NASHVILLE -- R.A. Dickey wandered through the sprawling Opryland Hotel on Sunday, dropping into baseballs annual winter meetings for a quick visit. The newly minted NL Cy Young Award winner had a purpose -- nope, nothing to do with getting a new contract from the New York Mets. Not a sightseeing trip, either, to marvel at the river boats, waterfall or "A Country Christmas" decorations inside the complex. Rather, Dickey made the 15-minute drive from his home to see a Mets trainer for a routine checkup after abdominal surgery in October. The knuckleballer did find it a tad bit ironic, however, that when baseballs annual swapfest was last held in this hotel, in 2007, he was in limbo, left off Minnesotas list of protected players and plucked by Seattle in the Rule 5 draft. "Kind of funny, isnt it?" he said to New York reporters. The fates of several other players could take shape over the next few days. Josh Hamilton and Zack Greinke top the list of available free agents and Cleveland shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco have been mentioned in trade speculation. Dickey wound up seeing Mets general manager Sandy Alderson. The knuckleballer is signed for $5.25 million next year and would like to add two more guaranteed seasons. Alderson said they chatted for around 10 minutes about things other than a new contract. "R.A.s situation needs to be resolved, but it doesnt necessarily have to be resolved here in Nashville before Thursday," Alderson said. "I dont think weve gotten to the point where we have two positions that cant be bridged. We may get to that point, but I dont think theres been enough to and fro at this point to know that." "I would suspect, yes, that we will have conversations about R.A.," he said. "He does have a certain notoriety. I dont think that we would rely on his ability to sell tickets as a motivator but this is the entertainment business and his uniqueness I think contributes to that as well as baseball result on the field, so there are positives in that regard." The Los Angeles Dodgers, who spent freely in trading for Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford late last season, could be the big spenders this week. It sure wont be the Marlins, who made a splash by signing free agents Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle at last years meetings, then finished last in the NL East and traded the trio after the season. This time, the Marlins might take a more modest approach, perhaps trying to boost their bench. "Wed like to do some more things," Miami president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said last week. "But are we talking about huge free agents? Im not sure thats the mode were in right now." Executives from all 30 teams will take the opportunity of being under the same roof -- albeit spread out, as the hotel has 2,881 rooms -- to try to shape their clubs for next year. Trying to meet up can be somewhat of a challenge, something a GPS might help. "That would be a good thing. This is brutal," Alderson said. The meetings end Thursday with the Rule 5 draft, where Dickey was once available for anyone willing to take a chance. The first major action at the meetings could come Monday morning. Thats when the Hall of Fames pre-integration era committee will announce whether any new members have been elected to the shrine. The panel, part of what used to be called the Veterans Committee, considered 10 candidates this weekend. Among them were long-ago NL MVPs Marty Marion and Bucky Walters, umpire Hank ODay and former New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, who oversaw the team when it acquired Babe Ruth, won its first six World Series championships and built Yankee Stadium. Hall of Famers Bert Blyleven, Phil Niekro, Don Sutton and Pat Gillick are included on the 16-member panel. Coach Outlet . PETERSBURG, Fla. Coach Handbags Outlet . The team said Gee will have surgery Friday in St. Louis to replace a portion of damaged artery. The right-hander was released from a New York hospital Wednesday after undergoing a procedure to break up a blood clot in his pitching shoulder. [url=http://www.official-coach-shop.com/]http://www.official-coach-shop.com/[/ur... . -- Ryan Fitzpatrick threw into the end zone to the open man. NEW ORLEANS -- Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith and the NFL players union left little doubt they remain determined to challenge Commissioner Roger Goodells authority to suspend players in connection with the leagues bounty investigation of the New Orleans Saints. Goodell ruled Tuesday that Vilma, a linebacker, would remain suspended for the season, while Smith, a defensive end, still would face a four-game ban. The two players, among four whove been wrangling for months with the league, scoffed at the commissioners latest decision. Vilma said on Twitter that the new ruling "is not news to me pride wont let him admit hes wrong." Smith issued a statement saying he will continue to explore his appeal options. Vilmas attorney, Peter Ginsberg, said in a statement that Goodells new ruling "continues his previous grossly misplaced interpretation of the evidence. What the Commissioner did today is not justice, nor just. The suspension has the fingerprints of lawyers trying to fit a square peg into a round hole." The stakes are now somewhat lower for defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove and Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita. Hargroves suspension effectively stands at two games after Goodell reduced his eight-game ban to seven and gave him credit for five games missed while he was a free agent. Goodell lowered Fujitas suspension from three games to one. Hargrove and Fujita did not respond to requests for comment, but the NFL Players Association, which has been representing them, remained critical of Goodells decision to punish the players and the process by which he reached his decisions. "For more than six months, the NFL has ignored the facts, abused the process outlined in our collective bargaining agreement and failed to produce evidence that the players intended to injure anyone, ever," the NFLPA said in a written statement. "The only evidence that exists is the Leagues gross violation of fair due process, transparency and impartiality during this process. Truth and fairness have been the casualties of the leagues refusal to admit that it might have made a mistake." The players were implicated in what the NFL said was a bounty pool run by former Saints defensive co-ordinator Gregg Williams and paid improper cash bonuses for hits that injured opponents. The players have acknowledged a pool, but denied they intended to injure anyone. Williams, now with St. Louis, has been suspended indefinitely. Saints head coach Sean Payton is serving a full season suspension, while general manager Mickey Loomis is suspended eight games and assistant head coach Joe Vitt six. The Saints, a playoff team the past three seasons, have opened this season 1-4. The initial player suspensions were vacated during Week 1 of the regular season by an appeal panel created by the leagues labour agreement. The players can delay their new suspensions by appealing again through their labour contract. They could also ask a federal judge in New Orleans to revisit their earlier request for an injunction blocking the suspensions. Goodell, meanwhile, stood by the substance of the investigation that began three years ago. "The quality, specificity and scope of the evidence supporting the findings of conduct detrimental (to the game) are far greater and more extensive than ordinarily available," Goodell said in a memorandum to the 32 clubs. The panel that vacated Goodells initial disciplinary decision did not address the merits of the leagues investigation. It asked Goodell to clarify the extent to which his ruling involved conduct detrimental to the game, which he has the sole authority to handle, and salary cap violations resulting from bonus paymentts, which would have to be ruled upon by an arbitrator other than the commissioner.dddddddddddd "In my recent meetings with the players and their counsel, the players addressed the allegations and had an opportunity to tell their side of the story," Goodell wrote. "In those meetings, the players confirmed many of the key facts disclosed in our investigation, most particularly that the program offered cash rewards for cart-offs, that players were encouraged to crank up the John Deere tractor and have their opponents carted off the field, and that rewards were offered and paid for plays that resulted in opposing players having to leave the field of play." Only Smith and Fujita have played this season. Vilma has been recovering from off-season knee surgery and hopes to return in two weeks when the Saints play at Tampa Bay. Goodells new ruling did make a financial concession to the Saints linebacker, saying he can be paid for the six weeks he is spending on the Saints physically unable to perform list. In a written statement, Smith said he remained frustrated "with the continued unilateral rulings by this commissioner as he continues to disregard the facts and assault my character." "I never participated in a pay-to-injure program, never took the field with intent to injure another player, and never contributed any money to hurt other players," Smith said. "It was my hope that those investigating would put their arrogance and agenda aside in order to comprehend the difference between a pay-for-performance program and a pay-to-injure program, but until that day, I will continue to pursue my appeal options through the NFLPA, and attempt to return to work for my family, teammates, fans and the city of New Orleans." The players declined to meet with Goodell before he made his initial disciplinary rulings in early May or during the first appeal process. Goodell began to reconsider his disciplinary actions after the Sept. 7 appeal panel ruling and this time all four players agreed to meet with him. During those meetings the NFL produced sworn declarations by Williams and another former defensive assistant, Mike Cerullo, in which they stated that they observed Vilma offering what they believed were $10,000 rewards for knocking then-Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner and then-Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre out of 2009-10 playoff games. Ginsberg, however, said Cerullos and Williams sworn statements are not credible because they conflict with one another on various points. Ginsberg also said the commissioner ignored the sworn testimony in federal court of several current and former teammates who denied the leagues accusations against Vilma. "Commissioner Goodell has further damaged Jonathans reputation, compromised his career, and cast an unfair cloud over a fine and decent man," Ginsberg said. "It is unfortunate that the process exhibited by the NFL has had no decency." Vilma has indicated previously that he would be inclined to continue fighting his suspension before U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan. The judge has stated that she found the NFLs disciplinary process unfair and that she would be inclined to grant Vilma at least a temporary restraining order if she believed she had jurisdiction on the matter. However, Berrigan also has stated that she is hesitant to rule until she is certain the players have exhausted all possible remedies available to them through the NFLs collective bargaining agreement. The other three players have been represented by the NFLPA, which stated it will carefully review Goodells latest decision and "protect our players rights with vigilance." ' ' '