Source: Angels pull out of Teixeira sweepstakes  —  The Los Angeles Angels withdrew their eight-year offer for free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira on Sunday, a baseball source said.  —  The Angels' departure from the Teixeira sweepstakes leaves the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees …

Talented teams of the '90s quite different than today  —  Should a sale go through, whoever buys the Padres from John Moores would be lucky to get a Padres club as talented as the one Moores bought in late 1994.  —  True, when Moores took control, the Padres were coming off a 47-70 season.

Source: Pirates, Doumit reach deal … The Pittsburgh Pirates have reached an agreement on a three-year deal with catcher Ryan Doumit that will take him through his salary arbitration years, a baseball source told ESPN.com.  —  The contract includes a club option that will take Doumit into free agency, the source said.

Ex-Negro league star Carlos Santiago, 82, dies  —  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Carlos Manuel Santiago, a star infielder in the Negro leagues during the 1940s, died Sunday.  He was 82.  —  He died of cardiac failure at his home in Mayaguez, son Carlos Manuel Santiago Feliciano said.

Olney: Market forces at work  —  Brian Fuentes began the offseason as, theoretically, the most second-most coveted reliever, after a season in which he earned 30 saves and accumulated a 2.73 ERA, and held left-handed batters to a .184 average, with 20 strikeouts in 49 at-bats.

Fultz inks Minor League deal with Reds  —  Lefty reliever gets invite to Major League Spring Training camp  —  CINCINNATI — The Reds signed veteran left-handed reliever Aaron Fultz to a Minor League contract this weekend.  The deal, according to an industry source, came with an invitation to big league camp at Spring Training.

Japanese team won't extend Valentine's contract after 2009  —  TOKYO (AP) — The Chiba Lotte Marines have decided not to offer Bobby Valentine a contract extension after his current four-year deal expires at the end of 2009 season, the former New York Mets manager said Sunday.

Melvin confirms interest in Looper  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  I spoke to Brewers general manager Doug Melvin on the telephone today and he confirmed he has shown interest in free agent pitcher Braden Looper.  —  Melvin denied a Boston Globe report, however, that the Brewers “are close” to signing Looper.

So Who's Got the Best Rotation in the AL East Now?  —  With the Yankees' signings of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, many pundits are saying they now have the best starting rotation in the AL East.  Let's use CAIRO to see if that's actually true or not.  With all due respect to Baltimore and Toronto …