Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Webb feels good after his latest throwing session.The former Cy Young winner is coming back from surgery on his right shoulder last August. He threw 45 pitches on Thursday and calls it another step forward in his recovery.
Webb expects to be ready to start the Diamondbacks' third game of the regular season. Dan Haren will pitch the opener, followed by Edwin Jackson.
-- The Associated Press
BRANYAN GOES TO WORK FOR INDIANS (4:53 p.m. ET)
Russell Branyan, his one-year, $2 million contract freshly signed, reported Thursday to the Indians' spring training camp in Arizona and prepared for his second go-around with Cleveland.
"There are a lot of good, positive things in coming back," said Branyan, who will get the majority of playing time at first base. "This is where I started. To get this opportunity, it was hard to turn down. It means a lot to me."
Branyan came through Cleveland's minor league system in the late 1990s. It was thought he would join the list of sluggers the Indians produced during the decade, which included Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez. Standing 6-foot-3, Branyan hit 30 or more homers in three minor league seasons before being traded to Cincinnati in 2002.
Eight years and eight organizations later, Branyan believes he's learned from his experiences.
"I understand people a lot better," he said. "I don't let small things bother me as much anymore."
The Indians will hold their first full-squad workout Friday under new manager Manny Acta.
-- ESPN.com news services
BOSOX UNVEIL SPRING GREEN MONSTER PLANS (4:01 p.m. ET)
The future spring training home of the Boston Red Sox will have a replica Green Monster and duplicate the dimensions of Fenway Park.
The Red Sox, Lee County and Populous released preliminary renderings Thursday of the 11,000-capacity, $75 million ballpark, which is scheduled to open in 2012 about 10 miles from the current stadium. Five practice fields will be outside the main stadium, combining training camp for the Red Sox into one facility from the current two.
The Green Monster will have a manual scoreboard and seats atop the wall, which will be 310 feet from home plate down the line. The right-field fence will be 302 feet from the plate, and the bullpens will be beyond the fence in right-center, just as they are at Fenway.
"I like the Fenway similarity," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said. "The charm of Fenway Park. The Florida look and feel. Not a duplicate of Fenway Park with heavy red brick and New England style. It's meant to be different and lighter and airier and breezier and more Florida-like."
-- The Associated Press
STRASBURG THROWS LONGEST SESSION YET (3:52 p.m. ET)
Nationals rookie right-hander Stephen Strasburg threw his longest bullpen session of spring training on Thursday, a 12-minute effort in 47-degree temperatures with winds in excess of 20 mph.
Pitching coach Steve McCatty was impressed with how the rookie fared in challenging conditions, noting that the winds made it difficult for Strasburg to throw his breaking ball.
Strasburg, the Nationals' No. 1 pick in last year's amateur draft, is already generating a buzz in spring training. On Sunday, about 150 fans, twice the normal number for Washington's first workout, watched Nationals pitchers and catchers practice -- and most were watching the hard-throwing right-hander from San Diego State.
-- ESPN.com news services
FEET, DON'T FAIL ME NOW (3:42 p.m. ET)Nyjer Morgan is going feetfirst in trying to avoid headfirst slides, as part of the Nationals' new strategy for keeping their speedy center fielder in the lineup and off the disabled list.
Morgan fractured his left hand sliding into third base in Chicago in August, short-circuiting a promising start with a new team. After being traded from Pittsburgh to Washington on June 30, Morgan hit .351, stole 24 bases in 31 tries and played sparkling defense before missing the final five weeks of the season while on the DL.
Part of Morgan's penchant for the headfirst approach has been vanity. "I just like to get dirty," he laughed. "When you're all dirty, you look like you've been playing hard, and I play hard."
Morgan isn't the only Nationals player perfecting the new move. Manager Jim Riggleman wants players throughout the organization to employ the feet-first approach because it cuts down on hand, finger and wrist injuries.
"There's a transition there. It takes a little time, but that's why we got to keep practicing it," Riggleman said. "Our message to the guys -- not just Nyjer, but all of them -- is any of them who have always slid headfirst, we would like to get you going feetfirst."
-- The Associated Press
SANCHEZ WORKING HIS WAY BACK (2:21 p.m. ET)
Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez, still rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery, hopes to begin taking ground balls within a week. If that goes well, he'll graduate to swinging a bat.
Sanchez is working out seven days a week with Tony Reale, the Giants' physical therapist. He's already throwing -- about 35 tosses from a distance of 75 feet -- but the Giants are still in one-step-at-a-time mode with him.
There's no timetable on Sanchez's return to the lineup, but it's a virtual certainty that he'll miss the start of the season. Juan Uribe can play second base in Sanchez's absence, and Eugenio Velez, Emmanuel Burriss and Kevin Frandsen will all get a look at the position in spring training.
The bigger issue for manager Bruce Bochy is reconfiguring his lineup without Sanchez in the second spot. Shortstop Edgar Renteria could hit second to begin the season, then drop down to seventh or eighth once Sanchez returns. But Renteria had a .290 on-base percentage in the No. 2 hole last year, so he's not a good fit for the top of the order.
-- Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com
FELDMAN TAKES THE LEAD IN RANGERS' ROTATION (12:53 p.m. ET)
In less than a year, Scott Feldman has progressed from afterthought to anchor of the Texas Rangers' starting rotation.
Winning 17 games in five months last season -- and entering the closing weeks with a chance to reach the coveted 20-victory mark -- will do that for a pitcher.
"I thought it would have been cool if I could have gotten 20," Feldman said. "Just to get 17 was a pretty cool thing. We had a good team."
Feldman was a large part of that success, posting a 17-8 record and 4.08 ERA in 31 starts. Despite not joining the rotation until late April, the right-hander was second on the club with 189 2/3 innings pitched.
Though he has just 56 career starts under his belt, the 27-year-old has become an elder statesman in a rotation that this year adds oft-injured veteran Rich Harden. It's a role that Feldman didn't necessarily expect but has embraced since the departure of Kevin Millwood.
"It's about your work ethic around here," manager Ron Washington said of Feldman on Thursday. "He's a great guy to model. You can't put leadership on people. Your teammates draw it out of you. And he's got the work ethic."
-- The Associated Press
BRAVES EXCITED ABOUT FULL YEAR OF HANSON (12:38 p.m. ET)
The Braves are very encouraged about their starting pitching for several reasons.
First, Tim Hudson says "I haven't felt this good in six years." The discomfort in Jair Jurrjens' right shoulder has diminished "from a 7 to a 0.5," says manager Bobby Cox.
And, the Braves will have Tommy Hanson for the entire season.
When another top Braves starter, Derek Lowe, was asked what impressed him most about Hanson, he said, "Where do you want me to start?"
That's how good Hanson is. "Every pitcher in the big leagues has good stuff, the difference is the guy who has it mentally, and he does," said Hudson. "You could see it last spring. When he got to the big leagues last year, he thought he was better than the hitters."
"His stuff is sensational," Lowe said of Hanson. When asked about the trade of ace Javier Vazquez, Lowe acknowledged that the Braves had lost a terrific pitcher, but he said, "We're going to get 15 more starts from Tommy Hanson. That's a pretty good start."
-- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN The Magazine
HEYWARD TURNING HEADS AT BRAVES CAMP (12:33 p.m. ET)Braves right fielder Jason Heyward has had some prodigious batting practices so far this spring.
"It sounds like a 30-aught six going off when he hits the ball," said Braves pitcher Tim Hudson. "I was walking through the outfield, I heard that sound, turned and said, 'What in the heck was that?' "
Pitcher Derek Lowe agreed about the sound, saying, "His BP is frightening."
Heyward said Thursday that he weighed in, clothed, at 250 pounds. He said in spikes, he stands 6-foot-6.
"He is huge," said Braves catcher David Ross. "His hands are huge. Hank Aaron was here the other day and talked about how big Jason's hands are. And Hank has big hands."
-- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN The Magazine
In a perfect world, Jason Giambi would be reporting to spring training as a designated hitter for a contender in the American League. Instead, Giambi returned to the Rockies in Tucson on Wednesday, where he will be an occasional fill-in for Todd Helton at first base and a pinch-hitter.Giambi signed a one-year deal for $1.75 million in January after not being able to secure a job as an everyday DH. Just because it was Plan B doesn't make it any less desirable, Giambi said.
"Trust me, in a perfect world, I'd love to say I could still go out there every day at first base and still play," Giambi said after reporting to camp Wednesday. "I would've loved that opportunity to see what I could do [as a] DH day-in and out with a team that had an opportunity [to win]. But I enjoy it here. I really had a great time, and I'm excited to be back."
The 36-year-old Helton admitted to wearing down at the end of last season. He told Tracy that he was amenable to more rest this season, which would open up at-bats for Giambi. And Giambi's presence bolsters the bench and gives Tracy another left-handed bat to go with outfielder Seth Smith.
Helton said Giambi, a lifetime .282 hitter with 409 home runs and .527 slugging percentage, brings "intimidation" at the plate and a "clubhouse presence" to the Rockies. One of Giambi's strengths, Helton said, is his ability to discuss hitting and do it with a calming influence.
-- The Associated Press
STRASBURG SLATED TO THROW MARCH 9 (6:58 p.m. ET)Washington general manager Mike Rizzo said RHP Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 pick in June's draft, would make his first exhibition start on March 9 against Detroit at Space Coast Stadium and will pitch every fifth day, regardless of where the game was to be played.
Washington pitching coach Steve McCatty told MLB.com he is looking forward to watching Strasburg throw against big league hitters.
"This will be my first chance to see him face hitters. Everybody is really excited," McCatty told MLB.com. "We'll see how it goes. Who knows what's going to happen after that. We are just going to go and see how it's going to works out. We are going to have a rain day every once in a while, so everything is always done in pencil."
-- ESPN.com news services
TIGERS' ZUMAYA, FASTBALL BACK (5:38 p.m. ET)
Joel Zumaya's overpowering pitching sessions have attracted a lot of attention in the early days of spring training. Just six months ago, as he was preparing for a second major operation in less than two years on his aching right shoulder, he wondered whether his career might be over at the age of 24.
"I've asked myself plenty of times: When does this stop? It's come down plenty of times to: That's enough, my arm is shot," Zumaya said. "I've had so many surgeries already. I've seen plenty of guys' careers end. They're done; they just make the decision to go home. I know I have some left. I have a lot left."
