Sources: Orioles fall behind in Teixeira derby … Unless Mark Teixeira is willing to give the Orioles a major hometown discount, it does not appear he will be playing in Baltimore.  —  The Orioles have stood by their initial offer and have not upgraded it, and sources say that the other teams involved …

Furcal matter handled smoothly, eh?  —  I'm at least as tired as most of you of waiting for Rafael Furcal and his agent to tell us something, so I'm resorting to the one guaranteed way to get an answer quickly - by writing a new blog about how tedious this whole thing has become.

Family says doctors misdiagnosed Rocco Baldelli's condition  —  GREAT NEWS FOR ROCCO BALDELLI.  A VISIT TO THE CLEVELAND CLINIC LAST WEEK REVEALED THAT DOCTORS HAD MISDIAGNOSED HIS ILLNESS.  —  BALDELLI MISSED MUCH OF LAST SEASON, AND WHEN HE DID PLAY, HE WAS LIMITED BECAUSE OF EXTREME FATIQUE.

Pirates on lookout for bullpen help  —  Bootcheck, King among Pittsburgh's targets this offseason  —  PITTSBURGH — They won't be the highest profile of names, but there are a number of relievers that Pirates general manager Neal Huntington continues to pursue as he looks to add to his bullpen options for 2009.

Alleged Beating by Padre Caught on Tape  —  A videotape released Tuesday shows San Diego Padre Brian Giles allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend in an Arizona bar.  —  Giles isn't commenting on a civil lawsuit filed against the Padres star outfielder.  He is accused of verbally …

Mets anticipate lull in roster revisions  —  Club hopes to complete moves by Feb., but is being patient  —  NEW YORK — Not until Groundhog Day did the Mets complete the transaction that made their 2008 season as successful as it turned out to be — the acquisition of Johan Santana.

Cameron-Cabrera talks off  —  It sounds as though the Yankees will not be getting Mike Cameron to play centerfield next year.  That could change, of course, but I just got off the phone with Brewers GM Doug Melvin.  He said: “Nothing new.  At this point, I don't anticipate it's something that we would (do). ...

MacPhail: ‘We have flexibility’ on Teixeira offer  —  O's president says club could alter initial proposal, negotiations ongoing  —  O's president says club could alter initial proposal, negotiations ongoing with free-agent slugger Poll: Will the O's land Teixeira?

Why Boston Might Be Best  —  I often hear media members and sports ‘experts’ this time of year discussing the ‘details’ on free agents.  Everything from ‘close friend says’ to ‘his choice is to live in’ and I wonder just how much you believe, and what you think they really know.

Mets: Losses from Ponzi scam won't affect team … NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff Wilpon's phone rang last Thursday and his father was on the line.  —  “He said, ‘Bernie was arrested by the FBI.’ I'm like, ‘No way,”’ the New York Mets chief operating officer recalled Wednesday.

How city went to bat for Yanks in tax ripoff  —  Mayor Bloomberg's aides secretly pressured city tax assessors to inflate the value of land under the new Yankee Stadium so the team could qualify for nearly $1 billion in tax-free bonds, city e-mails show.  —  In March 2006, the city's chief …