Here's the latest from the winter meetings as reported by Scott Miller and Danny Knobler:

Scott says the Brewers are optimistic that veteran free agent pitcher Randy Wolf is moving closer to accepting their three-year offer believed to be worth between $29 and $30 million... Read the post

Danny says Andy Pettitte is close to a deal to return to the Yankees ... Read the post.

CBSSports.com columnist Danny Knobler reports from the winter meetings:

The Brewers are close to a deal with free-agent pitcher Randy Wolf and the Nationals have signed Pudge for two years.

Follow Danny's blog as he continues to report from the Winter Meetings.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Mets received two possible breaks when the Dodgers did not offer arbitration to Randy Wolf and the Giants did not offer arbitration to Bengie Molina.

Both players can can sign elsewhere without draft-pick compensation and the Mets need to restock. The Mets have long wanted Molina and although the Dodgers say otherwise, Sherman suspects the financial situation of the Dodgers' will affect Wolf.


Another report in the Post suggests that although the Mets did not offer any free agents arbitration, the club remains interested in bringing back Carlos Delgado as a one-year bridge to top prospect Ike Davis at first base if Delgado can show GM Omar Minaya that he is healthy again when Minaya goes to Puerto Rico this month to watch him play winter ball. <!-- ad(quigo_intext_narrow,/sports,sports_story) <ad> <id>sports_story_lower</id> <page_type>sports_page</page_type> <quigo_pos>quigo_lower</quigo_pos> <placementid>1482096</placementid> <pid>871776</pid> <width>440</width> <height>225</height> <slug>*</slug> </ad> -->
<script type="text/javascript"><!-- adsonar_placementId=1483943;adsonar
_pid=871776;adsonar_ps=-1;adsonar_z
w=150;adsonar_zh=250;adsonar_jv='ads.adsonar.com'; // --></script> <script src="http://js.adsonar.com/js/adsonar.js"></script> Fernando Tatis, a favorite of Jerry Manuel, also has a chance to return. The Mets’ other free agents are Gary Sheffield, relievers J.J. Putz and Elmer Dessens and infielder Ramon Martinez. Dessens is the only member of that group expected to be back.

According to the Los Angeles Times , GM Ned Colletti said that because the Dodgers didn't offer arbitration to any free agents does not mean their ownership situation is affecting them financially. Colletti said the decision "was made strictly from a baseball perspective."

As for Randy Wolf, a Type A free agent, is seeking a multiple-year deal.  As a Type A free agent,  other teams would will have to part with a high draft choice to sign him. As it was, Wolf said he was drawing interest from other clubs.

Randy Wolf could have earned substantially more in arbitration and Colletti says he remains interested in re-signing Wolf.

A source confirmed to the New York Post that Ben Sheets, 31, would be among a group of second-tier, relatively low-cost starting pitchers the Mets will consider this winter.

The oft-injured Sheets, who last pitched with the Brewers in 2008, has been sidelined since February because of surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his forearm, but he expects to be healthy by spring training.

Free-agent Joel Pineiro, Jason Marquis and Randy Wolf are also in that group.

They're 15-8, in first place in the NL West, but the Dodgers face questions about a rotation that includes three ERAs of 5.50 or more. Behind Chad Billingsley and Randy Wolf, they have Clayton Kershaw, who hasn't pitched out the the fifth inning his last two starts, James McDonald, who has walked a batter an inning this year, and Eric Stults, who's allowing two baserunners an inning. Yahoo's Tim Brown takes stock of the rotation and how Ned Colletti will progress with it.

• Brown says it's unlikely the Dodgers will add Pedro Martinez, Paul Byrd, Odalis Perez or Freddy Garcia.
• One scout's analysis: "There's plenty of pitching available. None you'd want."  
• Brown suggests the Dodgers need a club like the Indians, Reds or Mariners to fall from contention so some quality arms become available.  
• If David Price pitches his way into the Rays' rotation, Jeff Niemann could become trade bait.  

The Dodgers could rely on pitchers already in the organization. Hiroki Kuroda is rehabbing, though MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports the righty is likely weeks away from a return. Jason Schmidt is rehabbing too, according to Gurnick. Jeff Weaver pitched well against the Padres last night and Eric Milton and Shawn Estes are stashed away in the minors.

Links for Wednesday...

• WEEI's Alex Speier points out that Ryan Zimmerman's deal mirrors the Kevin Youkilis extension, despite the difference in performance.  Tyler Hissey of Around The Majors likes the Zimmerman contract nonetheless.
• Speier also reports that the Red Sox placed pitcher Devern Hansack on unconditional release waivers, not long after he dislocated his shoulder.  UPDATE: Hansack will be re-signed to a minor league deal.
• Athletics reliever Joey Devine had Tommy John surgery, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
• Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star talked to Royals GM Dayton Moore, who said the decision to recall Brian Bannister over Luke Hochevar was not financially motivated.
• Randy Wolf doesn't have hard feelings toward the Astros, according to MLB.com's Michael Murphy.  The 'Stros wisely yanked their three-year, $28.5MM offer to Wolf in November.
• Josh Levitt names the worst contract extensions in the game.

MLB.com's Alyson Footer spoke with Astros GM Ed Wade and has the latest on the club.

• The Astros made "11th-hour" offers to Randy Wolf and Braden Looper before they signed elsewhere.
• They offered Wolf a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2010.
• The offers to Wolf and Looper were each for less than $5MM.
• The Astros haven't spoken with Ivan Rodriguez in weeks and never made him a formal offer.
• Wade says he isn't likely to make any moves between now and the regular season.