Cubs sign Samardzija to five-year, $8 million deal  —  Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija has decided to forego a pro football career for that of a baseball pitcher — and he'll be well compensated for it.  —  Samardzija signed a five-year deal Friday to play baseball full-time, starting in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system.

Indians agree with Nixon for one year, $3 million … Free-agent outfielder Trot Nixon has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Cleveland Indians, ESPN.com's Peter Gammons reports.  —  Nixon, who has spent his entire pro baseball career with the Boston Red Sox organization …

Uneasy at First, Mets Embrace Their New Orleans Connection  —  A woman wearing a pink cowboy hat covered in rhinestones walked down Bourbon Street on Wednesday night and spotted a character with equally outrageous headgear.  —  "Hey there," the woman shouted.  "Who are you?"

Mitchell warns government could become involved in steroids probe  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Baseball owners heard a clear warning from former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell on Thursday.  —  Mitchell, who is investigating steroid use in the sport, said the chances of government involvement will …

Spending time with Yankees  —  If you're planning to catch them against Rockies, dig deep  —  The Rockies-Yankees midweek series occurs in June, long before pennant races crystallize, contending teams feel an urgency to win and scoreboard watching becomes an earnest pursuit.

Andruw wants to finish career in Atlanta  —  Gold Glove center fielder can be free agent after 2007 season  —  ATLANTA — If he were simply fueled by financial greed, Andruw Jones would have spent much of this past offseason salivating.  With every passing day, it seemed a different …

Trade nearly done after Gonzalez passes physical  —  Pirates expected to officially acquire LaRoche today  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  Mike Gonzalez, the reliever the Pirates have agreed to send to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for first baseman Adam LaRoche, passed his physical yesterday.

Young Talent Redux: The Tigers  —  In a previous unfiltered post related to the Cleveland Top 10, I polled a number of people in the prospect ranking game (writers, scouts, front office types) to valuate the futures of a quartet of young Indians.  The Tigers presented a similar quandary.

Diamondbacks agree to deal with Davis  —  The Diamondbacks have agreed with left-hander Doug Davis to a three-year contract worth more than $20 million.  —  The deal, which pays Davis $5.5 million this year, $7.75 million in 2008 and $8.75 million in 2009, enables the two sides to avoid salary arbitration.

Lukewarm Tribune bids encourage Cubs suitors  —  (Crain's) — Tribune Co.'s inability to attract aggressive buyout offers has encouraged Chicagoans who are interested in snapping up one piece of the media conglomerate: the Chicago Cubs.  —  "I think they've got to go plan B …

Lee, Womack among 12 added to mix  —  Club lures free-agent veterans with Minor League deals  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals have agreed to terms on Minor League contracts with pitchers Jesus Colome, Anastacio Martinez, Luis Martinez and Arnie Munoz, outfielders George Lombard and Abraham Nunez …

Talking With: Ned Colletti, Part I  —  Technically speaking, we're in the midst of Major League Baseball's off-season.  But for Dodgers GM Ned Colletti and his staff, the time spent since St. Louis won the World Series (subtle, eh?) has been anything but a vacation, whether retaining …