Teixeira could have his pick of offers  —  As many as six teams reportedly in the hunt for slugging first baseman  —  All Mark Teixeira wants for Christmas is a new contract.  —  And who wouldn't, given that the final tally could be in the range of nine figures?

METS' CASTILLO DRIVEN TO SECURE 2ND CHANCE  —  This is a story about second base and, Luis Castillo hopes, second chances.  —  To their fans' anguish, Mets officials have persistently said they plan on having Castillo as their second baseman in 2009.  In part that is because the Mets …

Bye, George!  New Yankee Boss is son Hal  —  Hal Steinbrenner officially became “The New Boss” Thursday and his first act sounded an awful lot like the original Boss, his father: He set an unspecified deadline for free-agent pitcher CC Sabathia to take the Yankees' $140 million offer.

Heilman again makes pitch to start for Mets  —  Concerned about his role for next season, Aaron Heilman called general manager Omar Minaya yesterday to talk about possibly moving back into the rotation for the start of spring training.  But Minaya stayed firm in his position that Heilman again …

Blackout Policy to Remain Through MLB Network Launch  —  Baseball fans, prepare for more frustration.  —  MLB owners, yet again, tabled restructuring the local and regional television territories for the league at today's quarterly owners meetings in New York, and in doing so …

What Do We Know About the Impending Viciedo Signing?  —  Dayan Viciedo was supposed to be introduced as the newest member of the White Sox in a press conference on Friday, but apparently visa issues—there's always visa issues—may have derailed the event, though not the signing itself.

Van Benschoten parts ways with Bucs  —  Former first-round pick decides to pursue roster spot elsewhere  —  PITTSBURGH — After many attempts to stick with the Pirates' Major League club, John Van Benschoten has decided to make his next attempt at the big leagues elsewhere.

Pirates add five to 40-man roster  —  Former top pick Walker could compete for job in Spring Training  —  PITTSBURGH — In preparation for the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 11, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington finalized the team's 40-man roster on Thursday by filling all five open spots.

Hall spot for Moose?  Era, as much as ERA, may help sway  —  Now as long as Mike Mussina stays retired and doesn't pull a Brett Favre ...  Figures that a man most appreciated for throwing one of the best curveballs of his era would throw one last bender in saying goodbye.

Volcker Gives Baseball an Update on the Economy  —  He stands 6 feet 7 inches, the size of a slugger, but Paul Volcker is a towering presence on Wall Street, not in Major League Baseball.  Nevertheless, Commissioner Bud Selig recruited Volcker, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve …

METS TAKING TIME IN HUNT FOR CLOSER  —  THE Mets have made it well known they are unwilling to meet Francisco Rodriguez's quest for a five-year contract at record dollars for a closer.  But, according to Mets officials, they currently are averse to going to even a fourth year for K-Rod or any closer.

Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs  —  If you are about my age*, then you grew up as a baseball fan with three statistics and only three statistics.  There was batting average.  There were home runs runs.  And there were RBIs.  That was it. … It would be difficult to overstate how deeply …

Jays stay in A.J. hunt  —  The Blue Jays may be prepared to roll the dice with A.J. Burnett for another five-year deal.  —  The latest revelation from the Burnett camp came Wednesday when Darek Braunecker, Burnett's agent, stated he had spoken with the Boston Red Sox and he is looking for a five-year deal.

Sabathia camp mum on intentions  —  Give CC Sabathia and his people credit for one thing: They are not conducting their negotiations through the media.  —  CC's camp has been locked down since the General Managers' Meetings in California, leaving the rest of the baseball world only to speculate …