Sources: Rays, Burrell near two-year, $16M deal  —  Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005.  He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX.

Andy Pettitte Rejects Yankees' Offer, Making Return Uncertain  —  In some ways, Andy Pettitte is no different from the dozens of other free agents to start the new year without a team.  Players all over baseball are waiting for better offers, and teams are searching for bargains.

Romero questions suspension  —  While Major League Baseball never said J.C. Romero tried to cheat, the 33-year-old reliever who won the third and clinching games of the 2008 World Series has been ruled guilty of “negligence” and will be suspended for the first 50 games of the 2009 season.  —  Romero

Confident Mets will not raise offer to Lowe, source says  —  The Mets, confident that they have no serious competition for Derek Lowe's services, do not intend to raise their three-year, $36-million offer to the righthander at this time, a person informed of the club's thinking told Newsday.

Third lefty is added to pen  —  The Cardinals' bullpen puzzle became complete Monday — except for one significant piece.  —  The Cardinals acquired their third lefthanded reliever in two months, signing free agent Royce Ring to a one-year contract.  Ring joins Charlie Manning and Trever Miller …

Manny Ramirez's agent and Dodgers' Ned Colletti are still talking  —  “We still have differences on what we think, but we're still talking,” the Dodgers' general manager says about negotiations with Scott Boras.  —  Manny Ramirez still doesn't have a new offer from the Dodgers …

Marquis could be a hit; Redding remains in mix  —  A confluence of factors led the Rockies to acquiring Jason Marquis, a transaction that will become official tomorrow.  He's a winner, having gone to the playoffs every season of his career.  He's a competitor, posting a 2.51 ERA in his Coors Field cameos.

Ex-Cub Lee Smith doesn't understand lack of Hall love  —  Retired Cubs closer fuming over lack of Hall of Fame votes  —  Jim Murray, the late Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist, once referred to Lee Smith as the active player most likely to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Bidding for Chicago Cubs may be near a conclusion  —  Tribune Co. could announce winner in week to 10 days  —  Tribune Co., owner of the Chicago Cubs, is close to selecting a winning bid for the team from three finalists, according to people familiar with the sales talks.

Nationals miss out on Bradley  —  Slugger picks Cubs; Milledge, Dukes to compete in center  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals wanted free agent Milton Bradley to be their center fielder in 2009, but they found out on Monday that the switch-hitter elected to sign with the Cubs.

Longtime Twins owner Carl Pohlad, 93, dies  —  Carl Pohlad, a working-poor son of the Great Depression who became one of America's wealthiest dealmakers, has died.  He was 93.  —  A financier who came to be best known through his 1984 acquisition of the Minnesota Twins …