NEW YORK -- On a night usually dominated by news of players let loose, the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics filled pitching needs with trades. Wes Martin Redskins Jersey . Washington obtained right-hander Doug Fister from Detroit for infielder Steve Lombardozzi and left-handers Robbie Ray and Ian Krol on Monday. Oakland acquired closer Jim Johnson from Baltimore for infielder Jemile Weeks and a player to be named. Fister was 14-9 with a 3.67 ERA last season for the AL Central champions, who last month traded slugging first baseman Prince Fielder to Texas for second baseman Ian Kinsler. "It gives us some flexibility for some other things we want to do," Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said, insisting the trade wasnt made to free money for a long-term deal for AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, who can leave after next season. Fister joins a talented Nationals rotation that already includes Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and Gio Gonzalez. Oakland, which also closed in on a $22 million, two-year contract with left-hander Scott Kazmir, is revamping after losing to the Tigers in the AL division series. The 30-year-old Johnson led the majors with 51 saves in 2012 and tied for the big league lead last season with 50. The two-time AL West champion As found their closer to replace All-Star Grant Balfour, who became a free agent after the season and is expected to command a multiyear deal. Meanwhile, 43 players became free agents at midnight EST when their teams failed to offer 2014 contracts, a group that included 2009 NL Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan (Miami) and St. Louis reliever John Axford. Clubs often use the so-called tender deadline as leverage to force agreements with players they wont go to arbitration with. Among the players let loose were Toronto catcher J.P. Arencibia, Boston right-hander Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Kalish, Mets right-hander Jeremy Hefner, Yankees infielder Jayson Nix, Tampa Bay outfielder Sam Fuld and Kansas City infielder Chris Getz. The Los Angeles Angels gained nearly $10 million of payroll flexibility, declining to offer contracts to pitchers Tommy Hanson, Jerome Williams and Juan Gutierrez along with third baseman Chris Nelson. With an excess of catching after reaching an agreement to sign Brian McCann, the New York Yankees traded Chris Stewart to Pittsburgh for a player to be named, and Stewart agreed to a $1 million, one-year deal with the Pirates. The Yankees also finalized a $5 million, two-year contract with shortstop Brendan Ryan, who became their starter in September when Derek Jeter went back on the disabled list. Kazmirs deal with Oakland is pending a physical, a person said, speaking of anonymity because the team hadnt finalized the contract. The 29-year-old left-hander went 10-9 with a 4.04 ERA in 29 starts and 158 innings last season for Cleveland and becomes part of a rotation that includes Sonny Gray and A.J. Griffin. The Athletics probably wont pursue a new deal for 40-year-old Bartolo Colon, an 18-game winner. Utilityman Willie Bloomquist agreed to return to Seattle pending a physical expected to take place later this week, a baseball official with knowledge of the deal said, also speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement wasnt final. Bloomquist spent his first seven big league seasons with Seattle and the past three with Arizona. He hit .317 for the Diamondbacks this year but had just 139 at-bats. Catcher Dioner Navarro agreed to an $8 million, two-year contract with Toronto that pays $3 million next year and $5 million in 2015. The 29-year-old batted .300 with a career-high 13 homers and 34 RBIs in 89 games for the Chicago Cubs last season. An All-Star in 2008, he has not played more than 89 games in a season since 2009 because of injuries. Another catcher, Jose Molina, agreed to a $4.5 million, two-year contract to remain with the Tampa Bay Rays. Thirteen players eligible for arbitration agreed to one-year deals: San Diego left-hander Eric Stults ($2.75 million) and right-hander Tim Stauffer ($1.6 million); Baltimore outfielders Nolan Reimould ($1,025,000) and Steve Pearce ($850,000); Atlanta left-hander Jonny Venters ($1,625,000) and infielder Ramiro Pena ($700,000); Washington right-hander Ross Ohlendorf ($1.25 million); Detroit outfielder Don Kelly ($1 million); Chicago White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers ($950,000); Philadelphia first baseman Kevin Frandsen ($900,000); Oakland right-hander Fernando Rodriguez ($600,000); and Cleveland right-handers Frank Herrmann and Blake Wood ($560,000 each); In agreements announced Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers reached deals with outfielder Mike Baxter and catcher Drew Butera ($700,000 each) and left-hander Scott Elbert ($575,000). Art Monk Redskins Jersey . James Erskine said Tuesday that Thorpe was "quite sick" in a Sydney hospital