Less than 48 hours after the end of the World Series, baseball's business season began with a flurry of moves that included Albert Belle filing for free agency.
Ellis Burks agreed to the first big contract following the Series, an $8.8 million, two-year deal that keeps him with Colorado for another two seasons.In the first trades, Detroit dumped outfielder Ruben Sierra to Cincinnati on Monday for two low-level minor leaguers, and Kansas City dealt pitcher Mark Gubicza - the last active player from its 1985 championship team - to California for designated hitter Chili Davis.
Meanwhile, Chicago Cubs outfielder Luis Gonzalez became the first of the 12 players who need service time from the strike to qualify for free agency to file for it.
Players and owners spent the day working on an agreement that would allow those players to file provisionally. They also worked to extend the filing deadline for all free agents from Nov. 10 to Nov. 14.
Chicago White Sox pitcher Alex Fernandez, also in that group, was expected to file today.
Acting commissioner Bud Selig said he will hold an owners' meeting "very shortly" to consider the new collective bargaining agreement. He has not set a specific date.
Seventeen players filed for free agency, raising the two-day total to 22.