the National League in saves and being named to an All-Star team has served Padres' closer Heath Bell well — both on the field and financially.

Now's the time to speak for Maris  —  September 1998: Roger Maris Jr. (right) holds the bat his father, Roger Maris, used to hit the record-setting home run in 1961.  He and his brothers (left to right) Randy, Kevin and Rich, were at Busch Stadium to watch Mark McGwire.  (Odell Mitchell Jr./P-D)

Knuckleballer Zink inks with Cardinals  —  Right-hander likely to provide depth at Triple-A  —  ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals have added some depth to their Minor League rotation with an intriguing signing.  Knuckleballing right-hander Charlie Zink has agreed to a Minor League deal with St. Louis.

Hicks makes most of time on Texas Rangers sale  —  For the last nine months, the only thing Hicks Sports Group has been able to buy is time.  —  Now the group that owns the Rangers appears to be running low on that, too.  —  The “deadline” for Tom Hicks and HSG to finish negotiations …

Former New York Yankees scout awarded $700,000 in damages by Dominican court  —  A former New York Yankees Latin American scouting director who was fired amid allegations that he had skimmed bonuses from several prospects was awarded nearly $700,000 in damages against the team by a Dominican court …