The Yankees could opt not to sign Matt Holliday or Jason Bay so that they can wait for Carl Crawford to hit the market next winter.

If New York re-signed Johnny Damon to a two-year deal, they could bring Crawford in next offseason to take over in left field, while Damon moves to the designated hitter role.

The Yankees would have competition for Crawford, but they used a similar strategy when they passed on Johan Santana two offseason ago to ensure that they could make a run at CC Sabathia last winter. [READ]

The Yankees are expected to join the race to sign veteran utilityman Mark DeRosa.

The club sees him as a good option should they re-sign outfielder Johnny Damon. DeRosa would play left field on the days that Damon is used as the designated hitter.

DeRosa could also help New York give rests to stars like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano and even Mark Teixeira.

There are roughly a dozen teams believed to be interested in DeRosa. [READ]

Boston designated hitter David Ortiz is again asking the front office to acquire another big bat.

He suggested this time last year that the Red Sox needed more power in their lineup.

"Everybody was looking at me like I was a clown," Ortiz said Thursday. "I said we needed another 30-home run hitter. Everybody was talking trash. There you go. Now what?"

Jason Bay, who led the team with 36 homers and 119 RBIs, entered free agency today.

Ortiz wants the Red Sox to re-sign Bay and add another slugger.

"You want to compete with those guys across the street? You better bring it. Period," Ortiz said in reference to the Yankees. "We always need help. We need guys capable to produce. Not only us, everybody. That's what everybody chases in the offseason, guys that can come in and provide power, RBIs.

"This is a team that plays in the [American League] East division. Everything is powerful right here. You saw the world champions in the East. You have Tampa Bay in the East. You have the Blue Jays getting stronger every year in the East. You have Baltimore that you don't know if they're going to come and kick your [butt] all year along in the East.

"This division is hard to play. You need to get stronger." [READ]

Angels general manager Arte Moreno told the Los Angeles Times that the team will pursue free-agent outfielder Jason Bay.

Moreno said he likes Bay's "great bat and great makeup."

He also again quelled rumors that Los Angeles will target Matt Holliday.

"He is not going to be an Angel," Moreno said. "We are not looking at Holliday at all."

Holliday is represented by Scott Boras, while Bay is not.

According to sources within the organization, Moreno was left with a poor taste in his mouth when dealing with another Boras client, Mark Teixeira, last offseason. [READ]

The Cardinals will not move second baseman Skip Schumaker to left field if they can't re-sign Matt Holliday.

St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said Friday that such a move is "unlikely."
[READ]

The Twins have interest in three free-agent pitchers, but they'll exercise patience with their targets.

Minnesota has been linked to Carl Pavano, who helped lead the Twins to the postseason, Jarrod Washburn and Rich Harden.

For now, they are looking to improve from within.

"There's some choices [on the free agent market], and we have choices internally," general manager Bill Smith said.

"The best thing we can do is get [Kevin] Slowey, [Boof] Bonser and [Pat] Neshek back healthy. Those three plus [Glen] Perkins. If we can get those four back healthy, that's as good as any trade we can make, or any signing we can make." [READ]

Agent Scott Boras told FOX Sports that the first day of free agency has been an active one.

"This is a very healthy industry," he said, adding that he's already fielded offers for eight players. "A lot of teams are trying to get better.

"Every club has the wherewithal to sign premium free agents, because of the money they receive from central baseball and revenue sharing." [READ]

The Brewers are planning to approach Prince Fielder about a long-term contract, according to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman.

"brewers plan to try to lock up prince fielder this winter. dont put it past milwaukee (1 of 9 teams to draw 3 mil fans)," Heyman wrote on his Twitter page Friday afternoon.

Fielder hit .299 with 46 home runs and 141 RBIs in 2009. [READ]

Rich Aurilia isn't expected to return to the Giants, but he isn't ready to retire just yet.

"As far as next year, I definitely want to play if the situation is right," Aurilia said in an email to ESPN.com. "I understand that I would mainly be a utility, pinch hitter-type player, which I'm alright with."

