The Mets trade highly-touted prospect Lastings Milledge to the Nationals in exchange for fly chaser Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider. Although the transaction helps New York fill its immediate needs behind the plate and in the outfield, the trade appears to favor Washington due to Milledge’s perceived potential.

The Rays sign reliever Troy Percival (3-0, 1.80) to an $8 million, two-year deal. The 38 year-old right-hander, who came out of retirement last season to make 34 appearances for the Cardinals, is a major upgrade to Tampa Bay’s beleaguered bullpen.

In a split-squad game between the Cubs and Diamondbacks at Mesa’s HoHoKam Park, Ria Cortesio becomes the first female ump to work a major league exhibition game since Pam Postema in 1989. The thirty year-old, who is starting her ninth year overall as an arbitrator and fifth in Double-A minor league ball, hopes to be the first woman umpire in major league history.

With fan favorites Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels modeling the team’s new ‘old’ look, the Phillies unveil their alternate home uniform which will be worn during all home day games next season. The uniforms, which do not feature the familiar red pinstripes, are styled similarly to the one the club wore in the 1940s.

In a six-player trade, the Twins obtain outfielder Delmon Young, infielder Brendan Harris, and outfield prospect Jason Pridie from the Rays in exchange for right-handed starter Matt Garza, starting shortstop Jason Bartlett and pitching prospect Eduardo Morlan. The acquisition of the 22 year-old turbulent Tampa Bay outfielder, who was admonished by his manager Joe Maddon last season for not hustling, will help Minnesota fill the void created by free agent Torii Hunter’s departure to the Angels.

The Brewers and Jason Kendall agree to a one-year contract that guarantees $4.25 million and includes a vesting option for 2009. The 33 year-old catcher, who split time with the A’s and Cubs last season, replaces recently traded Johnny Estrada behind the plate.

The Cubs re-signed 30 year-old free agent Kerry Wood to a one-year, $4.2 million deal which includes additional incentives for closing games. The fragile former right-handed starter, who turned down multi-year offers from other clubs to stay with Chicago, will be given an opportunity to become the club’s closer.

2007 – The Lotte Giants hire Jerry Royster as their manager. Royster, a former major league and longtime minor league manager and major league player, is the first foreigner ever hired to manage a team in the Korea Baseball Organization. Another Lotte-owned team, the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Pro Baseball, had their best run ever thanks to an American manager, Bobby Valentine.

New Mexico governor Bill Richardson admits that the part of his bio which reports he had been picked by the Kansas City A’s in the 1966 amateur baseball draft is untrue. The claim of the potential presidential candidate, who pitched in college for Tufts University, is debunked by an Albuquerque Journal investigation which found no evidence of the Guv ever being selected by any major league team.

While visiting his wife’s family and scheduled to be the best man at a wedding later in the day, Joe Kennedy awakes and collapses in the bedroom at 1:00 am and dies unexpectedly. The 6’4″, 250-pound Blue Jays southpaw reliever, who signed with the club in September after being released by the Diamondbacks, also played for the A’s, Rockies, and Devil Rays during his seven-year career.