Beltre, Pettitte, Webb, Young  —  From the Rangers press conference...  * Club officials are not particularly optimistic that something will get down with third baseman Adrian Beltre.  That deal seems unlikely give the tenor of feeling on Monday but things could change.

Rockies' CarGo contract talk persists as ad campaign revealed  —  Talks are continuing to sign young Rockies star Carlos Gonzalez to a long-term deal.  (Karl Gehring, The Denver Post)  —  UPDATE 12:54 p.m. |  Adds confirmation from Carlos Gonzalez's publicist on projected contract values.

Mets sign Taylor Buchholz and Chris Capuano  —  According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Taylor Buchholz will earn a $600,000 base salary, and Chris Capuano will earn a $1.5 million base salary with the opportunity to earn more with incentives.  —  Rubin also says the signing of both Capuano …

Reds close to inking Hermida to Minors deal  —  CINCINNATI — The Reds appear to be close to signing outfielder Jeremy Hermida to a Minor League contract, a baseball source told MLB.com on Monday evening.  —  The deal has not been finalized, and the club has made no formal announcement.

The Case for Morris: Big Moments Count  —  Most Baseball Hall of Fame voters believe Jack Morris deserves a plaque in Cooperstown.  That is not enough to get Morris into the Hall of Fame — he had 52 percent of the vote last year, and candidates need 75 — but it is significant.

Aloha, Andy?  Pettitte decision expected this week  —  Now that the holidays are over and Andy Pettitte has had more than enough time to mull over his future, the Yankees expect to hear from him this week on whether or not he will return to pitch in 2011.  According to a team official …

New Year's resolutions for fifty of the biggest names in baseball … Here are 50 New Year's resolutions I'd like to see.  —  1. Bud Selig.  I will not to push for expanded replay, certainly not beyond the foul lines, because of baseball's beauties is that it is played at its own pace …

Orioles pitcher: Shooting death was an accident  —  Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (CNN) — Baltimore Orioles pitcher Alfredo Simon said Monday the shooting death of a 25-year-old man over the weekend was an accident.  —  “In truth that young man was my friend, like a brother,” he said of Michael Esteban Castillo.

Rays interested in Delcarmen  —  As the Rays continue their quest to rebuild their bullpen, one reliever they've expressed interest in is former Red Sox righthander Manny Delcarmen.  —  Delcarmen, a 28-year-old, spent the first five-and-a-half seasons with his hometown Red Sox before getting traded to the Rockies last August.

APNewsBreak: Union Finds No Rule-Breaking by Agent  —  A person familiar with a letter sent from the union to Major League Baseball tells The Associated Press the players' association has found agent Scott Boras did not violate union rules when his company made loans to a Dominican prospect.