-P- Yuslan Herrera is in the house and may sign a contract in the next couple days.
-P- Jason Marquis, who had looked like a possible free agent target for the Pirates, just agreed to a three year, $21 million deal with the Cubs. I'm not sure how to do the research on what I'm about to say, but that has to be the most lucrative contract ever for a pitcher who put up an ERA above six in the previous year.
-P- Andy Pettitte has agreed to a one year, $16 million deal with the Yankees that includes a $16 million player option for 2008 that Pettitte is promising not to exercise if he's injured. Two years and $32 million for a potentially elite pitcher seems perfectly reasonable in this market.
-P- 3B Brandon Inge just got a four year, $24 million deal with the Tigers. Inge is a solid player - a little like Ty Wigginton if Wiggy's defense were terrific instead of terrible - but he isn't, in my opinion, the kind of player you want to lock up. He wouldn't have to lose much with the bat to be tough to start at third base. He would've been eligible for free agency after this coming season.
-P- The Royals will pay Octavio Dotel $5 million - plus a couple million more in potential performance bonuses - to play for them next year. Dotel is pretty far removed from his dominant 2001-2002 form, but $5 million isn't much in this market, and if he's even a shadow of his former self, he'll earn his money. Whether or not he's actually ready to pitch is beyond me, though.
-P- The Giants have re-signed Steve Kline, giving him a two-year, $3.5 million deal. With his declining strikeout rates, Kline's not worth much more than a minor-league contract right now. The Giants also re-signed Barry Bonds.