Sox get the word today  —  Decision on Matsuzaka expected to go their way  —  NAPLES, Fla. — The lure for the Japanese baseball fan will be watching the matchup between Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Matsui.  —  Evidently, a Japanese rivalry within the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is blockbuster good.

D-Backs' Webb wins wide-open NL Cy Young race  —  NEW YORK — Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks won a wide-open race for the NL Cy Young Award, beating out San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman on Tuesday.  —  One of six pitchers who tied for the league lead with a pedestrian total of 16 wins …

Ramirez Is Top Rookie  —  Marlin Edges Nats' Zimmerman For the NL Award  —  When Ryan Zimmerman received the news yesterday afternoon, his reaction was the same as it might be to a borderline pitch called a strike, or to a scorching liner just out of his reach.  Shrug it off, and move on.

METS TARGET ZITO, NEAR DUQUE DEAL  —  By MARK HALE in New York and JOEL SHERMAN in Naples, Fla.  —  Following the aggressive nature of their GM, Omar Minaya, the Mets yesterday actively moved on their key issue - the rotation - by all but completing a deal to retain Orlando Hernandez …

DeRosa cashes in on career year, to sign with Cubs  —  Mark DeRosa is poised to cash in on his career year.  —  The Chicago Cubs have reached an agreement on a three-year contract with DeRosa worth approximately $13 million, a team official familiar with the deal told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

Prospectus Today  —  The Disconnect  —  One of the truths about baseball since 1975 or so is that absent an agreement to not do so—you know it as "collusion"—new revenues flow down to the players.  As much as people here at BP and in many other places have analyzed the relationships between revenues …

A's purchase 143-acre parcel from Cisco Systems with intent to construct new ballpark  —  A's and Cisco agree to 30-year naming rights deal for new stadium  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland Athletics owner and managing partner Lew Wolff announced today the A's have reached an agreement to purchase …

Mariners announce agreements with nine Minor League players  —  Seattle Mariners Director of Player Development Frank Mattox today announced that the Mariners have come to agreement on 2007 minor league contracts with ten minor league free agents.  —  Signed to contracts with AAA Tacoma were …

Cubs won't raise ticket prices for '07  —  The Cubs will hold the line on ticket prices for 2007 after having their second-most successful season at the box office despite finishing in last place in the National League Central.  —  In a letter sent Monday to season-ticket holders …

Mariners explore pitching options  —  As part of their exploration of available starting pitching, the Mariners have made contact with the agent for right-hander Tomo Ohka.  —  The two sides have talked twice in recent weeks, but negotiations are still in the preliminary stage.

Kicking the tires on some big bats … NAPLES, Fla. — Baseball's general managers began their 2006 meetings by donning Hawaiian shirts and taking a field trip to a local bowling alley, where San Diego's Kevin Towers and the White Sox's Kenny Williams showed them how it's done.

Team will be active in free agency  —  The Hot Stove League is already piping hot.  Major League Baseball's general managers are meeting in Naples, Fla., and teams are able to make offers to free agents.  —  Here are some questions and answers on what lies ahead for the Dodgers this off-season:

Latest notes from the GM meetings  —  NAPLES, Fla. - Notes from the general managers' meetings:  — How hot is free-agent right-hander Gil Meche?  His agent, Casey Close, says that more than half of the teams in the majors have expressed interest in the pitcher, with about one-third …