Indians signed OF Jeremy Hermida to a minor league contract.

Hermida, a former top prospect, hit just .250/.333/.375 across 27 plate appearances last season for the Padres. He’s doubtful to make a big impact in Cleveland.

A Mets official told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that the team has no interest in Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Cafardo suggested this weekend that the rebuilding Mets might be a good fit for Matsuzaka, who has struggled to attract interest this winter after posting an 8.28 ERA over 11 starts in 2012. The 32-year-old right-hander might wind up heading back to his native Japan.

Vinnie Pestano wrote on his Twitter account Monday that he might be in the best shape of his life.

“Best shape I’ve been in a long time,” tweeted the Indians reliever. “Maybe ever.” Pestano has posted an exceptional 2.50 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 11.0 K/9 through 137 career major league innings. He could take over ninth-inning duties from Chris Perez at some point this season.

Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that free agent Jim Thome “remains a possibility” for the Indians.

With Travis Hafner signing with the Yankees this week, the Indians could have interest in Thome on a low-risk contract to serve as a part-time designated hitter. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer batted .252/.344/.442 with eight homers, 25 RBI and a .786 OPS in 186 plate appearances between the Phillies and Orioles this past season, and claims to be fully healthy after dealing with neck and back injuries in 2012.

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports that the Mets are closing in on a deal with free agent Brandon Lyon.

Lyon posted a 3.10 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 63/20 K/BB ratio in 61 innings for the Astros and Blue Jays in 2012. If signed, he’ll be the third right-handed reliever the Mets have added this week after signing LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Atchison. Lyon will presumably serve in a setup role with the Mets, but has closing experience and could serve as an insurance policy behind Frank Francisco.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hears that the Astros and Mets are “kicking around the possibility” of signing Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Matsuzaka will have to settle for a minor league deal, and he could wind up heading back to Japan if he doesn’t like his chances of cracking an Opening Day roster. A report from Sports Hochi last month stated that the right-hander was deciding on minor league offers from the Indians, Marlins and Mets.

The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reports that a few teams contacted the Red Sox about Franklin Morales over the offseason.

Cafardo adds that additional clubs “have him on their list of pitchers to watch closely in spring training.” Morales is slated for long relief with the Red Sox this season, but other teams could view him as a rotation candidate. He made nine starts for Boston last season, posting a 4.14 ERA and 1.25 WHIP while striking out over a batter per inning.

Kevin Millwood has announced his retirement from baseball.

Millwood, 38, wanted to catch on with the Braves or Rays, teams that are close to his Gainesville, Georgia home, but after that didn’t happen he’s decided to hang it up. “I feel like I can still throw it well and going out on a high note is a big deal,” Millwood said. “I just felt it was time to be closer to home and to be around the kids more often.” Millwood retires with 169 wins, a 4.11 ERA, one All-Star game appearance and one ERA title after 16 seasons.

Evan Longoria said last week that his surgically-repaired left hamstring “is ready.”

Longoria underwent a minor procedure on the hamstring on November 20, and although the Rays will take it slow on him early in spring training, it’s not expected to affect his status for Opening Day. Longo was limited to just 74 games last season due to hamstring problems, batting .289/.369/.527 with 17 homers.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times hears that there was “some chatter” last week about a possible Reid Brignac trade.

Brignac is out of options and doesn’t look like a fit on the Rays’ Opening Day roster, so he could either be dealt or be exposed to waivers. The former top prospect has batted just .227/.268/.317 over parts of five seasons with the Rays and turned 27 last month.

Hanley Ramirez is thoroughly enjoying his time supporting his country, playing in the Dominican Winter League, the Caribbean Series and the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

While the Dodgers had hoped that Ramirez would get some work in at shortstop, he served as the DH during winter ball and will play mostly third base during the WBC. The Dodgers still intend to use him as their everyday shortstop while Luis Cruz mans the hot corner, but with a shortened spring training to work on his defense there they could always opt to give Dee Gordon another chance.

According to Chad Jennings of the Journal News, Cesar Cabral isn’t expected to be 100% healthy by the start of the regular season.

Cabral was a Rule 5 selection before the 2012 season, buy was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left elbow during spring training and missed the entire season. Once healthy, he could find a role as a left-handed specialist in the Yankees bullpen.

Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports that Torii Hunter felt misled by the Angels organization, being led to believe they didn’t have the financial flexibility to re-sign him.

Hunter was told that the organization was hand-cuffed by the bad contract of Vernon Wells, and couldn’t offer him more than a $5 million deal. After Hunter signed in Detroit, they went on to ink Josh Hamilton to a massive five-year, $125 million deal. He added that he would’ve been fine had the organization been honest and admitted they didn’t want to bring him back, he was just upset that he was lied to.

