Source: Phils pursue Polanco  —  The Philadelphia Phillies are targeting Placido Polanco as their next third baseman, according to a source familiar with their thinking.  And they were making a “very serious” effort to sign the 34-year-old free agent Wednesday, the source told ESPN.com.

Smallest free-agent outlays 1999 to 2008 (approximate in millions)  —  But then again, you knew that already.  Even in years in which free-agent outlay is diminished by a high percentage — and this is probably going to be one of those years — the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox are usually pretty active, relative to teams like the Pirates.

Report: New York Mets close to signing San Diego Padres catcher Henry Blanco  —  The Mets appeared to be closing in on a deal with free-agent catcher Henry Blanco.  The Venezuelan newspaper “El Nacional” reported Blanco had left that country Sunday for a physical with the Mets.

Jon Heyman>DAILY SCOOP  —  More ColumnsEmail JonFollow Jon Heyman on  —  Halladay talk likely to top winter meetings bill; more notes (cont.)  —  Around the majors  —  • The Red Sox remain interested in Marco Scutaro at shortstop.  Scutaro told his hometown Venezuelan paper Diario Panorama …

Players want longer first round of postseason  —  Buzz up!  —  NEW YORK (AP)—Get ready for more postseason baseball games—and fewer off days.  —  Players would like to see the first round of playoffs expand to best-of-seven when their next labor contract starts in 2012 …

Enberg to be hired as Padres TV voice  —  Legendary broadcaster to call about 120 games in 2010  —  SAN DIEGO — “Oh my!”  The Padres have landed a legend for their television broadcast team — Dick Enberg, who is considered not only one of the most versatile broadcasters in sports, but also one of the most recognized.

Red Sox lean toward re-signing Bay  —  Amid the debate over the market's best available left fielder, there's this:  —  Some inside the Boston Red Sox front office lean toward re-signing Jason Bay  —  , if only because Bay has proven he will produce in Boston and in the American League East, while Matt Holliday

Ray Lankford for the Hall of Fame: A Completely Dishonest Proposal  —  Background  —  Ray Lankford is my favorite player of all time, and were it not for the unpleasant way in which he first left the Cardinals I would not be blogging about baseball, now or ever.

Coonelly talks Hot Stove, more  —  Bucs team president answers questions in monthly chat … piratefan11: Do you have a reaction to Jayson Stark's article about the amount of money the Pirates receive before selling a single ticket?  —  Coonelly: I have always enjoyed Jayson's writing …

I Have A Complaint  —  For most of USSM's existence, we served as the voice of why everything the Mariners were doing was wrong.  Not that we wanted to, but the organization made so many bad decisions that we wrote millions of words explaining why they just screwed up.

Jeter: ‘Everybody makes mistakes’  —  Yankees' captain admits he's far from perfect in interview  —  NEW YORK — Derek Jeter may seem like he has mastered how to maneuver in the bright lights of the big city, but the Yankees' shortstop is ready to admit that even he slips up from time to time.

Tom Hicks' plan to retain Texas Rangers hits a snag  —  Rangers owner Tom Hicks' last, best attempt to retain control of the team may have hit an insurmountable obstacle.  —  Since announcing two weeks ago that he was forming his own group to try and hold on to the team …

Yankees start offseason meetings  —  George Steinbrenner was not on hand when the Yankees started their organizational meetings with an afternoon session Wednesday at the team's spring training complex in Tampa, Fla.  —  Team president Randy Levine and chief operating officer Lonn Trost …