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.

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.

Varitek talks moving slowly  —  Representatives for the Red Sox and Jason Varitek are continuing to talk in the wake of the catcher's meeting with owner John Henry last week, but the sides appear no closer to a deal than they have been for weeks.  —  But the closer the Sox get to spring training, the more likely that will all change.

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 …

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.

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 …

Why the Mets Have No Money (and No Manny)  —  One of the more interesting conundrums in sports is how the New York Mets have less money to spend on ballplayers than their crosstown big brother, the New York Yankees.  It boggles the mind further when you realize the Mets' budget is below …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 drop selected ticket prices  —  Washington makes move after ranking near bottom of NL in attendance during first season in new stadium  —  WASHINGTON - The Washington Nationals lowered individual-sale ticket prices on 14,000 seats for 2009 on Wednesday after ranking near the bottom …