SI's Jon Heyman wrote:

• The Yankees are said to want to sign two out of three starting pitchers they're coveting -- CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe. Sabathia is, of course, their No. 1 target. But Yankees players seem to love the idea of signing Burnett, a pitcher who has dominated them.

• Some baseball people say the crashing U.S. economy could give the Yankees an even greater advantage in this free-agent season. Some other teams may be affected by baseball's debt rule that limits spending for teams with significant debt, and some owners may be affected by plummeting stock prices and hurting businesses. Meanwhile, the Yankees' revenues are expected to jump by a few hundred million from an already sport-high $400 million.

• Jake Peavy is expected to be available, as the Padres will likely scale back. Padres owner John Moores' impending divorce may be affecting his ability to spend.

Heyman writes 'Yankee players seem' to want Burnett? What does that even mean? Seem? It probably just means that Yankee hitters said how tough we was after facing him this year. That's different than 'Yankee players seem to love the idea of signing Burnett'. He's an above-average pitcher, that's all. The fact that he's dominated the Yanks is a mirage. The only teams he's pitched better against than the Yankees are the Giants and White Sox. Every other team has hit him better than those three.

Peavy is an interesting case. He has a super cheap contract: 4 years, $60 million, and a 2013 club option for $22 million. He's only 27, and is the one of the best pitchers in baseball. Because of that, it would take a bounty to acquire him. Worth it for me if it doesn't include Hughes or Montero (Joba's out of the question of course).