He has so much left that manager Jim Leyland sometimes shakes his head in disbelief.
"I watched him throwing the other day and I remarked to one of the coaches: 'How does a human being hit that?'" Leyland said. "That blows my mind ... the ball is exploding up there, and it's impressive enough that he can throw it that way; it's more impressive that somebody can hit it."
The Tigers would like Zumaya to take back the eighth-inning role he had in his rookie season of 2006, when he struck out 97 in 83 1/3 innings and they won the pennant.
"It bothered me all last year," Zumaya said. "I kept my mouth shut, but it hurt all year. I tried to do as much as I could to help this team, and it's probably my fault that I did it but I'm a competitor. I don't want to sit on the bench and watch my teammates go out there and battle it off, and then the seventh and eighth inning come along and the game goes the other way."
-- The Associated Press
PHILS FEEL THEY HAVE 'UNFINISHED BUSINESS' (4:43 p.m. ET)
The Phillies say they have some "unfinished business" this year after falling two wins shy of repeating as World Series champions.
"Last year didn't go the way we wanted it to," Ryan Howard said. "Hopefully everyone comes in here with the mindset of unfinished business, everyone gets locked in and we have a good spring training and carry it out to the season."
The two-time defending NL champions are hoping for another long season that carries into late October and possibly early November. But they've got a long way to go before they get there. The team held its second full-squad workout Wednesday and live batting practice starts Thursday.
Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez are among the hitters scheduled to face new ace Roy Halladay.
-- The Associated Press
WELLS READY FOR LEADERSHIP ROLE WITH JAYS (3:31 p.m. ET)
Vernon Wells says he's finally prepared to assume the mantle of leadership for the youth-laden Toronto Blue Jays.
"It's a fun role to be in," he said. "Guys look at you to do the right things and how to be successful at this level. It's a role I'm looking forward to. For me, it's pretty easy. You expect guys to go out and play hard. That's my point to everybody. There's one thing you can control in this game and that's going out and playing the game the right way and respecting the game. Things will work out after that."
Manager Cito Gaston said Wells and second baseman/designated hitter Aaron Hill, starting his sixth season, "are probably going to be two guys who step up and do it. You've always got to remember you lead by example.
"You're going to have bad nights and you're going to have to handle them the right way. You're going to have good nights and you're going to have to handle them the right way," Gaston said. "Leadership is tough to do. Some people are leaders, some are not."
One thing Wells has going for him this spring is a pain-free left wrist. He fractured it making a sliding catch in Cleveland on May 10, 2008, underwent surgery and missed 26 games, and 25 more because of hamstring problems.
-- The Associated Press
DOTEL OFF TO SLOW START (2:28 p.m. ET)
Pirates reliever Octavio Dotel is off to a slower start than he expected at spring training.
Dotel strained a muscle on the left side of his upper body Sunday while throwing a bullpen session. The injury is not considered serious, but Dotel has been shut down for a few days as a precaution.
The 36-year-old Dotel has pitched a total of 160 innings over the past three years. The Pirates signed the oft-injured pitcher in the offseason.
"It's good that it wasn't a big pop or a snap or anything," manager John Russell said Wednesday. "It's better it happened now than later in camp. There are no concerns he won't be ready for the season."
The Pirates already had planned on taking it easy with their new closer. Like Dotel, right-hander Brendan Donnelly also will be eased into his spring workload.
-- The Associated Press
A'S ANDERSON WORKING ON CHANGEUP (1:36 p.m. ET)
Brett Anderson, who went 11-11 with a 4.06 ERA and finished sixth in American League Rookie of the Year balloting last season, is concentrating on improving his changeup. He went home to Stillwater, Okla., in the offseason and worked on the pitch with his father, Frank, the head baseball coach at Oklahoma State.
Anderson hopes the pitch will help him put more balls in play early in counts and allow him to go deeper in games. He threw 175 1/3 innings in his rookie season.
"I've thrown a change before, but it's never been a confidence pitch for me," Anderson said. "I've always had enough confidence in my slider and curveball to throw them whenever I wanted to. [The changeup] is getting better, but it's a process."
Anderson also plans to do a better job of moving the ball around in the strike zone. He recalls a confrontation with Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval last year, when he kept pounding the inside corner with fastballs before finally surrendering a three-run homer.
"No matter how good your stuff is, if big league hitters are looking for one pitch in one location, they're definitely going to hit it," Anderson said.
-- Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com
SPLIT-FINGERED PITCH GIVES IGARASHI EDGE IN METS' PEN (1:18 p.m. ET)
This spring, Mets manager Jerry Manuel is looking for someone to pitch the eighth inning, and deliver the ball to closer Francisco Rodriguez. When asked which of the many candidates might have a slight edge, he pointed at 30-year-old right-hander Ryota Igarashi from Japan.
"He throws strikes, and he has this," Manuel said, putting his right hand in a split-fingered grip position. "He could give a different look to hitters the first month of the season."
Igarashi, 30, was 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA in 56 games last year for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, in Japan. Kelvim Escobar, Bobby Parnell and Sean Green are other likely candidates for the set-up role.
The Mets opened camp with a rotation that includes Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, Oliver Perez and John Maine. Jonathon Niese is perhaps the leader among several candidates for the fifth starter spot.
