-P- B.P. is "in the process of" declaring free agency today. Tony Armas has already done so. Neither of these are a surprise. If you want to see B.P. now, you'll have to go to the game early.

-P- Also, the Bucs added Luis Munoz to the 40-man roster and designated Josh Shortslef for assignment. Munoz had a decent year as a starter in Altoona. He's not a groundball pitcher - despite throwing a sinker - and he didn't strike out many batters this year, so he's going to have to keep improving to be effective in the majors, but he's still more interesting than Shortslef, who's the same age as Munoz and posted an ERA a run higher at Altoona.

-P- The Astros re-signed Brad Ausmus to a one-year deal. It's for $2 million plus incentives, but does the money even really matter? The guy's a HACKING MASS superstar, he has been for years, and he'll be 39 in April. He hasn't had an OPS above .700 since 2000.

-P- Joe Girardi has officially agreed to a three-year deal to be the Yankees' manager.

-P- The Brewers officially declined Geoff Jenkins' 2008 option, presumably ending his Brewers career after ten seasons.

-P- If you're interested, a writer named Howard Rosenberg has published an interview with me about blogging the Pirates.