Esmil Rogers has decided not to play for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Like fellow teammate Melky Cabrera, Rogers felt like he needed to be in camp with his new team. Rogers, who was acquired this offseason in the Mike Aviles trade with the Indians, will likely work in a middle relief role for the Blue Jays in 2013.

Nelson Figueroa has been blocked by the Puerto Rico Baseball League from playing for the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Series.

Figueroa, who is of Puerto Rican descent, was on loan by the Puerto Rican League to pitch for Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Republic. After helping them to reach the Caribbean Series however, Puerto Rico doesn’t want him to compete against their own squad. The 38-year-old right-hander plans to pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic next month.

As if leading the Giants to a Championship and being named World Series MVP wasn’t enough, Pablo Sandoval was named MVP of the Venezuelan Winter League.

Sandoval led his team, the Navegantes del Magallanes, to their first series title since the 2002 season. He batted .300 with three homers and nine RBI in the series. The 26-year-old has a knack for putting up tremendous offensive numbers when healthy, and could be poised for a big encore performance in 2013.

Melky Cabrera has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Dominican Republic squad in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Cabrera was included on the provisional roster released last month, but he has apparently changed his mind about participating. It’s unknown whether recent allegations of purchasing performance-enhancing drugs from the Biogenesis clinic in Miami played a role in his decision.

The Orioles are expected to announce the signing of free agent starter Jair Jurrjens to a one-year, $1.5 million contract early next week.

Jurrjens is completing his physical, and club officials expect to officially announce the season as soon as Monday. The 27-year-old right-hander still has minor league options remaining, and could open the season at Triple-A if he doesn’t make the rotation out of spring training.

J.P. Ricciardi, who serves as a special assistant to Mets GM Sandy Alderson, believes that Jack Leathersich could join the Mets bullpen at some point during the 2013 season.

Leathersich, a fifth-round selection from the 2011 draft, posted a 3.00 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 113/32 K/BB ratio over 72 innings in A-ball last season. His strikeout ability and success against lefties, could make him an attractive option as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen.

The Orioles expect to announce the signing of left-hander Mark Hendrickson by early next week.

Hendrickson was out of baseball last season and hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2011. The 38-year-old has switched to a sidearm delivery in an effort to rejuvenate his career and will look to win a bullpen spot with the Orioles in spring training.

Rich Dubroff of CSN Baltimore believes that the Orioles will wait until next offseason to sign Matt Wieters to a long-term extension.

The Orioles avoided arbitration with Wieters by agreeing to a one-year, $5.5 million contract earlier this month, but executive VP Dan Duquette indicated that the organization has plans for a long-term deal. Coming off his second consecutive Gold Glove and a career-high 23 home runs in 2012, Wieters and agent Scott Boras will likely be seeking a contract similar to Joe Mauer’s eight-year, $184 million extension with the Twins. Wieters is under team control through 2015.

Athletics signed LHP Pedro Viola to a minor league contract.

Viola failed to appear in the majors in 2012 and was released by the Orioles this offseason. The 29-year-old left-hander will continue to serve as organizational depth.

Athletics signed RHP Carlos Fisher to a minor league contract

Fisher had a 4.61 ERA in 52 appearances with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate this past season. While he’s struggled with his command in the majors, he should compete for a bullpen spot with the Athletics in spring training.

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman writes that the Orioles “wouldn’t be a bad fit” for Bobby Abreu.

Abreu has struggled to attract interest in free agency this offseason and it remains to be seen if any team is willing to take a chance on him. The 39-year-old batted just .242/.350/.342 in 257 plate appearances between the Dodgers and Angels this past season, and is doubtful to make an impact even if he manages to land a semi-regular role in 2013.

Dodgers signed RHP Kyle Cofield to a minor league contract.

Cofield, 26, has a career 4.11 ERA over parts of eight seasons in the minors. He should open 2013 at the Double-A level with the Dodgers.

Reds signed 3B Matt Mangini to a minor league contract.

Mangini was released by the Rays in August and finished last season with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate. He hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2010 and is merely organizational depth.

Red Sox manager John Farrell expressed confidence that John Lackey (elbow) will be healthy and ready to pitch in spring training after missing all of last season.

Lackey is 16 months removed from from Tommy John surgery and the Red Sox are counting on to him to open the season in their starting rotation. While he’s now finally healthy, there’s still major questions on how the 34-year-old will hold up after posting a 6.41 ERA in his only season with Boston. Lackey is under contract for $15.25 million in 2013 and 2014.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mark Teixeira admitted that he could be entering the declining stage of his career.

“Maybe I’m slowing down a tick,” Teixeira said. “I’m not going to play forever. Eventually you start, I don’t want to say declining, but it gets harder and harder to put up 30 home runs and 100 RBI.” Teixeira struggled with injuries and effectiveness in 2012, and saw his streak of 30 home runs snapped at eight seasons. While it’s fair to expect his numbers to rebound with better health, it will probably be a lot closer to his 2010-2011 level of production than 2009. Teixeira’s .807 OPS last season was the lowest total of his career.

Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and SiriusXM believes the Red Sox “make the most sense” at this point for Kyle Lohse.

Bowden also considers the Rangers, Angels, Brewers, and Orioles as possible landing spots. The Red Sox were linked to Lohse early in the offseason, but have already signed Ryan Dempster, and expect John Lackey (Tommy John surgery) to be ready for the start of the season. Lohse, who posted a 2.86 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 211 innings in 2012, has struggled to attract interest in free agency because he’s tied to draft pick compensation.

Red Sox manager John Farrell said he doesn’t expect Felix Doubront to experience any residual effects from his increased workload in 2012.

“There shouldn?t be anything that would indicate we?ve got to be conscious of one specific thing,” said Farrell. “He?ll be monitored like every other starting pitcher, but I don?t think there’s anything that says, just because of that increase in innings, you?ve got to be overly conscious of anything.” After missing the majority of 2011 due to injury, Doubront pitched a career-high 161 innings last season and admitted to being overworked down the stretch. However, the 25-year-old didn?t exhibit any physical problems other than routine fatigue. The Red Sox are not expected to put him on an innings-limit and are hoping he can build on his first full season by becoming a workhorse No. 4 starter.

Christian Garcia told reporters Friday that he still hasn’t heard what his role will be with the Nationals in 2013.

The Nationals have talked about converting Garcia into a starter, but haven’t ruled out keeping him on the Opening Day roster as a reliever. “I have no idea. Wherever they want to put me I am okay with it,” Garcia said. “I am going to go in there and compete for a job, and do the best I can.” A former third-round pick of the Yankees, Garcia posted a 2.13 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 15/2 K/BB ratio in 13 late-season appearances with the Nationals in 2012.

ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin reports that free agent Brandon Lyon is currently talking to several teams, though no signing is imminent.

It had been reported a few weeks ago that Lyon was in deep discussions to join the Giants, but their interest seems to have cooled some. Lyon posted a solid 3.10 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 63/20 K/BB ratio in 61 innings for the Astros in Blue Jays in 2012, and is one of the top relievers remaining on the free agent market.

Reds GM Walt Jocketty said Friday that Scott Rolen’s status is still “up in the air”, but that he hopes to resolve the situation before the weekend is through.

Rolen has decided to come back for another season, but the Reds aren’t quite sure they have a role available for him. Todd Frazier is slated to be the everyday third baseman, and Jack Hannahan was brought in to serve as his backup. The 37-year-old has also drawn interest from the Dodgers.

Joakim Soria (elbow) will not pitch in Cactus League games during spring training.

Soria has recently progressed to throwing from a distance of 120 feet as he recovers from his second Tommy John surgery. Colby Lewis, Matt West and Neftali Feliz also aren’t expected to pitch in spring training games. Soria is still expected to serve as the primary setup man for Joe Nathan once he’s ready to do so.

Pirates GM Neal Huntington was non-committal on Friday when asked if he expected to reach a contract agreement with Francisco Liriano before spring training begins.

The Pirates remain interested in signing Liriano, but are interested in restructuring the proposed deal. Liriano injured his non-throwing arm in December and is unlikely to be ready to go when pitchers and catchers report on February 11. With strong mutual interest, this deal should get finished in the coming weeks.

The Orioles are not expected to sign free agent infielder Fernando Tatis.

The 38-year-old worked out for the O’s last week in the Dominican Republic. He hasn’t played in the majors since the 2010 season, where he suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder that ended his season. It’s unlikely that he’ll land a minor league deal.

Despite throwing for the team at Camden Yards on Thursday, the Orioles are not expected to offer a contract to Arthur Rhodes.

Rhodes is hoping to secure a minor league deal with a spring training invite after sitting out the entire 2012 season. He posted a 4.64 ERA and 21/11 K/BB ratio over 33 innings in 2011. Given the demand for quality left-handed relievers, it’s likely he’ll find at least one team willing to give him a shot.

Orioles signed Zane Chavez to a minor league contract.

