Odds and Ends: Red Sox, Rays, Orioles

A few more links to add to what Coley posted earlier (if I find more links later this afternoon, I’ll just update this post):

• An assertion that Boston is unlikely to get into a bidding war for any free agent pitcher–that refers mostly to Derek Lowe, A.J. Burnett, and C.C. Sabathia–is buried in this Boston Globe slideshow. It reflects the sentiments heard elsewhere.
• From Bill Chastain of MLB.com, the Rays are starting MLB’s first baseball academy in Brazil.  East Windup Chronicle has a good analysis of the move. Though it won’t pay off for years, getting in first will give the Rays a head start in scooping up top talent.
• Bill Ordine and Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun debate how aggressive the Orioles need to be at the winter meetings in Vegas.
• MLB sources confirm to Ken Rosenthal that several much-discussed free agents are unlikely to accept arbitration, including Jason Varitek, for whom arbitration had been mentioned as a possible solution earlier today. (Key roadblock there: Varitek’s agent Scott Boras.) This also contradicts an earlier report from Rosenthal, which suggested Varitek might accept arbitration.

Sarah Green writes for UmpBump and the Boston Metro.