Yankees finalize 40-man roster  —  Seven prospects protected from upcoming Rule 5 Draft  —  NEW YORK — Moving to protect their Minor Leaguers from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft, the Yankees shifted seven players onto their 40-man roster late Friday afternoon.

Johnson wanted four-year deal  —  There will be no long-term contract for pitcher Josh Johnson with the Florida Marlins this winter, his agent said Friday.  —  Agent Matt Sosnick told ESPN.com that negotiations between the Marlins and Johnson have reached an “impasse,” and Johnson expects to play under a one-year deal in 2010.

Red Sox inquire about Holliday, A. Beltre, M. Gonzalez, R. Ankiel  —  Add four Scott Boras clients to the list of free agents the Red Sox have expressed interest in.  —  Outfielders Matt Holliday and Rick Ankiel, left-handed reliever Mike Gonzalez and third baseman Adrian Beltre have all been discussed …

BATTLE OF BULGE  —  Jenks, Guillen at odds over closer's weight, whether it affected down year in 2009  —  South Side, we have a problem.  —  A 6-4, 285-pound problem that better be resolved before feelings get hurt and relationships are destroyed.  —  After a calf injury ended closer …

11/20 Cubs & Blue Jays talk re: Halladay  —  The Cubs are one of the teams the Blue Jays have contacted regarding pitcher Roy Halladay.  However, before Cubs fans start salivating at the prospect of the former Cy Young winner in the rotation with Ted Lilly, Carlos Zambrano, and Ryan Dempster, there's a catch.

San Diego Padres GM Jed Hoyer has ‘cordial’ meeting with Adrian Gonzalez's agent  —  Adrian Gonzalez's agent met with San Diego general manager Jed Hoyer on Friday, amid ongoing speculation that the Padres might consider trade proposals for the two-time All-Star or offer him a multiyear contract extension this offseason.

Report: Brewers sign Dominican prospect  —  Highly-regarded shortstop will need to pass age verification  —  MILWAUKEE — The Brewers have agreed to terms with 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Santo Aybar, according to a report on ESPN.com.  —  The report, which cited Brewers Latin American …

Jon Heyman: Primer to the free-agent market, from Bay to Wagner … Free agency is finally here, less than a week before Thanksgiving.  And the signings may not come so quick, either.  —  Baseball's powers are still arguing about the state of the game's economics, whether teams are losing money …

Ackley to try second base in January  —  Mariners want outfield prospect to attempt new position  —  Dustin Ackley will start in left field for the Peoria Javelinas in Saturday's Arizona Fall League championship game against the Phoenix Desert Dogs, but the Mariners are going to work him out at second base …

Pirates Claim Chris Jakubauskas Off Waivers from Seattle  —  The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced they have claimed right-handed pitcher Chris Jakubauskas off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.  To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Jeff Karstens has been designated for assignment.

PLAYERS A TO Z, BURKE BADENHOP  —  Burke Badenhop pitches in relief for the Florida Marlins, and owns one of my favorite names in the sport for two reasons:  — You can't spell Badenhop without, “Bad hop.”  — It reminds me of Boris Badenov.  —  In 2009, Burke improved on his rookie season …

Cubs explore Bradley deal that would net Castillo  —  The Cubs continue trying to find ways to move Milton Bradley in packages that would bring them second baseman Luis Castillo from the Mets.  The latest, according to sources, is a three-team deal with the Rangers that would send send …