Alex Rodriguez chokes up when accepting writers' playoffs MVP award  —  NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez looked at the award he just received from Babe Ruth's granddaughter with big eyes and a broad grin.  It was as if he almost couldn't believe it was his.  —  “Postseason MVP.  Wow,” Rodriguez said Saturday night.

Baseball to Orlando?  One Team Laughs Out Loud  —  It didn't take long for the Milwaukee Brewers to rebuff a story by WFTV-TV in Orlando that the team could possibly relocate to Florida.  —  “The reporter or whoever else is putting that out there should do his homework,” said Tyler Barnes, VP of Communications for the Brewers.

Byrdak, Astros agree on one-year deal  —  Wandy remains last arbitration-eligible player on club  —  HOUSTON — The Astros have just one arbitration-eligible player remaining after reaching a one-year deal Sunday with left-hander Tim Byrdak for $1.6 million, which was the midpoint between the club's offer and the player's number.

All Set: Ruiz Agrees to 3-year Contract Extension  —  Carlos Ruiz is about to get a nice birthday present.  —  The Phillies' catcher, who turned 31 on Friday, has agreed on a three-year contract extension for close to $9 million, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Protection has become part of the package  —  Jason Bay, in his short time here, seemed to be a nice guy.  His demeanor and his performance reminded me of Nick Esasky, who in one year (1989) with the Red Sox hit 30 homers, drove in 108 runs, and batted .277 while playing a decent first base.

Johnny Damon's E-7: Faith in agent Scott Boras turns out to be Bronx Bummer  —  Johnny Damon has been spending the last few days in the Bahamas, hanging out with Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia and scores of other notable professional athletes at Michael Jordan's celebrity golf tournament.  This we know.

Cubs Top 11 Prospects  —  Four-Star Prospects  —  Three-Star Prospects  —  Four More:  —  12. Chris Huseby, RHP: All but written-off, Huseby is a seven-figure signing from the 2006 draft.  He shined out of the Low-A Peoria bullpen, showing a big-league quality sinker.

Unconfirmed Report: Yanks inquired about Nelson Cruz  —  Via Frankie Piliere of AOL FanHouse, the Yankees are exploring trade options for left field, and one player they may have asked about is Rangers' outfielder Nelson Cruz.  Piliere makes it clear that this is an unconfirmed report, so make sure you take it with a big grain of salt.

Nutting: Pirates' payroll to rise as roster matures  —  Says $75M range of Brewers, Reds is ‘where Pittsburgh needs to be’  —  SEVEN SPRINGS, Pa. — A year ago, at the opening of the Pirates' Winter Caravan promotional tour here, the franchise's controlling owner, Bob Nutting …

Santana, Maine attending Amazin' 3-day minicamp  —  PORT ST. LUCIE — Time to take a look under the hood and see if the parts are functioning correctly.  —  Who is ready for spring training?  Who still needs to take it slow?  These are some of the questions Mets general manager Omar Minaya …

Greenberg-Ryan group reaches deal to buy Rangers  —  A definitive agreement in the sale of the Texas Rangers was reached Saturday night as the investment group that includes Nolan Ryan has completed another step toward purchasing the club from Hicks Sports Group.

Red Sox' international scouting efforts are bearing more fruit  —  The Red Sox' rookie development program was much the same this year as in the past: minor-leaguers with lots of promise spent two weeks in Boston signing autographs, learning about life in the majors and hearing from speakers …