Aurilia hit just .213 in 122 at-bats in 2009. [READ]

The White Sox may be close to signing 11-time Gold Glove shortstop Omar Vizquel as a backup infielder on the first day teams are allowed to pick off other team's free agents.

Vizquel, 42, has long been a favorite of manager Ozzie Guillen and GM Kenny Williams and should cost only about $1 million base salary, which is what he was paid in Texas last season. [READ]

The Yankees are denying reports that they are shopping right fielder Nick Swisher.

A club official told the New York Post that the organization isn't looking to trade Swisher, who hit 29 home runs in 2009.

Swisher will earn $6.75 million in 2010 and $9 million in 2011 before a club option for $10.25 million kicks in for the 2012 season. [READ]

Giants general manager Brian Sabean doesn't expect to contact the agents for either Jason Bay or Matt Holliday.

Sabean told the San Francisco Chronicle that he refuses to be a "stalking horse" for any player who is just using the Giants to get more money elsewhere.

The Giants are only looking to target free agents that have a genuine interest in playing for San Francisco. [READ]

The Marlins have extended a contract offer to Ross Gload.

The Miami Herald reports that the deal is probably in the one-year, $1.9 million range.

Gload said towards the end of the season that he wold prefer to remain with Florida. The team declined to pick up a $2.6 million club option on the 33-year-old veteran. [READ]

Stephen Strasburg will miss Saturday's AFL title game with an injury that is getting more serious as time passes.

The Phoenix Desert Dogs scratched Strasburg on Thursday, saying that the injury wasn't serious and that an MRI showed only "inflammation."

However, two sources told the Washington Post that Strasburg, the first pick in June's MLB Draft by the Nationals, heard a "pop" in his knee and crumpled to the ground while shagging balls in the outfield. [READ]

Bengie Molina is looking for a multiyear deal, something the Giants aren't expected to give the veteran catcher.

The New York Daily News writes that the Mets will likely pursue Molina and that "the safest prediction is free-agent catcher Bengie Molina landing in Flushing."
[READ]

Angels center fielder Torii Hunter will have surgery Monday to repair a sports hernia.

Hunter suffered the injury during the 2009 season and played hurt. He aggravated it several times in June and went on the disabled list for five weeks from July to August.

"It was getting better after the season, but it was going so slow, I decided to get it checked out," Hunter told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday.

He is expected to be ready for spring training. [READ]

Major League Baseball plans to reduce the number of off days during the postseason.

Commissioner Bud Selig is working to tighten up the schedule.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia criticized the format after his team and their ALCS opponent, the Yankees, played just eight times in 20 days heading into Game 6 of the ALCS.

"We're going to change it," Selig said. [READ]

Commissioner Bud Selig said Thursday that some of Major League Baseball's teams lost money this season.

"There was no question about that," Selig said. "I don't think the concerns have been ameliorated at all. I think the concerns are still there because all these people have their own economists."

He declined to identify teams, adding that final calculations are still being made.

"I think of all the heartache that's in the world," Selig said. "We live in this environment. We don't live in a bubble. And so, I think the clubs in some areas have been hit a lot harder than others." [READ]

The Nationals say No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg has a twisted left knee and is being scratched from his start in the Arizona Fall League championship game scheduled for this coming Sunday, according to an Associated Press report.
[READ]

The Atlanta Braves are struggling to trade Derek Lowe, according to sources.

The Braves' most extensive discussions concerning Lowe have been with the Brewers about a trade for outfielder Corey Hart, according to one source.

Lowe is guaranteed $15 million in each of the next three seasons [READ]

The Cubs have eight players who are arbitration-eligible, but trimmed the number they have to give raises to by one on Thursday, trading Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks for two Minor League prospects.

