The San Diego Padres announced today that they have agreed to terms with Greg Maddux on a one-year contract. Executive Vice President/General Manager Kevin Towers made the announcement. Another future Hall-of-Famer commits to coming back. Speculation of the return of Maddux has been going on for weeks so this isn't much of a surprise. The two sides just had to agree to a dollar figure between their mutual options.   more »

By now you're probably aware that Mike Lowell has signed a 3 year contract with the Boston Red Sox worth a reported $37.5 million. Not bad for someone considered once to be a throw in with Josh Beckett! And in less exciting news, the St. Louis Cardinals inked catcher Jason LaRue to a one year deal.   more »

Like you didn't know that was coming, right? The MVP award is A-Rod's 3rd. Rodriguez had 28 first-place votes and 382 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Ordonez had two firsts and 258 points, and was followed by the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero (203) and Boston's David Ortiz (177).   more »

**Updated** The first big deal of the off-season. The Chicago White Sox have acquired Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop Orlando Cabrera and cash considerations from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jon Garland.   more »

According to the Associated Press, second baseman Luis Castillo decided to stay with the New York Mets, reaching a preliminary agreement Sunday night on a multiyear contract. Castillo must still pass a physical. As reported earlier this evening on MLBTradeRumors.com and MetsBlog.com, the deal is believed to be in the range of 4 years for $25 million.   more »