Finding a complement for Santana at the top of the rotation will be crucial to the Mets' chances to contend in the National League East. Perez, always erratic, came to camp in very good shape, several Mets said. He has worked with Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax in camp and has, from all reports, thrown the ball well in his bullpen sessions this spring.
-- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN The Magazine
INFIELD SWAP: LOPEZ, FIGGINS TRADE PLACES (12:15 p.m. ET)
When the Mariners trotted out for infield drills on Tuesday, second baseman Jose Lopez went to third base and newly acquired third baseman Chone Figgins headed over to second.
Was it spring training jitters? Or some clubhouse humor at the new guy's expense? No, and no. Lopez has been asked to give third base a try, while Figgins, who has big league experience at second, will move across the infield.
"I'll try to catch ground balls at third base and see what happens at spring training, play in a couple of games," Lopez said, according to The Seattle Times. "If I like it, I like it. I'll try."
Lopez said he had a hunch that he might be asked to make the shift when the Mariners signed Figgins, according to the report. And when Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu approached him with the idea, he agreed to give it a try.
"Figgins is a good guy and quick," Lopez said, according to the Times. "He's got better range. And we need it. I've got a better arm than Figgins at third base, especially with a diving catch. But it's no big deal. I'll wait for the games and see how I'm feeling in the games."
"We're going to look at it and see," Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said, according to the report. "There's nothing etched in stone right now. We're just looking to see what our different options are."
-- ESPN.com news services
GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR HEYWARD (11:56 a.m. ET)The comparisons already are out of control for Atlanta Braves prospect Jason Heyward.
Chipper Jones says the 6-foot-5 Heyward looks like former Braves first baseman Fred McGriff, only bigger.
Eric Hinske says Heyward hits line drives like Cliff Floyd.
Leave it to manager Bobby Cox to trump those comparisons.
Cox says the ball sounds different coming off Heyward's bat. It's a sound Cox says he has heard before -- "kind of like ol' Hank Aaron's sound."
Heyward calls Cox's comparison to the Hall of Famer "awesome." Even more exciting to the 20-year-old is the word from Cox that Heyward can win a starting job in right field this spring.
-- The Associated Press
Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird is especially eager to get going this season.Laird hit .225 last year after the Tigers acquired him from Texas, then was arrested in late December at a Phoenix Suns home game after a brawl.
Laird said he pleaded no contest and has been attending anger management classes. He said he wanted to have the legal matter cleared up before starting spring training.
"The sooner it was over, the better," Laird said Tuesday. "I don't really want to get into it, but it's behind me and now I get to concentrate on baseball."
Laird said he spent most of last season working on learning the Tigers' pitching staff. Manager Jim Leyland said Laird called a good game last year but that he expected him to hit at least .260 in 2010. Reserve catcher Alex Avila batted .279 in 29 games over the last two months of the season.
"We need to get more production out of (Laird)," Leyland said, "He knows our pitching staff now and if he can raise his average by about 30 points, that's all we need. We know he can catch. I love the way he handles our pitching staff."
Leyland and the Tigers held their first full-squad workout under overcast skies and manager, who has been a part of spring training since 1963, was extremely upbeat. Everyone reported on time and except for some minor bursitis in setup man Bobby Seay's shoulder, there were no injuries.
New left fielder-designated hitter Johnny Damon was among the first to arrive, just a day after signing a one-year, $8 million deal to play for the Tigers.
Leyland met early in the morning to meet with his other left fielder-DH, Carlos Guillen, to sort out his role with the team. Leyland promised Guillen the starting left field job after the end of the 2009 season, never imagining the Tigers would sign Damon.
-- The Associated Press
JAYS WEIGH CLOSERS (6:36 p.m. ET) While Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston ponders this spring who among a dozen candidates will be in his starting rotation, he also has to look at the other end of the game.
Who among three or more pitchers will be Toronto's closer -- or closers?
Right-hander Jason Frasor and lefty Scott Downs pretty much shared the role last season after the oft-injured and ineffective B.J. Ryan was released. Of the Blue Jays' 25 saves, Frasor had 11 and Downs nine. Added to the mix this year is more experienced closer Kevin Gregg, signed to a one-year, $2.75 million contract.
"Whatever role we all end up in, you're making that bullpen pretty deep," Gregg said. "Looking at the starters, and seeing these guys are pretty young, with what they've done and what they've accomplished, it allows us to shorten the game."
"We're not going to have to push those guys and try to get them into the seventh and eighth inning. When you've got three guys that can close the door at the back end, it really helps out the starters and their situation, too. It lets everybody grow."
Gregg was a middle reliever for the Angels from 2003-06. With Florida in 2007-08 and the Chicago Cubs last year, the right-hander compiled a 3.86 ERA and 84 saves, but had 20 blown saves as well.
He had left knee surgery after the 2008 season and in his final 26 appearances for the Cubs last year, Gregg's ERA ballooned to 7.83. Batters hit .258 against him, he saved four games and blew four, and he lost the closer role to Carlos Marmol.
-- The Associated Press
ICHIRO ALL SMILES IN CAMP (5:19 p.m. ET) Ichiro Suzuki can talk about separating the way last season ended from the start of a new year, but all indications are that the good vibes will linger with the nine-time All-Star.
