Yankees show interest in lefthanded pitcher Jorge de la Rosa, who played with Rockies last season  —  The Yankees have targeted Cliff Lee as their top pitching priority on this winter's free-agent market, but that doesn't mean they're not looking at backup plans.

Mets managerial search continues  —  Terry Collins, Clint Hurdle and Bob Melvin have emerged as leading candidates in the New York Mets' search for a manager, according to sources familiar with the process.  —  Each has previous major league managerial experience and is expected to be invited back for a second-round interview.

Silver Slugger winners not your usual suspects  —  CarGo, Bautista, Uggla, Tulo among first-timers to earn award  —  There was a changing of the guard among the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winners.  —  While some of the usual names appeared among the victors when the results …

Rangers could make offseason splash  —  FOX Sports  —  It is a new world for the Rangers, all right.  —  The defending American League champions, major-league sources say, are in strong enough financial position to add not one but two top free agents — left-hander Cliff Lee and catcher Victor Martinez.

D-backs close to signing Geoff Blum  —  PHOENIX — The D-backs are on the verge of taking their first step towards strengthening their bench.  —  Arizona is closing in on a deal with veteran free agent Geoff Blum on a two-year contract a baseball source confirmed Thursday.

Jaso not taking anything for granted  —  Catcher working hard this offseason in preparation for 2011  —  ST. PETERSBURG — John Jaso goes through life to a little different beat.  —  Take his iPod for starters.  Rather than filling his ears with rap music that's so popular with most of his teammates …

Experts split on Carl Crawford vs. Jayson Werth  —  Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth?  —  It's a question several general managers, including perhaps the Red Sox [team stats]' Theo Epstein, will ask this winter.  Crawford and Werth are at the top of the free agent pecking order …

Epstein: Sox want Beltre, V-Mart back  —  Theo Epstein just did a conference call with the beat writers.  The transcript will follow but here are a few of the highlights:  —  • In strong terms, he said the Red Sox want Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez back and are pursuing them.

Morneau blasts homer-unfriendly dimensions at Target Field  —  The Twins slugger said he wished the club would adjust the outfield fences.  ‘Right-center to left-center is ridiculous,’ Morneau said in an e-mail to the Star Tribune.  —  When the Twins announced this week that they were making enhancements …

Yankees' Mark Teixeira walks without limp, defends Derek Jeter's selection as a Gold Glove winner  —  Mark Teixeira Thursday night showed no ill effects from the hamstring strain that ended his season in the fifth inning of Game 4 of the AL Championship Series against the Rangers.

A's Claim Edwin Encarnacion  —  The A's claimed Edwin Encarnacion off of waivers from the Blue Jays, according to the teams.  The third baseman hit 21 home runs last year, more than anyone on the A's.  Encarnacion batted .244/.305/.482 and reached the 20-homer plateau for the second time in his six-year career.

Padres staffers among those stranded on cruise  —  SAN DIEGO — Technically, Padres strength and conditioning coach Jim Malone said, he and his girlfriend were stranded on the Carnival Splendor, the cruise ship that spent three days adrift at sea because of a fire in the engine room.