Angels owner explains refusal to meet Crawford's asking price; team makes ‘significant’ offer to Beltre  —  The Angels never made a formal contract offer to outfielder Carl Crawford, and owner Arte Moreno said Friday that, contrary to previous reports, he was not willing to match the seven-year …

Sources: Greinke asks Royals for trade  —  Zack Greinke wants to be traded, and the Kansas City Royals intend to grant his wish.  —  Greinke fired his agent on Friday, the clearest indication yet of the ace right-hander's desire to be sent to another club.

Mariano Rivera may call Andy Pettitte soon to convince him to return to Yankees; Kerry Wood to Cubs  —  As Andy Pettitte continues mulling whether to play in 2011, a teammate who admires him is considering doing a little recruiting.  —  Mariano Rivera hasn't called Pettitte yet, but said Thursday, “I might try to reach him soon.

THE DECISION...  Hey guys!  The weeks seem to be flying by the last few months.  I really can't believe Christmas is only a week away.  I still haven't gone shopping yet, but that isn't anything new.  When it comes to holiday shopping I rank towards the top of the list of procrastinators.

Scouting reports for the Top 10 Prospects (How to subscribe)  —  Omar Minaya seemingly could do no wrong in the early part of his tenure as Mets general manager.  He lured premium free agents Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez and Billy Wagner to Queens with rich contract offers.

Astros To Sign Bill Hall  —  The Astros have agreed to sign Bill Hall to a one-year deal worth about $3MM that includes a mutual option for 2012, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  The agreement is pending a physical.  The Yankees and Dodgers were among the teams pursuing Hall …

Padres Acquire Jason Bartlett  —  The Padres have acquired Jason Bartlett from the Rays, tweets Marty Caswell of XX1090 Sports Radio.  San Diego will also receive a player to be named later from Tampa Bay in exchange for Brandon Gomes, Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, and Cole Figueroa.

Two best remaining targets on the market … This offseason has been, for the most part, a mystery.  The Carl Crawford signing with the Red Sox was slightly surprising in that most folks had him pegged for the Angels, the Jayson Werth deal with the Nationals was very surprising in that nobody …

Nationals targeting Lee to fill first-base void  —  NEW YORK — The Nationals are “actively” pursuing free-agent first baseman Derrek Lee, according to a baseball source, while another indicated that Lee is the club's top target to play the position.  The Nationals are one of several clubs interested in Lee's services.

Sources: Tigers looking at Penny, other veteran starters  —  The Detroit Tigers' everyday lineup looks complete, now that they have agreed to a one-year contract with Magglio Ordoñez.  —  But they are still trying to upgrade their starting rotation, major-league sources told FOXSports.com.

Francis' decision expected soon  —  I figured it would be today.  If not today, then early next week.  By then, Jeff Francis figures to be a Rockie or a former Rockie.  —  Francis has responded to a few texts this offseason, but hasn't commented on his contractual situation.

Orlando Hudson signs with Padres  —  The Padres have signed free-agent 2B Orlando Hudson to a two-year, $11.5 million deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com.  —  There is not much of a market for Hudson, according to ESPN.com.  —  The Mets are not interested, at least as far as I can tell.

Renteria: Giants' Offer Showed “A Lack Of Respect”  —  FRIDAY,7:49pm: Giants assistant GM Bobby Evans says that the club is still looking at all options for a backup shortstop, which means that they haven't given up on retaining Renteria, writes Shea.  However, Evans says that there is a …

Mike Rizzo and Josh Willingham on the trade  —  Let's do this quick, bullet-point style.  Here are highlights from General Manager Mike Rizzo, who just completed a teleconference with reporters, and Josh Willingham, who spoke with the Post in a brief phone conversation, on the trade that sent Willingham to the Oakland A's: