It's a Deal: Strasburg, Nationals Agree  —  Long Night Ends With Record-Setting Pact for Washington's Top Draft Pick  —  Midnight neared, an organization held its breath, and finally — after way too much losing, years of scouting, and weeks of negotiating — the Washington Nationals secured the one good thing to come from all of it.

Winners And Losers  —  We analyze who did well at the signing deadline  —  The last three years, Major League Baseball has implemented a signing deadline, ending the interminable holdouts that often plagued baseball's draft process.  The draft still has plenty of problems, but that's another story.

Rangers reacquire Pudge  —  Rodriguez, 14-time All-Star, will be Texas' backup catcher  —  ARLINGTON — Ivan Rodriguez is returning to the Rangers to be a backup catcher.  —  The Rangers have completed a trade with the Houston Astros to reacquire the 14-time All-Star catcher for two Minor League players …

Mets come to terms with Matz  —  Left-hander reportedly signs for $895,000  —  NEW YORK — According to Keith Law of ESPN.com, the Mets have agreed to terms with their top Draft pick, Long Island left-hander Steven Matz.  —  Matz, out of Ward Melville High School in East Setauket …

Maddon dyes hair black  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Joe Maddon is in favor of the change at the top of Tampa Bay's on-field leadership.  —  The Rays manager came to the ballpark for Tuesday night's game against Baltimore with his silver hair dyed black, a head start on a Johnny Cash-themed road trip next week.

Damon Feels Like Staying, and the Yanks Seem Willing  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Johnny Damon played his first series as a Yankee at the Oakland Coliseum in April 2006.  He did not really factor into one of the games, but he hung around by his locker after it was over, just in case reporters needed him.

Melvin “working on something” for Bill Hall  —  The Brewers have until Friday to settle Bill Hall's future, but a resolution could come sooner.  —  The slumping Hall was designated for assignment by Milwaukee on Aug. 12, giving the team 10 days to trade Hall or release him and eat the more than $10 million left on his contract.

Update on Brett Gardner  —  Brett Gardner, out since July 26 with a broken thumb, is scheduled to see a doctor on Wednesday.  If cleared, he will start a rehab assignment soon after.  According to Joe Girardi, Gardner should return quickly.  —  “He'll need some at-bats, but it shouldn't be too long,” the manager said.

Cardinals talk to Smoltz's agent  —  LOS ANGELES — Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak called the agent for free agent pitcher John Smoltz on Monday to convey what one official described as “very serious” interest in the 42-year-old righthander.  —  The Boston Red Sox released Smoltz …

Atlanta Braves and Publix invite fans to “Shop with the Braves” this Saturday, Aug. 22  —  Atlanta Braves Jair Jurrjens, Martin Prado, and Omar Infante will greet fans and assist shoppers at Publix in Norcross, this Saturday, August 22 at the season's fourth “Shop with the Braves” summer tour stop.

Chicago Cubs lose 4-1 to San Diego Padres  —  Closer wastes Lilly's gem as Cubs fall 6 behind Cardinals  —  Padres' Kyle Blanks leaps into his teammates as he crosses home plate after blasting a three-run home run in the ninth inning off Cubs closer Kevin Gregg.  (Lenny Ignelzi, Associated Press / August 17, 2009)

Is Jeter the best hitting shortstop of all time? … Derek Jeter became the all-time leader for hits by a shortstop on Sunday in Seattle, passing Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio.  But does that mean he's the best hitting shortstop of all time?  —  It most certainly does not even though it's a title that Jeter may deserve anyway.

Ricciardi, Jays weather the storm  —  The headline for the May 19 column was “I've just jinxed the Blue Jays”.  The first line read as follows: “You know,” I told a member of the Blue Jays' decision-making team, “by writing this I'm virtually guaranteeing that you plummet in the standings.”

Yankees Triple-A pitcher Ortiz exercises right to become free agent  —  The Yankees' stock of potential  —  fill-in starters in the minors decreased by one yesterday.  Russ Ortiz, who had been signed by the Yankees and assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after he was released …

Oakland Athletics' Jack Cust says Mitchell report is ‘kind of a joke’  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Jack Cust still wonders why his name appeared in the Mitchell report.  Now, the Oakland slugger has a more pressing question: How come some prominent Red Sox were missing?

Baryshnikov in Baseball Cleats  —  Son of Star Ballet Dancers Sets Off an MLB Bidding War; $800,000 From the Twins  —  Kathy Kepler, once a star ballerina at the Berlin ballet, has a saying: “Three days away, out of the ballet.”  That training motto also serves her son Max, baseball's most unusual prospect.