The 30-year-old second baseman is set to become a free agent after the 2013 season and is looking to sign a contract similar to that of Alex Rodriguez‘s current deal with the Yankees. While Cano is in the prime of his career and arguably the best player on the New York roster, he may very well end up on a different team in 2014.

The New York Daily News reports that numerous sources predict that Cano will play somewhere other than New York after next season.

“I don’t think he’ll be with the Yankees beyond next season,” one of the sources told the Daily News. “He’s not giving them a hometown discount, and they seem to be more interested in keeping their payroll down than winning.”

Cano is represented by Scott Boras, and the agent is very aware of the way the Yankees do business.

“I think the Yankee policy is very clear, that they always walk through the contracts and then address them when they end, as they did with Jeter and other players,” Boras said. “We just will get [Cano] ready to play the season, play out the season and then evaluate things at the end of ’13.”

Since 2009, Cano has averaged .314 with 29 home runs and 102 RBIs. He has established himself as one of the premier infielders and pure hitters in MLB during that time.

At the age of 30, he may not get the mega contract that Rodriguez signed in 2007, but Cano is going to get paid. It’s just a matter of how much and by who.

Click here to read what Cano thinks about the Youkilis offer>>

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that sources have confirmed Greinke and the Dodgers have agreed to a six-year contract worth $147 million.

With the new deal, Greinke will earn an average of $24.5 million a year, making him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball over C.C. Sabathia, who signed a seven-year deal worth $161 million in 2007.

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier that the Dodgers would most likely land the most prized pitcher on the free-agent market this offseason.

Greinke pitched for both the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last season and combined for a 15-5 record, a 3.46 ERA and 200 strikeouts. He has shown success pitching in both the American and National leagues in his career and earned a Cy Young award in 2009 while pitching for the Kansas City Royals.

Greinke will join a staff that already includes Clayton Kershaw, Chris Capuano, Aaron Harang and Chad Billingsley.

After spending eight seasons in Orlando, Howard took some time to reflect on his experience and how he left the Magic.

“I’ve had a chance to sit back and think about it, and there are some things I could’ve done better,” Howard said, according to ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne. “There are some things that could’ve been done better on both sides. But at the end of the day, we all learn some lessons, and we’ve got to move forward.”

The center left Orlando looking to play for a contender. After a disappointing start to the season and the firing of coach Mike Brown, it looked like maybe Howard should have stayed with the Magic. But Howard says both sides are better because of the trade.

“There are a lot of things we both could’ve done, but at the end of the day, it happened just the way it was supposed to happen,” Howard said. “There was a reason behind everything. We might not see it or understand it at the time, but there was a reason why everything happened the way it happened, and I think it made both parties stronger.”

The Howard trade left the Magic with a roster that is headlined by Aaron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson and Glen Davis, so fans in Orlando probably don’t agree with the big man’s sentiments.

While the Magic look toward rebuilding without Howard, the Lakers’ center is looking toward signing a long-term deal after the season. And it looks like he will be staying in Los Angeles. He was asked about the chances of signing a new deal this week.

“From one to 10? I’d give it a good 12. I love it. It’s been a lot of fun,” Howard said. “Just everything here, from the practices, the motivation of everybody here is championship. That’s what we need. I like the direction we’re headed. We’ve had some tough losses, but we’ll learn and we’ll grow from it. We’re going to stick together.”

The NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement allows Howard to sign either a five-year deal with another team or a six-year deal with the Lakers.

Howard and the not-so-unstoppable Lakers will welcome the Magic into Staples Center on Sunday with an 8-8 record and an offensive identity that has yet to be found.

Jonny Gomes

Initial reports had Boston signing Gomes to a two-year, $10 million deal.

Gomes played for the Oakland Athletics last season and hit .262 with 18 home runs and 47 RBIs. He was a crucial cog in the team’s run to the American League West title and led the league with a .409 on-base-percentage on the road. The 32-year-old righty will provide some pop in the Red Sox’ lineup and will see a great deal of at-bats against left-handed pitching. He hit .299 and 11 home runs in 2012 against lefties.

