2011 – The Padres acquire OF Carlos Quentin from the White Sox, in return for two minor leaguers, Ps Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez. Quentin returns home to the city where he was a star athlete in high school a decade earlier.

2011 – The Blue Jays sign lefty reliever Darren Oliver to a one-year contract. Oliver had a chance to clinch the 2011 World Series for the Texas Rangers, but blew a two-run lead in the 10th inning of Game 6, allowing the Cardinals to make their second thrilling comeback of the game.

2011 – Former major league pitcher Rosman Garcia is killed when his car skids off the road and hits a tree outside of Caracas, Venezuela. He was playing for the Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan League at the time.

The Athletics swing another major trade, this time sending 2009 American League Rookie of the Year Award winner Andrew Bailey and OF Ryan Sweeney to the Red Sox in return for OF Josh Reddick, IF Miles Head and P Raul Alcantara. Bailey is expected to take over as Boston’s closer for Jonathan Papelbon, who left via free agency earlier this off-season.

The Yankees sign reliever Hideki Okajima to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

2011 – The Cubs sign P Andy Sonnanstine.

The Cubs trade lefty reliever Sean Marshall to the Reds for southpaw starter Travis Wood, outfielder Dave Sappelt and minor league infielder Ronald Torreyes. In February, Chicago’s former set-up man will sign a three-year, $18 million extension with his new team that runs through 2015.

A U.S. District Court judge in Delaware deals a blow to Fox Sports in its quest to maintain an exclusive hold on broadcast rights for the Los Angeles Dodgers for another year. Judge Leonard Stark states that he will likely overturn a lower court ruling that authorized this provision, because the team’s bankrupt status does not allow it to conclude deals that affect the long term, since the team is to be sold by April 30, 2012. The deal would have prevented the new Dodgers’ owners from approaching competitors to bid for the broadcast rights before November 30th and would have given Fox the right of first refusal on any deal.

Playing for the Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan League, C Yorvit Torrealba strikes umpire Dario Rivero Jr. on the mask after striking out in a game. He will receive a hefty 66-game suspension for his actions.