Mike Puma of the New York Post reports a deal between Derek Lowe and the New York Mets is not as close as had been reported by various sources earlier in the week.  The team is hesitant to give Lowe four and $60MM in the current environment while Oliver Perez and Rany Wolf remain available.  Given Perez has the same agent as Lowe, this type of thinking will either not work or force the Mets towards Randy Wolf.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports the Oakland A's have had conversations with outfielders Garrett Anderson and Bobby Abreu in case DH Jason Giambi doesn't move from his demand for a three-year deal.  How about just going ahead and signing Abreu?  Maybe the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, two teams mentioned by Ms. Slusser as interested in the New York Yankees' former RF, have taken Abreu's price into territory that makes the A's interest an obvious bluff?

Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe examines Plan B for the Boston Red Sox.  Despite Mark Teixeira's refusal to take the Sox's $170 million, Ms. Benjamin notes that pile of dough is not sitting there for the taking.  The team has a large hole at catcher to fill and a rich team's luxury of considering Mark Kotsay as upgradable at the 4th oufielder slot.

She reports the price of a young major league ready catcher such as Miguel Montero or Jarrod Saltalamacchia remains at a level the Red Sox are unwilling to pay - pitcher Clay Buchholz.  If not, then the Red Sox will have to decide how much going back to Jason Varitek will cost.

Geez, still no Pat Burrell rumor sightings.