Cashman still a Pavano fan  —  DANA POINT, Calif. - When Carl Pavano walked off the mound on Sept. 25, most people assumed it would be the last time he would ever wear a Yankees uniform.  —  Not so fast.  —  Pavano, one of the biggest free-agent busts of all-time, could wind …

GM Towers seeks to end Padres' year of turmoil by dealing Peavy  —  Towers said Monday he's more concerned with quality than quantity, noting that to sell a Peavy trade to San Diego's beleaguered baseball fans, a return of two or three high-end players would trump receiving a batch of five or six marginal players.

Agent: Mets can save money with Brian Fuentes  —  DANA POINT, Calif. - Francisco Rodriguez may be the new single-season record holder after posting 62 saves with the Angels.  But the better free-agent value among closers is Brian Fuentes, according to agent Rick Thurman.

Epstein going to work  —  Varitek's status high on agenda  —  THEO EPSTEINConfirms extension with Sox  —  DANA POINT, Calif. - Theo Epstein may have been one of the last to arrive at baseball's general managers' meetings yesterday, but it wasn't because he was slacking off.

Wanna win?  Put Joba in pen  —  The Yankees used to dominate opponents by shortening the game.  If you didn't get 'em before Mariano and Co. came in, you weren't getting 'em at all.  —  This year, the Phillies dominated October the same way.  Get 'em before Brad “Coffin” Lidge and his setup men come in, or forget 'em.

Maddux leaning toward retirement, Boras says  —  DANA POINT, Calif. - Greg Maddux, who won 355 games and four Cy Young Awards in a 23-year career, is very close to retiring, his agent, Scott Boras, said Monday night.  —  “He hasn't made a final decision,” Boras said on the first day of baseball's general managers' meetings.

Pitching coach shuffle  —  The Rangers made Mike Maddux one of the game's highest-paid pitching coaches, luring him away from the Brewers with a two-year contract that is worth at least $500,000 per season and includes a club option for a third year, major-league sources say.

D-Backs to gauge FA market  —  DANA POINT, Calif. - Baseball's off-season began here Monday at a picturesque hotel along the Pacific Ocean, a resort not far from where Randy Johnson owns a home.  —  The Diamondbacks didn't take the opportunity to address the uncertain future of their Hall …

Randolph may get ‘second’ interview with Zduriencik  —  DANA POINT, Calif. — When Willie Randolph was interviewing for the Milwaukee Brewers' managerial job that ultimately went to Ken Macha, he had to deal with more than just general manager Doug Melvin.  —  Melvin's top assistant at the time was Jack Zduriencik.

Tampa Bay Rays - 2008 MLB Organization of the Year  —  It seemed there was a never-ending stream of superlatives when it came time to describe our selection as the 2008 MLB Organization of the Year.  Unconventional, youthful, tenacious, coming of age, and plucky were but a handful.

‘WORST’ FIELDER IN MAJORS  —  A group that tracks every ball hit in the majors says Derek Jeter is the worst fielder in baseball.  —  Stats guru Bill James, author of the “Baseball Abstract,” and a panel of nine other voters, ranked Jeter 22nd among all major-league shortstops …