MLB Roundup: Price, Dickey win Cy Young awards; Mariners eye Hamilton

Tampa Bay Rays' star lefthander David Price won the American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday, narrowly edging out runner-up and last year's Cy Young winner, Detroit's Justin Verlander, by a razor-thin margin of just four points.

Price received 14 of 28 first place votes, while Verlander received 13 first place votes.

It was one of the closest vote totals ever by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Price, 27, compiled a 20-5 record to tie Jered Weaver for the A.L. lead in both wins and winning percentage. He also led the league with a 2.56 ERA and recorded 205 strikeouts, good for sixth in the league.

Much like Verlander was this year, Price was runner-up for the coveted award that honors the best pitcher in the league in 2010.

R.A. Dickey capped his climb from obscurity to superstardom Thursday when he won the National League Cy Young Award.

The New York Mets right-hander became the first knuckleball pitcher to capture a Cy Young Award by earning a runaway win in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Dickey received 27 of the 32 first-place votes and 209 points total on the system that included votes for first through fifth place. Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, the 2011 NL Cy Young honoree, came in second place, receiving two first-place votes and 96 points. Washington Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez finished third with 93 points.

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto and Atlanta Braves right-handed closer Craig Kimbrel came in fourth and fifth, respectively, each getting a first-place vote.

Dickey finished 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA in 34 games (33 starts) this year, the first Mets pitcher to win 20 games in a season since Frank Viola in 1990.

Dickey, 38, began 2012 with a 41-50 career record and a 4.34 ERA. However, the past two years, he began to show that he was mastering command of the knuckleball, posting 2.84 and 3.28 ERAs in those season.

Kershaw went 14-9 with a 2.53 ERA, capturing the league's ERA title for the second consecutive season.

The Mets are attempting to negotiate a multiyear deal with Kershaw this winter after picking up his $5 million contract option for 2013.

--The Seattle Mariners, looking to bolster their hitting in 2013, are interested in slugging outfielder Josh Hamilton.

Mariners president Chuck Armstrong told CBSSports.com that the team, led by general manager Jack Zduriencik, is still setting its course for free agency.

"We are going to have more money to spend," Armstrong said. "And we do need offense."

The Mariners ranked at the bottom of the American league this past season in numerous hitting categories, including battling average, total bases and runs.

Armstrong said Zduriencik "hasn't given me a proposal yet, so I can't gauge our level of interest yet" on Hamilton.

Hamilton hit .285 with 43 homers and 128 RBI in 148 games last season, his fifth with Texas.

---The Alamodome in San Antonio is expected to host to major-league baseball for the first time next year when the Texas Rangers travel to the stadium built for football during spring training to play one or two exhibition games.

The games could be played in on a Friday-Saturday in March, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

Plans are still being finalized, said Reid Ryan, CEO of Triple-A Round Rock. A formal announced could come as early as Friday.

"The exciting thing for San Antonio is that this is going to be the first time that baseball is going to be played at the Alamodome," Ryan said. "For the Rangers, to be able to extend the brand in Round Rock and now down in San Antonio is going to be good for baseball and good for the Rangers and their fans."

The NBA's Spurs are San Antonio's only major-league team. The city does have a double-A baseball team.

"There's no question that San Antonio is getting closer and closer with the explosive growth of population, rising income levels and a booming television market," San Antonio mayor Julian Castro told the Express-News.

---The Detroit Tigers have reached agreement on a two-year, $26 million contract with outfielder Torii Hunter, according to multiple reports.

Hunter, a nine-time Gold Glove winner, met with the Tigers on Tuesday and decided quickly on Detroit, USA Today reported.

The 37-year-old Hunter spent the past five seasons with Anaheim, which did not make him a qualifying offer. This past season, he hit .313 with 16 homers and 92 RBI for the Angels.