Maddon, Piniella named top skippers  —  Two colorful characters tabbed AL, NL Managers of the Year  —  Joe Maddon and the man he succeeded as Tampa Bay manager, Lou Piniella, were named Managers of the Year in the American League and National League, respectively, by the Baseball Writers' Association …

Yanks, Marte agree to three-year deal  —  Reliever, 33, gives Bombers solid left-hander in the bullpen  —  NEW YORK — The possibility of operating without an established left-handed option out of the bullpen, as the Yankees did for much of last season, is no longer a concern.

Nationals not pursuing Manny  —  Team interested in Rockies' Gonzalez to fill center field  —  WASHINGTON — There have been several reports recently that the Nationals have expressed interest in free-agent outfielder Manny Ramirez.  Not so, according to general manager Jim Bowden.

White Sox GM might consider dealing Dye  —  Williams might trade slugging outfielder; Jenks not untouchable  —  In his attempt to field a younger and quicker team for the future, White Sox general manager Ken Williams and high-level staff members currently are evaluating talent at the Arizona Fall League.

Tidbits on Big Unit, Peavy  —  A couple of quick updates on a pair of notable pitchers . . .  - Looks like a big meeting in Arizona tonight between the Diamondbacks and Randy Johnson could go far in determining whether the Big Unit, a free agent, remains in Arizona, as is his preference, or has to seek employment elsewhere.

Weathers: Time to ‘turn page’  —  Free-agent reliever believes he won't return to Reds next season  —  CINCINNATI — Veteran reliever and free agent David Weathers is pretty convinced that his days with the Reds are over.  —  “As far as I'm concerned, I've flipped the page,” Weathers told MLB.com on Wednesday.

Orioles unveil new look to uniforms  —  Subtle changes made to logo; Maryland patch added to jersey  —  BALTIMORE — It's a new look and a new identity.  The Orioles unveiled several changes to their uniform and logo Wednesday, most of which are designed around underlining the team's presence in the local community.

Crasnick: A victim of bad timing … The first big item on Ben Sheets' offseason agenda comes Dec. 14, when he will serve as grand marshal of the Christmas parade in Gonzales, La. — aka “the jambalaya capital of the world.”  —  Sometime before spring training, Sheets will find out where he'll be pitching in 2009.

Carl Pavano says he is open to returning to Florida Marlins  —  WEST PALM BEACH — Right-hander Carl Pavano says he is open to a reunion with the Marlins.  And wherever he winds up, Pavano is determined to shed his label as one of the biggest free-agent busts in baseball history.

Colletti denies Martin trade rumors  —  Dodgers GM wants to protect club's young nucleus of players  —  LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are not trying to trade catcher Russell Martin, haven't yet spoken to the agent for free-agent pitcher CC Sabathia and are considering right-hander James McDonald for a bullpen role.

For free-agent pitchers, it's buyer beware  —  Historically speaking, we needn't look far to recognize that pitching can be as volatile as stocks, albeit on a far more consistent basis.  For every good long-term pitching deal that pans out, there are seemingly several that do not.

Reds to receive environmental award  —  Recycling, conservation and carbon-neutral games earn recognition  —  CINCINNATI — For their environmental efforts this year, the Reds are being recognized by Hamilton County.  —  On Thursday, the Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District …

Astros make offers to Brocail, Wolf  —  Club looking to bring two of three remaining free agents back into fold  —  The Astros have offered contracts to two of their three remaining free agents, pitchers Randy Wolf and Doug Brocail, Astros general manager Ed Wade confirmed to MLB.com on Wednesday.