Law: 2009 organizational rankings  —  Keith Law ranks the farm systems for all 30 teams, from the Rangers at No. 1 to the Astros at No. 30.

Jeff Can't Make Hall of Fame  —  Not sure if you saw it, but former Met great Jeff Kent retired yesterday.  Now we ask, is he a Hall of Famer?  —  There's a guy who works here at The Daily News who insists Kent is Cooperstown bound.  No doubt about it, he says.  I hear the same sentiment on radio and TV.

Fielder, Brewers closing in on two-year deal  —  Star first baseman Prince Fielder and the Brewers are closing in on a two-year contract.  An announcement could come as early as today, SI.com has learned.  —  Fielder submitted an arbitration figure of $8 million while the team submitted $6 million …

Werth, Durbin agree to pacts with Phils  —  Outfielder, reliever avoid arbitration; Howard lone remaining case  —  Going into this offseason, the list of arbitration-eligible players on the Phillies was almost intimidating.  —  Now, with pitchers and catchers 24 days away from reporting …

Report: Brother says McGwire used steroids  —  A new book proposal, submitted by the admittedly estranged brother of Mark McGwire, claims the former major league slugger used both steroids and human growth hormone during his career.  —  In the proposal, first reported Wednesday on Deadspin.com …

Shoulder surgery ends Texas Rangers' plan for Hurley  —  The candidate pool for the Texas Rangers' starting rotation was thinned by one Wednesday, when former top prospect Eric Hurley underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.  —  The operation became necessary when Hurley continued …

Dombrowski likes prospects for pitching  —  GRAND RAPIDS — He has no anxiety over the Tigers bullpen heading into 2009, Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski says.  —  “Am I comfortable going in?” he asked, rhetorically, as the Tigers began their winter publicity caravan with stops at Toledo and Grand Rapids.

NEW ‘PEN IS AMAZIN’ TO FRANCO  —  There's still a hole in the starting rotation, but John Franco already considers this offseason a giant mission accomplished for the Mets.  —  The former Mets closer sees a bullpen that on paper might be the best in franchise history, reason enough …

The 3400 Club  —  By Tim Dierkes [January 21 at 12:37pm CST]  —  Longtime RotoAuthority reader finite24 brought up an interesting topic recently: injury risk the following season for pitchers who threw 3500+ pitches.  I decided to dig more deeply into this topic, pulling the benchmark down to 3400 pitches thrown in a season.

Best outfield arms of 2008  —  There is something about an outfielder with a cannon arm that captures our imagination, isn't there?  I guess it's not too surprising: Plays involving a crucial throw from the outfield are among the most important and exciting in the game.

Long excited about lineup upgrade  —  Yanks hitting coach brings high hopes to offseason workouts  —  NEW YORK — During the season, Kevin Long's office is the batting cage, a place he spends so many hours that he often eats his pregame meals standing up.  —  The winter offers …

Sources: Catcher Blanco, Pads agree  —  The Padres reached an agreement on a one-year, $750,000 deal with catcher Henry Blanco on Wednesday, according to sources close to the situation.  —  San Diego had been in negotiations with Blanco and veteran Brad Ausmus, but began focusing on Blanco …

Melhuse back with Rangers  —  ARLINGTON — The Rangers have agreed to terms with veteran catcher Adam Melhuse on a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training.  —  Melhuse, highly regarded by manager Ron Washington for his leadership and work ethic, has played for the Rangers in parts of the last two seasons.

Rose over the 'Moon about Redding  —  New Mets pitcher sure to provide lots of material for broadcasts  —  NEW YORK — Even now, sportscaster Howie Rose is planning his ad-libs, plotting when to offer a “Bang, zoom” or a “Har, har, hardee har har.”  He might throw in a “Hello, ball” …

Angels welcoming 25 players to Tempe  —  Former top pick Conger leads non-roster invitees into Spring Training  —  Five catchers and 12 pitchers are among the 25 non-roster players who have been extended invitations to attend Spring Training with the Angels, general manager Tony Reagins disclosed on Wednesday.

Nationals announce single-ticket prices  —  Individual passes begin at $5; set to go on sale in early March  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals announced individual-ticket prices for the 2009 season at Nationals Park on Wednesday.  —  Individual-ticket prices range from $5 to $325 …