Angels reach 2-year deal with Pineiro  —  Right-hander Joel Pineiro, one of the top free-agent pitchers remaining on the market, has reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Angels, sources told SI.com  —  The contract is said to be for about $16 million for two years.

Compromise makes most sense for Lincecum, Giants … The whopping $5-million gap in arbitration filing figures between double-Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and the Giants is, yes, nothing less than giant.  Enormous gaps are obviously difficult to bridge, and this one — $13 million requested …

Brewers bring back Davis  —  Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said way back in October that he wanted to add two established starting pitchers this winter.  On Wednesday, he landed the second of two.  —  With Randy Wolf already in tow, the Brewers agreed to terms with left-hander Doug Davis …

Rockies sign Payton, Lo Duca  —  Veterans to seek returns to Majors at Spring Training  —  DENVER — Outfielder Jay Payton posted a career-high batting average during his 1 1/2-year stint with the Rockies.  He'll try to revisit those days in 2010.  —  The Rockies signed Payton …

Seeds let your lawn grow like Fenway's  —  Boston Red Sox [team stats] fans will soon have everything they need - short of a dedicated groundskeeping crew - to grow grass exactly like the perfect turf at Fenway Park [map].  —  The Scotts Co. yesterday unveiled a grass-seed product that …

Q&A w/ Former MLB Pitcher Jim Bouton  —  Last month, former Major League pitcher Jim Bouton was gracious enough to take 30 minutes of his time to speak with me in a phone interview for an article about the transformation and evolution of the media that was published today on the LA-based Neon Tommy web site.

Pirates, Dotel agree to year, option  —  The Pirates and free-agent reliever Octavio Dotel agreed to terms on a one-year contract plus a club option for 2011, a source directly involved in the talks told the Post-Gazette tonight.  —  The agreement is pending a physical scheduled for tomorrow …

Atlanta Braves Top 11  —  Four-Star Prospects  —  Three-Star Prospects  —  Two-Star Prospects  —  Four More:  —  12. J.J. Hoover, RHP: An over-slot 10th-round pick from 2008, Hoover showed excellent control and an impressive sinker/slider mix in his full-season debut.

Griffin: Spaceman gives thumbs up to Hawk in Hall  —  It was time once again, as it is every January, to check in with the Spaceman for some balanced baseball wisdom.  There has been some surprising rancour and statistical controversy the past two Hall-of-Fame elections over the legitimacy of both Jim Rice …

Jays acquire Valdez from Giants  —  Righty to compete for bullpen role during Spring Training  —  TORONTO — The Blue Jays added another arm to the mix for a bullpen role on Wednesday, swinging a trade with the Giants to acquire right-hander Merkin Valdez in exchange for cash considerations.

A NEVER-ENDING DEBATE  —  There is nothing in sports that creates the controversy and the debate provoked by voting for the Hall of Fame.  More than a week after the results of the latest voting were announced, I was still getting e-mail about the results.  Everyone is an expert, fans and bloggers alike.

Relievers in the rough  —  What makes a good reliever?  It's a complicated question, and if you're putting together a bullpen, it may not even be the right question to ask.  —  Most relievers didn't start that way.  At some point, perhaps in college, the minors, or even midway through …

Astros sign Sullivan to Minors deal  —  Bourgeois accepts assignment to Triple-A Round Rock  —  HOUSTON — One of the most important qualities Astros general manager Ed Wade wants from his bench players is versatility, which is why he went out and acquired players like Geoff Blum, Jason Michaels and Jeff Keppinger in the past.

(2 of 2)  —  “It's fun to see him out there.  He looked good.  He looked healthy, and that's the big thing.”  —  Sheets started the 2008 All-Star Game for the National League, which marked the first time for a Brewer to do so.  He also got the nod on Opening Day that season, earning the win against the Chicago Cubs.