MLB ROUNDUP News and notes

A’s acquire Holliday: Matt Holliday hardly could have expected to land with the low-budget Athletics. The A’s completed their trade with the Colorado Rockies for the outfielder Wednesday, securing the big bat Oakland sought for the middle of its order. “Originally, it was a little bit of a surprise considering I’ve never been traded before,” Holliday said. “I spent my first 11 years of professional baseball in the Rockies organization. Any time you make a change there’s a bit of an unknown.” Colorado received right-handed reliever Huston Street, lefty starter Greg Smith and promising outfielder Carlos Gonzalez from the A’s. The clubs reached a tentative agreement Monday, but had to wait for the results of physicals and other details to be worked out. Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said the Rockies earlier this year offered Holliday a deal worth $107.5 million over five seasons, but agent Scott Boras rejected it back in March. “This wasn’t going to go away. It was going to be a distraction,” O’Dowd said. “And that’s nothing against Mattie. He’s earned the right to be a free agent after next season, and he’s earned the right to pick where he plays after next season. There’s no hard feelings, no animosity.” Oakland GM Billy Beane and O’Dowd speak regularly and had discussed Holliday since just after the season ended. “We landed one of the biggest hitters out there,” A’s manager Bob Geren said. “He’s definitely a piece of the offense you can build around.” This is a major move by an A’s team that began rebuilding last winter and is more accustomed to losing star players than acquiring them. “We wanted a right-handed bat, and we got one,” Oakland outfielder Jack Cust said. “It’s usually the other way around — giving away a bigger-name guy for guys who aren’t as established. It’s definitely exciting going into the season.”

Wright says Mets need “facelift”: With the Mets coming off consecutive September collapses, David Wright is ready for a few significant changes. “You go through two seasons that we’ve been through the last couple years and you’re going to need a little bit of a facelift,” Wright said Wednesday. “There’s 30 teams out there that can use pitching, and obviously we’re one of them.” That’s why the All-Star third baseman is prepared to do whatever he can to help this winter. Make a recruiting call? Sure thing. Show a free agent around town? Say when. “I live here most of the offseason, so if the organization wants me to be a tour guide or make a phone call, I’ll be more than happy to do that,” Wright said at his Hard Rock Cafe charity event in Times Square. Wright anticipates aggressive general manager Omar Minaya will make a major move, as he did last winter for Johan Santana. “Being in a big market, you always expect that. And the way the seasons ended the last couple years you expect that,” Wright said. “He’s always making phone calls. I can vouch for that because I’m at dinner with him sometimes where his phone’s ringing off the hook. So it’s something where he goes out there, he’s extremely active and he’s going to bring us some pretty good players I’m sure.”

Orioles’ new look: Even if they don’t add a couple of high-priced free agents, the Baltimore Orioles will have a new look next season. For the first time since 1972, the Orioles will wear the script word “Baltimore” across the front of their gray road jerseys. At home and away, the left sleeve will be adorned by a circular patch featuring the pattern of the multicolored Maryland state flag.

Baselines: Former major leaguers Al Leiter and Harold Reynolds were hired as studio analysts fot the MLB Network, which launches Jan. 1. … For the first time in more than a decade, the Red Sox aren’t increasing their ticket prices at Fenway Park for the 2009 season. It’s average ticket price of $48.80 on opening day in 2008 was the highest in the majors. … The Cubs are bringing back all their coaches for the 2009 season under manager Lou Piniella. Retained were pitching coach Larry Rothschild, who will be entering his eighth season with the Cubs. Returning for their third seasons are bench coach Alan Trammell; hitting coach Gerald Perry; third base coach Mike Quade; first base coach Matt Sinatro; bullpen coach Lester Strode; and Ivan DeJesus, a special assistant to Piniella. … Workers removed and crated the Babe Ruth monument that was first installed at Yankee Stadium in April 1949. The monument is being stored in the old ballpark temporarily until it is installed in the new Monument Park, which will be behind the center-field fence.

Associated Press