Rangers, Yanks play waiting game … In the race for free agent left-hander Cliff Lee, people familiar with the talks indicate that the the New York Yankees have a big advantage over the Texas Rangers in terms of total guaranteed dollars offered and also have one more guaranteed year currently on the table.

Crawford: I wanted to stay in AL East, am willing to bat (or play) anywhere in lineup  —  Carl Crawford just held his first press conference with the Red Sox, and here are some quick highlights:  —  * On picking the Red Sox: “I really wanted to stay in the AL East, so when I heard Boston was interested I was definitely excited.”

Recap: Sandy Alderson Conf.  Call with Bloggers  —  Tonight on a conference call with Mets bloggers, Mets GM Sandy Alderson said the team has identified the final coaching staff, but, due to some administrative issues, he will make the formal announcement either Monday or Tuesday of next week.

Third baseman Evan Longoria would welcome long-term extension to be Tampa Bay Ray for life  —  ST. PETERSBURG — Okay, so not all the news is bad for the Rays this week.  —  All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria said Friday that he would like to stay with the Rays for his whole career …

Yankees have made one-year offer to former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin: source  —  The Yankees plan on giving Jesus Montero a shot to win the starting catching job this spring, but the phenom may have to beat out a veteran other than Jorge Posada for the gig.

Angels Reach Agreement With Scott Downs  —  The Angels have agreed to terms on a three-year, $15MM contract with Scott Downs.  Peter Gammons was the first to report the numbers of the deal, while FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal adds that the deal is pending a physical and Downs can earn …

Dodgers ink Castro to Minor League deal  —  LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers signed infielder Juan Castro to a Minor League contract on Saturday, with an invite to Major League Spring Training camp.  It will be Castro's fourth stint in the organization.  —  Castro, 38, will receive $500,000 …

White Sox Pitcher Mark Buehrle Pays Vet Bills for Dog Shot by Arrow  —  A Shetland sheep dog with an arrow shot through its abdomen is recovering from surgery today.  —  Rescue workers in Alton discovered the dog early yesterday morning with an arrow protruding from both its sides and rushed the animal to a local veterinarian.

On the Mets beat  —  Winter Meetings Post-Mortem: Alderson, Reyes and Boof  —  Just a few finishing thoughts on the Mets' week at the winter meetings:  — Being in Orlando, I missed the talk-radio outrage over the Mets' relative inactivity at the winter meetings.