Bedard on Royals' lips
Kansas City assistant general manager J.J. Picollo told MLB.com's Dick Kaegel that the club has "talked about" Erik Bedard, but Picollo called Yahoo.com's portrayal of the team "going hard" after the free-agent left-hander "probably an overstatement."

White Sox double up with Jones
The White Sox, the only club thus far to have signed a free agent, made it two on Tuesday by coming to an agreement with outfielder Andruw Jones for a $500,000 base salary, two days after bringing free-agent infielder Omar Vizquel into the fold.

Red Sox race for Doc
If the Red Sox and Yankees grip a wishbone over Thanksgiving, there's little question who they would be wishing for: Roy Halladay. Boston is going to a "full-court press" for the ace right-hander, knowing that it is in a race with the World Series champs to acquire him. Red Sox GM Theo Epstein seems determined to get it done before the Dec. 7 opening of the Winter Meetings.

Duncan elects free agency
Outfielder Shelley Duncan, rejecting being optioned outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre by the Yankees, has instead elected to become a free agent, as reported by MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

Mets "getting closer" to keeping Dessens
Elmer Dessens, a bright spot (3.31 ERA in 28 appearances) in the Mets' bullpen in 2009, is "getting closer" to signing a new deal with New York, agent Oscar Suarez told FOXSports.com.

Padres claim Orioles righty
Radhames Liz, who made two brief appearances for Baltimore last season, was claimed off waivers by the San Diego Padres.

Jays keep shortstop McDonald
The Blue Jays reached a new agreement with John McDonald that would keep the veteran infielder in Toronto. The deal will pay him $3 million over the next two seasons.

Torrealba interests Blue Jays
Toronto also is quite ardent about free-agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba, having already placed numerous calls to his agent, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.

Royals ink a pair
Right-hander Josh Rupe, who tied for the big league lead with 89 1/3 relief innings for Texas in 2008, and outfielder Buck Coats, a .302 hitter in Triple-A this season prior to leading off for the U.S.' World Cup gold-medal team, have signed Minor League contracts with Kansas City.

A quartet for the Phillies
Philadelphia has signed four players to Minor League contracts that come with invitations to Spring Training: former White Sox outfielder DeWayne Wise, infielders Wilson Valdez and Andy Tracy, and catcher Paul Hoover.

Red Sox to put up their Duchscherer?
Add Justin Duchscherer's name to the pitchers drawing Boston's interest, according to FOXSports.com. The Red Sox consider a starting role for Duchscherer, a former reliever who went 10-8 with a 2.54 ERA in 22 starts for the A's in 2008 before undergoing hip surgery and sitting out all of 2009.