Henderson tops Hall list

Career steals leader Rickey Henderson heads 10 first-time candidates on this year's Hall of Fame ballot, joining holdovers Mark McGwire and Jim Rice -- eligible for the final time.

Other newcomers are Jay Bell, David Cone, Ron Gant, Mark Grace, Jesse Orosco, Dan Plesac, Greg Vaughn, Mo Vaughn and Matt Williams.

Just 23 players are on the ballot, the smallest group ever. Holdovers include Harold Baines, Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson. Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Tim Raines, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell.

A 10-time All-Star who played from 1979-2003, Henderson holds the career records for steals (1,406) and runs (2,295), and his 2,190 walks are second to Barry Bonds' 2,558.

McGwire, eighth on the career home-run list with 583, has denied using illegal performance-enhancing substances but evaded questions when he appeared before a congressional committee, saying: "I'm not here to talk about the past."

He received 128 votes in the 2008 election from 10-year members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America -- matching his total from 2007, when he was eligible for the first time. His percentage of 23.6 percent was well short of the 75 percent necessary for election.

Reporters who have been in the BBWAA for 10 or more consecutive years are eligible to vote, and the totals will be announced Jan. 12. The Veterans Committee vote will be announced Dec. 8.

Complete ballot is on Scoreboard, page 7C.

HAMPTON REPORTEDLY RETURNING TO THE ASTROS: Mike Hampton is set to return to the Houston Astros, reaching a preliminary agreement on a $2 million, one-year contract. His deal would contain an additional $2 million in performance bonuses, KRIV-TV, ESPN.com, MLB.com and the Houston Chronicle reported.

The 36-year-old left-hander must pass a physical for the agreement to be finalized.

BOSTON SET TO SIGN TAZAWA: The Boston Red Sox and Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa have agreed to a major league contract, according to reports in the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe.

The 22-year-old right-hander, who has never played professional baseball, agreed to a deal worth about $3 million, the papers said.

ARBITRATION LIST: CC Sabathia, likely to command the largest contract among this year's free-agent pitchers, was offered salary arbitration Monday by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Teams had until midnight to make the offers to free agents. If a club offers arbitration to a top free agent, as determined by a complex statistical formula, and he then signs with another club, his former team receives extra selections in next June's amateur draft as compensation.

Milwaukee also offered arbitration to pitchers Ben Sheets. Toronto offered arbitration to A.J. Burnett.

Players offered arbitration have until Sunday to accept the offers.

The New York Yankees declined arbitration with pitcher Andy Pettitte, right fielder Bobby Abreu, first baseman Jason Giambi and five others.