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 …

Gonzalez negotiations won't factor in Pujols  —  Prior to officially acquiring slugger Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres, the Red Sox were assured by the slugger that the contract terms he desired on an extension would not change in the event that an Albert Pujols mega-deal raises the market, ESPNBoston.com reported on Thursday.

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.

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.

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.

Oakland City Council approves money for A's ballpark study  —  The Oakland City Council voted Tuesday to spend as much as $750,000 on an environmental study for a new ballpark, even though the owner of the A's is trying to move the team to San Jose.  —  The council voted 6-2 to hire LSA Associates …

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.

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 …

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 …

Uecker's holiday wish: Good health in 2011  —  MILWAUKEE — Bob Uecker has an offseason home on a golf course in Scottsdale, Ariz., but he usually travels home to wintry Wisconsin for the holidays.  Not this year.  He's staying south this Christmas to rest up from heart surgery …

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 …