Source: Rays, Burrell agree to two-year deal  —  Pat Burrell's last swing of the bat in 2008 was a double against Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the World Series.  Now, it appears, his first swing of the bat in 2009 will be as a member of those very same Rays.  —  Tampa Bay is close to signing Burrell …

Yankees will be must-see TV  —  The home clubhouse at the new Yankee Stadium is enormous, significantly bigger than the one at the old Yankee Stadium.  That's good.  It needs to be as large as possible to accommodate all the talent, the egos, the money and the pressure that will be in that room.

Rangers continue quest for pitching  —  Upgrading rotation, bullpen remains Texas' main issue  —  ARLINGTON — A new year is here and there are still a few things that remain unknown about the 2009 Rangers.  —  As the Rangers offices reopen for business after a holiday break …

Sunnier Times in New Mainstream Media  —  Sports Commentary  —  We all have our career flashpoints.  Mine came in China, perhaps triggered by a near-death experience while climbing the Great Wall.  Or the horror of Bill Plaschke, my TV sparring partner, trying the local delicacy …

Thoughts on Teixeira, Joba and the Free-Agent Market  —  Back from vacation, just in time for what should be the official unveiling of Mark Teixeira this week.  Signing Teixeira seemed like an obvious move all along, but the Yankees threw us off-track with comments like this from General Manager Brian Cashman …

Cardinals sign lefthanded reliever Royce Ring  —  The Cardinals are expected to announce later today that they've signed lefthanded reliever Royce Ring to a one-year deal.  —  The 28-year-old Ring, who has been used almost exclusively in his career against lefties, most recently pitched …

Phillies ace Hamels will be cashing in as arbitration begins today  —  The situation John Boggs and Cole Hamels currently face is one that makes baseball's offseason such a unique beast.  —  Fresh off a campaign in which Hamels established himself as one of the game's most dominant pitchers …

M's Hire Tom Tango  —  Derek noted it in passing in his thread on Blengino's BP interview, but it deserves its own post.  The Mariners have hired Tom Tango as a consultant to assist them in pushing forward their advancement into the 21st century of statistical analysis.

Verducci Effect Update: 7 Risky Pitchers for 2009  —  “It's like training for a marathon.  You need to build stamina incrementally.  The unofficial industry standard is that no young pitcher should throw more than 30 more innings than he did the previous season.

Dodgers have questions to answer  —  Manny, bolstering starting pitching are issues for Colletti  —  LOS ANGELES — Less than three months ago, the Dodgers were three wins away from reaching the World Series.  —  But that was then.  Now, six weeks from the opening of the Dodgers …

View: Citi Field Inaugural Season Patch  —  According to Patch Collectibles, the attached image is of the official Citi Field 2009 Inaugural Season Patch from the Mets and MLB.  —  This is one of the most basic, uninspiring designs I have seen in quite some time.  I mean, what team is this patch even for?

CATCH-22 … At Jason Varitek's peak, he was a top-five catcher, an offensive force who was just as valuable behind the plate as he was in the locker room.  —  But offensively, that peak is at least three years gone.  The Red Sox would be making a mistake to pay him like the player he once was …