General feeling is Sox  —  They're perceived leaders on Teixeira  —  One of the general managers involved in the Mark Teixeira negotiations was asked last night, “Are you still in it?”  He answered, “I honestly don't know.”  —  Evidently, Teixeira's final landing spot has become a mystery to some of the people involved.

Melvin: Cameron-Yanks deal is ‘dead’  —  Brewers GM uncertain if he'd be interested if talks were to resume  —  MILWAUKEE — As Brewers general manager Doug Melvin sees it, his trade talks with the Yankees are “dead.”  —  “It's probably not going to happen,” Melvin said.

A Look At The 2010 Free Agent Class  —  By Tim Dierkes [December 18 at 1:19pm CST]  —  Since it's more of a reference, I didn't allow comments on our 2010 MLB Free Agents post.  This post will be the place for readers to comment on these players, who we'll be talking about constantly a year from now …

Brewers sign Nixon, Duffy  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  Looking for ways to get some left-handed bats on their roster, the Brewers have decided to take a look at former Boston standout Trot Nixon.  —  The Brewers just announced that they have signed the 34-year-old outfielder …

Boone signs one-year deal with Astros  —  Veteran infielder likely to platoon with Blum at third base  —  HOUSTON — The Astros on Thursday signed third baseman Aaron Boone to a one-year contract, pending a physical.  —  Boone fills the Astros' need for a utility infielder who has extensive experience at third.

Red Sox look like front-runners for Teixeira (cont.)  —  Furcal's unusual double play  —  The Braves thought they had a “gentleman's agreement” on a deal for Rafael Furcal for $30 million and three years and are said to be “frustrated” that he went to the Dodgers for the same terms after they say his agent agreed with them.

K-ROD, PUTZ WILL BOTH GET CHANCES  —  Jerry Manuel is putting the egos of his two new All-Star relievers to the test next season.  —  The Mets manager revealed yesterday that Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz will share the closing duties next season, a plan that could cause fireworks because of the personalities involved.

Prosecutor's statement threatens Roger Clemens' lawsuit  —  Authorities told trainer Brian McNamee that he could become the target of a criminal probe if he refused to cooperate with former Sen. George Mitchell's steroid investigation, according to an affidavit filed in federal court …

Nick Willhite dies at 67; former pitcher for the Dodgers and Angels  —  Pitcher for Dodgers  —  Nick Willhite, 67, a left-handed pitcher whose five-year baseball career was highlighted by the shutout he threw in his debut with the Dodgers in 1963, died of cancer Sunday at a son's home in Alpine, Utah.

Crasnick: Job market for Abreu  —  Bobby Abreu's overall stats suggest he's a “star,” but he's often viewed as a complementary-type player.  And thus, landing a job at his desired salary this offseason could prove to be difficult.  Jerry Crasnick  —  • Watch: Buster Olney talks about the latest Hot Stove developments

Mets Are ‘Not for Sale, Not a Piece of It’  —  After the Mets introduced Francisco Rodríguez as their $37 million closer Wednesday, team executives posed for pictures with him.  Jeff Wilpon, the chief operating officer, smiled for the cameras.  He has not done much of that lately.

Tigers' signing of catcher Matt Treanor should be announced soon  —  The Tigers are expected to announce in the coming days that they have agreed to a one-year contract with backup catcher Matt Treanor.  —  One person with knowledge of the negotiations said Tuesday night that the sides …

Unconventional wisdom: How to improve Hall of Fame voting … Just 23 names dot the 2008 Hall of Fame ballot, the smallest number in history.  That's mostly a fluke owing to the vagaries of when careers begin and end, which players come back for an extra season or an extra few weeks, and which don't.

Rox remain in mix for Redding  —  Even after the trade hit a dead end, the Rockies' aggressive pursuit of right-hander Tim Redding has not stopped.  —  Agent Tom O'Connell confirmed today that the Rockies have significant interest in Redding, saying “they are definitely in the mix to get him.”