Marlins make offer to Rodriguez, sign Lowell. "Lowell agreed Tuesday to a $32 million, four-year contract with the Marlins...If the Marlins don't get financing in place for a new ballpark, Lowell's contract would convert to a one-year deal with a player option for 2005 that, if exercised, would guarantee him $14 million over the two seasons." (Yahoo!)

Christian Ruzich: "This just in: Mike Lowell is good. In a baseball world filled with guys like Drew Henson, d'Angelo Jimenez, Ricky Ledee, and Ruben Rivera, it's nice to see a team trade for a Yankees prospect and have him actually pan out." (The Transaction Guy)

Hawkins agrees to sign with Cubs. "The Chicago Cubs picked up a key bridge to closer Joe Borowski, agreeing Tuesday to $11 million, three-year contract with hard-throwing right-hander LaTroy Hawkins...Hawkins, who turns 31 later this month, was 9-3 with a 1.86 ERA in 77 1-3 innings and made $3 million in the option year of what originally was a two-year contract." (Yahoo!)

Christian Ruzich: "Ironically, the only year [Hawkins] struggled as a reliever was the year he spent as the Twins' closer. Keep that in mind when Dusty starts pitting him against JoeBo in the spring because he's a 'proven' closer. I would say he's a proven closer the same way he's a proven starter; he's proven that, when put in that role, he doesn't perform well. If Dusty feels the need to not pitch Hawkins until the 9th inning next year, it won't be the most effective allocation of resources, but it won't be the end of the world, either." (The Cub Reporter)

Little Matsui Steps Up. "In the Land of the Rising Sun, [Kazuo] Matsui is considered the best everyday player. The 28-year-old switch-hitter—who is not related to Yankees leftfielder Hideki Matsui (whose 1.88-m, 95-kg frame and status as Japan's premier power hitter led to Kazuo's being dubbed Little Matsui)—has won four Gold Gloves, batted better than .300 for seven straight years, hit at least 20 homers in each of the past four seasons and stolen 30 or more bases five times. In a millennium poll, fans voted him the greatest Japanese shortstop ever. He was 24 at the time." (Time Asia)

Adam Dennis on the Derrek Lee trade: "I have said all along I wanted the Cubs to ensure the development of young players so that they could compete at the highest levels for the next ten years. The Yankees may spend a ton but they developed Jeter, Posada, Williams, Rivera, and Petite. Similar things can be said for the Braves. The Twins have enjoyed success recently based on their young talent developing. Ditto for the A’s, Royals, and 1990’s Indians, with the current Indians and Padres waiting to have a few breakout seasons. Instead, Hendry again started his patchwork job on a team whose biggest position player success in the past 15 years now announces for the Diamondbacks." (Cub Rants)