Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports the Giant swill be making a decision on what to do with outfielder Fred Lewis soon.

The team told Lewis, who is completing a rehab assignment at Triple-A Fresno, it will decide if he will be activated or traded by the weekend. Lewis, who is recovering from a sore shoulder, is out of options and his rehab assignment won't last past Thursday.

Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports the Twins will likely trade for a new closer now that Joe Nathan is out for the season.

To avoid having Nathan being startled by rumors, Minnesota general manager Bill Smith told the injured closer of his intentions to acquire a possible closer.

San Diego's Heath Bell has been rumored, and the Twins are looking at Toronto, where Kevin Gregg, Scott Downs and Jason Frasor are competing for the Jays' closer gig.

The Miami Herald reports the Florida Marlins have shown some interest in Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell.

Florida scouts were on hand for Boston's Monday spring training game in which Lowell made his 2010 Grapefruit League debut. The Red Sox have been trying to move Lowell after adding Adrian Beltre in the offseason.

Lowell played for the Marlins from 1999-2005, hitting .272 with 143 homers and 578 RBI. The last four seasons, the South Florida high school product, played for the Red Sox.

Free-agent outfielder Jonny Gomes should know by Monday if he'll be returning to the Cincinnati Reds.

General Manager Walt Jocketty told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer, "We would like it resolved by the time the [position] players report."

Position players report on Tuesday.

Cincinnati offered Gomes a minor league deal, but the right-handed slugger is reportedly exploring options with other clubs.

Gomes, who would get a shot to win the left-field position, hit 20 homers for the Reds with 51 RBI and a .267 batting average in 281 at-bats for the Reds last season. Gomes, who debuted with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2003, batted .307 against left-handers and .244 against right-handers last year.

David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the Braves are close to signing 18-year-old shortstop prospect Edward Salcedo of the Dominican Republic. Atlanta is waiting on Salcedo to take a physical in Florida.

Salcedo, who nearly signed with the Indians two years ago but the deal fell through due to questions about his age, is considered to be on the same level as a first-round draft choice.

Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting the Indians are in a three-team chase for free agent Russell Branyan, who can play outfield, third base and first base. The other interested teams are believed to be the Rays and Red Sox.

Drafted in the seventh round in 1994, Branyan started his career with the Indians. The left-handed hitter played one game in 1998, followed by 11 games in '99, 67 in 2000, 113 in '01 and 50 in '02 before being dealt to the Cincinnati Reds.

Branyan, 34, had a career year last season, hitting career-bests 31 homers and 76 RBI with a 2.51 batting average in just 116 games with the Seattle Mariners.  A bad back kept him from playing a full season and is likely the reason the Mariners weren't willing to offer a multiyear deal.

The Plain Dealer is also reporting the Indians are looking at free agents Hank Blalock (.234, 25 homers, 66 RBI last year) and Jermaine Dye (.250, 27, 81).

George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press reports the Tigers are closing in on signing free-agent outfielder Johnny Damon.

But the Chicago Tribune reported that Damon, who hit .282 with 24 homers and 82 RBI for the Yankees last year, was being wooed while playing golf with White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski and White Sox broadcaster Ken "Hawk" Harrelson on Tuesday, as the two Chicago .

While the Tigers are reportedly offering the 36-year-old, left-handed hitter a deal for two years at $14 million or one year at $7 million, the ChiSox are offering less and are showing no intentions of budging.

Reports indicate Cuban first-base prospect Jose Julio Ruiz is close to signing with a major league club. Saturday's edition of El Nuevo Herald, the Spanish-based newspaper affiliated with the Miami Herald reported on Saturday that negotiations have "intensified."

"By next week, he should be signed already," one of Ruiz's agents, Jorge Luis Toca told El Nuevo Herald. "Perhaps Wednesday we'll announce something."

Toca said the Blue Jays, Rangers, Red Sox Giants and Rockies have shown the most interest in the 6-3, 240-pound prospect. Toca added they are also "waiting on an offer from the Yankees."

Ruiz, who defected last season, has been working out at the Yankees' complex in the Dominican Republic.

The slugger, who turns 26 on March 24, was batting .305 with a .408 on-base percentage and a .467 slugging percentage through 52 games for his National Series team before defecting. He sports a .330 career batting average.