"There was some news amid the handshakes and so-longs in the clubhouse after the final game of the season.

Carlos Beltran said he will give the Giants first crack at signing him before he tests the free-agent market. I realize that the Giants have exclusive negotiating rights for five days after the World Series ends, but many free agents make it clear they're going to test the market before they decide whether to return to their incumbent teams.

"We're going to have our first talk with the Giants because I finished the season with them," he said. "You have to use the (exclusivity window) because if they're willing to commit to you in a way where you think it's fair from both sides, and you're happy where you are, I think it's possible.""