Mariners outfielder Carlos Peguero continues to lead the Dominican Winter League in home runs and extra-base hits, but the youngster has hit a bit of a slump at the end of a long stretch of baseball.

At a time when few Mets are untouchable, general manager Sandy Alderson knows that his players cannot help but overhear the rumors swirling around their heads.

Former manager and front-office consultant Lou Piniella is close to signing a deal to become an analyst for the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network, according to a Daily News report.

Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun is intent on appealing his case while facing suspension for a positive drug test, but the 2011 National League Most Valuable Player is in for an uphill battle, according to a report from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

This year marks Joe Maddon's sixth consecutive year hosting the event in which he and a band of Rays employees shop, cook and serve a traditional meal to hundreds of needy citizens throughout the Tampa Bay area, stretching from Tampa to Fort Myers.

Though talk has simmered following the Miami Marlins' free-agent signings at the Winter Meetings in Dallas, the organization's future home in Little Havana continues on its path to completion.

The deadline for Major League teams to submit bids for 25-year-old Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday will be crammed with enough suspense and mystery to fill a John le Carre novel.

Former big leaguer John Rocker admitted during a radio interview this week that he tested positive for steroids following a 1999 interview with Sports Illustrated that generated plenty of negative attention.

Major League Baseball on Tuesday announced that its Baseball Tomorrow Fund has awarded $1.7 million in grants this year to more than 55 communities in North America.

Question of the Day: Who's Player of the Year?

Once Prince Fielder is off the market, there could be a flurry of activity for the remaining free agents as teams begin putting the finishing touches on their spring rosters. But for now, it's Fielder's time.

When it comes to saying who will be their regular shortstop in 2012, the Reds haven't straight-out declared that rookie Zack Cozart has the job. But they've made it clear that the starting job is his to lose.

Members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum staff — including senior curator of exhibitions and collections, Erik Strohl — are taking the famous plaques of Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Clemente and Tony Perez to their homeland of Puerto Rico this weekend for a mini tour of the island.

The Phillies have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with left-hander Dontrelle Willis, a source said on Tuesday, confirming an ESPN.com report.

The Brewers-Cubs rivalry may get a little more interesting. Aramis Ramirez, considered the top free-agent third baseman, reportedly agreed to a three-year deal Monday with one of the Cubs' rivals, the Brewers, pending a physical.

Only a few Hall of Famers from the free-agent era can say that they've spent their entire career with the same organization — Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., Mike Schmidt, George Brett and Ryne Sandberg, to name a few. Before last week, there was a chance for Albert Pujols to join that select group of players who are indelibly identified with one club.

Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Michael Weiner issued the following statement regarding Ryan Braun: "Our Joint Drug Agreement is designed to protect a player from a rush to judgment before he can challenge a reported positive test result. Fairness dictates that Ryan Braun be treated no differently. I urge all to reserve judgment on this matter until the JDA's process has played itself out."