Kent walks away after 17 seasons  —  Retires as all-time home run leader among second basemen  —  LOS ANGELES — Jeff Kent, the premier slugging second baseman of his generation and arguably of all-time, will announce his retirement at a Dodger Stadium news conference Thursday, MLB.com has learned.

Rangers' farm system second to none  —  STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME START YOUR FREE TRIAL NOW  —  As a prelude to Thursday's publication of the top 100 prospects in baseball for 2009, I've ranked all 30 organizations on the current states of their farm systems.

Sources: Catcher Blanco, Pads agree  —  The Padres reached an agreement on a one-year, $750,000 deal with catcher Henry Blanco on Wednesday, according to sources close to the situation.  —  San Diego had been in negotiations with Blanco and veteran Brad Ausmus, but began focusing on Blanco …

Durbin Agrees to One-Year Deal  —  And then there was one.  —  The Inquirer has learned that the Phillies have reached an agreement with righthander Chad Durbin on a one-year, $1.635 million contract.  This follows the news that rightfielder Jayson Werth has agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract with the Phillies.

Braves seek to bring back Sutton to booth  —  Ex-Braves announcer would be paired with new hire Powell  —  The Braves have hired Jim Powell for their radio-broadcast team and are working to bring back Don Sutton to be his new partner, according to several people familiar with the negotiations.

Angels welcoming 25 players to Tempe  —  Former top pick Conger leads non-roster invitees into Spring Training  —  Five catchers and 12 pitchers are among the 25 non-roster players who have been extended invitations to attend Spring Training with the Angels, general manager Tony Reagins disclosed on Wednesday.

Nationals announce single-ticket prices  —  Individual passes begin at $5; set to go on sale in early March  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals announced individual-ticket prices for the 2009 season at Nationals Park on Wednesday.  —  Individual-ticket prices range from $5 to $325 …

ROTI Exclusive: Maple Bat Man Strikes Back!  —  You might wonder what would inspire a normally sane, rational man to write this:  —  So, while you're sitting around this Christmas handing out hundreds of dollars in presents to the ones you care for, think about all the families and business you have managed to destroy.

ESPN to add Steve Phillips to its Sunday night booth  —  ESPN will announce Wednesday that Steve Phillips will join Jon Miller and Joe Morgan in the “Sunday Night Baseball” booth for 2009, altering for the network's announcing lineup for its showcase event for the first time in 20 seasons of televising MLB.

Mark McGwire's One-Eyed Baby Brother Reveals The Not-So-Startling Truth  —  Jay McGwire idolized his older brothers, became hooked on steroids, crashed, found God, and now wants to share his story with the world.  He also claims he introduced the fallen home run hero to 'roids.

Heath Bell and Arbitration  —  Today we announced an agreement on a one-year deal with Heath Bell, thereby avoiding the arbitration process.  This was our final arbitration eligible player for this winter, as we've reached agreements with Scott Hairston, Jody Gerut, and Luis Rodriguez in the past few weeks …

Rangers get Vizquel  —  Omar Vizquel, the winner of 11 Gold Gloves, has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Rangers.  The shortstop will be invited to spring training, where he will compete to be the utility infielder.  He could also serve as a mentor to his countryman, Elvis Andrus.

Belisle contract contains an out clause  —  Rockies' pitcher Matt Belisle, signed to provide depth and competition in spring training, secured a measure of protection in his contract.  He signed an $800,000-minor-league contract, plus incentives for innings and games pitched.

Third base remains Minnesota mystery  —  Twins struggling to find power hitter and solid glove to play the hot corner  —  MINNEAPOLIS — For nearly half a decade, third base has been an enigma for the Twins.  —  Since Corey Koskie left as a free agent after the 2004 season …

Thome's Sox future uncertain past '09  —  Veteran slugger wants to keep playing but contract set to end  —  CHICAGO — This much is certain regarding the final stage of Jim Thome's illustrious career: Barring any sort of unforeseen major injury, the affable Peoria, Ill. …