Red Sox Winter Meetings checklist  —  For the purposes of this discussion, let's focus on what the Red Sox really need, not what some fans want.  —  The Fantasy Island checklist — trade for 1B Adrian Gonzalez and RHP Roy Halladay, dump the contracts of Mike Lowell and David Ortiz …

Mets interested in Willingham  —  Add the Mets as one of the teams who have interest in Nationals left fielder Josh Willingham, according to a baseball source.  The Giants, Mariners and Braves are the other teams who reportedly are willing to acquire his services.

Cust could be odd-man out in A's DH search  —  Oakland's deal for jack-of-all-trades hitter Jake Fox in advance of the winter meetings probably wasn't good news for another Jack — slugging designated hitter Jack Cust.  —  If the A's do nothing else in Indianapolis this week …

Let the deals begin!  —  1.  —  WHO'S THE THIRD STARTER?  —  The Yankees want Andy Pettitte back to start behind CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett and say Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes will prepare in spring training as starters.  But at what price for Pettitte, who will be 38 in June?

Cuban Arguelles agrees to deal with Royals  —  The small-market Kansas City Royals are betting big on a free agent they've seen pitch only a handful of times.  —  Noel Arguelles, a 19-year-old left-hander who last year defected from Cuba, agreed to a five-year, $7 million major league deal …

Soriano mulling Braves' arbitration offer  —  Reliever reportedly looks at options prior to Monday deadline  —  ATLANTA — When the Braves signed Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito earlier this week, they did so without much concern about the possibility that Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano would accept their arbitration offers.

Cubs treading water on Bradley … The Cubs are still “not close” to dealing talented yet troubled outfielder Milton Bradley to the Rays or Rangers, the two teams thought to be most interested, sources say.  —  The Cubs, according to a league official, are so far offering to include …

Guillen's words of wisdom  —  Ozzie Guillen traveled from the Florida warmth to the cold of Chicago this past weekend for an important reason other than baseball or to take in a Chicago Blackhawks contest, as he did on Friday night.  Guillen joined Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago …

Piniella may stay beyond 2010  —  After all the drama and speculation last summer about whether Cubs manager Lou Piniella would return for the final year of his contract, it now sounds as though he might be willing to consider staying beyond 2010.  —  For the first time publicly …

What will the Orioles do?  —  Five key questions facing the team heading into the winter meetings  —  Armed with an extensive list of needs and ample payroll flexibility, the Orioles' top decision-makers will descend on Indianapolis this week for baseball's annual winter meetings.

Marlins To Deal Lindstrom At Meetings?  —  Matt Lindstrom is “virtually certain” to be traded at the winter meetings, if not before, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Of the six teams that have expressed interest in the soon-to-be 30-year-old, three have stepped to the forefront in recent days.