Mets get Matthews, $21M from Angels for Stokes  —  The Mets have a deal to acquire Gary Matthews Jr. from the Los Angeles Angels according to an American League source.  Matthews has two years and $23 million remaining on his contract and the Angels will be paying the vast portion of that money.

A's prospect leaving baseball for priesthood  —  Jon Paul Morosi is a national MLB writer for FOXSports.com.  He previously covered baseball for the Detroit Free Press and Seattle Post-Intelligencer.  He began his journalism career at the Bay City Times in his native Michigan.

The Twins' interest in Jim Thome is real  —  We received an e-mail tip today that a Chicago radio station is reporting that Jim Thome will sign with the Twins by day's end.  —  I called a Twins official, expecting to hear that this is totally far-fetched, and turns out they do have real interest …

Source: Jose Contreras signs 1-year deal with Philadelphia Phillies  —  Jose Contreras has signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, a source confirmed for ESPNDeportes.com's Enrique Rojas.  —  The Chicago Cubs expressed interest in Contreras and the pitcher was expected …

Dealer contradicts Mark McGwire's reason for steroids  —  A convicted drug dealer who says he used to supply steroids to former baseball slugger Mark McGwire told ESPN on Thursday that McGwire's goal was to get “bigger, faster, stronger” to improve his performance on the field …

Introducing the Jerome Holtzman Award  —  The game's greatest relievers deserve a major award they can call their own  —  Once again last season, one of the most dominating pitchers — and one of the biggest difference-makers — of modern times didn't win a single major award.  —  Not a Cy Young.

Rangers sign catcher Toby Hall  —  The Rangers have signed catcher Toby Hall to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training.  He has played in 686 games mostly with the Rays and White Sox and gives the Rangers some depth at catcher.  —  He was the Rays starting catcher from 2002-2006.

Edmonds waits on Cardinals, will consider other team's offers  —  Outdielder says his agent has fielded calls from three or four interested clubs  —  When Jim Edmonds told Tony La Russa he wanted to come back and play for the Cardinals this season, he thought he would get a simple yes or no answer.

Cash invited to Astros camp  —  Club to have 57 players at start of Spring Training  —  HOUSTON — Kevin Cash, a journeyman catcher who appeared in 10 games for the New York Yankees last season, signed a Minor League contract Friday with an invitation to Astros Spring Training.

Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen feels betrayed by Mark McGwire admission  —  Ozzie Guillen said he feels betrayed by Mark McGwire's admission that he used performance-enhancing drugs, and the Chicago White Sox manager isn't buying the slugger's contention that they didn't help him hit home runs at a record pace.

On Rick Ankiel and Dayton Moore  —  Rick Ankiel's an odd duck, and not in the Long Island sort of way.  While it wouldn't surprise me if he eventually latched on with the famed Atlantic League outfit, Ankiel can thank Scott Boras for finding him an even zanier huckleberry: Dayton Moore.

Executive decisions  —  Kim Ng, the Dodgers' assistant GM, has an impeccable record and unimpeachable reputation — but that alone may not be enough for a promotion  —  This isn't a story about trails being blazed or barriers being broken.  It isn't a story about glass ceilings or institutional biases.