Wally Backman feels good about Sandy Alderson meeting, who will also see Terry Collins, Chip Hale  —  Sandy Alderson already has said he doesn't expect the Mets to make a huge splash in the free-agent market that opened at 12:01 Sunday morning.  —  Instead, the recently hired GM continues …

Keith Law's top free agents, Nos. 11-30  —  Hiroki Kuroda, Derek Jeter and Paul Konerko reside on this list  —  Welcome, again, to MLB free agency.  It's a good class, although the 2009-10 group — with Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, John Lackey et al — might have been better.

Busy offseason is ahead for Cardinals  —  Full contact free agency officially opens today.  Any team may now contact any representative for any free agent.  The Cardinals accordingly have prepared their shopping list.  —  A talented but thin club that just left an unfulfilling 86-win season behind believes …

Chiba Lotte captures Japan Series title  —  Another professional baseball championship series went in the books on Sunday, this time in the Far East, as the Chiba Lotte Marines topped the Chunichi Dragons, 8-7, to win the Japan Series.  —  Chiba Lotte, which finished the regular season …

Heyman: Mets Spending Big On Executives  —  As Andrew Vazzano of The 'Ropolitans pointed out via Twitter, perhaps a heavy investment in front office talent will lead to a better investment strategy in player personnel...  eDaPS  —  This is so moronic. “big money on execs rather than players”?

Jamie Moyer Facing Retirement After Elbow Injury?  —  Jamie Moyer has pitched in the majors since 1986, but it may be an injury sustained outside of MLB that forces him to hang up his cleats.  Dionisio Soldevila of Tiempo de Juego reports that Moyer left a game in the Dominican winter league today …

Series MVP Edgar Renteria will return to play another season  —  ORLANDO — Edgar Renteria, the 2010 World Series MVP, has decided against retirement and will return for at least one more year in Major League Baseball.  —  “I'm staying, I feel that I still have a lot of baseball in my body …

Source: Jhonny Peralta, Tigers close  —  Jhonny Peralta and the Detroit Tigers are close to completing an agreement for two years and $11.25 million, according to a source close to the negotiations.  —  “There are some details to be worked out, but there is a mutual interest to finalize this” …

Anderson's homer wins Rising Stars Game  —  After a frenetic first three innings gave way to a nail-biter, Leslie Anderson ended the 2010 Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game with a walk-off solo homer in the ninth Saturday night in Surprise, Ariz.  —  The tie-breaking homer …