Boras overrating Beltre and Crawford?  —  Adam Dunn will be available for any team looking for power at first base.  —  Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005.  He appears weekly on MLB on FOX.  Follow him on Twitter.

New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson's father struck by car, dies at 87  —  John Alderson, a veteran of three wars and the father of New York Mets GM Sandy Alderson, died on Saturday night as the result of injuries suffered when he was struck as a pedestrian, according to St. Petersburg Police.

Cliff Lee, agent Darek Braunecker likely won't have to ‘drum up interest’ at MLB GM meetings  —  Cliff Lee already is the most highly coveted free agent after helping the Texas Rangers reach the World Series.  He doesn't need to sell any general managers on his value.

Constructing a Periodic Table  —  Click the image to see the full chart.  —  There are few charts in the world as well-known and recognizable as the Periodic Table of the Elements.  On charts and folders and schoolbooks everywhere, the periodic table has been around for almost 150 years.

Source: Jose Contreras, Philadelphia Phillies nearing 2-year contract  —  ORLANDO, Fla. — Jose Contreras and the Philadelphia Phillies are close to a two-year, $5 million agreement, a source told ESPNdeportes.com.  —  Contreras  —  The source also said the deal includes a third-year option and performance incentives.

Padres acquire OF Cameron Maybin from the Florida Marlins in exchange for RHP Edward Mujica and RHP Ryan Webb  —  The San Diego Padres announced today that they have acquired outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Florida Marlins in exchange for right-handed pitchers Edward Mujica and Ryan Webb.

Pujols vs. Votto, and Musial's MVP standard  —  TOWER GROVE - This idea had its roots in 1948.  —  More than six decades ago, St. Louis Cardinals icon Stan Musial nearly pulled off the statistically unthinkable - a clean sweep of the offensive leader boards.

Iorg's three hits help Rafters stay afloat  —  Tigers shortstop prospect continues late-season AFL surge  —  Cale Iorg collected three hits and Brewers prospect Michael Fiers pitched five strong innings Saturday as the Surprise Rafters held off the first-place Scottsdale Scorpions, 4-3.

Daniel Murphy working at second base during winter ball in Dominican Republic to earn spot on Mets  —  There could be worse locations to spend your fall and early winter days than the Dominican Republic, but Daniel Murphy is certainly not taking in the sun and the pristine beaches while he's living on the Caribbean island.

Close calls to come during awards season  —  Tight races include NL Rookie of the Year, AL Cy Young  —  There will be no shortage of close calls and no-brainers this week as baseball's award season rolls on.  —  On tap are the Baseball Writers' Association of America awards …

Perrotto: Hurdle has personal reasons for managing Pirates  —  Over the past half-century, Pittsburgh has transformed from a city built almost solely around the steel industry and manufacturing into one of the United States' top medical centers.  —  That change seems ready to help the Pirates land a new manager.

Seeking a Free-Agent Bargain Who Will Pay Off  —  In each of the last two World Series, the No. 3 hitter for the champions was a freshly signed first baseman who led his team in homers and runs batted in.  In 2009, it was Mark Teixeira, who had just signed an eight-year, $180 million contact with the Yankees.

Mets managerial search: Terry Collins, Bob Melvin favorites; Tim Tuefel nay be first base coach  —  The configuration of Mets' 2011 on-field leadership team, while still evolving, is becoming somewhat clearer-and it might well include former Met Tim Teufel.  With Clint Hurdle …