Votto agrees to three-year deal  —  This just in — the Reds and Joey Votto have agreed to terms Sunday on a three-year, $38 million contract with 1B Joey Votto, baseball sources told MLB.com.  This is pending a physical, which is scheduled for Monday.  —  This would cover all three …

AP Source: A's, Fuentes agree on 2-year deal  —  OAKLAND, Calif.—The Oakland Athletics have made another move to boost their bullpen, agreeing to terms with free-agent lefty reliever Brian Fuentes on a two-year contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday night.

Madden: Yanks could be Sori about new reliever  —  As a mostly unremarkable baseball winter (at least in New York) winds down to the one-dimensional DH market, last week was a transient one for premier closers with Trevor Hoffman, the all-time saves leader, moving out, and Rafael Soriano …

Pujols tight-lipped on contract talks … ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols repeatedly has said he wants to spend his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals.  The odds of that happening are anyone's guess at this point.  —  Pujols declined Sunday to provide any kind of update on negotiations …

Astros' first-round pick arrested in Georgia  —  DeShields Jr. released on $2,500 bail for the three misdemeanors  —  Astros first-round draft pick Delino DeShields Jr. was arrested in Athens-Clarke County, Ga., and charged with DUI, underage possession of alcohol and a traffic violation early Sunday morning.

Franklin says he wants to pitch beyond 2011  —  ST. LOUIS — Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin does not see 2011 like he once did — as a farewell tour before ending his career at the end of his current contract.  —  He sees no reason to walk away that soon.  —  “I've done a lot of that …

Rafeal Palmeiro deserves to be in Hall of Fame  —  During his blessed 27-year reign as head of the Roman Catholic Church, the late Pope John Paul II personally canonized 482 into the ranks of sainthood.  —  During the same term, 1978-2005, the Baseball Hall of Fame added 79.