The Seattle Mariners won their final game of 2009, finishing with 85 wins, and had the fans at Safeco Field wishing the season could go on. Teammates carried Suzuki, the team's biggest star, off the field on their shoulders.
Fast-forward to Monday and Tuesday, with Suzuki returning the love through a lot of hugs and handshakes and joking with his teammates in a jovial clubhouse and on the field.
Suzuki was particularly glad to see Ken Griffey Jr. Junior held Suzuki back from starting his shuttle run during Tuesday's workout on purpose, drawing laughter from onlookers. Later, as Suzuki ran, Griffey jogged alongside, egging him on.
"I think he came back this year to do that to me," Suzuki said through an interpreter. "He said he needed to do more against me than last year, so I guess this is a good start for him.
"I wasn't missing it at all, but I was prepared for it," Suzuki added.
Let the fun begin again in what was last year a good-time environment among the Mariners.
"I feel very comfortable this year because when you talk about the coaches we've been having, new coaches almost every year, that's what it seems like. But this year, we have one new coach but besides that everyone's all here. Besides that, it's hard to hug someone you don't know," he said.
-- The Associated Press
PIRATES NOT SELLING (5:20 p.m. ET) After two years of roster upheaval and trading away veteran players, the Pittsburgh Pirates plan to reverse course this season.
That was the message delivered Tuesday by principal owner Bob Nutting and president Frank Coonelly, who addressed a team meeting before the first full-squad workout of spring training.
"The last couple of years there's been the concern of who's going to be with the team in September," Nutting said. "That's much less of a discussion now. This team needs to jell, to set its own standards and perform."
"The expectation level has been raised," Coonelly added. "We believe this team can be the one that turns this franchise around. And instead of being concerned about subtractions from the team, this is a core to which we can add."
Since Coonelly was hired in 2007, the Pirates have jettisoned experienced players such as Jason Bay, Nate McLouth, Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Adam LaRoche and Matt Capps. The Pirates will begin the 2010 season with a payroll of about $35 million, likely to be the lowest in the majors.
Last season, after Sanchez and Wilson were dealt, the Pirates went 19-41 to close out their 17th straight losing season. Management hopes roster stability will lead to better results this year.
-- The Associated Press
FAMILIAR UNIFORM, NEW POSITION FOR TEJADA (4:24 p.m. ET)
Miguel Tejada manned a new position and moved to the next phase of his career at the Baltimore Orioles' first full-squad workout.
Tejada is moving over from shortstop to third base after rejoining the Orioles, who signed him to a one-year deal last month. He took ground balls Tuesday from infield coach Juan Samuel and launched monstrous home runs during batting practice
"It's the first day with the team, but I'm feeling comfortable," said Tejada, who spent four seasons with the Orioles before being traded to the Houston Astros in December 2007. "Since I signed I've been working out at third base, and today was real exciting. I'm like a little kid with a new toy. I'm enjoying today."
Tejada's name surfaced in the Mitchell report the day after he was traded from Baltimore to Houston in 2007. He later admitted to an age discrepancy and received a year's probation for lying to congressional investigators about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.
"Everybody knows that I've been through a lot of stuff off the field, but it's all behind me now and I feel like I'm going to start a new career," he said. "The last five years I came to spring training with a lot of stuff on my mind. Now my mind is clear. Now I'm just thinking every day what I can do to help this team."
-- The Associated Press
BAY: BALLPARK, CITY NOT FACTORS IN SIGNING (4:20 p.m. ET)Jason Bay arrived at the New York Mets' spring training camp Tuesday and talked about everything from his health to his defense to his reaction to Canada's loss to the U.S. in Olympic hockey.
"That stung a little bit," said Bay, a British Columbia native who became a U.S. citizen last summer but was quick to add, "I'm still a Canadian, through and through."
He's also a Met, having signed a four-year, $66 million contract as a free agent in December.
Bay, a three-time All-Star and the 2004 National League Rookie of the Year, said neither the size of the market nor the ballpark was a factor in his decision to sign with the Mets.
"I honestly never gave a ballpark any second thought," said Bay, 31, who batted .267 with 36 home runs and 119 RBIs for the Boston Red Sox last season.
"I'm confident with myself," he added. "At the end of the day, I try to get on base and try to knock in runs. If you knock in 100 runs with 10 home runs, so be it. That's by no means my plan."
-- The Associated Press
CHAVEZ TAKES ON NEW POSITION (4:06 p.m. ET) Eric Chavez is trying to get comfortable at a new position for the Oakland Athletics.
Chavez got his first workout Tuesday at first base during Oakland's practice in Phoenix.
Chavez won several Gold Gloves at third base for the A's. He's been limited by injuries during the past three seasons, but Oakland wants to try to keep his bat in the lineup this year.
-- The Associated Press
MIJARES' LATE ARRIVAL NOT AN ISSUE (3:32 p.m. ET)
Minnesota Twins reliever Jose Mijares has arrived at spring training a day late.
The left-hander joined the team for the workout on Tuesday. He says he missed his scheduled flight to Florida from his native Venezuela and arrived at the airport five hours early on Monday morning to make sure he made it.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire says he has put aside his disappointment with Mijares. Conditioning has been a problem for the burly Mijares in the past, but the manager praised the 25-year-old's work ethic on Tuesday.
