Lowell trade is off  —  Rangers discover he needs surgery  —  Don't toss away your Mike Lowell jersey.  For now, the third baseman is staying with the Red Sox.  —  Lowell was found to have a torn ligament in his right thumb during a physical conducted by the Rangers yesterday in Arlington …

Lowell surgery nixes Sox-Rangers deal  —  Boston third baseman has torn ligament in right thumb  —  ARLINGTON — Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right thumb that will require surgery and ends the possibility of him being traded to the Rangers, sources said Saturday.

Ryan Dempster likes Milton Bradley trade  —  Chicago Cub starter thinks Carlos Silva will help club  —  Stan Mikita catches and pitcher Ryan Dempster, delivers the first pitch at the opening of “The Rink at Wrigley” by the Chicago Cubs on the parking lot of Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday, December 19, 2009.

Too many closers, not enough jobs  —  For some closers, the free-agent game of musical chairs is not likely to end well.  —  Too many of 'em are on the market.  Not enough well-paying, ninth-inning jobs remain.  —  Two more closers — Pirates righty Matt Capps and Nationals righty Mike MacDougal …

What does Johnny Damon do now?  —  About 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon at Boras Corp. in Newport Beach, Calif., the phone rang and the New York Yankees made their only official contract offer to Johnny Damon  —  It was for $14 million over two years, which was double - in terms of length and value …