Cardinals' talks with Beltran intensify  —  ST. LOUIS  • The Cardinals intensified their talks with the agent for switch-hitting outfielder Carlos Beltran late Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.  Beltran has been a target of the team since Albert Pujols signed with the Los Angeles Angels.

Danks, White Sox reportedly agree to $65 million deal  —  Despite persistent trade rumors, it appears that John Danks will be staying with the White Sox after agreeing to a five-year, $65 million contract, according to multiple reports.  —  Danks, who made $6 million last season …

Josh Thole says he has to prove himself every day  —  In a report for the New York Post, Josh Thole says: … In 114 games last season and 386 plate appearances, Thole hit .268 with a .345 OBP, 20 doubles and 40 RBI while striking out 12.2 percent of the time.

Source: Twins to sign RHP Marquis  —  The Twins, seeking to boost their starting rotation, are close to signing free-agent right-hander Jason Marquis, according to a major-league source.  —  Marquis, 33, went 8-5 with a 3.95 ERA for the Nationals last season before getting traded …

Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays others like Jurrjens  —  Jair Jurrjens has drawn some interest from the Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rockies, Tigers, Rangers and others.  However, while Jurrjens is a terrific young starter, he appears to be behind Oakland's Gio Gonzalez on the pecking order of most teams …

10 Weirdest Baseball Injuries  —  Mickey Rivers once said, “My goals are to hit .300, score 100 runs, and stay Sports Illustrated.  He and some teammates decided to try the latter themselves on copies of the Phoenix Yellow Pages.  Sparks's left shoulder gave out before the phone book did, dislocating.

Hindsights: 12/22/11  —  Yes, I'll get to the obligatory Darvish crap in a minute.  We all know why you are here.  A headline signaling the obvious is unnecessary.  First, I want to talk about me because I'm a narcissist (but I'm also an existential nihilist, so go figure that out).