Yankees prepared to brush Jeter back  —  Tweet  —  ORLANDO, Fla. — In a meeting in Tampa last week, Yankees officials did the requisite lap of respect with Derek Jeter.  They honored his place in organization history, his meaning to the fan base and his legacy on and off the field.

Braves ecstatic to have Uggla join them  —  McCann, Gonzalez effusive in praise for new second baseman  —  ATLANTA — Brian McCann certainly didn't feel the need to temper the excitement he felt when he learned that the Braves had acquired second baseman Dan Uggla from the Marlins on Tuesday.

Sox will draw line on Beltre, Martinez  —  ORLANDO - One major league source indicated last night that the Sox will go no more than four years, $52 million for Adrian Beltre.  And they appear to be on the same type of path with Victor Martinez.  —  Beltre's agent, Scott Boras …

Tigers, right-hander Joaquin Benoit nearing deal  —  The Detroit Tigers are nearing a multi-year agreement with right-hander Joaquin Benoit, major-league sources told FOXSports.com.  —  The deal could be for as long as three years, sources say.  —  Benoit, 33, is one of the more intriguing arms in a deep class of relief pitchers.

Counting Down to Managers  —  The BBWAA countdown clock is set to announce both Managers of the Year at 2 PM EST. Bud Black and Ron Gardenhire rated highest for me.  Black took a team with little hope of winning and almost pulled off a division victory.  I rated Black, Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker 1-2-3.

Owners trinkle into GM meetings; Floyd name to file away  —  ORLANDO — MLB is about the CBA this week.  General managers have spent much of the last two days discussing the collective bargaining agreement, which expires after next season.  There are a number of issues to address, including the draft.

Twins might look to Japan to add speed to their middle infield  —  Club expected to bid for Japanese Pacific batting champ.  —  ORLANDO - After using the veteran duo of J.J. Hardy and Orlando Hudson this year, the Twins are weighing several middle-infield options for next year …

Reinsdorf: Not a duo-die situation with Oz, Williams  —  ORLANDO, Fla. — General manager Ken Williams can add anybody he wants to the White Sox' roster, and manager Ozzie Guillen can redefine “Ozzie Ball” into anything he wants it to be.  —  But until only one of them is left standing with the White Sox …

Ubaldo places third in NL Cy Young vote  —  DENVER — Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez doesn't mind falling short of the National League Cy Young Award, which went to Roy Halladay on Tuesday.  —  Jimenez vows that his breakout performance in 2010 — 19-8, 2.88 ERA — was just a beginning.

Yankees looking into trade for Diamondbacks' outfielder Justin Upton  —  ORLANDO — The Yankees have inquired about trading with the Diamondbacks for outfielder Justin Upton, according a person with knowledge of the situation, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks.

Bryce Harper likely to start 2011 in Class A Hagerstown  —  First overall pick Bryce Harper, currently tearing up the Arizona Fall League, a league packed with the most promising prospects in baseball, will begin the season in Class A Hagerstown, General Mike Rizzo said last night.

Park, Pirates interested in reunion  —  Pitcher's agent, GM Huntington continuing contract talks  —  PITTSBURGH — There remains mutual interest between the Pirates and Chan Ho Park to have the veteran right-handed reliever return to Pittsburgh in 2011.  —  General manager Neal Huntington …