Both Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols will almost surely be playing elsewhere in 2012 and beyond. That means the National League Central is now more wide open than ever.

The Hot Stove reached another high point Monday night, with clubs making some tough decisions on whether to tender contracts to players under team control.

Preferring versatility over second-base insurance, the Giants agreed to terms with infielder Mike Fontenot on a one-year contract Monday and declined to tender contracts to infielder Jeff Keppinger and catcher Eli Whiteside, casting the pair into free agency.

Ronny Paulino's rocky tenure in New York has come to an end. The Mets opted not to tender Paulino a contract prior to Monday's deadline, making the catcher a free agent for the second time in two years.

Andy Sonnanstine was the lone Tampa Bay arbitration-eligible player to be non-tendered on Monday night. J.P. Howell had been projected by some as a non-tender candidate, but that wasn't the case.

The D-backs declined to offer salary arbitration to pitchers Joe Saunders and Micah Owings at Monday's 10 p.m. MT deadline, making both players free agents.

The Cardinals announced late Monday night that they agreed to terms with infielder/outfielder Skip Schumaker on a two-year contract through 2013, thus avoiding arbitration. St. Louis did not tender a 2012 contract offer to infielder Ryan Theriot.

The Pirates and Brewers swapped arbitration-eligible players on Monday, with power-hitting infielder Casey McGehee coming to Pittsburgh in exchange for right-hander Jose Veras.

The Mets took out a $40 million loan with Major League Baseball's blessing sometime in the past six weeks, the team confirmed Monday after a New York Times report detailed the situation. The Mets still have not paid back the $25 million loan MLB granted them late last year.

Jason Grilli will be back in the Pirates' bullpen next season, having secured his spot on the club by agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with Pittsburgh.

CC Sabathia and his wife, Amber, visited the MLB Fan Cave on Monday night, where he was Santa for kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs.

The Rockies announced Monday that they've declined to tender a 2012 contract offer to outfielder Ryan Spilborghs, which makes him a free agent after 619 regular-season games with the club.

Tampa Bay added another piece to its bullpen on Monday night, acquiring right-hander Burke Badenhop from Miami in exchange for catcher Jake Jefferies.

The D-backs are closing in on a one-year deal with free-agent reliever Takashi Saito, a baseball source confirmed Monday.

A veteran outfielder with two World Series titles under his belt is joining the Marlins. Aaron Rowand, 34, has agreed to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training, the Marlins confirmed.

Astros catcher Jason Castro, who missed all of last season after undergoing major knee surgery, will miss the first part of Spring Training after undergoing surgery Friday to remove the sesamoid bone in his left foot.

The judge presiding over the Dodgers' bankruptcy Monday rejected a request by FOX to stay his order and delay the sale of the team's broadcasting rights.