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Yankees offer Bernie arbitration
New York Yankees: Bernie Williams might be back with the Yankees.

The free-agent outfielder was offered salary arbitration before Wednesday night's deadline, giving him and the team another month to work out a possible deal. Williams has until Dec. 19 to accept, but the sides likely have an understanding that he will decline.

New York also offered arbitration to left-hander Al Leiter and reliever Ramiro Mendoza. They also are expected to decline.

Mets cut ties with Piazza
New York Mets: Mike Piazza's days with the Mets are over.

The Mets declined Wednesday to offer salary arbitration to their longtime catcher, cutting ties with one of the best hitters in franchise history. The move was no surprise, and now the 12-time All-Star is likely to join an American League team that can use him as a designated hitter.

New York refused to offer arbitration to any of its former players who became free agents, including former closer Braden Looper and reliever Roberto Hernandez.

The team offered a contract to the 41-year-old Hernandez but the sides did not reach a deal by the midnight EST arbitration deadline Wednesday, meaning he also will not return.

Big Hurt moves on
Chicago White Sox: The White Sox cut ties with slugger Frank Thomas, refusing to offer salary arbitration to the two-time American League MVP.

The World Series champions also declined to offer arbitration to designated hitter Carl Everett and backup catcher Raul Casanova. Players who became free agents and weren't offered arbitration can't re-sign with their former clubs until May 1.

Angels decline arbitration to Molina, Washburn
Los Angeles Angels: The Angels are parting ways with two players who made key contributions to the team's success over the past few years, declining salary arbitration to catcher Bengie Molina and starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn.

Angels general manager Bill Stoneman announced that the club also won't offer salary arbitration to reliever Jason Christiansen and infielder Lou Merloni.

A's offer up to Rincon
Oakland Athletics: The Athletics offered salary arbitration to left-handed reliever Ricardo Rincon, but likely parted ways with first baseman Scott Hatteberg and designated hitter Erubiel Durazo.

The A's also declined to offer arbitration to right-hander Octavio Dotel and catcher Alberto Castillo. The four players who didn't receive an arbitration offer can't re-sign with Oakland until May 1.

Around the majors
• Left-hander Ray King was traded from St. Louis to Colorado for outfielder Larry Bigbie and infielder Aaron Miles.

King was 4-4 with a 3.38 ERA in 77 relief appearances for the Cardinals, but didn't make an appearance in either of the team's playoffs series this year.

In 447 career games for the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee, Atlanta and St. Louis, King is 18-18 with a 3.12 ERA. In 12 career appearances at Coors Field, opposing hitters have gone just 4-for-27 (.148) against him and he has allowed one run in 8 1/3 innings. He turns 32 next month.

Bigbie was traded from Baltimore to Colorado for outfielder Eric Byrnes on July 29. He hit a combined .239 with five homers and 23 RBI for the Rockies and Orioles.

Miles, who started 69 games at second base for the Rockies, batted .281 with two home runs and 28 RBIs in 99 games last season.

• The Cardinals also offered arbitration to free-agent pitcher Matt Morris, who was 14-10 with a 4.11 ERA in 31 starts last season.

• Jacque Jones was offered salary arbitration late by Minnesota, but that doesn't necessarily mean the free agent outfielder will return to the Twins next season.

Jones, who has spent all seven of his major league seasons in Minnesota, has until Dec. 19 to accept arbitration and can re-sign with the Twins through Jan. 8.

The Twins refused arbitration for former All-Star right-hander Joe Mays and left-hander Terry Mulholland. The pitchers wouldn't be able to re-sign with the Twins until May 1.

• The Giants declined to offer arbitration to first baseman J.T. Snow and right-hander Brett Tomko, likely ending both players' tenures with the club.

Snow played the last nine seasons with the Giants, longer than any current player except Barry Bonds. He won six Gold Gloves for his sterling work at first base, also hitting .273 with 124 homers and 615 RBI in San Francisco.

Tomko spent two up-and-down years with the Giants, going 8-15 with a 4.48 ERA last season. The nine-year veteran started 61 games for San Francisco.

