NY Yankees head into winter meetings with plans to lower budget … NEW YORK — The Yankees wrapped up their organizational meetings on Friday afternoon, allowing general manager Brian Cashman to focus his attention on filling his team's holes heading into baseball's winter meetings.

Red Sox, Scutaro agree to two-year deal  —  Veteran shortstop has physical scheduled for Friday  —  BOSTON — The Red Sox have come to terms on a two-year deal with free-agent shortstop Marco Scutaro, MLB.com has learned through a source close to the situation.

Brewers sign catcher Zaun  —  The Brewers didn't wait for the start of next week's Winter Meetings to make their first Major League free agent signing.  —  The team on Friday inked switch-hitting catcher Gregg Zaun to a one-year deal with a club option for 2011 in a move that signaled the end of Jason Kendall's tenure in Milwaukee.

Los Angeles Dodgers Top 10 Prospects  —  Los Angeles Dodgers … The Dodgers' back-to-back National League West titles in 2008 and 2009 were in many ways a tribute to their scouting and player-development departments, even if the spotlight always seemed to shine on the antics of Manny Ramirez and the sage wisdom of manager Joe Torre.

David Wright one of Mets' mysteries  —  David Wright showing frustration during one game at Citi Field last season.  The wishful thinkers in the Mets organization are ready to call 2009 an aberration, but the question is why.  Wright is playing in a new ballpark he obviously hates …

The Mets Sign Henry Blanco  —  So, the Mets signed Hank Blank to a 1-year $1.5 million contract yesterday.  The reaction was predictable—déjà vu all over again.  And while giving a 38-year-old backup catcher a $1.5MM contract has shades of the Alex Cora deal …

The 10 worst baseball contracts of the 2000s  —  Baseball knows how to do the disastrous contract better than any other sport.  There is an overflowing graveyard of doozies, terrain teeming with wasted dollars and disappointments.  And nothing empowered the inborn idiocy of bad baseball executives quite …

Mariners On Verge Of Signing Chone Figgins  —  9:04pm: Stark says that the two sides are “very close” to finalizing a deal.  He adds that Figgins would be guaranteed $36MM over four years, and there are indications that the deal will include a vesting option that could push the value of the contract to $45MM.

Brewers want to keep Counsell  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  I spoke with Brewers general manager Doug Melvin last night in advance of the annual winter meetings next week in Indianapolis.  He said his focus remains on acquiring starting pitching help but said he also plans …

Rangers claim Inglett off waivers  —  Addition gives Texas more options in the infield  —  ARLINGTON — The Rangers have added another candidate for the utility infielder role by claiming infielder Joe Inglett off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.  —  Inglett joins Esteban German …

Rox could shift to Hawkins if Betancourt departs  —  The Rockies have developed a contingency free-agency plan if they are unable to sign Rafael Betancourt, given their conservative return date for Taylor Buchholz.  —  LaTroy Hawkins, a key member of the 2007 bullpen, has become a top target along with Oakland's Justin Duchscherer.

When is a fly ball a line drive?  —  Let's talk about parallax.  —  Simply put, parallax is a phenomenon in which the apparent position of an object can change based upon the location of the observer.  Let's consider a very modest change in location—moving from the driver's seat to the passenger's seat of a car.

Wren heading to Indy with a shorter shopping list  —  Now that we know that Tiger Woods wasn't slipping out in the middle of the night to take advantage of one of last week's door-buster sales, it's time to focus on the remaining shopping list that Braves general manager Frank Wren …

Dodgers come to terms with RHP Justin Miller on a minor-league deal  —  Right-hander Justin Miller has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Dodgers, according to a source with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity.  The deal includes an invitation to spring training.