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One of the hottest rumors flying around Thursday at baseball's Winter Meetings is that the Boston Red Sox have agreed to trade third baseman Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers for minor league catcher Max Ramirez.

Lowell, who has dealt with numerous injuries over the past few seasons, is set to make $12 million in 2010, while Ramirez's salary is substantially less; Ramirez made $402,000 last year.

According to reports, including ESPN's Jayson Stark, the Milwaukee Brewers have landed another veteran free agent.

Reliever LaTroy Hawkins has agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal to potentially close in Milwaukee.

Hawkins was in Houston last year and rebounded from a stretch of rough seasons starting when he left Minnesota for the Chicago Cubs.

With the dust still settling from the acquisition of Curtis Granderson in New York, the Yankees have some decisions to make about their 2010 outfield.

What happens to Melky Cabrera? Do they entertain the idea of bringing back Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui? Are they done adding outfielders?

This might be the perfect time for the Chicago Cubs to give the Bronx Bombers a call and ask about Nick Swisher's availability.

Is this heaven? No, Mr. Sandberg, it's Iowa!

Reports are that the Chicago Cubs have promoted Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg to the bench in Iowa as the manager of their Triple-A affiliate.

Somewhere, Joe Morgan is telling someone that Sandberg can't manage, either.

Reports on Monday afternoon are that the New York Mets have traded for Detroit Tigers starter Edwin Jackson.

Jackson emerged as a solid starter for Detroit after being dealt to the Tigers for Matt Joyce last winter. The 26-year-old righty was 13-6 with a 3.62 ERA in 33 starts. He had one complete game last year, and struck out 161 in 215 innings pitched. Opposing batters only managed a .246 average against Jackson in 2009.

Baseball's Winter Meetings have begun, and there isn't a team with as clear-cut a mission this week as the Chicago Cubs: get rid of Milton Bradley.

It appears Cubs GM Jim Hendry will do everything in his power to unload the switch-hitting outfielder/designated hitter this week after the marriage between the volatile Bradley and the organization, and Cubs fans, went south in terribly public fashion.

This year 171 players filed for free agency.

Of the 171 total free agents, 99 are from the National League and 72 are from the American League.

Unlike last year’s class of free agents, only a select few in this crop figure to land blockbuster deals.

Talk about anticlimactic.

Smart, but anticlimactic.

Back in July, there were some people that thought the Cubs should have traded pitcher Rich Harden. I was among those that though Harden, having a good, healthy season, had arguably the highest trade value of his career and could have helped the future of the Cubs at the expense of a lost 2009 campaign.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry didn't agree; Harden stayed in Chicago.

Then, in August, we learned that the Minnesota Twins placed a waiver claim on Harden. Around the same time the Anaheim Angels won a waiver claim on, and paid a fairly steep price for, an underwhelming Scott Kazmir.

According to a number of reports, the Chicago Cubs have dealt Jake Fox and Aaron Miles to the Oakland A's for reliever Jeff Gray and minor-leaguers Ronny Morla and Matt Spencer.

Gray, 28, appeared in 24 games last season, where he had a 3.76 ERA. He had a 1.29 WHIP as well.