Odds & Ends: Wieters, Padres, Peavy, Price

LInks for Thursday…

• Chico Harlan of the Washington Post says the Nationals will honor a handshake agreement Dmitri Young made with Jim Bowden, and put the first baseman back on the 40-man roster.
• Catcher Matt Wieters has been told by the Orioles that he'll be optioned to Triple A on Monday, according to Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.  Will the Orioles wait until late May to try to avoid Super Two status?
• Reds assistant GM Bob Miller talked to fans in an MLB.com Q&A.
• Check out an entertaining chat transcript with Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times over at Halos Heaven.
• Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star interviewed Zack Greinke.
• Rangers owner Tom Hicks told Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News that the team has not reduced its budget for 2010.  The Rangers have yet to set next year's budget, but it's known that some big salaries will be coming off the books.  Meanwhile, MLB.com's Barry Bloom notes that Hicks intends to sell a minority share of the team.
• Rays exec Andrew Friedman said the team's demotion of David Price was entirely for baseball reasons, talking to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.  R.J. Anderson of DRays Bay supports the decision. Bart Given agrees.
• Tom Haudricourt and Adam McCalvy write about Brewers GM Doug Melvin's irritation with the bogus Jake Peavy rumor.
• Purely speculative, but Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders if Dontrelle Willis could get his career back on track with the Marlins.
• Rockies infielder Jeff Baker, unaffected by the trade rumors, homered twice yesterday.
• John Moores says the Padres sale to Jeff Moorad is "awfully close," talking to MLB.com's Barry Bloom.  As you know, Sandy Alderson will step down as CEO when the deal closes (possibly today).
• Padres pitcher Shawn Hill had offers from six teams, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock.
• The Red Sox signed reliever Rocky Cherry to a minor league deal.
• MLB.com's Alyson Footer says reliever Danny Graves asked for and received his release from the Astros.