Gardenhire says he expects Mijares to again assume an important role in the bullpen this season. Mijares posted a 2.34 ERA in 71 appearances last year for the Twins.
-- The Associated Press
DiNARDO SIDELINED BY LEG INJURY (3:11 p.m. ET)
Athletics left-hander Lenny DiNardo will miss a couple of days after straining his left Achilles tendon.
A's manager Bob Geren said Tuesday that the 30-year-old felt something while throwing a day earlier and will be held out of drills for the next two days.
DiNardo, who last won a major league game in April 2008 while with the A's, signed a minor league contract in January and was invited to spring training as a non-roster player.
He's spent parts of the past five seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Oakland and the Kansas City Royals.
-- The Associated Press
REDS LOOKING FOR CUETO TO STEP FORWARD (2:56 p.m. ET)
Cincinnati's chances of making an impact in the NL Central would be helped considerably by a breakout season from pitcher Johnny Cueto, whose performance in 2009 was eerily similar to what he did in 2008.
Cueto, 24, posted an 11-11 record with a 4.41 ERA after going 9-14 with a 4.81 ERA as a rookie. But his strikeout total declined markedly and he continued to have problems with the long ball; Cueto has given up 53 home runs in 61 big league starts.
"The more experience he gets, the better he's going to be,'' general manager Walt Jocketty said of Cueto. "He needs to use his changeup more, but he's still learning, He's still a baby.''
-- Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com
TEIXEIRA SAYS YANKEES WON'T SIT BACK (11:53 a.m. ET)
Mark Teixeira believes the defending World
Series champion New York Yankees will not be complacent and are the
favorites this season.
The first baseman says that complacency won't be an issue "because we're the Yankees," and that winning a championship "just makes you want it even more."
"Once you taste that victory, you realize it's everything you've ever hoped for," said Teixeira, who reported to camp Tuesday.
As for considering New York to be the 2010 favorite, Teixeira says the Yankees "have to feel that way every single season."
Teixeira is in the second season of a $180 million, eight-year contract. He hit .292 with 39 homers and 122 RBIs last season.
-- The Associated Press
PHILLIES WILL NEED TO FIGURE OUT WERTH (11:42 a.m. ET)
Sporting a thick, scraggly beard and long hair flowing beneath his baseball cap, Jayson Werth caused a stir with his appearance Monday at camp.
His look -- described by teammate Brad Lidge as "a cross between Jesus Christ and the Geico Caveman" -- might be drawing double takes, but it's his future with the Phillies that will need another look.
Werth is entering the final year of a $10 million, two-year deal, and it's uncertain whether the Phillies will be able to afford him when he becomes a free agent this offseason. Werth, who will be 31 in May, might be considered a late bloomer, after missing all of 2006 as he recovered from a serious wrist injury. But last season, he batted .268 with 36 homers, 99 RBIs and 20 steals, earning a trip to the All-Star Game in his first full season as a regular.
Does that mean Werth would be willing to give the Phillies a hometown discount to stay? His price tag on the open market could be comparable to the $66 million, four-year deal Jason Bay signed with the New York Mets.
"It's tough to say right now," Werth said. "I'm very grateful for what they've done for me ... I don't want to be sitting here blowing smoke. I love the Phillies, I love Philadelphia, I love playing there, I love my teammates. I'm just focused on the task at hand."
-- The Associated Press
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman says his toughest adjustment since defecting from Cuba has been getting used to the food and the language.The Reds signed the hard-throwing lefty to a six-year, $30.25 million deal last month. He's getting a chance to make the starting rotation in spring training, though the Reds say they're going to be patient and not rush the 21-year-old.
The Reds will give Chapman a chance to win a spot in the rotation during spring training, but aren't pushing him. They're giving him as much time as he needs to get acclimated to the new culture and the major leagues.
"We really don't have a timetable, and I don't think it's good to have a timetable," Jocketty said. "I think we'll find out as we go along."
"We're just going to let him develop. You don't really know what he's capable of yet. You watch him on the mound and you can see the ability, but we don't know until he gets into a game and faces hitters if he's ready now or it's going to take some time."
Chapman said it was very difficult to leave his wife, daughter and the rest of his family behind when he defected.
"It was a very hard decision," Chapman said through translator and pitching coach Tony Fossas. "But in Cuba, they told me I had to be brave and make the move."
-- The Associated Press
ROMERO, MARCUM COMPETING FOR JAYS' ACE (6:13 p.m. ET)
The Toronto Blue Jays brought 37 pitchers to spring training, including 10 non-roster players invited to camp and two on the disabled list.
"We've got so many pitchers here we need names on their back," Jays manager Cito Gaston said Monday as the team began its first official spring training workout.
But the impact player may be the one who isn't here: Roy Halladay.
Toronto's former ace was traded to Philadelphia after last season for three minor leaguers -- catcher Travis d'Arnaud, first baseman Brett Wallace and pitcher Kyle Drabek, son of 13-year veteran pitcher and 1990 National League Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek. None is expected to make the Blue Jays' roster this season.
The principal candidates for the No. 1 spot in the rotation are left-hander Ricky Romero, 13-9 as a rookie last year, and right-hander Shaun Marcum, 24-17 in four seasons before sitting out 2009 following shoulder surgery.
