Yankees sign Branyan to minor-league deal  —  The Yankees agreed Wednesday to sign Russell Branyan to a minor-league deal with an invitation to major league spring training.  —  The move does not impact the team's chances of adding another lefty bat and it remains in the hunt for Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Raul Ibanez.

Law: Ranking the farm systems  —  Thanks to some shrewd trades over the past year, San Diego's system is stacked

Padres reach deal with veteran hurler Suppan  —  SAN DIEGO — The Padres agreed to a Minor League deal with veteran pitcher Jeff Suppan on Wednesday, a deal which includes an invitation to Major League camp for Spring Training.  —  Suppan, 37, has a 138-143 record in 442 Major League games …

Wilpons apply to high court in Madoff case  —  The owners of the New York Mets are taking their battle with the trustee in the Bernard Madoff case to the U.S. Supreme Court — at least they are trying to.  —  In a little noticed filing last Friday, Sterling Equities Associates …

A's owner: San Jose ruling wait is ‘excruciating’  —  SAN JOSE, Calif. — Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff said Wednesday that the indecision by Major League Baseball over whether his club can move to San Jose has been “excruciating” but that he believes the process is finally nearing an end.

Reds Designate Carlos Fisher For Assignment  —  The Reds designated righty Carlos Fisher to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Ryan Ludwick, reports MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.  Jeff Francis' minor league deal with the Reds was also finalized.  —  Fisher, 28, has compiled a 4.74 ERA …

Jed Lowrie, Astros agree to 1-year deal  —  HOUSTON — Jed Lowrie and the Houston Astros have avoided an arbitration hearing, agreeing to a $1.15 million, one-year contract.  —  The team announced the deal Wednesday.  Lowrie asked for $1.5 million in arbitration, while the Astros offered $900,000.

The Weighting is the Hardest Part  —  To access the 2012 PECOTA spreadsheet, click here. … —T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land  —  PECOTA has arrived.  —  BP's projection system, at its core, follows the same basic principles as it has before.  We begin with our baseline projections …

Sources: Rangers, Andrus agree on deal  —  The Texas Rangers reached agreement Tuesday on a three-year contract with shortstop Elvis Andrus, according to major league sources.  —  The deal, which will cover all three of Andrus' arbitration years, is expected to be in the $14 million to $15 million range.

Bonifacio beats Marlins in arbitration  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Emilio Bonifacio became the second player to defeat the Miami Marlins in salary arbitration this year.  —  Bonifacio was awarded a $2.2 million salary by a three-person panel on Wednesday rather than the Marlins' offer of $1.95 million.