The Angels may pursue re-acquiring Chone Figgins if they aren't able to sign free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre. Figgins struggled in his first season with the Mariners after signing a four-year deal. He is due $9.5 million this year and close to $20 million total the following two seasons, so that trade would free up a lot of cash for the Mariners.

The Rays appear interested in free-agent Brian Fuentes as they search for a new closer. Fuentes, 35, had 24 saves and a 2.81 ERA in 48 games for the Angels and Twins last season. Nearly a dozen teams are reported to be interested in Fuentes, coming off a two-year, $17.5 million deal that had a $9 million option for 2011.

The Red Sox will bring reliever Hideki Okajima back with a one-year contract, according to a report by WEEI in Boston. Okajima, 35, who has been with the Red Sox since 2007, was non-tendered by the team in Nov., went 4-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 56 games last season.

Indians right-handed reliever Justin Germano has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus. Germano will attend Spring Training with Cleveland as a non-roster invitee. He appeared in 23 games for the Tribe in 2010, posting a 3.31 ERA with a .206 opponents' batting average across 35 1/3 innings.

The Royals have signed right-hander Zach Miner to a Minor League contract. Miner, 28, who has spent four years in the Majors, all with the Tigers, missed the entire 2010 season with a right elbow injury. A fourth-round selection by the Braves in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft, was shipped to Detroit in 2005 in a deal that sent reliever Kyle Farnsworth to Atlanta.

Bert Blyleven was just five votes shy of election into the Hall of Fame in 2010. The former pitcher and current Twins television analyst is entering his 14th year on the Hall of Fame ballot. "Last year, I was surprised that I went from 62 percent to five votes short," Blyleven said. "That was very nice. It just means that hopefully this year there will be enough votes to get me inducted into the Hall of Fame. If that does happen, it will be like icing on the cake for me. I had a pretty big cake throughout my career, but this would be the ultimate." He has 287 wins, which is 27th on the all-time list. Blyleven is fifth in career strikeouts with 3,701. He is 11th in games started with 685. His 60 shutouts are ninth all-time. And Blyleven also ranks 13th all-time in innings pitched with 4,970.

The Yankees tried to acquire Jeff Keppinger from the Astros, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that talks "went nowhere." The infielder hit .288 with just 36 strikeouts in 514 at-bats in 2010.

The Reds are looking for a veteran outfielder/infielder and have spoken to the agents for Scott Podsednik and Edgar Renteria. "What we're looking for is veteran outfielder, preferably a left-handed hitting outfielder and an infielder who can back up at shortstop," general manager Walt Jocketty said. Cincinnati has entertained the idea of signing other players as well. "We've talked to some other free agents as well," Jocketty said.

As many as six teams are interested in right-handed reliever Chad Qualls, according to the Bay Area News Group's Joe Stiglich. Qualls went 3-4 with a 7.32 ERA in just 21 innings with the Rays in 2010.

Syracuse defeated Kansas State on Thursday to win the first-ever Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. It was the first college football bowl game in New York City in nearly 50 years. The Orange won 36-34 in a game highlighted by a number of gadget plays. "Here I am, born and raised in the Bronx," said Syracuse coach Doug Marrone. "I always tell people I was born a Yankee fan, and there was a moment out there tonight where I truly almost did break down and go to my knees. ... I thank these players for making, again, [for] just a simple kid from the Bronx, a dream come true."