Valentin, Tucker file for free agency  —  Seven Mets have declared since process began Saturday  —  NEW YORK — Two more Mets, Jose Valentin and Michael Tucker, filed for free agency Sunday, the second day of the 15-day filing period, increasing to seven the number of Mets who have availed themselves to the process.

Rangers set to talk to final candidates  —  The Rangers have scheduled face-to-face interviews with their final two managerial candidates: Nippon Ham Fighters (Japan) manager Trey Hillman on Tuesday and Rangers bench coach Don Wakamatsu on Wednesday.  —  There had been some uncertainty …

500,000 honor the champs  —  It sounded like one long stadium curtain call.  It looked like a horizonless sea of Cardinal red, as if every available Redbird shirt and hat had been pressed into service.  —  No more games to be played.  But the 2006 season for the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals …

World Series Leaves Lessons to Consider  —  What we learned from the World Series: Pitchers can throw a baseball 60 feet 6 inches with great precision, but add a few feet, and they're recklessly inaccurate.  —  Four times Detroit pitchers failed to throw to first and third bases accurately …

S.F., Texas show interest in Gonzo  —  Luis Gonzalez took over left field from Brent Brede after being acquired by the Diamondbacks in 1999.  Is Barry Bonds next?  —  Gonzalez was a free agent for only hours Saturday before San Francisco and Texas came calling, major league sources confirmed Sunday …

Ten Notable Arizona Fall League Performances  —  Today, I will break down five oustanding performances and five disappointing performances by top prospects in the Arizona Fall League.  It's difficult to generate any meaningful conclusions about a player's development only three weeks after opening day …

Nixon, Kapler file for free agency  —  Pair of gritty, oft-injured outfielders join Mirabelli on market  —  BOSTON — After making a Boston career of tough, gritty play in the outfield, Trot Nixon filed for free agency Sunday.  —  Nixon, along with teammate Gabe Kapler …

Win at all costs?  —  Teams seeking upgrades will pay a hefty price  —  Baseball free agency is upon us, and as always, the players have a message for the owners.  It's a familiar one, roughly equivalent to the holiday notion that it is better to give than receive.

Soriano targeted; Pat's pact edible?  —  LIKE EVERYONE else in the Phillies family, president David Montgomery gnashes his teeth when he thinks of the St. Louis Cardinals hoisting the Commissioner's Trophy.  —  Maybe signing Alfonso Soriano, who filed for free agency yesterday …

Sox need 'tweaking' to win  —  'Tweaking' Sox means beefing up bullpen, top and bottom of order  —  It's time to find out what "a little bit of tweaking" means to the White Sox.  —  Less than a month after general manager Ken Williams outlined his off-season mission with that comment …

Stopper, big bopper high on Cubs' wish list  —  The Cubs' game plan for 2007 might include an audible or two, depending on whether third baseman Aramis Ramirez returns.  —  But acquiring starting pitching and another middle-of-the-order slugger remains their primary objective, regardless of whether Ramirez stays or go.

Reds zero in on new pitching coach  —  Former Red Sox, Astros coaches among candidates  —  The Reds might have a new pitching coach in place by the middle of next week.  —  "We hope to," Reds manager Jerry Narron said.  —  The club has interviewed three outside and two internal candidates.