‘Tough act to follow’: Hal officially running Yanks  —  NEW YORK — Major League Baseball owners approved the shift of control of the New York Yankees from George Steinbrenner to his son, Hal, on Thursday.  —  Hal Steinbrenner and his brother, Hank, took over most of the daily operation of the Yankees from their father last fall.

Utley to have hip surgery, could be out until June … If the Philadelphia Phillies weren't aware before Thursday of how hard it can be to repeat, the World Series champs know that now.  —  The team announced Thursday that second baseman Chase Utley will need right hip surgery that potentially …

Carp added to 40-man roster  —  The Mets elevated first baseman Mike Carp to their 40-man roster today, increasing said roster to 34 players.  Carp, 22, hit .299 with 17 homers and 72 RBIs in 134 games for Double-A Binghamton en route to being named an Eastern League Postseason All-Star and is now playing winter ball in Venezuela.

Supply outweighs demand when it comes to closers market  —  As millions of residents of Queens, St. Louis and Cleveland could testify, there was a time — oh, about two months ago — when no one could have dreamed that one day we all would get to live in a world where the supply of closers would exceed the demand.

It's official: Mussina has retired  —  This release from the Yankees:  —  Five-time All-Star Mike Mussina today announced his retirement from Baseball.  According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Mussina becomes the first pitcher to retire immediately following a 20-win season since Hall …

Sox to sign 19-year-old Cuban star Viciedo  —  Dayan Viciedo talks to the media during a press conference in Hialeah, Fla. in June.  He defected and settled in South Florida in May.  (AP photo)  —  The White Sox's collection of talented Cubans is growing.

Yankees still interested in Cameron  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  According to a report by the Newark Star-Ledger, the Yankees are still interested in acquiring centerfielder Mike Cameron from the Brewers.  —  The Brewers and Yankees talked about Cameron …

Frank Wren chat transcript  —  Busy GM talks Hot Stove with Braves fans online … Wren: Welcome, everyone.  It seems like the offseason has been going on for six months instead of a month and a half.  I'll try to answer as many questions as possible.  —  glenn1981: What pitchers are you targeting, if any, in the trade world?

Heilman maneuvers  —  Aaron Heilman doesn't necessarily want out of New York.  He just wants out of the bullpen.  —  But if the Mets insist he remain a reliever, Heilman wants to be traded.  —  “The object the entire time has never been to get out of New York,” Heilman's agent Mark Rodgers told the Daily News.

O's look at Izturis for shortstop  —  He batted .263 with one home run, 24 RBIs for Cardinals in '08; team doesn't have interest in Furcal, O. Cabrera or Renteria, according to industry sources  —  The Orioles have talked to the representative for free agent Cesar Izturis …

Yankees add four pitchers to 40-man  —  Four pitchers were added to the Yankees 40-man roster on Thursday, filling each of the roster's openings without taking anyone off.  Added to the roster were Anthony Claggett, Steven Jackson, Michael Dunn and Chris Garcia.  All four would have been Rule 5 eligible if not protected.

Source: Rangers sell Loe's rights to Japanese team … Texas Rangers pitcher Kameron Loe has become the latest major leaguer to leave for Japan, signing a two-year, $2 million contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Pacific League, said a baseball source.