Tazawa set to choose Red Sox  —  Right-hander reportedly will announce decision early next week  —  BOSTON — The Red Sox appear poised to add to their recent track record of landing Japanese pitchers, as right-hander Junichi Tazawa has reportedly decided to join the franchise that already has Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima.

Yankees, Angels play waiting game  —  The Yankees have had their $140 million sitting out there for a while, so maybe it's time they come off CC Sabathia and get after Mark Teixeira, the same way the Angels are hedging Sabathia against Teixeira, the way the Red Sox are hedging Teixeira …

Angels could make run at epic rotation  —  Sabathia, Peavy could be options if club moves off Teixeira  —  LOS ANGELES — Who needs a dominant, power-packed lineup when you have the best rotation in history?  —  It appears the Angels could be thinking along those lines as they continue …

Fuentes' price Rocks Minaya  —  Brian Fuentes' representatives told the Mets the free agent closer is seeking a three-year deal worth $10 million to $11 million annually, according to a source familiar with the discussion.  That price tag is a bit high for the Mets, but they are still interested in the former Rockie.

K-Rod's agent: No talks until winter meetings  —  Francisco Rodriguez's agent won't start detailed discussions with teams until the winter meetings open in Las Vegas on Dec. 8.  Paul Kinzer, who represents the free-agent closer, doesn't expect the marketplace to get busy for another 10 days.

Huntington answers fans' questions  —  Pirates GM talks offseason agenda, prospects, scouting  —  Are we going to try to re-sign Doug Mientkiewicz and Jason Michaels? hey both are great leaders and brought great energy to this team last year.  —  We certainly would like to bring Doug and Jason back to the Pirates, Jeff.

McGowan eager to start throwing  —  Recovering from shoulder surgery, righty hopes to start season  —  TORONTO — At his home in Georgia, Dustin McGowan is anxiously counting down the days until he's told he can finally pick up a baseball again.  Fortunately for the Blue Jays pitcher, that countdown is about to come to a close.

Braves remain among Burnett's suitors  —  Agent: 'Everything's been positive' in discussions with Atlanta  —  ATLANTA — Agent Darek Braunecker has been down this road before.  Just four years ago, he carried A.J. Burnett into the free agent market with the intention of landing a five-year deal.

Twins enter Thanksgiving in a holding pattern  —  Happy Thanksgiving, folks.  All quiet on the Twins' front.  —  Apologies.  I know many of you are dying for some nuggets to chew on with your turkey and stuffing, but I'm anticipating a quiet holiday.  —  A Padres official told me they've …

Free agent chase continues  —  The rest of the working world is winding down today, skipping out of work early for that pre-Turkey happy hour as visions of yams and pumpkin pie dance in their heads.  —  But the Phillies front office is still in action, and will likely remain so for the forseeable future.

The 2008 Rule 5 Draft: Previewing the Pitchers  —  There are only 15 more shopping days left.  Major League Baseball's Rule 5 draft will occur on at the end of the Winter Meetings on Dec. 11.  The draft, which is explained here, has become extremely popular in the eyes of online fans …

LA may not sweeten offer to Manny  —  Download story podcast  —  The Press-Enterprise  —  Citing the unpredictable state of the economy, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt hinted Tuesday that the team would be reluctant to sweeten the two-year contract offer that would have instantly given Manny Ramirez …

O's add ex-Reds GM to front office  —  Krivsky, 54, hired as special assistant to MacPhail  —  The Orioles today named former Cincinnati Reds front office executive Wayne Krivsky as special assistant to Andy MacPhail, president of baseball operations.  Krivsky has more than 30 years …