The 10-year veteran has been to the postseason with the Reds in 2010 and with the A’s in 2012, and he’ll be looking to make a return with the Red Sox in 2013.

Photo via Facebook/Jonny Gomes

The Mad Hatter signed a new seven-year contract with LSU that will keep the coach in Baton Rouge until 2019, according to Gary Laney of ESPN.com. Miles has led LSU to an 85-20 record since becoming the head man in 2005 and won a national title in 2007, so it makes sense that athletic director Joe Alleva wanted to extend his contract. And keep him away from Arkansas.

“It’s been my plan all along to give [Miles] a raise and an extension, and that’s what we’re doing,” Alleva said. “You can talk all you want about winning championships. It’s really not always about winning championships. It’s about being in the hunt to win championships, and [Miles] has shown that he’s consistently in the hunt to win championships.”

LSU currently sits in the No. 7 spot in this year’s BCS rankings and the team has been among the top 10 five times during Miles’ tenure. The Fighting Tigers expect to find themselves in a top bowl game this season, but a tough 21-17 loss to Alabama will keep them out of the SEC title game and squandered their hopes of returning to the national championship game.

With Miles at the helm for seven more seasons, LSU will certainly have plenty more opportunities to take home The Coaches’ Trophy.

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Les Miles

Multiple reports indicate that former Tampa Bay Rays centerfielder B.J. Upton signed with the Braves on Wednesday. Upton’s contract with the team is reportedly worth $75.25 million over five seasons. The 28-year-old was the Braves’ primary free agent target this offseason and will provide the team with a much-needed right-handed bat in the lineup.

Through eight major league seasons, Upton has a career batting average of .255 with 118 home runs, 447 RBIs and 232 stolen bases.

The Philadelphia Phillies were also interested in acquiring Upton this offseason, but plenty of center fielders are still on the market including Bourn, Angel Pagan and Shane Victorino.

Jason Babin

The recently released Eagle was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Wednesday.

The defensive end was released by the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday and a total of eight teams put in a waiver claim on him, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Jacksonville was awarded Babin’s services because the team holds the worst record among teams that placed a claim.

Babin has totaled just 5.5 sacks this season after he posted 18 in 2011. The two-time Pro-Bowler is due another $1.64 million this season.

Jerramy Stevens

The former NFL tight end was arrested earlier this month for a domestic dispute involving his now wife Hope Solo. Stevens was not charged and he and Solo tied the knot  just days after the incident.

On Wednesday, Stevens was arrested in Florida for an investigation of a violation of his probation that was a result of a drug possession charge from October 2010, according to The Seattle Times.

Stevens was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the time and he is currently under probation until October of next year.

Photo via Facebook/Hope Solo

ESPN.com reports that the University of Maryland could leave the ACC and join the Big Ten Conference in the near future. If Maryland does indeed officially announce a move to the Big Ten, Rutgers University would most likely follow suit.

With the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, the Big Ten would balloon to a 14-team conference.

The one snag in the situation comes on the financial side. In order for Maryland to withdraw from the ACC, the school must pay a $50 million exit fee. This could pose a problem, because the university has had to drop some athletic programs recently to combat budget issues. The fee for Rutgers to separate from the Big East is only $10 million, as long as the school notifies the conference 27 months in advance.

The loss of Maryland’s presence in the ACC would not hurt the conference’s pedigree much, as Pittsburgh, Syracuse and possibly Notre Dame will join the conference as early as 2013.

Photo via Facebook/MarylandFootball

To spice things up for People’s 2012 issue of “Sexiest Man Alive”, the magazine chose one handsome fella to represent each of the 50 states.

