Two free agents are offered one-year contracts: outfielder Ricky Ledee by the Philadelphia Phillies, and pitcher James Baldwin by the Seattle Mariners.

The Pittsburgh Pirates sign free agent second baseman Pokey Reese to a two-year contract. Pittsburgh is the fourth team for Reese since the end of the 2001 season. He finished the year with Cincinnati, and then was traded to the Colorado Rockies and the Boston Red Sox in a span of three days in December. Boston did not offer him a contract, making him a free agent.

The Houston Astros sign Lance Berkman (.331, 34, 126) to a $10.5 million, three-year contract. The All-Star outfielder hit .331 with 34 home runs and 126 RBI last season, including 94 for extra bases, the most ever by a switch-hitter in Major League history.

The Chicago White Sox trade outfielder Chris Singleton to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league second baseman Willie Harris.

2002 – The Rangers continue to shore up their pitching staff by signing free agent Ismael Valdez to a one-year contract.

2002 – The Seattle Mariners trade third baseman David Bell to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for infielder Desi Relaford. Bell became expendable when Seattle acquired Jeff Cirillo from the Colorado Rockies earlier in the off-season.

2002 – In a complicated three-team, eleven-player trade, the New York Mets send Benny Agbayani and Todd Zeile to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Alex Ochoa, Ross Gload, Craig House and cash considerations. The third team in the deal, the Milwaukee Brewers, send Jeromy Burnitz, Jeff D’Amico, Lou Collier, Mike Sweeney, and cash to the Mets, in exchange for Lenny Harris, Glendon Rusch and Ochoa. The Mets have now replaced half of their 2001 roster.

The Seattle Mariners avoid arbitration with pitcher Freddy Garcia, who led the American League with a 3.05 ERA while posting a 18-6 record, by signing him to a one-year, $3.8-million deal.