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.

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.

Clint Hurdle takes over Pittsburgh Pirates, says he's not scared of long losing skid  —  PITTSBURGH — Clint Hurdle has been hired as the Pittsburgh Pirates' manager, saying he's not intimidated by the franchise's record 18 consecutive losing seasons.  —  Hurdle replaces John Russell …

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.

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.

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 …

Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg hired by Philadelphia Phillies to manage Triple-A team  —  Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, a former candidate for the Chicago Cubs' manager job, has joined the Philadelphia Phillies organization as manager of their top minor league club, the Phillies announced Monday.

Indians Re-Sign Anthony Reyes  —  The Indians re-signed Anthony Reyes to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, according to the team.  The right-hander became a free agent last month when the Indians outrighted him off of their 40-man roster.

On $-per-Win Estimates of Baseball Players' Worth  —  Frequently, I receive a comment or e-mail that brings up the dollar-value estimates at Fangraphs.com.  Fangraphs is a fine site with lots of interesting numbers, but I don't think the dollar-value estimates listed on the site …

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.

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.

Braves' pursuit of hitter could pick up at GM meetings  —  When Major League Baseball general managers gather in Orlando this week for their annual meetings, for discussions about the game and rule changes, the Braves' pursuit of a power-hitting outfielder could gain momentum.