Dodgers reach agreement with Schmidt  —  ORLANDO, Fla. - The Dodgers have landed the biggest free-agent pitching prize to date, reaching a preliminary agreement on a three-year, $47 million contract with right-hander Jason Schmidt, FOXSports.com has learned.

Mets to meet with A's, seek Harden  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Mets are expected to meet with Oakland today about acquiring right-hander Rich Harden or possibly another of the A's top starting pitchers, SI.com has learned.  —  A's GM Billy Beane is due to arrive here Wednesday night.

D-Mat's deadline nine days away  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The pursuit of Daisuke Matsuzaka still has a ways to go, with the Red Sox [team stats] and agent Scott Boras facing a Dec. 14 deadline to work out a contract for the Japanese right-hander.  —  With nine days left to deal …

Piazza close to deal with A's, who add Embree  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Oakland Athletics and left-handed reliever Alan Embree agreed to terms on a two-year contract Wednesday, and the club also was closing in on a deal with Mike Piazza to be designated hitter.

First on The Braves Show: Ramirez for Soriano  —  The Atlanta Braves have traded Horacio Ramirez to Seattle.  The Braves Show's Bill Shanks has more.  —  The Braves Show has learned that the Atlanta Braves have traded left-handed starter Horacio Ramirez to the Seattle Mariners for right-handed reliever Rafael Soriano.

Brewers turn attention to trade market  —  Free agent landscape steers Melvin toward alternate options  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Unable to compete in the soaring free agent market, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin is looking to swing some trades before these Winter Meetings adjourn on Thursday.

Rowand playing the waiting game  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Outfielder Aaron Rowand is in a tough spot.  On one hand, Chicago is where he got his major-league career started before the White Sox traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jim Thome last winter.

Post-Dispatch's Hummel named to Hall of Fame  —  The Baseball Writers Association of America this morning announced Post-Dispatch baseball columnist Rick Hummel as winner of the Spink Award, and with it enshrinement into the writers' wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Appy League Stuck At Nine  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.—Lee Landers' stay at the Winter Meetings held in the heart of Disney has been anything but magical.  —  The Appalachian League president has found no suitors in his search for a replacement for the Blue Jays affiliate in Pulaski …

As Nats Plan for Future, Acta Embraces Present  —  Manny Acta is all too aware that even the people who run the Washington Nationals are bracing for the looming storm that could be the 2007 season, one in which the club is brazenly frank about how bad it might be.

Cards stay in bidding, view options  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — The Cardinals added new definition to "creative" Tuesday when general manager Walt Jocketty and manager Tony La Russa introduced Braden Looper as a candidate for next season's rotation.  —  The suggestion comes as the Cardinals continue …

Milledge as popular as ever in Florida  —  Local product's name is a buzzword at Winter Meetings  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Lastings Milledge may be best remembered some 100 miles away in this state as a high school phenom, but his name has been regularly uttered at Disney World during this week's Winter Meetings.

Five Deals I like  —  Gary Sheffield, OF-DH, Tigers (via trade)  —  By the time he's through, Sheffield will have had the most itinerant career for a Hall of Famer since Gaylord Perry.  As great a hitter as he is, he simply cannot avoid wearing out his welcome.  Look at his career.

Bonds makes surprise appearance at meetings  —  ORLANDO, Fla. - Nothing that happens this off-season will be more surprising than the sight of Barry Bonds showing up at the winter meetings, looking for a job.  —  The only time players of Bonds' stature attend the meetings is when they are introduced …

SEXSON MIGHT BE 1ST OPTION  —  While the Yankees met with Shea Hillenbrand's agent yesterday, another option at first base surfaced.  And while Richie Sexson is an expensive alternative, it could be one for the Yankees.  —  The Mariners have let teams know they are looking to move Sexson …