The Yankees are close to agreeing to a new contract with starter Mike Mussina.

Though the Yankees will decline Mussina's $17-million option for 2007, they want to retain him and he wants to stay. Talks have progressed on a new deal that probably will be for two years and $21 million to $23 million.

General manager Brian Cashman did not return a call seeking comment, and Mussina's agent, Arn Tellem, did not respond to an e-mail message.

ROUNDUP HOWARD HOMERS AGAIN: Ryan Howard hit a tie-breaking homer in the top of the eighth inning yesterday, powering the MLB All-Stars to a 7-2 victory over the stars of Japanese baseball in Osaka for a 4-0 lead in the five-game series. Howard, who led the majors with 58 homers this season, delivered on a 3-2 pitch for his fourth homer of the series. "I was just trying to make contact and the ball went out," said Howard, who homered twice Saturday and once Sunday. "This has been a lot of fun. I know the Japanese fans like it and I'm enjoying it." Reliever Mike Myers of the New York Yankees went 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. The series ends today at Fukuoka Dome. The major-leaguers, managed by Bruce Bochy, are expected to start John Lackey against Tsuyoshi Wada. Since 1986, when MLB started this series in its current format, no team has swept the Japanese.

BIGGIO EYES RETURN: Craig Biggio hopes to reach a deal with the Astros on a one-year contract by Saturday to avoid filing for free agency. Barry Axelrod, Biggio's agent, said progress has been made on a contract and that he continues to negotiate daily with Houston general manager Tim Purpura. Players may file for free agency through Saturday and are eligible to sign with any team beginning the next day. Axelrod said the second baseman would rather not file for free agency because of his long relationship with the team and how it might be perceived to some.

NATS ADD SCOUTS: Former Devil Rays general manager Chuck LaMar was among 10 people hired by the Washington Nationals yesterday in an overhaul of the team's scouting staff. The Nationals also gave scouting director Dana Brown a contract extension.

REDS HIRE POLE: Dick Pole, Dusty Baker's bench coach with the Chicago Cubs the last four seasons, was hired as the Cincinnati Reds' pitching coach.

PHILS COVET SORIANO: Hoping to protect Ryan Howard in the middle of their lineup, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to make a strong push for Alfonso Soriano. General manager Pat Gillick and manager Charlie Manuel both indicated yesterday they'd be interested in Soriano. Manuel even said he already has thought about where he'd hit the slugger. "I get a lot of suggestions when I go out," Manuel said. "Some people say leave him in the leadoff hole. Some guy said hit him second, hit him third, hit him fourth, hit him fifth. I look at it like we can hit him somewhere. He can hit anywhere from third, fourth or fifth."

A'S PUSH NEW PARK: Signaling that the plans to move his team to Fremont have grown firmer, Oakland A's owner Lew Wolff will meet privately with members of the Fremont City Council today to offer them a sneak peek of his proposal for a stadium and housing complex in the south end of their city. News reports surfaced Monday that Wolff would be joined by Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig to make his proposal public on Nov. 14, a date team and league officials declined to confirm. That date would be consistent with public and private statements Wolff has made in recent months about his interest in a 143-acre vacant parcel west of Interstate 880 in Fremont as a potential home for a new stadium and "ballpark village" housing development.

ROCKIES KEEP JENNINGS: Jason Jennings' $5.5-million option was exercised by the Colorado Rockies. Jennings went 9-13 last season, when he had the second-lowest run support in the N.L. The Rockies were shut out in four of Jennings' starts and scored just one run in five other losses, and his 3.78 E.R.A. made him just the second Rockies pitcher to post an E.R.A. below 4. Jennings made $4.4 million last season, part of a $7-million, two-year deal he signed in 2004. His buyout would have been $100,000.

HOWE INTERVIEWS: Art Howe interviewed with the Texas Rangers yesterday about being the bench coach for first-time manager Ron Washington. While Howe's hiring seemed imminent, the Rangers said they wouldn't have any announcements yesterday about more staff changes. Washington was named the team's new manager on Monday. He said during a news conference that he wanted Howe, a major-league manager for 14 seasons and one of his former bosses, to be his bench coach.