Piniella: Cubs are done seeking Peavy  —  With rotation set, manager says club looking for left-handed bat  —  If there were any lingering questions about whether the Cubs had pulled back from pursuing San Diego ace Jake Peavy in a trade, manager Lou Piniella answered them this week.

Angels' attention shifts from Mark Teixeira to CC Sabathia  —  Club is in discussions with the free-agent pitcher and could offer him a contract that approaches the $140-million offered by the New York Yankees.  Source says the Angels are reluctant to guarantee more than seven years to Teixeira.

3 DOWN: Street, Hudson and Cruz  —  Barring major news, I am taking a few days off for Thanksgiving, so I figured I would weigh in with a 3 Down, rather than wait for the morning.  Happy holiday to all and thanks for helping to make this site such a well-visited success.

LENNY GETS A WALK  —  EX-MET DYKSTRA SETTLES 139G LAWSUIT  —  Former Met center fielder Lenny Dykstra worked himself out of a jam yesterday, settling a lawsuit over an unpaid $139,000 bill from a Midtown accounting firm.  —  The scrappy former leadoff hitter known as “Nails” …

Brewers promote scouts, sign reliever  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  The Brewers promoted two of their top scouts today to fill roles previously vacated by promotions.  —  Doug Renolds was named East Coast crosschecker and Corey Rodriguez West Coast crosschecker.

Yankees open 2009 Major League Spring Training schedule on Feb. 25  —  Ticket prices remain the same as last season  —  The 26-time World Champion New York Yankees announced today they will open their 2009 Major League Spring Training schedule on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 1:05 p.m. vs …

Space age Yankee Stadium a trek to next generation  —  The Yankees organization is proficient at a great many activities, including but not limited to baseball, commerce, press conferences, self-aggrandizing and seventh-inning patriotism.  They are not, it appears, especially proficient …

Manny Acta Sits Down For Interview With Squawking Baseball  —  Manny Acta just finished his second season as Washington Nationals manager.  The team struggled this year, finishing 59-102, after a surprising 73 wins in 2007.  Acta previously managed in the Astros system, and coached for the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets.

Brian NcNamee and lawyers give evidence in Roger Clemens probe  —  Agents from the FBI came to New York in September to collect cheek-swab DNA samples from Brian McNamee and his lawyers as part of the ongoing investigation into whether Roger Clemens perjured himself before Congress.

CANO WORKING HARD, DROPPING WEIGHT  —  While they wait for CC Sabathia to decide if $140 million is worth the headaches created by the spotlight that always scorches the Yankees, the club is jazzed about Robinson Cano's new body.  —  “I was as impressed with what he looks like as I have ever …

Minnesota Twins  —  Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel.  All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible.

MADGE A-ROD'S TURKEY CHOICE  —  ALEX Rodriguez has his priorities - and they are not his children.  —  The Yankee slugger, who ditched his wife of six years, Cynthia, after becoming besotted with Madonna, is a “soul-less” man who is “abandoning” his kids on Thanksgiving for his lover, according to what Cynthia is telling friends.

ShysterBall Moving on Monday  —  I've been thinking about the future of this blog a lot recently, and I've run into more questions than answers.  —  What do I want out of it?  What do I want it to look like?  What do I not want it to look like?  Do I want to try and make some money off …