Obstacles to Bedard trade  —  Clubs line up to bid on Baltimore's stud left-hander  —  NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Teams are starting to salivate over the prospect of trading for Orioles ace Erik Bedard, who has wisely refused to sign Baltimore's three-year offer to remain with baseball's messiest organization.

Mets back in Santana race  —  Twins talk to others while negotiating with Red Sox  —  NASHVILLE, Tenn — With the Red Sox still trying to match names with the Twins, other teams — including the Mets — are trying to jump into the Johan Santana sweepstakes, SI.com has learned.

Santana/Reyes/Haren Blockbuster Quashed  —  UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 5:45pm: Billy Beane, who rarely comments on trade rumors, actually went out of his way to call mine below a "total fabrication."  I guess I should be proud, right?  It sounds like I was the victim of an elaborate hoax/impersonated sportswriter.

Winter Meetings, Day Three  —  3:30 p.m. ET: A Minnesota official said Wednesday that he is "99 percent sure" that left-hander Johan Santana will still be a Twin when the meetings end Thursday.  The Twins still figure to deal Santana sometime before spring training, though it now seems …

Schilling rule?  —  NASHVILLE - The Baseball Writers' Association of America voted this morning to approve a resolution in which, starting in 2013, all contracts that have financial terms attached to major awards will not be eligible for consideration for that award.

Cubs turn focus to Roberts  —  After they were unsuccessful in their attempts to sign Kazuo Matsui, the Cubs have turned their attention to Baltimore's All-Star second baseman Brian Roberts.  —  Roberts hit .290 with 12 homers, 57 RBIs and a .377 on-base percentage during the 2007 season.

Sources: HGH suspension in works for Jose Guillen  —  The Major League Baseball Players Association is negotiating with MLB officials on a possible 10- to 15-day suspension for outfielder Jose Guillen for his reported involvement in the purchase of steroids and human growth hormone …

Ten weeks until the four magic words....  Almost all of the Braves' moves have already been made, and we still have 10 weeks left until we head toward Dark Star and the most splendid four-word phrase: Pitchers and catchers report.  —  Ten weeks to pick apart, praise, criticize, bitch, moan and project.

Riske signs three-year, $13 million deal  —  Nashville - I know some folks were beginning to question whether the Brewers' deal with free agent reliever David Riske actually was going to happen but it became official this morning when the sides agreed to a three-year deal that guarantees him $13 million.

Melvin tempers enthusiasm over Iguchi  —  Nashville - The agent for free agent infielder Tadahito Iguchi made it sound earlier today as if the Brewers were so interested in his client that an offer would be forthcoming.  —  But Brewers general manager Doug Melvin just said he isn't planning …