Orioles set to trade Guthrie to Rockies  —  Team would receive right-handers Hammel, Lindstrom in return for top starter  —  The Orioles are near an agreement on a trade that would send the club's most accomplished starter, right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, to the Colorado Rockies for two players …

Toughest call of his career is on Varitek's plate  —  Jason Varitek is trying to make a very tough decision.  —  “He's deliberating what he wants to do,” said his agent, Scott Boras.  —  And that deliberation has to include the very difficult reality of possible retirement.

Nationals sign Rick Ankiel to minors deal  —  The Nationals have signed free-agent OF Rick Ankiel to a minor league contract, according to Amanda Comak of the Washington Times.  —  Last weekend, Andy Martino of the Daily News said the Mets were looking at Ankiel, Kosuke Fukudome, Raul Ibanez …

Cardinals sign veteran infielder Alex Cora  —  ST. LOUIS  • The Cardinals and utility fielder Alex Cora have agreed on a minor-league deal that will allow the veteran to serve as both competition and mentor for the club's group of less-experienced infielders.

Source: Hong-Chih Kuo joins Mariners  —  The Seattle Mariners have signed former Dodgers left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo to a one-year deal.  —  Kuo signed a major league contract and will be added to the Mariners' 40-man roster.  —  A source told ESPN.com that Kuo has passed his physical …

Jocketty: Nothing new on Oswalt  —  The Reds reportedly are one of the teams right-hander Roy Oswalt is considering, but the sides have had no contact in nearly a week and the Reds would have to juggle the budget to make a deal possible.  —  “We had discussions with them a while ago,” Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said.

A Note On Access And The Mets  —  I thought I ought to pass along this bit of news, so all of you have a sense of what the blog will and won't be this coming year, and why that is.  —  Since taking over the LoHud Mets Blog in March 2011, I have been credentialed numerous times …

10 things I didn't know about one-hitters  —  My last column here at THT was on the men least likely to break up a full-length (nine innings pitched or more) no-hitter by getting their team's sole hit of the day.  In all, I looked up nearly 1,000 games from 1919 onward to produce that list.

Rays managing ballpark situation well  —  It's impossible not to admire how the Tampa Bay Rays are handling their stadium situation.  —  They've said almost nothing publicly, taking the high road and letting the politicians do the talking.  Instead, they're working behind the scenes …

If Frank McCourt's L.A. Dodgers go for $2 billion, Fred Wilpon's NY Mets could be worth more  —  Franchise values in baseball are about to take a quantum leap  —  Frank McCourt seen here in happier times as the L.A. Dodgers introduce Joe Torre as skipper in 2007.

Mets organization preview, Top 20 Prospects  —  The future success of every Major League team lies largely in its Minor League pipeline.  With that in mind, MLB.com is looking at each team's farm system, from the top 20 prospects to those who are under the radar.

Sox's Peavy: 'I'm as 100 percent as I can be'  —  Right-hander's goal is at least 30 starts, 200 innings  —  White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy grimaces during a terrible first inning against Minnesota.  (Stacey Wescott / Tribune Photo)  —  Ask Jake Peavy whether he is 100 percent healthy for this season and this is the answer you get: