New York Yankees' Andy Pettitte to announce retirement … NEW YORK — The Core Four is now down to We Three.  —  As many expected since the New York Yankees 2010 season ended in disappointment in Texas, Andy Pettitte will officially announce his retirement at a news conference at Yankee Stadium at 10:30 a.m. ET on Friday.

White Sox have multiple ninth-inning options  —  CHICAGO — When the White Sox break from Glendale, Ariz., at the end of March, manager Ozzie Guillen will have named an official closer.  —  That original last line of pitching defense won't serve as the team's only closer for a 2011 campaign featuring championship-caliber expectations.

SNY May Be Part of Mets Deal  —  Team Would Consider Selling Part of Network if Needed to Lure Minority Partner  —  The New York Mets would consider selling a portion of its share in the regional sports cable network SNY if it can't otherwise sell a minority stake in the team, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Dye won't settle for minor-league deal  —  Jermaine Dye was first among AL outfielders in homers from 2005-09, yet can't get a job.  —  Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since August 2005.  He appears weekly on MLB on FOX.  Follow him on Twitter.

Cuban Declines to Enter Chase for the Mets  —  Mark Cuban is a big baseball fan with a lot of discretionary income who would love the chance to own a major league franchise.  But not now and not the Mets.  —  “I'm not chasing any more baseball teams,” Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks …

Scott Boras Explains Jayson Werth's 7-Year/$126 Million Dollar Deal With The Washington Nationals.  —  More photos » Mitchell Layton - Getty Images  —  Jayson Werth #28 of the Washington Nationals poses in his jersey as he is introduced to the media on December 15 2010 at Nationals Park in Washington DC.

A Little Bit Softer Now  —  “They have crooked arms.  They throw crooked, they walk crooked, and they think crooked.  They even wear their clothes crooked.  You have to figure they're a little crazy.”  —Al Schacht … —Ray Miller  —  “Just because I'm left-handed and quotable doesn't mean I'm from another solar system.”

Texas Rangers Top 11 Prospects  —  System In 20 Words Or Less: One of the best systems in the game has dropped dramatically due to a combination of graduations, trades, and disappointments.  —  Five-Star Prospects  —  1. Martin Perez, LHP  —  Four-Star Prospects  —  2. Jurickson Profar, SS

Alderson hopes Mets fans catch his thrift  —  Mets on Twitter  —  At this moment, Sandy Alderson is just another salesman trying to convince you to buy into the Mets.  —  He is not attempting to find minority partners for the Wilpons (cue laugh track) as much as foster a majority opinion …

Dodgers avoid arbitration with reliever Kuo  —  LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers and reliever Hong-Chih Kuo reached agreement Wednesday on a one-year, $2.725 million contract, with another $675,000 possible through bonuses.  —  Kuo is coming off a record-breaking All-Star season.