Of course Tom Brady represents the great state of Michigan as their most strapping lad, but in a shocking turn of events, Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers was chosen to represent Alaska. Well it really isn’t that shocking — Chalmers probably has more competition for starting minutes with the Heat than he does for the title of sexiest man in Alaska.

Nonetheless, Brady and Chalmers should be very proud of their achievements. And if you are curious, check out who else made the list.

Houston drafted White out of Iowa State with the 16th pick in the draft knowing the versatile swingman had severe anxiety issues that included a fear of flying. The Rockets wanted to stay true to their commitment to the young star and the two sides came to an agreement that White could travel to away games on a bus while he continued to adjust to his anxiety.

White continues to have issues getting on a plane, and now the 6-foot-8 rookie is having trouble getting on a basketball court.

Earlier in the week, Houston announced that White would be among three players that were being sent down to the team’s D-League affiliate. After the news was reported, White did not show up to practice on Tuesday and has been relatively nonexistent since the regular season has tipped off.

The former Cyclone continued to express his dismay with the Rockets organization and The Associated Press released a statement made by White’s publicist.

“In hindsight, perhaps it was not a good idea to be open and honest about my anxiety disorder — due to the current situations at hand that involve the nature of actions from the Houston Rockets. As a rookie, I want to settle into a team and make progress; but since preseason, the Rockets have been inconsistent with their agreement to proactively create a healthy and successful relationship.”

As if White didn’t portray his discontent well enough, he took to Twitter to vent a little bit. Check out some of his tweets below.

I’d waste my “Talent”, to stand up for myself and what’s right, regarding my health 10x’s out 10. #Logical Player “Commodity” league.

— Royce White (@Highway_30) November 14, 2012

“your a COMMODITY” and “we’ll support your health needs even if its inconvenient…” just don’t go. My health can’t afford such an ideal.

— Royce White (@Highway_30) November 14, 2012

Again My “Anxiety” is not well but not BAD, my main WORRY is being treated as a digit instead of a HUMAN, in the case of my health.

— Royce White (@Highway_30) November 14, 2012

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Houston Rockets

First, everyone wanted to know how the team would fare in the Andrew Luck era after seeing the success that Peyton Manning brought. Then, first-year head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia. After responding to that with a win against the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 7, the team became the NFL’s darlings. Now, after interim head coach Bruce Arians has led the team to five wins in the last six games, the Colts are legitimate playoff contenders.

Indianapolis is second in the AFC South at 6-3 — the best record of any second-place team in the AFC. Of the team’s remaining seven games, four are against opponents with a .500 record or worse, and three are against divisional opponents — including two games against the division-leading Houston Texans. The Colts can decide their own fate.

To win consistently, a team must have winners — and Indianapolis has guys who know how to win. Before Arians joined the Colts’ staff this season, he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff for eight seasons. While there, Arians was a part of 89 wins, three conference championships and two Super Bowl titles. Arians is also largely responsible for the success of Ben Roethlisberger and has played a large role in the development of Luck, who knows how to win as well.

During his three years as the starting quarterback at Stanford, Luck led the team to a 31-8 record, and he has carried his humble confidence and winning ways to the NFL. Through his first nine games, Luck is completing 57.5 percent of his passes for 2,631 yards and 10 touchdowns and has also rushed for five touchdowns.

The Colts also have a stable of players who were a part of the organization’s recent glory days, including Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.

Even with two games against the formidable Houston Texans, Indianapolis could easily win four of its last seven games and finish with a 10-6 record, putting the Colts in prime position to land a playoff spot. As the Colts enter the home stretch, they will face the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills, who rank 30th and 31st, respectively, in defense. They also face the Kansas City Chiefs, who have had a terribly disappointing season and no consistency at the quarterback position, and the Detroit Lions, who are talented but often shoot themselves in the foot with the amount of silly penalties they commit.

Heck, Indianapolis could likely pull out a victory against the New England Patriots in Week 11, with their fourth-ranked offensive attack picking apart the Patriots’ porous secondary.

