BASEBALL ROUNDUP News and notes

Mets sign K-Rod: Desperate for a closer, the Mets landed the top one available: Francisco Rodriguez. Now, they have to figure out how to hand him the lead. Coming off a record-setting season, Rodriguez reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday with the Mets on a $37 million, three-year contract. The sides still have to work out a written agreement and the pitcher must pass a physical, two people familiar with the negotiations said. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been completed yet. The agreement was reached Tuesday about 5 a.m., but the contract probably won’t be finalized until next week at the earliest. Rodriguez saved 62 games for the Los Angeles Angels this year, five more than the previous big league mark set by Bobby Thigpen of the Chicago White Sox in 1990, and then filed for free agency.

Dodgers sign Blake, Loretta: As the Dodgers began to fill holes in their infield, they also were trying to determine whether they could make legitimate runs at Manny Ramirez and CC Sabathia. Los Angeles completed a $17.5 million, three-year contract with third baseman Casey Blake at the winter meetings Tuesday and agreed to terms with free-agent infielder Mark Loretta on a one-year deal. The Dodgers hadn’t announced the deal for Loretta, but a person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the sides were just waiting on a physical. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Dodgers had yet to make a formal announcement. The additions would fill two of general manager Ned Colletti’s top offseason priorities as he waits to see if Ramirez will accept a month-old offer from Los Angeles or if the team could afford Sabathia.

Phillies extend Manuel: Winning the World Series was enough for the Phillies to want manager Charlie Manuel around a few more years. General manager Ruben Amaro rewarded Manuel on Tuesday and picked up the option for 2010 on his contract and added a guaranteed year for 2011 — basically giving the manager a three-year deal. Manuel has won two straight NL East titles with the Phillies and led them this year to their first championship since 1980. The 64-year-old Manuel hasn’t had a losing record in four seasons with Philadelphia (354-294) and he has slowly won over the fickle Philly fans.

Upgraded bats for ’09: Scary scenes of broken maple bats sailing into the stands or dugouts soon could be a thing of the past. At least that’s what Major League Baseball hopes. All bats used in big league games soon will have their own serial numbers and ink markings for tracking, part of the first step in the sport’s efforts to decrease the number of broken bats and ensure a safer environment for players and fans. By the start of the 2009 regular season, the plan of MLB’s safety and health advisory committee is that all bats will have been certified by MLB and that the 32 manufacturers making them will be held to a new list of standards surrounding their production. That means keeping track of different models and how frequently they are breaking — a process that has a lot to do with determining the quality and slope of the wood’s grain.

Associated Press