ORLANDO, Fla. – Russell Martin(notes) turned away from the Los Angeles Dodgers because they insisted on cutting his guaranteed salary from the $5.05 million he was paid in 2010. The Dodgers’ final offer was a guaranteed $4.2 million with incentives worth from $1.5 million to $1.7 million if he played in 125 games, a source said. Martin wanted a guaranteed $5.5 million, a raise of nearly 10 percent.

The decision to non-tender the team’s starting catcher of the past five seasons was gut-wrenching for general manager Ned Colletti, even though others in the front office had fewer qualms about letting Martin go because of his declining production and recent hip surgery.

“Ned said it was the most difficult decision he’s made as a GM, and you could tell he was sincere about that,” one source said.

Martin, 27, is recovering from a broken right hip and isn’t able to run yet, let alone begin baseball activities. Nevertheless, the Dodgers kept their offer on the table beyond the non-tender

Three free agents are expected to receive deals worth $100 million – all will land in the American League. Three free agents are slam dunks for the Hall of Fame – all will land in the American League.

The NL might have won its first All-Star game in a generation, but the AL is likely to gain Jayson Werth(notes) as well as hold on to fellow $100 million men Cliff Lee(notes) and Carl Crawford(notes), and to future Cooperstown locks Derek Jeter(notes), Mariano Rivera(notes) and Jim Thome(notes).

Teams with the most money enjoy the winter meetings most. With traditional NL big spenders either fairly well set (Phillies), in turmoil (Dodgers) or disarray (Cubs, Mets), the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Tigers, White Sox and Rangers ought to hog the fun in Orlando.

And on the heels of Tim Brown's primer on every NL team, here's the same for the league with the wherewithal:

WEST DIVISION

Los Angeles Angels

Needs: Kendry Morales(notes) slipped, Brandon Wood(notes) fell and enough other Angels froze

The ideal pitching environment for Javier Vazquez(notes) is a mostly empty stadium in a National League city a short flight from his family in Puerto Rico. That, in a nutshell, explains his decision to sign with the Florida Marlins for one year and $7 million – less money and fewer years than other teams reportedly offered him.

He wanted comfort, not pressure. He wanted familiarity, not a challenge. That’s why manager Ozzie Guillen disliked him when Vazquez pitched for the Chicago White Sox. And it’s why New York Yankees fans despised him last season.

Sun Life Stadium will be like a comfy lounge chair on an isolated beach for Vazquez, which is just the way he likes it.

Javier Vazquez(notes) pitches for Puerto Rico during the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
(AP Photo/Jeffrey M. Boan)

Top career earnings
by Puerto Rican players

Name	Pos.	Earnings
Carlos Delgado(notes)	1B	$146.3 million
Ivan Rodriguez(notes)	C	$119 million
Carlos Beltran(notes)	CF	$115.6 million
Jorge Posada(notes)	C

ARLINGTON, Texas – A sophisticated city by a magnificent bay parched for a baseball championship can pop corks and douse itself in bubbly. The San Francisco Giants won their first World Series with a 3-1 Game 5 victory over the Texas Rangers. It was the first title for the Giants franchise since 1954, four years before they moved from New York.

Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria(notes), in the twilight of a career highlighted by the winning hit in the 1997 World Series, smacked a three-run home run in the seventh inning Monday night after telling a teammate he would do it, and Tim Lincecum(notes) and closer Brian Wilson(notes) made the lead stand up, the last out coming on a strikeout of Nelson Cruz(notes) at 9:30 p.m. CT at Rangers Ballpark. Wilson was embraced by rookie catcher Buster Posey(notes) and engulfed by teammates seconds later.

Willie Mays must have let out a joyous “Say hey!” Juan Marichal might have approximated his signature high leg kick. Barry Bonds might have allowed

ARLINGTON, Texas – The worst day of Aubrey Huff’s(notes) life came at age 6 when his father was shot and killed as an innocent bystander in somebody else’s domestic dispute. So by comparison, sitting at home eight years later watching Nolan Ryan pitch a no-hitter for the Texas Rangers with unused tickets to the game sitting next to the couch just stung a little.

Huff’s mother, Fonda, was given the tickets at the Winn-Dixie supermarket where she worked. When her son’s own baseball practice went late, she realized they couldn’t make the 90-minute drive from tiny Mineral Wells to Arlington in time for the game. They watched on TV instead and Huff cried in the ninth inning as Ryan blew away the Toronto Blue Jays for his seventh and last no-hitter.

[Photos: Aubrey Huff’s game day

Fast forward 19 years. Huff made it to Rangers Ballpark in plenty of time and brought untold numbers of Rangers fans to tears by blasting a two-run home run that helped the San Francisco Giants win Game 4 of the

ARLINGTON, Texas – With one swing, Mitch Moreland(notes) propelled the Texas Rangers back into the World Series, his rocket to right field clearing the fence in an eye blink and producing three early runs that stood up in a 4-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

Fans everywhere but Texas and parts of Mississippi responded with one question.

Mitch who?

Meet Mitchell Austin Moreland, product of tiny Amory, Miss., rookie first baseman with all of 145 regular-season at-bats, and now the latest unlikely Series hero. In Game 3 on Saturday night he batted ninth, the last whistle stop before the bench.

Moreland, 25, was glad to be there. He wouldn't even be in the big leagues, let alone the World Series, had the Rangers not traded premier first base prospect Justin Smoak(notes) to the Seattle Mariners for pitching ace Cliff Lee(notes) at midseason. The Texas figured the spot could be filled by in-house power prospect Chris Davis(notes) or by veteran Jorge Cantu(notes), who was acquired in

SAN FRANCISCO – It was like beating Sandy Koufax or Christy Mathewson, the only stingier pitchers ever in the baseball playoffs. Cliff Lee(notes) had been invincible in the postseason, posting seven wins without a loss the last two years, including three dominant performances in leading the Texas Rangers to their first World Series.

So his start in Game 1 against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night was more than an advantage. He was as close to a sure thing as there is in a sport as capricious as the national pastime. One would have thought, anyway.

The Giants pounded Lee, knocking him out of the game with two outs in the fifth inning. His successor, Darren O’Day(notes), immediately gave up a three-run home run to Juan Uribe(notes), and Lee’s ugly outing was in the books: He’d allowed seven runs, six earned, and the Giants had touched him for five doubles.

[Related: This time, the Giants dole out the torture]

The unbeatable pitcher had been beaten, and by a team with a lowly

Talk about having your bases covered. Bengie Molina(notes) would get a World Series championship ring regardless of whether the Texas Rangers or San Francisco Giants win it all. He is about to become the first catcher in baseball history to appear in the Fall Classic against a team he played for earlier in the season.

Molina is the Rangers' catcher, a savvy veteran whose three-run home run in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series was critical to knocking off the Yankees.

[Rewind: Bengie Molina was the last person to know he was traded]

Molina also was the Giants' catcher from 2007 until July 1 of this year, when he was traded to Texas for reliever Chris Ray(notes) and minor leaguer Michael Main. Ray, a reliever who pitched credibly for both teams, also could end up with a ring regardless who wins, although the Giants haven't put him on their playoff rosters.

Molina played 61 games for San Francisco and 57 games for Texas during the regular season. He has sparkled during the