The 26-year-old catcher has spent four seasons playing in the independent leagues, most recently hitting .339/.373/.498 in 70 games between two different teams in 2012. He’ll report to minor league spring training and serve as organizational depth.

Fernando Rodney expressed confidence on Friday that he’ll finalize a contract extension with the Rays in the near future.

Rodney added that he’s already had discussions with management, and that he expects a deal to be finalized this month. The 35-year-old closer is coming off one of the most surprising and utterly dominant seasons in major league history, posting a 0.60 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 76/15 K/BB ratio while converting 48 saves. Fantasy owners seem to have bought in as well, as he’s being selected as a top-five closer in early drafts.

Mets signed OF Marlon Byrd to a minor league contract.

The deal includes an invitation to spring training. The 35-year-old outfielder hit an abysmal .210/.243/.245 with one home run and nine RBI in 153 at-bats between the Cubs and Red Sox in 2012 before being released by the Red Sox. He then had to serve a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The Mets could certainly use additional depth in their outfield, but Byrd is unlikely to be a major contributor.

Corey Hart stated Friday that he is already ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation after surgery on his right knee, and if things continue at his current pace he could be ready to play by the end of April.

Hart will have an MRI done in three weeks, and barring any setbacks he could beat his projected recovery time by a full month with a late-April return. While it’s encouraging news, Hart owners still shouldn’t expect him back until sometime in May. Mat Gamel will hold down the fort at first base in his absence.

Jordan Pacheco recently traveled to San Luis Obispo, California to work with Rockies catching instructor Jerry Weinstein.

Pacheco worked on blocking drills and focused on throwing mechanics. While he only started five games behind the plate last season, the versatility should give him a leg up on keeping a roster spot. “I definitely feel comfortable doing it,” said Pacheco. “But I want to make sure the pitchers feel comfortable with me. In spring training, I need to work with them to create that.”

Reds designated RHP Todd Redmond for assignment.

The move clears a spot for the newly-signed Manny Parra on the 40-man roster. Redmond, 27, made one spot start with the Reds last season and posted a 3.63 ERA and 136/39 K/BB ratio over 148 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level between Cincinnati and Atlanta. He could draw interest on waivers from a team in need of rotation depth.

Reds signed LHP Manny Parra to a one-year contract.

No word on the terms involved. Parra was non-tendered by the Brewers in late November after posting a 5.06 ERA and 61/35 K/BB ratio over 58 2/3 innings last season, but he has good stuff and could still turn into a useful reliever.

Yankees designated INF/OF Russ Canzler for assignment.

The move clears a spot for the newly-signed Travis Hafner on the 40-man roster. This is the latest development in a busy winter for Canzler, who could soon be claimed off waivers for the fourth time in the space of two months. The 26-year-old batted .269/.299/.398 with three homers and a .697 OPS in 97 plate appearances with the Indians last season and has posted some strong numbers in the minors.

Yankees signed DH Travis Hafner to a one-year, $2 million contract.

He’ll have a chance to make $4 million more through incentives. Hafner is obviously a poor bet to stay healthy, but he’s a good bet to be pretty productive when on the field, and, at $2 million, the Yanks haven’t risked much. The 35-year-old batted .228/.346/.438 with 12 home runs and a .784 OPS in 66 games with the Indians last season while battling knee and back injuries. He’ll be the Bombers’ regular DH against right-handed pitching.

Chad Billingsley said Friday that he’s thrown eight bullpen sessions so far this offseason and not had any issues with his pitching elbow.

That’s encouraging. Billingsley was shut down late last season with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, but he was given platelet-rich plasma injections and has had a relatively normal offseason. There’s always the possibility that his ligament will snap, but for now it appears he has a good shot at being ready for the start of the season.

Matt Garza (elbow) on Friday threw his first bullpen session of the offseason.

Garza, who is coming back from a stress reaction in his pitching elbow, was cleared to resume throwing in late December but just now was given the go-ahead to throw from the bump. The right-hander might be a little behind other pitchers at the start of spring training but is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day. He’s an in-season trade candidate.

White Sox claimed 1B/OF Lars Anderson off waivers from the Diamondbacks.

Anderson had been designated for assignment last week. The former top prospect hit just .250/.353/.396 with nine homers and 59 RBI in 111 games between Boston’s and Arizona’s Triple-A affiliates in 2012. He could win an Opening Day bench spot.

Phillies sent RHP J.C. Ramirez outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Ramirez cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. He will receive an invitation to spring training. Ramirez posted a 4.01 ERA and 52/31 K/BB ratio over 67 1/3 innings between Double- and Triple-A in 2012.