SAN DIEGO - Some things to know as Major League Baseballs winter meetings head into the third day on Wednesday:WINDY CITY WONDERSNorth Side, South Side, its fun to be a baseball fan in Chicago this off-season. Jon Lester agreed Tuesday to a $155 million, six-year contract with the Cubs, who earlier in the day acquired All-Star catcher Miguel Montero from Arizona for a pair of minor leaguers. Lester turned down a chance to return to Boston, where he helped pitch the Red Sox to a pair of World Series titles before he was dealt to Oakland last summer. While the Cubs seek their first championship since 1908, the White Sox try for their second since 1917 and first since 2005. After agreeing with free-agent closer David Robertson on a $46 million, four-year deal late Monday, the White Sox acquired former Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija from the Athletics in a six-player trade on Tuesday to join a revamped roster that includes first baseman Adam LaRoche and left-hander Zach Duke.UN-KEMPWith a crowded outfield that includes Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, the Dodgers have discussed a possible deal to trade Kemp down the Interstate 5 (or the Pacific Coast Highway, if a longer trip with a view is preferred) to the San Diego Padres. While the Dodgers ended the New York Yankees 15-year streak as baseballs biggest spender and could afford Kemps huge contract, the Padres are not likely to take on all of the $107 million he is owed over the next five seasons. Through two days of the four-day session, Kemp remained in Dodgers blue.SPEED IT UPMLBs rules committee meets Wednesday, and one of the big topics of discussion will be pace of game after a season in which the average time of a nine-inning game stretched to 3 hours, 2 minutes — up from 2:33 in 1981. Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre said he will first discuss with the 30 managers changing the way they make their requests for replay reviews. Torre is unhappy with the way managers meander out of the dugout and wait to be signalled by a coach.OUTTA HEREKnown for Moneyball in Oakland, Athletics general manager Billy Beane has been the Federal Express of baseball during the off-season: He ships anywhere at any time and seems to be telling other teams Our Most Important Package Is Yours. The As traded an All-Star for the third time in less than two weeks, sending Samardzija to the White Sox along with right-hander Michael Ynoa. The As obtained right-hander Chris Bassitt, catcher Josh Phegley, first baseman Rangel Ravelo and infielder Marcus Semien. Following its loss to Kansas City in the AL wild-card game, Oakland traded third baseman Josh Donaldson to Toronto on Nov. 28 and first baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss to Cleveland on Monday.ONE MORE GAMEBuck Showalter spent Saturday with Chris Davis, and the Baltimore Orioles manager came away from their meeting impressed — so impressed that Showalter is counting on Davis having a big season for the AL East champions after a down year that ended with the slugger on the suspended list. Davis has to sit out one more game of a 25-game ban for testing positive for adderall. He will miss the April 7 opener at Tampa Bay before he gets a chance prove his 53 homers and 138 RBIs in 2013 werent a fluke. Davis hit .196 with 26 homers and 72 RBIs this season. Phil Housley Jersey . Ellis had a season-high 37 points and two key assists late, Dirk Nowitzki led a fourth-quarter rally with 14 of his 35 points, and the Mavericks spoiled Howards best offensive night in Houston with a 123-120 victory over the Rockets on Wednesday night. Larry Playfair Jersey . A judge had summoned Clemens and Brian McNamee to federal court in Brooklyn for settlement talks aimed at heading off a trial in the defamation case. McNamees lawyer emerged saying an agreement wasnt likely. "I think this is a case where the lines are deeply drawn in the sand," said attorney Richard Emery. https://www.cheapsabres.com/1543v-brandon-montour-jersey-sabres.html . This week, topics cover the World Series champion Red Sox, John Farrell and what to look forward to this off-season. Danny Gare Jersey . -- Jimmie Johnson has a sixth NASCAR championship in hand and two legends within reach. Grant Fuhr Jersey . With his father watching from the stands, Harrison homered, doubled, single and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Pirates to a 8-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.DAVOS, Switzerland -- Glen Metropolit hasnt played an NHL game since 2010, but on Thursday, the oldest player on Canadas Spengler Cup roster showed why hes the captain of the Canadian squad. After nearly scoring on his first shift of the game, the 39-year-old Metropolit -- whos played for Lugano in the Swiss league the past two seasons -- picked up a goal in the first period and assisted on Derek Walsers game winner in the third as Canada opened up the Spengler Cup with a 5-4 victory over the HC Vitkovice Steel of the Czech Republic. "Even at his age, on the blue-line and in the offensive zone, hes still one of the best players in the game in Switzerland so thats where hes going to be really good for us," head coach Doug Shedden said. "Hes played for me before and thats why I made him captain. This could be his last Spengler Cup and his children are here visiting from Florida. "Its just something that gets him excited about playing." Byron Ritchie, Micki DuPont, and Alexandre Bolduc also scored for Canada in a back-and-forth offensive game that saw leads slip away between both teams four times. Rudolf Huna, Peter Huzeka, Roman Szturic and Lukas Kucsera scored for Vitkovice. Vitkovices Filip Sindelar was the busier of the two goaltenders, stopping 37 of 42 shots in the losing effort. Canadas Chris Mason made 18 saves. "We were outshooting them pretty good all night," Shedden said. "We really ccarried the play against them.dddddddddddd" Ritchies goal tied the game at 4-4 at 7:58 of the third period, and Walser beat Sindelar off passes from Anthony Stewart and Metropolit at 13:47 to pull Canada ahead for good. Bolduc opened the scoring with an unassisted goal at 2:30 of the first period, but Kucsera responded with a goal for the Czech club team less than two minutes later. Canada took the lead again on Metropolits goal, and Vitkovice replied to take a 2-2 tie into the first intermission. The second period proved costly for Canada when a turnover gave Vitkovice a 4-3 lead 11 seconds after DuPont tied the game 3-3 on a power play. Shedden said the mistake could be chalked up to unfamiliarity between his players, whove had just one practice and one morning skate together before their first game. "The problem was we gave up some easy scoring chances off some miscues and thats going to happen with guys who havent played together, and it happens every night anyway if you have played together." Shedden said. "I thought their goalie really kept them in it because we really crashed the net all night, and it showed the heart of the Canadians. "We were down going into the third period and we thought we were playing well enough, we just had to keep at it and we did that. You work hard enough eventually youre going get rewarded with a couple goals." Canada plays host HC Davos on Saturday. ' ' '