Hall of Fame: The Eight Definites  —  In my mind, there are eight players on this year's ballot who are clearly above my Hall of Fame standard.  That does not mean that they are without their flaws.  A couple of them have significant flaws ... I refused to vote for one of them for a while until …

Angels front-runners to land Beltre  —  Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since August 2005.  He appears weekly on MLB on FOX.  Follow him on Twitter.  —  The Angels, more than ever, look like the front-runners to sign free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Palmeiro on Hall of Fame: ‘I hope the voters judge my career fairly’ … Five years ago, after he tested positive for an anabolic steroid, Baltimore Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro said that he had never used performance-enhancing drugs and that he was a victim of a tainted vial …

Killebrew Diagnosed With Cancer  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Hall of Fame slugger Harmon Killebrew says he has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.  —  Killebrew released a statement through the Minnesota Twins on Thursday saying that he is receiving treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

MLB LOSES PILLAR OF HONESTY  —  Bill Lajoie was one of the most remarkable men I ever encountered in Major League Baseball.  One reason for that status was he was one of the most honest men I ever met in Major League Baseball.  I don't mean he fell short of being 100 percent honest while others didn't.

Brewers, Red Sox, Phillies, Nationals top list of winter winners … The Brewers, Red Sox and Phillies stood out this winter.  But they aren't nearly the only winners to date.  With still plenty of free agents remaining, here are the 11 biggest winners so far...  1. Brewers.

Nick Markakis: No Longer A Star?  —  One of the more disappointing trends in recent years has been the progression (or lack thereof) of Nick Markakis' career.  After his phenomenal 2008 season (.306/.406/.491, +12 UZR), Nick has seemingly settled in as just a decent player …

Is collusion to blame for Jack Morris' HOF case?  —  Jack Morris was the winningest pitcher of the 1980s.  With a 162-119 record between 1980 and 1989, Morris was the pitcher of record in more club victories than any other pitcher in the same time frame.  Morris also started the most games …

Six Teams Interested In Chad Qualls  —  The A's are one of six teams with legitimate interest in Chad Qualls, the reliever's agent told Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter links).  Alan Hendricks acknowledged that he has spoken with the Athletics, but says no “substantial” discussions have taken place yet.

The Playoffs Sweet Spot  —  Baseball season is officially creeping ever closer with the release of the first CAIRO projections.  With the news cycle a little slow, these projections can serve as discussion fodder but shouldn't be taken as gospel given the premature state of rosters and depth charts.

Octavio Dotel, Blue Jays agree to deal  —  Reliever Octavio Dotel and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal Tuesday, the player's agent told ESPNdeportes.com.  —  The agent, Dominic Torres, said the deal includes a $3.5 million team option in 2012.