While the big-market Yankees — whose desire to import starting pitching this offseason is shared by 29 other clubs — can still belly up and write huge checks, it need not be their only course of action.

It is expected that the Indians will decline the Grady Sizemore's club option for next season prior to Monday's deadline for a decision. The Indians have not made anything official, but it is expected that the organization will also exercise the Fausto Carmona's $7 million club option for 2012.

Baseball's largest television audience in seven years watched the St. Louis Cardinals capture the 2011 World Series with Friday night's Game 7 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Expect Boston to be involved players both in trade and free agency this winter, as new general manager Ben Cherington works to improve the club after missing the postseason. One of Cherington's big decisions will be whether to bring back David Ortiz.

David Freese, Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter continued in a long line of Cardinals Fall Classic heroes, helping to lead the franchise to its 11 World Series championship.

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Theo Epstein, who rose to rock-star status in Boston after putting together two World Series championship teams, has begun the next phase of his baseball life with the Cubs.

If Jaime Garcia is to continue proving himself as a strong postseason performer, the Cardinals need him to do so now. If Garcia wins Wednesday's World Series Game 6, the Cards will continue to play. If he loses, their season will be over.

In the final "Legends" mascot race of 2011 at a Rangers home game, MLB Network studio analysts and former Major Leaguers did the honors, with Kevin Millar (as Davy Crockett) winning, followed by Harold Reynolds (Sam Houston), Sean Casey (Jim Bowie) and Mitch Williams (Nolan Ryan).

The Rangers have issued 10 intentional walks this postseason. That's two short of the record for one postseason set by the Marlins in 2003.

Hank Aaron was unable to attend the annual presentation of the Major League Baseball award that is given in his name each year because of a knee replacement surgery earlier this month.

Before the Texas Rangers existed, before Nolan Ryan paved his road to Cooperstown with strikeouts and no-hitters, there was only one golden arm in Texas, and his name was Roger Staubach.

Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays joined Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds as the only players to repeat a Hank Aaron Award, accepting his trophy Monday along with National League recipient Matt Kemp of the Dodgers in a ceremony before Game 5 of the World Series.

The Phillies officially declined the 2012 options for the contracts of right-handed pitchers Brad Lidge and Roy Oswalt, the club announced on Monday.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak acknowledged Monday that the club has begun looking at the various decisions that await once the offseason begins, but said that those plans have taken a bit of a back seat in recent weeks.

Jim Thome sat in front of the City Club of Cleveland on Monday afternoon as a future Hall of Famer and one of only eight men in baseball's long history to club at least 600 home runs. Those in attendance felt his achievements and his story were worthy of this unique setting.

Without hesitation, the Red Sox will name Ben Cherington their new general manager at a Fenway Park news conference on Tuesday, ending weeks of speculation that he would slide into Theo Epstein's seat if it became vacant.