"Who's my No. 1? Who's my No. 2?" Gaston said. "You talk about two guys. We hope their arms are OK but you don't know until they start pitching in competition."
-- The Associated Press
CRAWFORD'S FUTURE UP IN AIR (5:10 p.m. ET)
Carl Crawford wants to win -- and be paid.
Tampa Bay's three-time All-Star left fielder reported to spring training in Port Charlotte, Fla., and says he's focused on helping the Rays get back to the playoffs, not the prospect of becoming a free agent after the season.
Crawford is set to earn $10 million in the final season of a $33.5 million, six-year contract.
"I'm hoping for the best, like always. But right now, I really don't know," Crawford said, adding the "best" would reaching a deal that'll keep him in Tampa Bay. "I wish something good will come out of it, but at this point we really haven't done too much [negotiating] and I don't know when we will."
If the 28-year-old winds up on the open market, he's likely to command a much larger salary than the budget-conscious Rays can afford to pay.
The team's career leader in hits, runs, stolen bases, RBIs and games played says the situation could go either way.
-- The Associated Press
ROBERTS HAS BACK PROBLEM (4:43 p.m. ET)
Baltimore Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts has a back problem, but expects to be OK for Opening Day.
Roberts has been diagnosed with a small herniated disk. He says he's on the right track in his preparation for the start of the season.
Roberts intends to do some light hitting Tuesday when the Orioles hold their first full-squad workout. He worked out in the weight room Monday after taking his physical.
He says he won't need surgery to repair the disk.
-- The Associated Press
PETTITTE SAYS HE CONSIDERED RETIREMENT (3:22 p.m. ET)
Andy Pettitte gave some serious thought to going out as a champion last year.
It turns out the 37-year-old left-hander wasn't quite ready to retire, even after the New York Yankees won the World Series.
Pettitte opted to return this season after talking with his family, and he signed an $11.75 million, one-year contract in December.
Pettitte went 14-8 with a 4.16 ERA last season, throwing 194 2/3 innings, to help the Yankees win their first championship since 2000.
This year, he's part of a strong rotation that includes CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Javier Vazquez.
Pettitte has 192 wins with the Yankees, third on the franchise list. He is scheduled for his first spring training bullpen session on Tuesday.
-- The Associated Press
PUDGE MAKES INTRODUCTION TO NEW NATS TEAMMATES (2:53 p.m. ET)
Ivan Rodriguez worked the Washington Nationals clubhouse like a savvy D.C. politician glad-handing at a fundraiser. He paused at every locker, shaking hands with new teammates, paying particular attention to the pitchers who will soon be throwing to him.
He warmly greeted veterans and rookies alike, some youngsters awed that a future Hall of Famer was introducing himself to them.
"Years ago, I was watching that guy on TV and now I'm playing on the same team," beamed fellow catcher Jesus Flores.
Rodriguez has been through this getting-to-know-you process before, and quickly bonding is an important part of assimilating into a new team culture. The 38-year-old might not be the offensive threat he once was, but the player known as "Pudge" wasn't really brought to Washington for his offense.
"My main job is defense behind the plate, to make the pitcher feel comfortable with me. ... That's my game," said Rodriguez, who signed a two-year, $6 million free-agent deal with the Nationals in December.
-- The Associated Press
MARLINS THANKFUL TO HAVE ACE JOHNSON LOCKED UP (2:27 p.m. ET)
There was a palpable feeling of relief in Marlins camp with ace Josh Johnson signed to a four-year deal, meaning there will be no negotiating during the season, and absolutely no chance that he will be traded should the team somehow be out of the race at the end of July.
"Huge," said Marlins catcher John Baker. "I would put him up against anyone."
Baker said that last year, Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano told him during a game, "I'm so glad he's not in our league."
Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco, who has terrific stuff, shook his head in amazement at a guy "who can throw 98 mph with that kind of control. Pitchers just can't do that."
Marlins coach Carlos Tosca, a former Blue Jays manager, said "even though their stuff is different, he reminds me in every way of Roy Halladay."
Johnson, despite his new contract, came to camp as the same guy he has always been: playful but serious, a leader in every way. The only difference is a new, really short haircut.
"[Pitcher] Rick VandenHurk cut it," Johnson said. "He wanted to do it. I don't care. A teammate cut my hair last year, also."
As for haircuts, Marlins left fielder Chris Coghlan, who made a trip to Iraq with a Marlins contingent in the offseason, allowed American soldiers there to cut his hair. They gave him a mohawk.
-- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN The Magazine
MIJARES LATE FOR CAMP; GARDENHIRE WANTS ACCOUNTABILITY (2:21 p.m. ET)
Minnesota Twins reliever Jose Mijares will be late to spring training.
Mijares was absent from Monday's first official workout for pitchers and catchers because of an unspecified issue at home in Venezuela. Disappointed manager Ron Gardenhire said Mijares is expected to arrive in Fort Myers on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The Twins didn't learn of the delay until Monday morning. Gardenhire says Mijares needs to be more accountable.
Mijares also missed the team's annual fan festival last month because of a visa problem. The 25-year-old left-hander had a 2.34 ERA in 71 appearances last season. The Twins have been concerned about his conditioning in the past.
"He knows the days you're supposed to be here. Everybody's here, except one guy. That should tell him a little bit about himself," Gardenhire said. "He's got to figure it out and do a better job. We've got plenty of people who want to pitch."
