Source: Aramis Ramirez to Brewers  —  Former Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez will sign a three-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, pending a physical, according to a source familiar with the situation.  —  Ramirez played the last eight-plus seasons with the Cubs.

Blue Jays Acquire Ben Francisco  —  The Blue Jays acquired outfielder Ben Francisco from the Phillies for minor league lefty Frank Gailey, announced the team.  The Jays also designated reliever Jesse Chavez for assignment.  —  Francisco, 30, hit .244/.340/.364 in 293 plate appearances for the Phillies this year.

Non-Tender Candidates  —  I initially published my non-tender candidates list on November 14th, and since then many of the 54 players I mentioned have been removed from 40-man rosters or traded.  Below is my revised list in advance of tonight's 11pm central time deadline.

Marlins catcher John Buck helps rescue two women from overturned car  —  Think the Marlins front office had an eventful week last week in Dallas?  Consider Marlins catcher John Buck's week.  —  He started the week by bagging a trophy-class deer (209 points on the Boone & Crockett scale) on a hunting trip in south Texas.

Bill Plaschke: Ryan Braun needs to follow his own advice  —  In the winter of 2009, when news leaked that the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for a performance enhancing drug, he was faced with a decision.  —  Fight it or admit it?  —  Before Rodriguez made his choice …

Manny Ramirez seeks another chance  —  MIAMI — Manny Ramirez acknowledged that he has made many mistakes in his life and he seeks a new chance to show that he has changed.  —  In an exclusive interview with ESPN Deportes, Ramirez said it was a mistake to have used banned performance-enhancing substances …

Mets Claim Jeremy Hefner; Sign May, Olson  —  The Mets claimed righty Jeremy Hefner off waivers from the Pirates, reports ESPN New York's Adam Rubin.  They also signed catcher Lucas May and lefty Garrett Olson to minor league deals.  —  Hefner, 25, was claimed by the Pirates from the Padres …

D'Backs To Sign Takashi Saito  —  The Diamondbacks have agreed to sign right-handed reliever Takashi Saito, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).  The D'Backs were known to be targeting the CAA client, who drew interest from at least six teams this offseason.

The Cooperstown case for Tim Raines  —  It's that time of the year again: Hall of Fame voting season.  This month, the decade-long members of the BBWAA fill out their ballots for who belongs in Cooperstown.  —  There are many candidates on this year's ballot, and many would make perfectly fine Hall of Famers.

Wife of Albert Pujols tells radio show: “the city of St. Louis has absolutely been deceived”  —  “I understand you're talking to us, then one TV station, and that's about it,” is how Sandi Brown, morning show host at 99.1 Joy FM in St. Louis, opened her conversation Monday with Deidre Pujols …

Sox stick with approach  —  Little tweaks often can go a long way  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email  —  One of these days, the Red Sox [team stats] will make a trade, sign a free agent and fill out their coaching staff.  —  In the meantime, all signs point toward …