The Mets have agreed to a one-year deal with infielder Alex Cora. The deal is reportedly worth $2 million for the 2010 season. Cora, 34, can earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses.

The Red Sox are said to be focusing their attention on John Lackey instead of Roy Halladay. Boston doesn't like the idea of giving up Clay Buchholz and Casey Kelly in a deal for Halladay, and signing Lackey could give them the flexibility to make a trade for a hitter. The Boston Globe reports that unless the Blue Jays lower their asking price, the Red Sox will court Lackey and possibly deal Buchholz for a guy like Miguel Cabrera or Adrian Gonzalez.

It's not out of the realm of possibility that the Orioles could bring free-agent Miguel Tejada back. As ESPN's Buster Olney writes, Tejada didn't burn any bridges in his departure from Baltimore after four successful seasons with the club. He could be a fit at third base to replace Melvin Mora and Olney reports that Orioles president Andy MacPhail is at the very least "open" to the idea.

The Cardinals will offer free-agent outfielder Matt Holliday arbitration to ensure that they'll get something in return for him. By offering him arbitration, St. Louis will get draft picks as compensation should he sign with another team. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals could look to guys like Xavier Nady or Miguel Tejada if they aren't able to re-sign Holliday.

The Blue Jays are expected to lose free agents Marco Scutaro and Rod Barajas, but they'll get draft picks as compensation. New Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos could have just re-signed Scutaro and Barajas, but instead he's set up the Jays to get as many draft picks as possible as he works to find replacements. The teams signed Alex Gonzalez to play shortstop and now they are looking for catchers. Toronto will definitely offer arbitration to both players in order to ensure they'll get picks in return.

Eight teams are interested in reliever Takashi Saito, according to Japanese reports. The clubs that are keeping an eye on Saito include the White Sox, Cubs, Braves and Mets. Saito went 3-3 with a 2.43 ERA in 56 appearances for the Red Sox in 2009.

Miguel Tejada can still hit and a host of teams are entertaining the idea of signing the free agent. The Giants, Rangers and Orioles are interested in Tejada. The Mariners, who could lose third baseman Adrian Beltre in free agency, are looking at the infielder as well.

The Angels don't have nearly as much to spend this winter as some have projected. With arbitration-eligible players and back-loaded contracts, the Angels already have roughly $101 million dedicated to 21 players, according to the Los Angeles Times. That leaves general manager Tony Reagins with roughly $12 million to spend, assuming they stay in line with the $113 million they spent in 2009. When the season ended, almost $51 million was trimmed from their payroll with the expiring contracts of Vladimir Guerrero, Kelvim Escobar, John Lackey, Bobby Abreu, Chone Figgins, Darren Oliver and Robb Quinlan.

The Cardinals are in no rush to sign first baseman and three-time MVP Albert Pujols to a long-term extension. Pujols has two years remaining on his current contract and both sides are prepared to wait and see what the immediate future holds. "His focus is on winning," said Dan Lozano, Pujols' lead agent at Beverly Hills Sports Council. "He knows some team somewhere is going to be there with the money. That's not a concern. He tells me, 'I want to win.' That's what he has the luxury of doing. He's worked hard to be in a position where all he has to worry about is playing and, because the money is going to be there, he wants to be sure he's playing somewhere that's competitive." Pujols has reiterated his desire to retire as a Cardinal, but league sources have confirmed that he wants to see what the organization does this offseason.

The Twins are reportedly getting serious about signing catcher Joe Mauer to long-term contract. The Chicago Tribune writes that Mauer, who is represented by agent Ron Shapiro, could be looking for a deal worth $20 million annually over six-to-eight seasons. The Tribune points out that $20 million is probably less than he'd get on the open market. It's very important for the Twins to re-sign Mauer, who can be a free agent after the 2010 season, with their new ballpark opening in the spring.