MLB This Week

New Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta's coaching staff is nearly complete. On Monday, Acta picked Tim Tolman as the bench coach, Steve Smith as third-base coach and Scott Radinsky as bullpen coach. Tolman spent two seasons as Acta's third-base coach with the Washington Nationals. He was in Cleveland's organization for four years, serving as minor league field coordinator from 2003-06…

The Red Sox will raise some ticket prices as much as $5 next season after freezing all sections for 2009. Field level seats will cost $130 for individual games and $125 as part of season tickets bought by Dec. 16, the team said Monday. Green Monster seats will rise to $165 and $160. While they are among four areas with $5 increases along with loge box and Green Monster standing room, 12 areas will…

Catcher Ramon Hernandez agreed Monday to a $3 million, one-year contract with the Reds after Cincinnati declined his $8 million option. The deal includes a $3.25 million option for 2011 that would become guaranteed if Hernandez plays in 120 games next season. If he plays in fewer, the Reds do not have the ability to exercise the option.

The Washington Nationals have hired Bryan Minniti as assistant general manager and Jay Sartori as director of baseball operations, filling out GM Mike Rizzo's front office. Minniti spent the past nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the last two as director of baseball operations. Sartori has been working for Major League Baseball's labor relations department.

Wally Backman was hired Monday as manager of the New York Mets' Brooklyn Cyclones farm team in the New York-Penn League. A member of the Mets' 1986 World Series championship team, Backman was hired to manage the Arizona Diamondbacks in November 2004. He was fired four days later after The New York Times reported he had been arrested twice and had financial problems.