While the Colts have the players and coaches who know what it takes to win and the firepower to put teams away or keep up in a shootout, they also have the most important ingredient of all — motivation.

Every team goes into a season with hopes of winning a Super Bowl, but the 2012 Colts are fighting week in and week out to honor Pagano as he battles leukemia. The fact that the team won five out of its six games after Pagano was diagnosed certainly speaks to the character of the team and the effect Pagano has.

Pagano’s leukemia has fallen into remission, and his fight and will to win has inspired his players and coaches to go above and beyond their natural abilities. The Colts haven’t dominated opponents by any means this season, but in last-minute wins over the Packers and Dolphins, they showed their will to win, and that can carry them into the postseason.

The next seven weeks will be a real test, but Indianapolis is a talented team with a superb quarterback, a veteran presence and the inspiration of a coach who has proven anything can be done with the right attitude. That sounds like a recipe for success.

Chris Broussard and Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles have reported that Jackson met with Lakers executive vice president Jerry Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak on Saturday.

The Lakers fired former head coach Mike Brown on Friday, and before Brown could even pack his bags, the speculation already was that Jackson would return.

Broussard and McMenamin said sources told them that the position “is Phil’s job to turn down.” And the former head man has reportedly been in contact with possible assistant coaches if he does in fact make a return to Staples Center.

After suffering one of the most gruesome injuries in football history in a game against Tennessee on Oct. 27, Lattimore made it apparent he is not going to give up easily. He said he will return to the game.

As the South Carolina running back begins his recovery to repair damage to the ACL, MCL, PCL and LCL in his right knee, he had some words for his supporters and fellow Gamecocks, who beat Arkansas 38-20 on Saturday.

To see Lattimore’s message, check out the video below.

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/MarcusLattimoreForHeisman2012

Damon is now looking to give back as he prepares to play for Thailand in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He’s also waiting to see whether, at 39, he’ll get another chance with a major league club for the 2013 season.

Damon told Evan Drellich of MLB.com that Thailand can have a strong baseball community, although it may take some time — 10 to 20 years, in Damon’s estimation.

“[Baseball is] really almost non-existent [in Thailand]. Guys play softball more here,” Damon said. “This is actually very good timing that I can come out and talk about it. There are some talented guys who may have been equivalent to, [in] the U.S. … Double-A [players]. There’s still some work to do. There’s not fields for kids to go and play baseball. I think they are working on building a field closer to Bangkok now that’s going to have turf, so that’s a start. … This could be a region that’s successful in baseball.”

While Damon has been training with the Thailand team in preparation for the WBC qualifiers, he has also taken time to run baseball clinics and make goodwill visits.

Damon and team Thailand will open their WBC qualifiers on Wednesday against the Philippines at Xinzuang Stadium in Taiwan. For Damon, the WBC could provide an opportunity to show major league teams that he is worth at least one more year in the majors. He was cut by the Cleveland Indians in August after hitting .222 in 224 plate appearances. Damon had a solid campaign the year before in Tampa Bay, hitting .261 with 16 home runs and 73 RBIs.

The two-time All-Star’s phone hasn’t rung yet, but Damon has been adamant about playing at least one more season in the bigs, and he hasn’t ruled out returning to the Yankees or Red Sox.

Frank Vogel‘s squad has the talent and depth to pose a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference this season, but the Pacers were dealt a blow on Wednesday when the team announced that small forward Danny Granger will miss three months after receiving an injection in his left knee for patellar tendinosis. Granger first suffered the injury during last May’s playoff run and re-aggravated his knee during the preseason.

With no Granger, the Pacers are without their No. 1 scoring option and go-to player come crunch time.

But while Granger is Indiana’s best player, the team is not doomed without him. Pacers’ roster includes a talented front line of Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough. West is a nine-year veteran with two All-Star selections to his name and has averaged 16 points and just over seven total rebounds for his career. He has proven that he can shoulder an offensive load, as made evident by his seven successful seasons with the Hornets.

