ESPN Breaks Up ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ Team  —  ESPN ended its 20-year association with Jon Miller and Joe Morgan as the voices of “Sunday Night Baseball” on Monday.  They declined to renew Morgan's contract and have asked Miller if he wants to stay on as the radio voice of the Sunday night games.

Source: Yanks will overpay Derek Jeter  —  Derek Jeter is going to be paid Ryan Howard money for putting up Marco Scutaro numbers.  —  “The Yankees are going to overpay him,” said a source with intimate knowledge of the discussions between the team and Casey Close, Jeter's agent.

History Lessons With Bud  —  Look, I like Bud Selig.  Veteran readers of this blog will know that when I start that way — with “I like Person X” — that usually follows with me attempting to then skewer Person X. Well, I can't help it.  I do like Bud.  I like him for two main reasons, I think.

DePodesta Joins Alderson in Mets Front Office  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Paul DePodesta is joining Sandy Alderson in the New York Mets' front office, the second high-profile hiring by the new general manager.  —  DePodesta, the former GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was hired as vice president …

Source: Tsuyoshi Nishioka to be posted  —  Tsuyoshi Nishioka, a 26-year-old middle infielder for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League in Japan, will be posted for MLB teams this week, a source close to the situation said Monday.  —  Nishioka won the Pacific League batting title this year with a .346 average.

Blue Jays complete coaching staff for 2011  —  The Toronto Blue Jays announce the following additions to the coaching staff of manager John Farrell for the 2011 season.  Joining Brian Butterfield, Third Base Coach, & Bruce Walton, Pitching Coach, will be Don Wakamatsu, Bench Coach …

Cliff Lee's agent, Darek Braunecker, says decision won't come quickly as Yankees chase lefty ace  —  Cliff Lee is the marquee free agent on the market this winter, and according to his agent, that isn't going to change anytime soon.  —  Two days into Lee's first free-agent experience …

Washburn interested in comeback with Crew  —  Veteran lefty played under new manager Roenicke with Angels  —  MILWAUKEE — It sounds like left-hander Jarrod Washburn is interested in a comeback with his home-state Brewers.  —  Washburn, who hails from western Wisconsin …

A's win bidding for Japan's Iwakuma  —  The Oakland A's have taken another step in filling out one of the game's most intriguing starting rotations in winning the bidding for Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, SI.com has confirmed.  —  Agent Don Nonura tweeted Monday that the A's had won …

Expansion Era Committee to Consider 12 Candidates for Hall of Fame Election at December's Winter Meetings  —  Ballot Features Eight Long-Retired Players, Three Executives and One Manager for Consideration of Careers Whose Greatest Impact Felt from 1973-present

Potential free-agent busts (Pavano, Wood) and bargains (Garland, Lee) … No teams want to make a mistake in free agency, as a bad contract can hamper a franchise for years (although the world champion Giants overcame bad deals for Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand).  Nobody wants to add the wrong person to their clubhouse, either.

Source: Red Sox eye Jayson Werth  —  BOSTON — The Red Sox, as expected, have contacted agent Scott Boras regarding their interest in free-agent outfielder Jayson Werth, according to a baseball source.  —  There was no word yet on whether the team was pursuing outfielder Carl Crawford, although that would appear to be a no-brainer.