Talented Cuban defector Cespedes is an odd sight  —  Cuban center fielder Yoenis Cespedes, who defected mid-summer and expects soon to be cleared for free agency, is being billed by his agents as the hitting version of Aroldis Chapman(notes) and is seeking a contract similar to the $30 million …

Source: Mets open to Wright deal  —  Mets on Twitter  —  Word continues to circulate in baseball circles that the Mets will be willing to discuss David Wright in trades this offseason as part of a complete facelift/rebuild away from Wright and Jose Reyes.  —  “We will listen on Wright for sure …

Dan Duquette agrees to become O's new GM  —  Served 10 seasons as general manager with Expos, Red Sox  —  BALTIMORE— The Orioles' general manager search is finally over, as former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette agreed to terms Sunday afternoon to fill the position vacated by president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail.

Royals reportedly set to corporately rename Kauffman Stadium  —  For perhaps $3-6 million annually over the next 21 years, the Kansas City Royals reportedly are willing to sell out their founder, the late Ewing Kauffman, and rename their ballpark after a bank.

Jamey Carroll with Rockies?  That's tough choice to make  —  Creativity and flexibility remain critical to fixing the Rockies.  —  Yes, the drywall cracked in the clubhouse, leaving no doubt that the culture must change.  Team-first over me-first.  Got it.

What Are the St. Louis Cardinals Looking For in a Manager?  —  More than any player Tony La Russa was the St. Louis Cardinals.  The clichés of his tenure—playing a hard nine, taking the season one game at a time, making winning plays—came to define the Cardinals as an organization.

Offseason shopping on a budget: Shortstops  —  Tsuyoshi Nishioka flopped, Trevor Plouffe can't be trusted defensively, Alexi Casilla appears to be locked in at second base, and as has been the case for the past decade they don't have an obvious long-term solution in the minors …

Cuddyer won't help Phils get any younger  —  In many ways, Michael Cuddyer would be a classic Ruben Amaro Jr. signing — an older, high-character type, similar to Raul Ibanez in 2008 and Placido Polanco in '09.  —  There's just one problem.  —  Cuddyer, who turns 33 on March 27, will not make the Phillies any younger.

Ten things I didn't know about Tony La Russa  —  Last week, as most of you already know, Tony La Russa retired.  This marks the end of an era for managers.  Just 14 months ago, three sure-fire Hall of Fame skippers still worked the dugout: Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, and La Russa.

Nails bails: Lenny Dykstra a no show for fight against Canseco  —  It turns out that you and I weren't the only ones who forgot about the Lenny Dykstra-Jose Canseco fight on Saturday night after gaping at the car wreck of a headline earlier this week.  —  Also suffering a memory lapse?