Baseball gets back to work  —  It's Jan. 2 and baseball is back in business after a break for the holidays.  What does this mean for the Yankees?  Probably not a whole lot.  —  There are no indications that the Yankees will suddenly get back into the mix for Johan Santana.

Hot Stove Report (cont.)  —  Best risk for the buck  —  1) With all the money around the game, putting a paltry $1 million down on a one-time franchise savior is kind of a no-brainer.  That's what the Padres did with oft-injured former Cubs pitcher Mark Prior.

Mailbag: Trading pitching wise?  —  Beat reporter T.R. Sullivan answers Rangers fans' questions  —  What were Jon Daniels and Tom Hicks thinking when they traded two young pitchers (Edinson Volquez, Danny Herrera) for another outfielder in Josh Hamilton?  We need pitching and as soon as our young guys get going, they are traded away.

Debate: Is Jim Rice a Hall of Famer?  —  Jim Rice hit 20 or more home runs in 11 of his 16 seasons in the majors and also drove in more than 1,400 runs in his career.  But so far those numbers haven't been enough to get Rice elected to the Hall of Fame.  —  In this, his 14th year on the ballot …

You pay for Yanks' parking deal  —  The Yankees and hundreds of their VIPs will get free valet parking for the next 40 years, courtesy of New York taxpayers.  —  The startling revelation of yet another subsidy for the richest team in baseball is buried deep in the fine print …

Jim Leyritz's license was suspended month before fatal crash  —  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Former World Series star Jim Leyritz had a suspended license when he was charged with driving under the influence and killing a woman last week.  —  Leyritz was ticketed outside Albany, N.Y. …

Mailbag: Dealing with pitching depth  —  Beat reporter Adam McCalvy answers Brewers fans' questions  —  Given the abundance of starting pitchers the Brewers have right now, if they don't trade one or two of them away, who do you see in the rotation and what happens to the others?

Mailbag: The important statistics  —  MLB.com's Marty Noble answers Mets fans' questions  —  I enjoy reading your stories.  You give straight answers to tough questions, and I look forward to your Mets mailbags.  That being said, I have a comment about two recent stories dealing with Brian Schneider.

Mailbag: Can Nats make a run in '08?  —  Beat reporter Bill Ladson answers Nationals fans' questions … How can you say the Nationals can compete for a division title?  They don't have a true No. 1 starter in their rotation.  Also, trading for troubled players — Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes — never works out.

Golenbock To Write Steinbrenner Biography  —  Celebrated baseball writer Peter Golenbock, author of Dynasty: The New York Yankees 1949-64, has signed a contract with John Wiley & Sons to write a biography of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, it was announced today.

Take the fifth: Examining bottom starters' impact  —  How do No. 5 starters contribute to a club?  By definition, the fifth rotation slot is for the team's worst starter.  Given the current cost of pitching, the ability to put five quality starters in the rotation is difficult.

Torre keeps mum on Clemens-McNamee drama  —  NEW YORK — Joe Torre won't pick sides between Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee, the former New York Yankees strength coach who accused the Rocket of using performance-enhancing drugs.  —  “You're not going to get me in that jackpot,” the former Yankees manager said Wednesday.

Team 2007: Star production with an average payroll  —  A-Rod?  Got him.  Big Papi?  Batting cleanup.  Sports Weekly shows how even a midmarket payroll could produce a star-studded team last season.  —  The concept, we've been led to believe, just doesn't work — or at the least is counterproductive to assembling a winning team.

O's acquire OF Roberson from Phillies  —  28-year-old hit .266 in 113 games with Triple-A Ottawa last season  —  The Orioles have added another candidate for center field, buying the contract of outfielder Chris Roberson from the Philadelphia Phillies today.