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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Would Rays and Beltran be a good match?  —  The Rays' interest in signing free-agent OF Carlos Beltran is legitimate, and has been confirmed.  —  As for their chances of actually getting him, that remains to be seen, with Beltran's decision reportedly close.

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).

Source: Cubs, Reds agree on trade  —  The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a trade in principle that will send pitcher Travis Wood and two minor-leaguers to the Cubs for left-handed reliever Sean Marshall, according to a source familiar with the situation.