Nationals add reliever Walker

According to two baseball sources, right-hander Tyler Walker agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Nationals. The club also signed outfielder Chris Duncan and left-hander Chuck James to Minor League deals with an invitation to Spring Training.Walker is expected to be part of the new relief corps which includes Brian Bruney, Matt Capps and Eddie Guardado. He is a seven-year veteran who has played with the Mets, Giants and Rays.

Duncan is coming off one of his poorest seasons in the big leagues, hitting .227 with five home runs and 32 RBIs all in the cardinals jersey. On July 22, St. Louis traded Duncan to the Red Sox for infielder Julio Lugo, but Duncan never saw Major League action with Boston.

As for James, he missed the entire 2009 season due to left shoulder surgery. He was signed by the Nationals on the recommendation of assistant general manager Roy Clark, who was impressed by James when they were with the Braves. James' best season was in 2006.

Left shoulder surgery for Sanchez

Giants manager Bruce Bochy confirmed to the Associated Press that second baseman Freddy Sanchez underwent left shoulder surgery and could miss Opening Day. Bochy first told KNBR radio of Sanchez's surgery, which was an arthroscopic procedure. Sanchez also had surgery on his left knee in early October. "He's going to be a little delayed," Bochy told the AP. "It'll be close if he can go Opening Day or not."

Sanchez was plagued by shoulder and knee injuries last season, which limited him to just 25 games with the Giants after coming to the team last year. Sanchez batted .284 with a home run and seven RBIs in those 25 games after batting .296 with six home runs and 34 RBIs in 86 games with the Pirates. Even with his injury problems last season, Sanchez was rewarded with a $12 million, two-year contract extension still in his giants jersey on Oct. 30.

Villalona pleads innocent to murder charge

Villalona appeared in a La Romana courtroom on Monday, because he was charged with murder in the weekend, shooting death at a bar in his Dominican Republic hometown. However, Villalona told the judge he was innocent to the charge of shooting 25-year-old Mario Felix de Jesus Velete. Judge Aranibal Manzano Zapata decided to put the 19-year-old first baseman in jail for two months as authorities prepare the case.

The Giants refused to give any comment on Villalona's case. On Sunday the club stated that it was disappointed that Villalona was considered as a suspect in the shooting. Giants manager Bruce Bochy had not heard any developments of Villalona's status when he was asked in Chase Field before the opening game against the D-backs.

Villalona had turned himself in to police within 12 hours after the bar shooting, but he declined to speak to media at the hearing. He record $2.1 million bonus when signed Giants in 2006, and he was part of the World Team in the 2008 Futures Game in Yankee Stadium. When will he show up on the field again with the Giants jersey? If he overcomes these difficulties, he will be a real "Giant".

Giants add new member to the roster

The Giants activated left-hander Randy Johnson from the 60-day disabled list. The team placed Justin Miller on the 60-day disabled list because of his broken right elbow. Though Johnson has built his 22-year career as a starter, he has been compelled to leave the team with a strained throwing shoulder since July 5 and hasn't regained the arm strength.

Thus he is going to the bullpen, where he will complement Giants' primary left-handed reliever Jeremy Affeldt, and rookies Dan Runzler and Madison Bumgarner."His experience and presence will be nice to have down there," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. Miller said that his arm had been bothering him for almost three weeks. Though he had showed up only twice since Aug. 26, rest didn't improve his poor body condition.