Red Sox pick up option on Ortiz  —  The team just announced they will pick up the $12.5 million option on David Ortiz.  They also picked up the option for RHP Scott Atchison.  —  As expected, they declined the options on Bill Hall and Felipe Lopez.  —  More to come on this

Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth out of Yankees offseason plans, Cliff Lee tops free agent wish list  —  Having already met with ownership in Tampa earlier this week to hammer out a budget for next season, Brian Cashman huddled at Yankee Stadium Wednesday with his baseball people to figure out how to best spend that money.

Mets Suspend Clubhouse Manager  —  6:39 p.m. |  Updated Charlie Samuels, the Mets' longtime clubhouse manager, has been suspended after the team learned he was tied to a law enforcement investigation into illegal gambling, according to a lawyer briefed on the matter.

Sparky Anderson dies at 76  —  THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Sparky Anderson, the white-haired Hall of Fame manager who directed Cincinnati Reds's Big Red Machine to back-to-back World Series championships and won another one in Detroit Tigers, died Thursday.  He was 76.

Lots of Candidates, and Who is Dave Jauss  —  The Mets will interview Bob Melvin and Dave Jauss today as they start talking with internal candidates for manager, the team said yesterday on Twitter.  —  From what I can gather out of Citi Field, when all is said and done …

Cliff Lee & Taxes In Texas  —  Despite his two World Series losses, many are assuming that the Yankees will bid top dollar for Texas Rangers pitcher Cliff Lee in free agency.  —  Lee is expected to earn north of $100 million for a five-year contract, which might go higher if it turns into a bidding war.

Roenicke hiring official  —  It's official: Ron Roenicke is the next Milwaukee Brewers field manager.  —  The Brewers made the announcement Thursday morning and planned to introduce Roenicke, 54, at a 1:30 p.m. CT press conference at Miller Park.  Club officials confirmed he was the choice …

The smart way to pay Derek Jeter  —  With the captain a free agent, the Yankees' brass must look past the bottom line  —  NEW YORK — We can only hope that Hal Steinbrenner's first salvo in the Derek Jeter situation was more about provisions and not money.

Casey Kotchman says goodbye; coaching staff to be announced today  —  The Casey Kotchman era came to an abrupt and inglorious end today when the first baseman refused an outright assignment to Class AAA Tacoma and opted for free agency.  Seattle has been clearing room on its 40-man roster …

Inside the rules: tie goes to the runner  —  Many baseball fans, and possibly some players and coaches, believe that a baserunner who reaches first at the same time as the ball is safe.  Those under that impression often will declare, magisterially and emphatically, that the 'tie goes …

Source: Multiyear deal for John Danks?  —  The Chicago White Sox have pushed John Danks near the top of their offseason priorities.  —  According to a source, the team is trying to work a multiyear contract for the left-handed starter into their budget.  So while negotiating …

Sandy Alderson to Interview Wally Backman on Saturday  —  Chris  —  YEAH, Go get Wally!  —  Mr. Seaver  —  Maybe he's in town anyway, and wants to show respect.  Why not?

Ticket Prices, Bloggers and Credentials  —  Yesterday, the Mets announced a reduction in ticket prices for 62 percent of the ballpark, as well as extensive benefits for season ticket holders for 2011, called the Amazin Mets Perks, which you can learn more about here.

Cash sought for Cam Newton  —  During the height of star quarterback Cam Newton's recruitment out of junior college last year, a man saying he represented Newton allegedly was soliciting a six-figure payment to secure his signature on a national letter-of-intent, ESPN.com has learned.

Fielding in the Hardball Times Annual  —  I was inspired to create a one-time special section in this year's Hardball Times Annual.  Due to all of the good material we were receiving related to fielding statistics, it made sense to create a section devoted to this hot topic in sabermetrics.