but dismissed media reports the swimmer might lose the use of his left arm. "Hes not in the intensive care," Erskine said. Clinton Portis Jersey . John Albert Elway, 24, was booked into jail early Saturday morning after an incident near a college campus in downtown Denver, according to jail records. http://www.redskinsfansproshop.com/Customized.html?cat=1287 . Eller said the Oilers were a "junior team" that was "all over the place" before Edmontons 4-3 victory over Montreal on Tuesday night, Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins took offence to Ellers comments and used it to motivate his youthful team. NEW YORK -- Turning around their fourth-quarter performance was a small step. Pablo Prigionis goal is for the New York Knicks to turn around their whole season. "I believe we can change this situation (by) working hard every day and try to play 100 per cent every possession, every day, and I dont know, keep going," Prigioni said. "We cant be sad because of what we did in the last 20 games. We have to look in front and just keep going." Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points, Andrea Bargnani added 23 and the Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 111-106 on Saturday night. Prigioni had a season-high 11 points and was a spark in the decisive 11-0 run midway through the final period as the Knicks finished strong one night after a fourth-quarter flop cost them in a loss at Boston. New York could have been looking at a three-game winning streak, but was outscored 22-13 in the final 12 minutes of its 90-86 loss to the Celtics. "We werent stale tonight in the fourth quarter like we were last night," coach Mike Woodson said. "We played what, four games in five days, and it was kind of nice to see us bounce back like that." Lou Williams scored a season-high 27 points in his best game since returning from knee surgery, but the Hawks committed 27 turnovers -- most in the NBA this season -- that led to 36 points and negated their 60.6 per cent shooting. "I think tonight was a night where the most aggressive team won. I think you give a lot of credit to the Knicks," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "Defensively, they were creating a lot of turnovers, creating a lot of problems for us." Paul Millsap scored 18 but had nine turnovers and fouled out. Al Horford finished with 17 points. The Knicks wore their regular whites instead of the alternate orange uniforms theyve been wearing for weekend home games. Theyre 0-6 in the orange, including a 110-90 loss to the Hawks at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, when they caused a colour clash with Atlantas red. New Yorks lead was just 87-83 before Anthonys 3-pointer with 6:26 remaining. Prigioni then hit one, followed that with a steal and a layup, and then fed Bargnani for another 33 that made it 98-83 with 5:11 to play. Sammy Baugh Jersey. Starting for injured point guard Raymond Felton, Prigioni also had six assists and harassed the Hawks ballhandlers into a number of mistakes. Kyle Korver scored 13 points, making four of Atlantas six 3-pointers in the third quarter to extend his NBA record to 93 straight games with at least one. That helped the Hawks pull to 81-77, but they coughed it up seven times in the fourth. "We couldnt capitalize off of the mistakes they made," Horford said. "There were a few times we had a fast break in which we could have scored and we threw the ball away. I think that cost us the game. That kind of deflated us as a team." Still without injured starters Tyson Chandler and Felton, the Knicks also were missing Kenyon Martin, who has a strained left abdominal muscle. But they somewhat surprisingly had Amare Stoudemire, who said Friday he expected to be ordered to take the night off by the training staff in what was the teams fourth game in five days. Instead, Stoudemire -- who was barred from playing on back-to-back nights earlier this season and had his minutes restricted coming off another knee surgery -- said he felt great and wanted to play. And face it, the Knicks need all the help they can get. Woodson acknowledged that Stoudemire probably wouldnt have played if the Knicks were 15-5, but theyre only 7-16. Stoudemire scored nine. Atlanta had a one-point lead with under 5 minutes left in the second quarter before Tim Hardaway Jr. made a 3-pointer and dunked, starting a 12-0 run that gave the Knicks a 52-41 advantage. J.R. Smith got the start for Martin after taking just one shot in the loss at Boston. Smith said after the game he was focusing on distributing to his teammates, an idea so out of character that Woodson had trouble keeping a straight face when asked about it Saturday. Smith took eight shots, but made only one and finished with two points. NOTES: Woodson said the medical staff was still evaluating Martins injury, but he expects the forward to be out a little while. ... The Hawks were without Gustavo Ayon, who didnt travel because of a sprained left ankle. ' ' '