Bruce's record as a GM is mixed in any event

Bruce's record as a GM is mixed in any event.There's no certainty that Shanahan is the guy to lead a Redskins Renaissance He was 24-24 in his last three seasons with Denver. That's only slightly better than Joe Gibbs' record in his return to Washington. Denver released Shanahan when Broncos owner Pat Bowlen got the sense that he lost his touch.There's no certainty either that Shanahan even shows up here. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has surely hit the speed dial to Shanny's phone by now.The common factor in all of Snyder's moves is Snyder himself. Big name moves haven't worked for Snyder because he keeps getting in his team's way.When Jimmy Johnson slammed Snyder last October, he said the Redskins need a general manager who can make smart moves while making Snyder think he's having an influence.

Johnson called that an impossible task. Washington's success with these moves depend entirely on how hands off Daniel Snyder will be on football operations.It's too soon to say about that, so curb your enthusiasm and hold on to your wallets. . Atlanta Braves' general manager Frank Wren has laid a big egg thus far in his handling of his team's bullpen situation this offseason.Concerned that Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez would be too expensive for the cost-conscious Braves to retain, Wren wasted no time in signing Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito to fill their roles.The tally: $10.2 million, 78 years of age, two saves, and one Tommy John surgery.Soriano subsequently accepted the Braves' offer of arbitration, and will make $7 million for Tampa Bay next season the same as Wagner will be earning for the Braves. Yesterday, Mike Gonzalez came to terms with the Orioles for two years at $6 million per season. That's $13 million for a pair of relievers with 18 fewer years of wear and 35 more saves to their credit last season that Wren's new backend of the bullpen. Wren is now desperately shopping Derek Lowe, last year's prize free agent pickup, in hopes of clearing payroll to acquire another bat, (though the Braves already needed at least one bat prior to letting Adam LaRoche walk), and is even offering to pay a portion of Lowe's salary to the willing buyer.Of course, he could have saved $9 million by not resigning Tim Hudson, another pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery, who put up average numbers in his late-season return.

Hudson might return to pre-injury form, in which case the signing will be a reasonable one. (Updates to midafternoon) Stocks Asian Markets TOKYO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average rose 0.3percent on Tuesday, buoyed by exporters such as Canon Inc(7751.T) on a weaker yen and hopes for economic stimulus stepsby the U.S administration taking office later this month. Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) gained despite a more than 30percent plunge in its U.S auto sales for December. Hit by asharp deterioration in global demand, the carmaker said it wouldhalt production at all of its domestic plants for a total of 11days in February and March. ID:nL5118725 ID:nT158 Japanese stocks started the year on an upbeat note, gainingover 2 percent the previous day after a panic-ridden 2008 inwhich the benchmark Nikkei marked its worst year ever with a 42percent tumble. Optimism seems to have returned among investors onexpectations for economic measures by U.S. President-electBarack Obama, market analysts said, with Japanese stocksreceiving additional help from a softer yen.

The Nikkei had already gained 4 percent in December helpedby those expectations, after it booked its worst monthly dropever in October amid the deterioration of the global economy. "Expectations for the Obama administration will probablyreach their peak just before and after the inauguration," saidYoshinori Nagano, chief strategist at Daiwa Asset Management. "Investors' focus will likely be forced back to the realeconomy in late January as the U.S. earnings season starts and astring of bad results is expected." The benchmark Nikkei .N225 gained 26.31 points to9,069.43, after rising as much as 1.4 percent earlier. Tuesday was the first full day of Japan stock trading thisyear after the New Year's holiday The broader Topixwas flat at 875.75. Although the massive economic stimulus bill in the UnitedStates now put at as much as $775 billion over two years, isunlikely to be waiting on Obama's desk when he takes office onJan. 20, as he had wanted, some key Republicans were moving tohis side.