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 …

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.

Roundup  —  Mariners sign Ordonez to minor-league contract  —  SEATTLE (AP) — Former major leaguers Rey Ordonez, Jesse Foppert and Tony Torcato were among nine players signed by the Seattle Mariners to minor league contracts Tuesday.  —  Ordonez, who hasn't played in the majors since 2004 …

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 …

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 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.

Phillies attempt to woo Soriano  —  Phils hope to bolster lineup with free-agent outfielder  —  PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies have fired the opening salvo to bring free agent Alfonso Soriano to Philadelphia.  —  Baseball sources confirmed that the Phillies are one of "a few" …

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 …