Ken Rosenthal / FOXSports.com
Posted: 2 hours ago

Free-agent outfielder Frank Catalanotto is close to agreeing to a three-year contract with the Rangers, FOXSports.com has learned.

The deal, which is believed to be pending a physical, is expected to include a club option for a fourth year.
Catalanotto, 32, played for the Rangers from 2000 to ‘02 before signing with the Blue Jays as a free agent.

A left-handed hitter, Catalanotto mostly platooned in left with Reed Johnson last season, batting .300 with seven homers and 56 RBIs in 437 at-bats.The Jays’ signing of free-agent designated hitter Frank Thomas to a two-year, $18 million contract last week increased the likelihood that the team would not re-sign Catalanotto.

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Updated: Catalanotto has officially signed with Texas, agreeing to a three-year, $13MM deal…

By Jerry Crasnick
ESPN.com

Pitcher Jeff Francis has reached agreement on a four-year, $13.25 million contract with the Colorado Rockies, a source told ESPN.com. The contract includes a fifth-year club option that could bring the total value of the deal to more than $20 million.

Francis, a 25-year-old left-hander, is 30-25 with a 4.91 ERA in parts of three seasons with Colorado. He led the Rockies with 13 victories this year, and his 199 innings pitched were the third most on the staff behind Aaron Cook and Jason Jennings.

Francis, a native of British Columbia, was Colorado’s first pick and the ninth choice overall in the 2002 draft.

Great stuff in an extremely close vote

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Justin Morneau won the American League’s Most Valuable Player Award on Tuesday, edging Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees after a season in which his 34 homers and 130 RBI helped the Minnesota Twins capture their division.

Morneau received 15 first-place votes, eight seconds, three thirds and two fourths for 320 points in voting by a panel of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Jeter got 12 firsts, 14 seconds, one fourth and one sixth for 306 points.

“Last night even I was saying I don’t expect to get it. I might have given myself maybe a 50-50 chance,” Morneau said. “I didn’t want to set myself up for disappointment if I didn’t get it.”

On the flip side, ESPN ‘expert’ Keith Law thinks the decision was an awful choice –

The reality of baseball is that a great offensive player at an up-the-middle position is substantially more valuable than a slightly better hitter at a corner position. And when that up-the-middle player is one of the best fielders at his position in baseball, there’s absolutely no comparison. Joe Mauer was more valuable than Justin Morneau this past season. If you don’t understand that, you don’t understand the first thing about baseball.

Mauer had a 54-point edge in OBP over Morneau, which overwhelms the advantage Morneau had in slugging percentage (a 52-point edge). But Mauer won the Gold Glove for his position this past year, and he is arguably the best-fielding catcher in the game when you consider all aspects of catching. Catchers who field and hit the way Mauer does are extremely valuable, just as shortstops who hit like Derek Jeter does and play passable defense are extremely valuable. First basemen who hit like Morneau just shouldn’t win MVP awards in years when there are Mauers and Jeters and other candidates to choose from.

From The Onion…