Yankees' pitcher Phil Hughes spoke with Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News recently, saying that he is focused on the 2009 season. He has kept tabs on New York's pursuit of a number of high-profile free agents. "It's just one of those wait-and-see things," Hughes said. "We'll sign whoever we sign this winter, and I'll go to spring training with the same attitude that I always do. I don't worry about the things I can't control." Hughes suffered from a rib injury during the 2008 season, meaning that - depending on free agent signings - he may have to fight for a spot in the team's rotation. "Especially the way my season went, that's realistically going to be the case," Hughes said. "I had the same attitude in spring training when I was 19 and had no shot at making the team as I did last year when everyone expected I would. I'll just work hard and see where that takes me."

Legendary Red Sox slugger Jim Rice is on this year's Hall of Fame ballot for the fifteenth time this year, his final year of eligibility. If Rice isn't named on at least 75 percent of the ballots, he will be dropped from the ballot and have to rely on the reconstituted Veterans Committee to install him in Cooperstown someday. Rice missed election by only 16 votes last year and was named on nearly 72 percent of the ballots. No player who has ever received 70 percent of the vote in a prior year has ever failed to be elected.

The Red Sox have hired former major leaguer and Rays' coach Tim Bogar as their new first base coach. Bogar replaces Luis Alicea, the only member of last year's staff who was not offered a contract for the 2009 season. Boston GM Theo Epstein announced Bogar's hiring Friday.

Major League Baseball told the New York Times that it would release the number of players who had first-time positive tests for amphetamines in 2008. However, on Thursday, the league said the number of tests would not be included in the report on the drug-testing program that will be released in January. "The report will detail the number of tests conducted this year, the number of positives for steroids, the names of the substances players tested positive for and the number of therapeutic-use exemptions but will not include the total number of amphetamine positives," executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred told The Times.

Madonna unofficially confirmed her relationship with Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez on Wednesday night during a concert in Miami. Madonna, who was first romantically linked to Rodriguez in July, smiled at him as he passed her a bottle of water from the front row. A source said, "It was easy for him to hand it to her because he was sitting in the front row. He was all excited watching her perform."

If the Angels deliver a competitive offer to CC Sabathia, the Yankees could increase their offer in order to get their man. The issue is being debated by Yankee brass but a majority of the front office appears to support the idea of bidding up to reel in Sabathia, a person familiar with the situation told Newsday on Wednesday. The Yankees could go up to $150 million over six years if the Angels come to Sabathia with a six-year, $130 million contract offer.

Mel Stottlemyre will not return as pitching coach of the Mariners next season. He spent one season with Seattle after coaching with Joe Torre in New York for ten years. "I had a desire to come back, but at the same time, I let them know that a new manager should be able to bring in his own coaching staff," Stottlemyre told The Seattle Times. Former Athletics' and Mets' coach Rick Peterson is rumored to be a candidate to replace Stottlemyre.

Plans for a new ballpark for the Marlins are still on but have been pushed back another year. According to Marlins president David Samson, the team's new home will open in 2012, rather than 2011 as hoped. The delay is a result of a lawsuit brought on by South Florida auto dealer Norman Braman, who unsuccessfully challenged the public funding portion of the project.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is on board with the idea of injecting the team's roster with new, young players this winter. "I love it, for two reasons," said Guillen. "We have the people where we still can compete. And all of a sudden, we have to go more to our Minor League system and to our players to say we appreciate what you guys do for us -- all the coaches, instructors, scouts. "Those guys deserve it, and they have the credentials to play here. That's not going to hurt the lineup."

Bids to acquire the Chicago Cubs from the Tribune Co. are reportedly due the week of December 1. Representatives from the four bidding groups have met in recent weeks with executives from the commissioner's office in New York. Tribune, which owns the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, put the Cubs on the block in April 2007.