Phils agree with Madson, Alfonseca  —  Right-handed relievers get one-year deals from Philadelphia  —  PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Madson avoided arbitration on Sunday by agreeing to a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Phillies, leaving the club with four arbitration-eligible players.

Report: Jays lock up Overbay  —  Deal would keep first baseman in Toronto through 2010  —  TORONTO — The Blue Jays have reportedly lured another player away from the temptation of free agency.  According to The Globe and Mail, Toronto has reached an agreement with first baseman Lyle Overbay on a four-year deal worth $24 million.

Hot Stove: How much can key hitters really improve?  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  There emanates, all through the Pirates' organization, a belief that the young core of the team is bound to improve in 2007.  —  "We're going to get better," general manager Dave Littlefield said.

Beware the Rocket  —  If the Yankees do win the always much-anticipated and now-annual Roger Clemens Sweepstakes, if they do manage to outbid the Astros and Red Sox for his services, they need to understand that they do not just get his 44-going-on-45 right arm, they also get the questions …

A Giant mess gets messier  —  Latest Bonds twist won't help his cause  —  Holliston's Mark Sweeney long has been considered a great teammate, one of those guys who's effective on the field and contributes many intangibles off it.  —  So what a kick in the teeth it must have been for Sweeney …

No. 2 is one valuable asset  —  Sunday Conversation with Chris Antonetti: Tribe's assistant GM talks about 'Moneyball,' working with Shapiro and even an NBA star  —  The next general manager of the Indians, or perhaps some other major-league team - his name is on most short lists of candidates …

For Pitchers, National League Really Is an Easier Out  —  The quip has become a chorus.  —  In debating whether Barry Zito will earn his $126 million from the San Francisco Giants after posting a combined 3.85 earned run average with the Oakland Athletics the last two seasons, doubters say, "But he is going to the National League."

Pirates' new owner embraces life in the open  —  Nutting's bold personality in board rooms, passion for the outdoors bely a reclusive image brought by years of silence about baseball  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  By all accounts, the personality of Barney Dreyfuss …

What's the big deal?  —  Maybe the mad money strewn about by baseball owners during the off-season won't seem so over-the-top in the wake of David Beckham's five-year, $250 million contract to play soccer in the United States.  Nah, never mind.  Beckham's mega-deal is to one player …

Graphing the Umpires  —  I've touched on this topic before, but I think I have something new to bring to the table now.  In the past, I've attempted to evaluate umpires based on the statistics that the pitchers on the mound are putting up.  I made some tables, saw a few trends, and that was that.

Capellan's winter continuing in playoffs  —  Starting for Gigantes Del Cibao in Dominican postseason  —  Jose Capellan became a full-time Major Leaguer with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006.  The hard-throwing right-hander appeared in 61 games out of the bullpen, going 4-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 71 2/3 innings.