Yankees talking to Damon about return  —  While the Yankees' primary focus remains pitching, they have been communicating with free agent Johnny Damon about a possible return to the Yankees for 2011, Newsday has learned.  —  Four sources said that Damon and the Yankees were talking about a role …

Ken Davidoff's baseball insider  —  My 2011 Hall of Fame ballot  —  Yup, it's that time of year again.  Here's my ballot from last year and my 2009 ballot.  This marks my fifth ballot in all.  —  This year, I found myself facing a new dilemma: Too many good candidates for the 10 spots available on the ballot.

Offseason Spending Details By Team  —  MLB teams have made over $1.2 billion in salary commitments so far this offseason, according to data compiled by MLBTR.  The seven most aggressive teams have combined for $828MM in commitments this winter.  In other words, the Red Sox, Nationals …

Rays can't be counted out in AL East  —  Jim Bowden reveals the best available free agents in baseball.  —  Dayn Perry is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com.  His second book, “Reggie Jackson: The Life and Thunderous Career of Baseball's Mr. October,” is available from HarperCollins Publishers.

Nationals reach two-year deal with Sean Burnett  —  The Nationals have reached an agreement with reliever Sean Burnett on a contract extension that will keep the left-handed reliever with the Nationals through the 2012 season with a dual option for 2013, according to a league source.

Cards assistant GM Abbamondi is leaving  —  Cardinals assistant general manager John Abbamondi is leaving the club to accept a vice president position with the San Diego Padres, both teams confirmed Wednesday.  It is the second departure from the Cardinals' front office this winter …

Sliding Into Second, Even in Winter  —  Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, is host to Snow Days, a way to expand use of the ballpark.  The event is expected to draw 60,000 people from Nov. 26 through Jan. 2.  More Photos »  —  CLEVELAND — There were no vendors wandering the aisles …

R2C2 aces nicknamers  —  THE FANS HAVE spoken.  The phans, too.  —  I got 186 e-mails, a personal best, in response to my column suggesting “Un-four-gettables” as the nickname for the best starting rotation in baseball.  Phew!  —  The winner, by a squeaky margin, was R2C2, a spinoff of the smart-aleck “Star Wars” robot.

Greinke's light always shone through  —  OAKLAND — A ray of sunshine zapped through the dark cloud that hovers over the Royals these days.  His name is Zack Greinke.  —  Greinke pitched five solid innings in his highly-anticipated Major League debut on Saturday, providing some fresh hope …