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 …

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

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

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)

Rockies close in on one-year, $5.6-million deal with De La Rosa  —  DENVER — Jorge De La Rosa will be rewarded for his mercurial rise from maddening starter to rotation stalwart.  He's on the verge of avoiding arbitration today with a one-year, $5.6-million deal, nearly tripling last season's salary.

Atlanta Braves, Melky Cabrera avoid arbitration  —  Atlanta Braves outfielder Melky Cabrera avoided salary arbitration and accepted a one-year offer worth $3.1 million from the club.  —  Cabrera, 25, was acquired last month by the Braves from the Yankees in a deal that sent right-handed pitcher Javier Vazquez to New York.

LaRoche, D-backs agree to one-year deal  —  Lefty-hitting slugger becomes club's everyday first baseman  —  The Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to terms Thursday on a one-year deal with Adam LaRoche, a baseball source told MLB.com.  —  The signing — still pending a physical …

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 …

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 …

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.

MLB pitching in for devastated Haiti  —  Baseball supports relief efforts with $1 million donation  —  Major League Baseball, its clubs, its players and its fans are participating in rapid relief efforts for the devastated nation of Haiti, which remains in a state of chaos amid widespread fatalities …