New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira says he believes Andy Pettitte is leaning toward retirement  —  NEW YORK — New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira has been exchanging text messages with Andy Pettitte during the offseason as Pettitte sits at home in Deer Park, Texas deciding whether to pitch for the Yankees in 2011 or retire.

Jenks admits frustration over terms of departure  —  White Sox didn't imply disrespect while moving in new direction  —  CHICAGO — When the White Sox need to protect a ninth-inning lead during the 2011 season, the sounds of POD's “Boom” will not be heard at U.S. Cellular Field.

Few easy answers on ballot questions  —  Voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame was always hard.  'Twas a privilege, but hard.  It's a very serious responsibility.  —  And now it's 10 times harder.  —  The drug guys, you know?  Or should I say “the suspected drug guys”?  What a mess.

Longtime scout, executive Lajoie dies  —  Baseball ‘lifer’ played key role for '84 champion Tigers  —  Longtime baseball scout and executive Bill Lajoie, who played a key role in building the 1984 World Series champion Detroit Tigers, passed away in his sleep at his home in Osprey, Fla., on Tuesday afternoon at the age of 76.

Show Me the $!  End-of-Year Payrolls  —  On some level, it's simple to say that each of the Big-4 sports in Northern America are different.  Baseball doesn't have a clock; the NHL uses a puck; the NBA uses a hoop; the NFL has downs.  —  Yes, I'm being over simplistic here, but on the salary side …

Soria Wouldn't Block Trade To Yankees  —  The Royals have looked firm this offseason in their unwillingness to ship off Joakim Soria.  The All-Star closer, on the other hand, appears comfortable with migrating to another market and, more specifically, to New York.

Blue Jays agree to one-year deal with Dotel  —  The Blue Jays have reportedly finalized a one-year, $3.5 million contract that includes a club option for 2012 with reliever Octavio Dotel, according to FOXSports.com.  The Blue Jays have not confirmed the report.

Kimbrel poised and ready for closer's challenge  —  Craig Kimbrel is only 22.  He's about to get a shot at taking over the Braves closer job this spring, with the retirement of Billy Wagner.  He has a lot on his mind.  —  But at home in Huntsville, Ala. on Tuesday afternoon …

Himelfarb Hears a Hu … Amid widespread protests from fans decrying the organization's inaction, the Mets acquired infielder Chin-lung Hu from the Dodgers for southpaw Mike Antonini.  —  Hu, 27, hit .317/.332/.438 in 223 plate-appearances last year in the hitter friendly Pacific Coast League last season.