Wanted: Santana  —  Sox in aggressive pursuit … The Red Sox [team stats] are actively engaged in trade talks with the Minnesota Twins about Johan Santana and plan to aggressively pursue the two-time Cy Young Award winner, a baseball source said yesterday.

Nine Innings: Dodgers GM Ned Colletti  —  Technically, I'm still on vacation, which is why you're not seeing any analysis (not that there have been many moves) until I really return to work on Thursday.  But when the phone rings for an interview, I'm not going to sit around and twiddle my thumbs for a few extra days.

Wagner lays out challenges ahead  —  Veteran closer tackles offseason issues facing club  —  NEW YORK — Part of the Mets' introduction to Billy Wagner two years ago was a warning.  "I'm blunt," he told them.  And he suggested if candor were upsetting, the club might be better off looking elsewhere for a relief pitcher.

Tom McCarthy rejoins Phillies broadcast team  —  Tom McCarthy, who spent the last two seasons as a play-by-play announcer for the New York Mets on WFAN, is returning to his roots as a member of the Phillies broadcasting team, Rob Brooks, Manager, Broadcasting announced today.

Twins still looking to ship Nathan, Santana  —  LIKE THIS STORY?  —  Johan Santana might not be the only big-name Twins pitcher who gets traded before Opening Day.  Joe Nathan also looks like a goner, especially now that the Reds are on the verge of inflating the closer market …

A-Rod's dollars make sense for Yankees  —  Despite the posturing, bruised egos and serpentine route of the courtship, Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees are a money-making marriage unparalleled in professional sports.  —  We know the details of Rodriguez's contract: $275 million for 10 years …

Mailbag: Granderson and the MVP  —  Beat reporter Jason Beck answers Tigers fans' questions  —  I just don't get it.  Jimmy Rollins had a great season for the Phillies, all-around great numbers and won the MVP.  But, Curtis Granderson posted very similar numbers, and the same type of glove …

Brewers guarantee Kendall $4.25M in new deal  —  MILWAUKEE — Jason Kendall will be guaranteed $4.25 million under the one-year contract he and the Milwaukee Brewers intended to finalize Wednesday.  —  The Brewers reached a preliminary agreement last week with the catcher and planned a Wednesday news conference at Miller Park.

Voices on Barry Bonds  —  There may be no larger lightning rod in Major League Baseball than Barry Lamar Bonds.  He is arguably baseball's poster child for performance-enhancing drugs.  Nevertheless, he has never tested positive for the use of PED.  —  In 2003, Bonds testified …

Two Series titles evidence of growing Theo-logy  —  Sometime soon the adjectives will be replaced.  For the breadth of his career as Boston Red Sox general manager, Theo Epstein's name has been preceded by some variation of his youth - kid, wunderkind, prodigy, all said with good intentions, and all tinged with derision.

Tom Verducci: Six losing teams poised to break out in 2008  —  It's been many years since the phrase "five-year plan" has been heard around baseball.  Fans won't buy such talk any more because they so often see losing teams become playoff teams from one year to the next.

The End Days of Bill Conlin's Online Crap Storm: Interview With Bill Baer  —  The last few days of Bill Conlin madness have devolved into this weird media sociology study: venerable columnist at a daily newspaper gets into an e-mail spat about his anti-sabermetrics column with a reader …