Some links for the morning…
- We already knew Mike Sweeney would consider signing with the Mariners and Angels after the season. Now MLB.com's Jim Street adds the Padres to Sweeney's list of preferred clubs.
- Like GM Kevin Towers, Padres CEO Jeff Moorad expects the team to be "competitive" next year, according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports that Takashi Saito will make $500k when he appears in his next game. Even more incentives kick in if he continues picking up appearances throughout the season's final month.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington tells Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Joel Hanrahan has seemed like a different pitcher in Pittsburgh because he was unlucky as a member of the Nationals.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer doesn't expect the confusion surrounding Jose Valverde's age to have much of an effect on the contract he signs in the winter.
