You can read it in the Sunday Papers … but start here:

• Tyler Kepner of the Times has an article on the arrival of Scott Boras at the Winter Meetings.  Here’s an excerpt:

Boras’s guiding principle is that it takes only one team to set the market, and he offered a hint of that theory when asked his opinion about the effects of the overall economy on baseball. “I think there are 30 economies in baseball,” Boras said, referring to the 30 major league teams, and adding later: “We know baseball had record revenues, and the profits that are in the barn for many owners are extraordinary. There are clubs that run their business appropriately, and we all know it’s good business to have good players.”

• Bill Madden previews the Yanks and Mets tasks at the Winter Meetings.  He includes a decidely different opinion on the issue of arbitration vis-a-vis Pettitte and Abreu:

As of yesterday, only eight of the 171 free agents had signed, and while the slow market figures to pick up somewhat in Vegas, other than the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and, to a lesser degree, the Braves, the depressed economy appears to have most teams  disinclined to enter into expensive long-term contracts.

That is why Cashman wisely chose not to offer arbitration to Abreu or Jason Giambi, neither of whom is likely to get more in multi-year offers than they were making in one year with the Yankees.

• The News’s Anthony McCarron has the latest on Brian Cashman’s pursuit of C.C. Sabathia.
• SI’s Jon Heyman may have some unpleasant news for Cashman …. Sabathia is anticipating the Brewers upping their initial offer:

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin reportedly will meet with Sabathia’s agent Greg Genske at the winter meetings, and while reports have indicated that the confab will provide Melvin a chance to gauge Sabathia’s interest, more importantly, it is believed that the Brewers will either at that meeting or soon after signal a willingness to enhance their initial bid.

• McCarron also catches up with former Yankee star Ed Figueroa, who now owns two restaurants in Puerto Rico.
• The Post’s Kevin Kernan details the work Ian Kennedy has been doing this off-season to correct the flaws apparent in his 2008 performance:

The former USC star went home and worked with pitching guru Tom House, who has been the Trojans’ pitching coach the past two years.

“I got some tips and started applying those and it made the break of my curveball better and the command of it extremely better,” Kennedy said from Puerto Rico. “Now I know what I have to do. Before I was just throwing it to throw it and try to throw it for a strike and not have any idea.”

Essentially, Kennedy is holding onto the baseball longer, and that makes a difference in break and command. As a result, he can make in-game adjustments to get the results he needs.

• Newsday’s Ken Davidoff opines on why free agent Adam Dunn wouldn’t serve the Yankees well.  He also thinks the Giants won’t go after Sabathia, because Tim Lincecum achieves “Super-2” status after 2009, and he’s likely to break the bank at arbitration.
• Jonathan Lehman at the Post has an update on Cano and Cabrera as they play in the Dominican Winter League.
• Happy 41st birthday to Tino Martinez.  Rich Coggins turns 58.  1970 AL batting champ Alex Johnson turns 66.