2013 – After three months of frenzied speculation, it appears that Japanese ace hurler Masahiro Tanaka will not be posted after all, and thus will not leave Japan for the United States next year. Tanaka went 24-0 for the Rakuten Golden Eagles and led them to the first Japan Series title in franchise history, but his team is unhappy that it can only receive $20 million for its top player, after changes to the posting system agreed to recently by Major League Baseball and Nippon Pro Baseball. However, in five days’ time, Rakuten will turn around and grant Tanaka’s request.

There is a flurry of trades today, as the Red Sox trade P Franklin Morales back to the Rockies for 2B Jonathan Herrera, the Rockies in turn send P Josh Outman to Cleveland for OF Drew Stubbs, the Orioles trade 3B Danny Valencia to Kansas City for OF David Lough, the Braves acquire C Ryan Doumit from Minnesota for P Sean Gilmartin, and the Astros get 1B Jesus Guzman from San Diego for IF Ryan Jackson.

On the free agent front, San Diego signs P Joaquin Benoit for two years and $15.5 million, while the Phillies sign P Roberto Hernandez, formerly known as Fausto Carmona.

In other deals, the Orioles sign P Grant Balfour for two years and $15 million as a replacement for Jim Johnson and the Cubs sign P Jose Veras for one year. However, Balfour’s deal will be cancelled on December 20th when he fails his physical exam.

The Yankees continue their off-season spending spree, signing free agent 2B Brian Roberts for one year and P Matt Thornton for two years. While those two deals are not particularly large, the team gets hit once again with the largest luxury tax payment in Major League Baseball at $28 million; the Dodgers are the only other team which has to pay the tax, being assessed at $11.4 million, while the Red Sox manage to just squeeze under the $178 million payroll threshold.

In free agent signings today, the Cardinals sign 2B Mark Ellis, who will compete with rookie Kolten Wong for the starting job, the Indians sign Ps Shaun Marcum and John Axford, while the Braves ink P Gavin Floyd to a contract.

The White Sox trade closer Addison Reed to the Diamondbacks in return for 3B Matt Davidson.

After inking Curtis Granderson to a four-year, $60 million contract earlier in the week, the Mets sign Bartolo Colon to a two-year, $20 million free-agent pact. The 40 year-old All-Star right-handed starter, who is slated to replace the innings the team will need as Matt Harvey recovers from Tommy John surgery, compiled an 18-6 record with a 2.65 ERA in 30 starts for the A’s last season.

Warren Cromartie, a former outfielder and first baseman with the Expos in the 1970s and ’80s, shares a $400,000 feasibility studywhich reveals that the return of major league baseball to Montreal would be feasible if a team plays its home games in a government-financed downtown stadium with an owner with deep pockets. The report suggests that MLB’s national television deal and revenue-sharing scheme, which has changed radically since the franchise moved to Washington in 2004, would ensure the team having a competitive $75-million payroll before a single ticket is sold, with the government subsidy repaid within eight years.