• Catcher Yorvit Torrealba was acquired by the Rockies from the Mariners for a player to be named.

The 27-year-old Torrealba hit .234 with three homers and 15 RBI in 76 games with San Francisco and Seattle last season.

"One of the needs we had hoped to address this offseason was at catcher," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said. "This deal adds depth and competition to our catching situation."

To clear roster space, the Rockies designated catcher Miguel Ojeda for assignment. Colorado has 10 days to trade Ojeda, place him on release waivers or send him outright Ojeda to the minor leagues.

• Right-hander Byung-Hyun Kim was offered salary arbitration by the Rockies, who refused to do the same for catcher Todd Greene and right-handers Dan Miceli and Jamey Wright.

The Rockies can continue contract negotiations with Kim, who has until Dec. 19 to accept and can re-sign through Jan. 8. Greene, Miceli and Wright can't re-sign with Colorado until May 1.

• The Braves didn't offer salary arbitration Wednesday night to 47-year-old first baseman Julio Franco, outfielder Todd Hollandsworth or right-hander Jay Powell. None of those free agents could re-sign with Atlanta before May 1.

• The Padres also offered arbitration to free-agent catcher Ramon Hernandez and pitcher Pedro Astacio, but not to catcher Robert Fick, left-hander Chris Hammond, third baseman Joe Randa, right-hander Rudy Seanez and first baseman Mark Sweeney.

• The Devil Rays offered arbitration to third baseman Alex S. Gonzalez, first baseman Travis Lee and first baseman Eduardo A. Perez, but not to second baseman Roberto Alomar and outfielder Danny Bautista.

• The Dodgers retained backup infielder Olmedo Saenz with a $2 million, two-year contract.

• Texas agreed to a $600,000 contract with pitcher John Wasdin.

• Outfielder Jacob Cruz and the Reds agreed Wednesday to a minor league contract. Cruz, who was invited to spring training, would get a $625,000, one-year contract if he is added to the 40-man roster.

In another move, Cincinnati released left-hander Randy Keisler, who went 2-1 with a 6.27 ERA in four starts and 20 relief appearances.

Also, the Reds offered salary arbitration to second baseman Rich Aurilia. He has until Dec. 19 to accept and may re-sign through Jan. 8.

• The Astros offered arbitration to free-agent catcher Brad Ausmus and outfielder Orlando Palmeiro, but not to infielder Jose Vizcaino. Ausmus and Palmeiro have until Dec. 19 to accept and can re-sign through Jan. 8.

• Outfielder Jeff DaVanon was designated for assignment by the Angels, making room on the 40-man roster for newly acquired pitcher Hector Carrasco.

The 31-year-old DaVanon hit .231 with two homers, 15 RBI and 42 runs scored in 225 at-bats for the Angels last season. He played all three outfield positions in 2005, committing just one error in 107 chances.

DaVanon enjoyed his best season in 2003, when he hit .282 with 12 homers and 43 RBI in 123 games for Anaheim. In parts of six seasons with the Angels, DaVanon owns a .256 career average with 28 home runs and 109 RBI in 972 at-bats.

The Angels signed Carrasco to a two-year deal last week.

• The Blue Jays signed Reed Johnson to a one-year contract, avoiding arbitration with the outfielder.

The deal is worth $1.425 million.

Johnson, who turns 29 on Thursday, batted .269 with eight home runs and 58 RBI in 142 games in 2005 with the Blue Jays.

In three major league seasons, all with Toronto, Johnson has batted .277 with 28 homers and 171 RBI.

• Pitcher D.J. Carrasco was released by the Royals so he can pursue a chance to play in Japan.

• Joe McEwing and the Royals agreed to a minor league contract.

The utilityman batted .239 with one homer and six RBI in 180 at-bats with the Royals last season. He played seven positions and served as a designated hitter.

McEwing gets a $650,000 major league contract if he's added to Kansas City's 40-man roster next season.

• The Marlins signed right-hander Brian Moehler to a one-year contract and gave Lenny Harris a minor-league deal. A.J. Burnett was offered arbitration, which earns Florida draft choices as compensation.

Information from The Associated Press and SportsTicker was used in this report.