Heilman, 31, was 4-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 70 games in his only season in Chicago. The right-handed reliever was on a long list of arbitration-eligible players, joining Carlos Marmol, Mike Fontenot, Jeff Baker, Sean Marshall, Ryan Theriot, Koyie Hill and Angel Guzman. Marmol, Fontenot, Theriot and Guzman are first-time arbitration-eligible, but all will get raises.

"We feel like we got two solid prospects from the Diamondbacks," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Thursday. "As we move forward in the winter, the way our big league club sets up and the way we have a lot of arb guys, we felt we needed to move some people a little bit before we get to Indianapolis [for the Winter Meetings]." [READ]

During his Cy Young conference call, Tim Lincecum made the following statement regarding his recent arrest for marijuana possession.

"I made a mistake and I regret my actions earlier this month in Washington. I want to apologize to the Giants organization and to the fans.

"I know that as a professional athlete I have a responsibility to conduct myself appropriately both on and off the field.

"I certainly have learned a valuable lesson from all of this. And I promise to do better in the future. I hope and expect the matter to be resolved soon… and (I’m already) getting ready for the 2010 season.

"Because all this is pending before the courts, this is all I can say on the topic right now." [READ]

The Angels flatly are not interested in free agent Matt Holliday.

"We are not looking at Holliday at all," Arte Moreno said. "He is not going to be an Angel."

As for Jason Bay, the owner said, "You have to look at Bay. It's a great bat. (He) has great makeup." [READ]

The Yankees may be shopping Nick Swisher, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

'The Yankees, ever so quietly, are letting teams know that RF Nick Swisher is available,' wrote Nightengale. [READ]

Giants ace Tim Lincecum has won the NL Cy Young Award, becoming the first repeat winner in the major leagues since Randy Johnson was voted the prize four straight times from 1999-2002, according to an Associated Press report.

Lincecum led the NL with 261 strikeouts and tied for the league lead with four complete games and two shutouts.

Only 10 points separated the top three in one of the closest ballots in the award’s history. [READ]

Jason Bay has declined Boston's initial contract offer and will head to full free agency, SI.com has learned.

Boston's offer to Bay was believed to be for four years and "close to $60 million,'' according to sources.

"Nothing will happen by day's end, but we'll keep talking,'' Bay's agent Joe Urbon said.

"It's not a surprise that a player that's gone this far wants to see what's out there,'' Red Sox GM Theo Epstein said by phone in Bay's regard.

The Mets, Cardinals, Giants and Braves are all interested in adding a corner outfielder with power, while the Yankees, Angels, Mariners and Cubs are viewed as possibilities to look at Holliday and/or Bay, as well. The Cardinals are one team that's said they will consider Holliday but not Bay. [READ]

Even though the Detroit Tigers have been active in trade talks and would like to reduce payroll, they are not planning on gutting the team.

"I can assure you 100 percent that we do not have any kind of fire sale, or salary dump, or whatever you might call it, taking place," said Dave Dombrowski. "I can also tell you that I've been part of that in my career, so I know what that situation is like.

"In that situation, you go to your owner and say, 'This is not a good trade, but I can move this salary. Would you still want me to do this?' And he says, 'Yes,' and you just move the salaries ... I've done that, but not here." [READ]

Jason Schmidt will likely retire from pitching in the MLB.

"Just leaving my options open," he said. "At this moment, no, I'm not thinking about pitching anymore. Down the road, I'm not sure. Initially, I'd say no way. I'm not planning on playing at this moment. In my mind, I retired when I left in August." [READ]

The Cubs and left-hander reliever John Grabow have agreed in principle to a two-year deal, team sources said Thursday.

After being acquired from Pittsburgh with Tom Gorzelanny in the deal that sent Kevin Hart to the Pirates, Grabow posted a 3.24 ERA in 30 appearances, and set a career high with 75 games with both the Pirates and Cubs. [READ]

The Kansas City Royals announced that in 2010 the club will don a New Authentic New Era alternate powder blue cap in conjunction with their home alternate powder blue jerseys, which have been worn for every home day game since the beginning of the 2008 season. [READ]