West will not have to take the brunt of Granger’s touches though, because Hibbert is developing into an All-Star center himself and Hansborough has proven he can produce when given the minutes. Guards George Hill, D.J. Augustin and the 6-foot-8 Paul George are all double-digit scorers with the ability to hit from downtown or put the ball on the floor.

The one issue the Pacers will have to overcome is their lack of a legitimate backup to Granger. Vogel has experimented with both Gerald Green and Sam Young at the small forward spot. Neither player has flourished in their brief NBA tenure, and if neither Green or Young can step up in Granger’s absence, Vogel should consider moving Paul George to the small forward position and placing Hansbrough alongside Hibbert and West down low.

Indiana brought back the ensemble cast that produced a 42-24 record last season, and even without their star player, the Pacers have the players and the talent to hold down the fort until February.

Yu Darvish

As the country goes for its third straight title, it will have to do so without the Texas ace. Darvish has told the Rangers that he will not partake in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

“Given my substantial workload over the last few seasons and the numerous changes I’ve endured in my move to the United States, I have decided with my team of advisers that getting ample rest is the most important thing for me right now as I prepare for the 2013 season,” Darvish said.

In his rookie season, Darvish went 16-6 with 221 strikeouts and a 3.90 ERA while on his way to earning his first MLB All-Star selection.

The hard-throwing right-hander’s decision can be owed to his commitment to the Rangers and the club’s hopes of winning a World Series title in 2013.

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Texas Rangers

The Thunder offered Harden a four-year, $54 million contract before trading him to the Houston Rockets on Oct. 27 — but they reportedly allowed him just one hour to consider the offer.

“After everything we established — everything we had done — you give me an hour?” Harden told Yahoo! Sports on Monday. “This was one of the biggest decisions of my life. I wanted to go home and pray about it. It hurt me. It hurt.”

Houston took some of Harden’s pain away after giving him a five-year, $80 million contract to be the star of the show.

In his three years with the Thunder, Harden developed into an All-Star and a scoring threat, but Oklahoma City’s roster was too deep for the team to give Harden a maximum contract while restricting him to a sixth-man role.

“I was there with talented guys in Oklahoma City, some All-Star guys, and I would have been in the back seat there — which I was fine with — but I wouldn’t have gotten to show how talented I really am,” Harden said.

The 23-year-old is getting his chance as Houston’s No. 1 scoring option, and he is taking full advantage of the extra touches that are coming his way. Through three games, Harden is averaging 35.3 points and 6.3 assists per game and is shooting 53 percent from the field. On a roster that boasts only one player with more than three years of NBA experience, Harden is already the face of a franchise that he has been a part of for only 10 days.

Although things didn’t end the way Harden would have liked in Oklahoma City, he is certainly happy with his new beginning in Houston.

Houston is definitely getting rid of the old as the club prepares to move
from the National League Central to the American League West. But the team's "new" uniforms, unveiled Friday, are actually
based off the club's original design from 1962.

Houston's uniform idea and "new" look is a somewhat odd choice, but it's
not the first of its kind. Other MLB clubs — and the recent spate of NFL teams going retro — have provided plenty of strange uniform choices.

Check out the Top 10 oddest uniform choices of all time>>

The Giants’ parade took place in downtown San Francisco and the team added a unique touch to the ceremony, as each member of the organization cruised through the streets in his or her own car.

The 2012 Giants team fought hard throughout the postseason, surviving six elimination games en route to winning the franchise’s fifth title. Resiliency and a never-say-die mentality helped the Giants easily dispose of the Tigers in four games.

Behind a dominant pitching staff that held the Tigers’ offense to a .159 batting average and struck out 36 batters in 37 innings, and a roster that returns almost all of its key contributors next year, the San Francisco Giants are primed to make another magical run in 2013.

Click here for more pictures from the Giants’ championship parade >>