The Figgins deal could be announced today

Zaun signed with the Brewers late last week. The Mariners have been linked to ex-Mariner catcher Miguel Olivo. I am not a huge fan of Miguel, but perhaps he has improved, plus he should be fairly cheap.The Figgins deal could be announced today. He was supposedly in Seattle for physical yesterday. Assuming that he passed, this will be made public later today, and a truly awesome signing by Jack.There was mention of the Mariners being linked to Curtis Granderson trade talks, but I doubt anything will come about from that, just rumors. That is one thing about the winter meetings, it can be hard to filter out the good rumors from the bad. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to add a hitter with triple and stolen base potential. With Ichiro, Figgins and Granderson, we could be very dangerous with the small ball in a ball park that demands that style of play. Still waiting on what the rumors on from a pitching perspective. I have not heard any updates on Harden. We have also been remotely linked to Edwin Jackson out of Detroit.So, that is day one of the winter meetings, I wonder what today will bring. This article is also featured on Mariner enthusiasm and random Fleming thoughts. If you missed Day One of the baseball winter meetings, I'm afraid you didn't miss much. The biggest news from yesterday that actually solidified into a couple of signings was Ivan Rodriguez signing with the Washington Nationals (WTF) and Brad Penny inking a one year deal with the Cardinals which could be worth upwards of $9 million dollars (double WTF). The latest Roy Halladay rumour that has been cooked up is Doc going to the Tampa Bay Rays for B.J Upton and pitching prospect Wade Davis. In turn, since the Jays already have an overpaid unproductive center fielder, they would trade Upton to another team and gain some more prospects that way.

Don't count on this trade having legs because it does not fulfill the first Roy Halladay requirement, which is a chance to win. Yes, the Rays have posted back to back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, but they are not going back to the World Series any time soon. The Rays obviously train and play the regular season in Florida, however that is secondary on the priority list for Doc. Members on both sides of the Jays and Rays blogosphere are shaking their heads in disbelief at the thought of this trade, and so are the experts. Sad to say this, but we will miss the sprinting power of Rod Barajas next season. He officially declined arbitration and according to MLBTR is being targeted by the Kansas City Royals. My personal favourite Barajas moment is pictured left - you can relive the magic over at the Te of Inglett . This article is also featured on The Blue Jay Hunter.

CSMG and SkyBitz Announce New Research That Quantifies How Remote AssetManagement Improves Security and Efficiency for Rail and Chemical IndustriesStudy Documents How Better Tracking and Management of Railcars and ChemicalMaterials Increase Safety and ProductivityOVERLAND PARK, Kan and STERLING, Va., Jan. Specifically, railcar and chemical asset owners and operators canrapidly report security concerns to the relevant parties including governmentagencies such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and take stepsto mitigate risks.The rail industry report covers, among other topics:National Security and Human Safety Railroads carry perishable itemsand hazardous materials and traditionally use RFID check points tomonitor the railcar's location at intermittent positions along theroute.Remote asset management allows for constant in-transitvisibility, any time, anywhere. Remote asset management allows fleet dispatchers to knowexactlywhere each railcar is and if it is in use, as well as to measure wheeltread and monitor miles traveled per railcar per year, simplifyingmaintenance schedules.The findings for the chemical industry cover, among other topics:Security Advancements For hazardous materials transport, remoteassetmanagement tracks a shipment's exact location, whether it hasshifted during transit or experienced a dangerous rise in pressure ortemperature. Remote asset management dramatically decreases the rateofHAZMAT transportation incidents.

The incident rates have increased bymore than 25 percent since 2004.Supply Chain Visibility A remote asset management solution allowscompanies to coordinate delivery between parties, identify delays anddisruptions, utilize all available containers, and help speed thecustoms process when crossing the border.Financial Benefits A remote asset management system helps lower acompany's liability risk, lowers capital expenditures and reducestheft by 75 percent while remaining flexible in the global supplychain,increasing productivity, allowing businesses to grow and attract newcustomers.Other reports to be released by CSMG will highlight the significant return oninvestment in the logistics and goods shipping industries, outlining thebenefits to shippers, trucking service providers, and logistics and 3PLcompanies. All four reports will be released in full on January 12, 2009. TheCSMG research was sponsored by SkyBitz.About TMNG GlobalTMNG Global (Nasdaq: TMNG) is a leading provider of professional services tothe converging communications industry. Its companies, TMNG, CSMG, andCartesian and its base of over 600 consultants, have provided strategy,management, and technical consulting, as well as products and services, tomore than 1200 communications service providers, entertainment, media, andtechnology companies and financial services firms worldwide. The company isheadquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, with offices in Boston, Chicago,London, New Jersey, New York, Shanghai and Washington, D.C.About SkyBitz SkyBitz is the leading asset management solution provider, providing real-timeinformation on the location and status of assets to customers in the fields oftransportation, energy, and government.SkyBitz delivers a reliable,easy-to-use solution that provides clear visibility and assessment of remoteassets anytime, anywhere.