Around the Majors

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• Mike Piazza, another available future Hall of Famer, is in fairly serious negotiations with the A's. Oakland's a good spot for Piazza because it would give him the chance to DH. If it works out, maybe 500 home runs could be in his future (he's at 419).

• Nice story of the week: Good guy Randy Wolf decided to go home to pitch for the Dodgers for a reasonable one-year, $8 million deal because he's very close to his mother, Judy, and wanted to pitch home games at Dodger Stadium, where he used to go with his father, who passed away several years ago. Wolf turned down several three-year offers to pitch elsewhere. He had multi-year bids from the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Phillies, and great interest from the Mets and many other teams. Wolf is taking some risk as a pitcher who's had Tommy John surgery a year and a half ago. But to him, it's worth it.

• The Red Sox and Mets don't seem anxious to meet Julio Lugo's $36 million asking price over four years. Presumably after lowering his high demands, Lugo could have a very interesting choice of staying at shortstop with Boston, going home to play second base for the Mets or rejoining Lou Piniella to play center field for the Cubs.

• Some think the Mariners would consider trading Richie Sexson if they were bowled over.

• While Yankees GM Brian Cashman conceded that they see Kei Igawa for "the back end of our rotation," their thinking is that he'd be cheaper to them than Ted Lilly or Gil Meche. The logic is that Lilly (who's had arm trouble but is a Red Sox killer) and Meche (who has talent but is underachieving) will get around $40 million for four years, which is scary to the Yankees, and not just because that's the same amount they paid Carl Pavano, but also because luxury-tax rules (40 percent for teams over the threshold) make a $40 million price tag soar to $56 million for the Yankees.

If the Yankees can sign Igawa for, say, $15 million over four years, that's $21 million (including the $6 million in luxury tax) plus the $26 million posting fee, so that's still only $47 million. While that's high for a No. 5 starter, it's less than what they'd have to pay with Lilly or Meche. Plus, Igawa has had no arm trouble and is only 27.

• Unlike Derek Jeter, who took the high road after his MVP defeat, Albert Pujols questioned Ryan Howard getting the NL award after the Phillies failed to make the playoffs. Besides the fact that Pujols should show better sportsmanship, I'd like to point one thing out: Yo Albert, Howard's Phillies had two more wins than your Cardinals.

• As for that former Cardinals first baseman and my Hall of Fame vote, Mark McGwire belongs in Cooperstown about as much as I do.