BASEBALL ROUNDUP | News and notes

Dodgers: Los Angeles received permission to interview former Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers general manager John Hart for their vacant GM job, and also plan to discuss the position with current club executive Kim Ng. Hart resigned as general manager of the Rangers on Oct. 4 and was succeeded by assistant GM Jon Daniels. Hart remains under contract with Texas as a consultant. Dodgers spokeswoman Camille Johnston on Thursday confirmed a report in The Dallas Morning News that the team had asked for and received permission to speak with Hart. She didn't say when an interview would take place. Ng, vice president and assistant general manager for the Dodgers the past four years, would become major league baseball's first female GM if she's hired to succeed Paul DePodesta.
Also, pitcher Elmer Dessens declined his option for 2006 with Los Angeles and filed for free agency Thursday. The 34-year-old right-hander was 1-2 with a 3.56 ERA in seven starts and 21 relief appearances last season. His ERA was the lowest on the Dodgers' staff among pitchers who pitched 20 innings or more.
And, the team and outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. agreed to one-year contract worth a guaranteed $3.21 million. Cruz was obtained from Boston in August and was one of the Dodgers' most productive hitters in the season's final weeks. He batted .301 with six homers and 22 RBIs in 47 games, and had a .366 on-base percentage.
Nationals-Padres trade: Third baseman Vinny Castilla was traded by Washington to San Diego for right-hander Brian Lawrence and cash. The move paves the way for Ryan Zimmerman, the No. 4 overall pick in June's amateur draft, to start at third for the Nationals next season.
Reds: Bucky Dent was hired as bench coach, making him the top assistant to close friend Jerry Narron. Dent, 53, worked with Narron for seven years as a Texas coach before he returned to managing in the minors.
Brewers: Hall of Famer Robin Yount is returning to Milwaukee as the bench coach, 12 years after he left the only team he played for. Yount, 50, set nearly every offense record in Brewers history in a 20-year career that ended in 1993.
Mets: New York declined its $2 million option on left-hander Dae-Sung Koo. Koo was 0-0 with a 3.91 ERA in 23 innings over 33 games last season, his first with the team. Koo, who remains property of the Mets, had a $400,000 base salary in the major leagues. New York has until Nov. 15 to decide whether to exercise options on pitchers Kazuhisa Ishii and Felix Heredia. Ishii's option is for $3.25 million and carries a $2.2 million buyout.
Yankees: Ron Guidry rejoined the Yankees as Joe Torre's pitching coach, when former Boston manager Joe Kerrigan also joined the staff as bullpen coach. The 55-year-old left-hander was a three-time 20-game winner who played for the Yankees from 1975-88 and won the 1978 AL Cy Young Award. He has been a spring training instructor for the team since 1990, and his number (49) was retired by the Yankees in 2003. Kerrigan was the Red Sox pitching coach from 1997 until he became manager in August 2001, a job that lasted until the following March. He was hired by the Yankees in July as a special adviser to general manager Brian Cashman, and scouted video of upcoming opponents to prepare reports.
White Sox: Chicago bought out Frank Thomas for $3.5 million, making the best slugger in team history eligible for free agency. The 37-year-old Thomas exercised a $10 million mutual option for next season Monday, giving the team five days to decide whether to exercise its half. The White Sox could try to re-sign the two-time AL MVP for less money.
Angels: Mike Scioscia got a new deal Friday to manage Los Angeles through the 2009 season. Scioscia guided the Angels to a 95-67 record and their second straight AL West division title this year. His previous contract extension, announced in 2003, signed Scioscia through 2007 with a club option for 2008. The new deal for Scioscia, who became the Angels' manager in November 1999, includes a team option for 2010.
Associated Press