ZITO'S SLIP IS SHOWING  —  There is doubt steeped all over Barry Zito's situation.  Primarily, it is doubt about whether he would take less money in New York or more money in Texas.  —  But there also is doubt about the pitcher himself: Whether he's already slipping, whether he's worth …

Veteran Klesko a Giant; now what about Bonds?  —  Ex-Padre gets one-year deal; club still working on language of Barry's contract  —  Ryan Klesko became the latest in a swell of former San Diego Padres to follow manager Bruce Bochy up the coast Tuesday, when the Giants signed the veteran …

Phils shape outfield, add veteran catcher  —  The Phillies expect outfielder Jayson Werth to be healthy and ready to play come spring training.  —  The team officially announced yesterday that Werth, who missed 2006 and part of 2005 with a left-wrist injury, had signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with performance bonuses.

Phil Sheridan |  Another great athlete leaving too soon  —  Step up onto the float, Allen Iverson, and wave to the crowd as you go by.  —  The parade has a new grand marshal.  Unfortunately, it's not the parade Philadelphia has been waiting for since 1983.

DOUG: I DIG YANKS  —  Doug Mientkiewicz would love to play for the Yankees, but if he doesn't, the free agent says another team is going to get a completely healthy first baseman.  —  "I am doing great," said Mientkiewicz, who underwent back surgery in late August to repair a herniated disc that invaded his nerve root.

Rangers' Gagne OK with a change  —  New Rangers closer says he's on track for pitching in the spring  —  ARLINGTON - Eric Gagne grew up idolizing John Wetteland.  Now, he'll get the chance to imitate him.  —  The Rangers will ask Gagne, who signed a one-year deal worth $6 million in base salary Tuesday …

Hendry nears deal with Floyd  —  Cubs general manager Jim Hendry began recruiting Cliff Floyd as the baseball coach at Creighton nearly 16 years ago.  Now he's finally on the verge of reeling him in.  —  Sources said late Tuesday the Cubs were close to signing Floyd to an incentive-laden deal …

Yankees Are Taking a Look at Loretta  —  The Yankees' search for a first baseman has veered from one veteran to another, with a homegrown player and a Rule 5 draft pick mixed in.  The latest name to surface is Mark Loretta, a free agent, who spent last season as the second baseman for the Boston Red Sox.

Agent says Pirates among top suitors for Suppan  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  The Pirates' hot-and-cold pursuit of free-agent starter Jeff Suppan apparently is heating up again.  —  They are one of three teams making the most serious bid for his services …

White to sign with Twins  —  Rondell White and the Twins are close to a deal that would guarantee him $2.75 million next season, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.  The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the week, pending him passing a physical.

Backman hired as manager for independent league team  —  ALBANY, Ga. (AP) — Wally Backman has another chance to manage.  —  Two years after he was fired by the Arizona Diamondbacks just four days following his hiring, Backman was announced Wednesday as manager of the South Georgia Peanuts in the independent South Coast League.

Yankees  —  'Embrace' A-Rod  —  Strawberry urges pal Jeter to bring Rodriguez into Yanks' inner circle  —  Darryl Strawberry admitted that he hasn't been around the Yankees much in the last few years.  Nor has he communicated much with Derek Jeter, his old teammate.

The Mid-Rotation Starters of Your Dreams  —  It's no secret that any free agent capable of throwing 180 innings in the major leagues is going to have a lucrative offseason.  Most of them already have, making the remaining options even more desirable.  —  The two most notable pitchers still …

Mailbag: A's planning any big moves?  —  A's beat writer Mychael Urban answers fans' questions  —  Welcome to a rare mid-week edition of the mailbag.  We're breaking form in part because it's been a month since the last edition, and the e-mails continued to pour in as I was recovering from shoulder surgery.

Matsuzaka will give this a spin  —  Lifestyle issues aside, the biggest change Daisuke Matsuzaka may face here is pitching in a five-man rotation, according to lefthanded pitcher Alex Graman, a former Yankee farmhand who last season spent his first year in Japan as Matsuzaka's teammate on the Seibu Lions.