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Around the Majors

• The Rays may pass on Vanderbilt hitting sensation Pedro Alvarez, the consensus No. 1 player in the draft coming into the year and its best hitter, to take either Florida State catcher Buster Posey or Griffin (Ga.) High shortstop Tim Beckham with the No. 1 pick. Posey and Beckham are both considered very athletic players.

• Josh Hamilton's negotiations for a long-term deal may be held up a little by his decision to switch agents during negotiations that appeared to be progressing. Hamilton, a born-again Christian after returning from bouts with his drug addiction, explained to friends that he wanted to be with a Christian stable, so he switched agents from Matt Sosnick to Michael Moye as he seemed to be closing in on a long contract.

• White Sox GM Ken Williams did not like manager Ozzie Guillen saying Williams needed to make some changes to the team's offense, responding by email to the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzalez and saying, "It's not a good idea to throw your boss under the bus, especially when that boss has had your back as much as I have had his.'' Of course, Guillen has a contract that runs through 2012, thanks to owner Jerry Reinsdorf's decision to give it to him off their awful 2007 season. So Guillen probably feels empowered to say what he wants.

• Manny Ramirez, who his 500th home run Saturday, is still too good for the Red Sox not to pick up his $20 million option for 2009.

• Ken Griffey hit homer No. 599 the same day. But the Reds are getting younger and better, and there should be no way they'd pick up his $16.5-million option for next year.

• Gary Carter, who tried campaigning for Willie Randolph's job on Sirius Satellite Radio, and also by calling Mets p.r. director Jay Horwitz, later tried to say that's not what he was doing. But it was. He did the same thing when he was looking to get in the Hall of Fame. It worked that time (though not with me. I was so disgusted by his tactics that I voted "no.'')

• Andre Dawson's Cubs deal is another one that should have made my list of alltime best free-agent contracts. Dawson is used to being overlooked; he should be in the Hall.

• I loved James Loney giving the lineup on TV on Saturday, especially the part where he introduced Jeff Kent and opined that Kent had "a half a personality.'' That much?

• No misprint: the Braves have lost 20 straight one-run games on the road.

• Who said Johan Santana wasn't living up to the hype? He's 7-3. Where would the Mets be without him?

• Jorge Posada should be back this week. Not a moment too soon.

• Mets reliever Matt Wise has a nerve impingement in his right shoulder and may need surgery.

• Best wishes to Twins pitcher Nick Blackburn, who was hit in the face by a line drive off the bat off the Yankees' Bobby Abreu but remarkably didn't suffer any bone breaks.