Pirates sign LaRoche, three others  —  The Pirates this morning signed first baseman Adam LaRoche on a one-year contract worth $7.05 million, thus avoiding salary arbitration.  He can make an additional $100,000 in performance bonuses based on plate appearances.

Sullivan signs with Mets  —  Cory Sullivan, arguably one of the best defensive center fielders in Rockies' history, has caught on with the Mets, signing a one-year, $600,000 major league deal with $300,000 in incentives.  —  Sullivan was a career .279 hitter with the Rockies in four seasons …

Lefty Wolf turns down D-Backs  —  It looks like free agent left-hander Randy Wolf won't be the answer to the Diamondbacks' search for another starting pitcher.  —  Just as right-hander Jon Garland did last week, Wolf in recent days turned down an offer from the Diamondbacks.

Potential Peavy deal remains elusive, and so does the pitcher himself  —  My car is poorly suited to a stakeout.  There's no heat, no air conditioning, no GPS device, no CD player, much less the invisibility option James Bond employed to make his Vanquish vanish in “Die Another Day”.

Minor League Transactions  —  This installment considers all transactions reported by MLB between Jan. 13 to 16.  The previous installment is available here.  —  Atlanta Braves  —  Removed from 40-man roster: LHP Francisley Bueno  —  A native of Cuba who signed with Atlanta in 2006 …

Astros sign Backe to incentive-heavy 1-year deal  —  Astros general manager Ed Wade said today the club signed righthander Brandon Backe to a one-year, $1.55 million contract worth more than $1 million more in incentives.  —  Wade said the club filed arbitration numbers on pitchers Tim Byrdak, Geoff Geary and Wandy Rodriguez.

Buchholz, Grilli, Barmes avoid arbitration with Rockies  —  And then there was one.  Garrett Atkins is the only remaining arbitration-eligible player for the Rockies after they agreed to contracts with relievers Taylor Buchholz and Jason Grilli and second baseman Clint Barmes.

Fixing the free agent compensation system  —  It's like clockwork: Whenever the Yankees sign a big-name free agent, baseball writers across the country dust off the old “baseball needs a salary cap” article, change some names and numbers, send it in to their editor, and enjoy the rest of their day off.

Nolasco agrees to one-year deal  —  Marlins right-hander to earn $2.4 million this season  —  MIAMI — A big piece of the Marlins' rotation is now under contract.  —  Florida reached agreement on a one-year deal with Ricky Nolasco early Tuesday afternoon, according to a baseball source.

Bartlett gets $1.98-million  —  SS Jason Bartlett avoided arbitration by settling with the Rays on a one-year deal for $1,981,250.  —  “I'm so happy to be done with that,” Bartlett said.  “Now I can just think about playing ball and having fun.  It's going to be another fun and exciting year.”

Tom Verducci: Cold reality check for remaining free agents and more notes … Each passing day brings us closer to spring training and the remaining free agents to a cold reality check, if not forced retirement for a few.  —  The big money, except for what the Dodgers have socked away for Manny Ramirez, is gone.

That was a strike? … In theory it is a simple rule.  In practice it is much much harder than that.  There are more arguments with umpires over the strike zone than any other call by a huge margin.  The sheer volume of calls the umpire has to make behind the plate means that more than likely …

Baseball doesn't need a salary cap to stop Yankees  —  (01-19) 21:48 PST — Hidden beneath the Hot Stove League, an integral part of baseball's charm, is the Hot Air Society.  You've heard from them lately, lamenting the Yankees' absurd financial outlay and calling for a salary cap.

Top 50 Mets Of All Time: #32 Rick Reed  —  Rick Reed was a struggling journeyman with exactly one solid season on his resume when an opportunity for increased playing time presented itself in the form of the protracted labor dispute that canceled the 1994 World Series and threatened the 1995 season as well.

Tigers invite Rincon to camp  —  The Detroit Tigers have agreed to terms with veteran reliever Juan Rincon, inking the right-hander to a minor league contract.  Rincon will be in major league camp with the Tigers this spring as a non-roster invitee.  —  Rincon split last season between …

Cantu and Hermida sign; four arbitration-eligible Marlins remain  —  The Marlins have pared down a lengthy list of arbitration eligible players, but it appears they're headed for hearings with some if not all of the remaining four.  —  Jorge Cantu and Jeremy Hermida were the lone Marlins who came to terms Monday on one-year deals.

In Book, Radomski Talks About Selling Drugs and Dealing With Mitchell  —  Kirk Radomski traveled to Washington last week to testify before a federal grand jury investigating whether Roger Clemens committed perjury when he told Congress that he did not use performance-enhancing drugs.

Priest who blessed dugout says Cubs chairman threw him ‘under the bus’  —  Rev. James L. Greanias, the Greek Orthodox priest brought in to Wrigley Field to remove a curse before Game 1 of last year's playoffs, has accused Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney of throwing him “under the bus” at last weekend's Cubs Convention.