Free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson, recovering from surgery to repair a dislocated bone in his left wrist, has been cleared by his surgeon to resume all baseball activities without restriction. Hudson, who had already begun hitting, now can work on his fielding as well, according to the report his agents received from Dr. Donald Sheridan ...

Status quo in the Brian Fuentes negotiations. The Cardinals are pushing hard for Fuentes, but the pitcher's agents might prefer to wait for the outcome of the Teixeira sweepstakes. If the Angels lose Teixeira, they might be more inclined to sign Fuentes. The Brewers also remain interested ...

After losing Furcal, the A's plan to wait for free-agent bargains that might develop. Some executives believe that the reeling economy could force teams to adjust revenue projections and roll back payrolls as the offseason continues. Such a development would benefit teams that are willing to be patient ...

The Phillies almost certainly are out on free-agent right-hander Derek Lowe now that they've signed free-agent outfielder Raul Ibanez, left-hander Jamie Moyer and righty Chan Ho Park. The Red Sox and Mets remain possibilities for Lowe, and the Yankees conceivably could re-enter the picture if they fail to re-sign free-agent lefty Andy Pettitte, though team officials downplay that possibility . . .

As of early Tuesday, the Mike Cameron deal between the Brewers and Yankees had a "better chance of not happening than happening," according to one source with knowledge of the discussions. Rather than pay even a percentage of left-hander Kei Igawa's remaining contract, the Brewers might prefer to spend on free-agent pitchers ...

The Braves were actively trying to trade second baseman Kelly Johnson for an outfielder even before they made a bid for Rafael Furcal. Earlier this offseason, they discussed sending Johnson to the Cardinals for outfielder Ryan Ludwick. More recently, they dangled Johnson for Corey Hart, but the Brewers had no interest ...

Free-agent left-hander Randy Wolf is drawing significant attention after going 6-2 with a 3.57 ERA down the stretch for the Astros, but buyer beware: As one interested GM notes, the oft-injured Wolf made more than 30 starts last season for the first time since 2003.