-- The Associated Press
BRADLEY JUST WANTS TO HAVE FUN, BE LEFT ALONE IN SEATTLE (2:16 p.m. ET)
Milton Bradley arrived at the Seattle Mariners' spring training complex Monday morning for his physical, proclaiming that he primarily wants to have fun playing.
Bradley, slated to play left field and share designated hitter duties with Ken Griffey, Jr., was thrilled to meet his new teammate. Griffey was the first Mariner to greet Bradley -- the pair's locker stalls are near each other -- and they briefly embraced.
The Mariners picked up Bradley in a December trade with the Chicago Cubs in search of a bat to insert into the middle of the lineup. They also assumed the character risks with Bradley, who is with his eighth team and has been at the center of several controversial incidents involving fans, the media and his own fits of frustration.
"It's all the same things," Bradley said of his conversations with every new team he joins before he arrives. "'Are you looking forward to this,' or 'it's a fresh start,' all that cliche stuff. But I don't believe in all that. I'm just, 'You go about your business.' I believe if people allow you to be you and don't steer you in any certain direction or don't steer people's thoughts in a certain direction, then things will work out the way they're supposed to."
-- The Associated Press
LIDGE THROWS FIRST BULLPEN SESSION SINCE SURGERIES (2:11 p.m. ET)
Brad Lidge has thrown 20 pitches off a mound, his first bullpen session since offseason surgeries on his elbow and knee.
Lidge says he felt no pain Monday and is concentrating on building up arm strength. It's far too early to know whether the closer will be ready when the NL champion Philadelphia Phillies open the season at Washington on April 5.
Lidge said last week he was two weeks behind schedule, but he's making progress.
"I'd say I'm right about the same," he said. "I feel I'm right ahead of that two weeks. With the bullpen today, I kind of stayed right there. I didn't come out and feel 100 percent. That being said, nothing hurts and I was able to use my body in the way I was hoping to this year without having any pain or side effects. It's all about building arm strength now and I'm going to have to do a lot of work to get that."
Pitching coach Rich Dubee says Lidge threw only fastballs and was encouraged by his first step.
-- The Associated Press
MILLWOOD EMBRACES LEADERSHIP ROLE WITH ORIOLES (11:51 a.m. ET)
The Orioles traded for 35-year-old Kevin Millwood during the winter meetings because they wanted an experienced arm at the top of their rotation and a clubhouse leader who could lead the team's young pitching staff by example.
The role of mentor is a comfortable fit for Millwood, who went 13-10 with a 3.67 ERA in 2009, the last of his four seasons with the Texas Rangers, and has won 155 games in a 13-year major league career.
"I'm having a good time," he said. "These guys seem like they're willing to learn and want to get better. The most fun for me would be seeing these guys succeed."
Millwood can be vocal, but he's more likely to lead by example. Perhaps it comes from his exposure to star pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz after breaking into the majors with the Atlanta Braves in 1997.
"It's just kind of the way that I am," he said. "I had a lot of guys who kind of showed me the way when I was young. I've just done that my whole career. I think that's the right way to do it."
-- The Associated Press
'OPERATION PANDA' NOT YET A GIANT SUCCESS (10:39 a.m. ET)
The San Francisco Giants had hoped infielder Pablo Sandoval -- also known as "Kung Fu Panda" for his generous physique -- would make strides along with his teammates in slimming down this offseason.
"Operation Panda," the diet and exercise regimen put in place by head trainer Dave Groeschner, has resulted in several slightly smaller Giants. But Sandoval, the project's namesake, has not yet reached his desired weight, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
"He's still a work in progress," Groeschner said of Sandoval on Sunday, according to the report. "He's working hard, and he's still working to slim down. We're trying to stay on top of this because he's not where we wanted him yet."
Sandoval, who's reportedly aiming at 250 pounds as his target weight, dropped 12 pounds during offseason workouts at the team's spring training facility in Arizona. But that progress stalled while he was playing winter ball in Venezuela.
"He didn't have a huge setback [in Venezuela], but he didn't have an advancement," Groeschner said, according to the report.
-- ESPN.com news services
The Pittsburgh Pirates plan to be more careful with pitcher Paul Maholm this season.Maholm went 8-9 with a 4.44 ERA last year, not what the Pirates expected from their ace.
But there were times, pitching coach Joe Kerrigan said, when Maholm insisted on taking his regular turn in the rotation despite a sore left knee and illness. Kerrigan went along, and Maholm paid the price with awful outings.
"This guy pitched with a whole bunch of injuries last year," Kerrigan said. "Some of it was our fault. There were a couple of times when we shouldn't have let him pitch with that knee."
"But he'll convince you -- he'll lie to you. He's a real good liar. We're going to have to be more forceful, I think, if we see that knee swell up a little bit. We've got to be smarter. We've got to be stubborn about it," he said.
-- The Associated Press
PITCHING DEPTH A PLUS IN OAKLAND (2:52 p.m. ET)
The A's currently expect Ben Sheets, Justin Duchscherer, Dallas Braden and Brett Anderson to slot in as the top four starters in the rotation. That leaves Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Vin Mazzaro to compete for the fifth spot.
Cahill, one of Oakland's top prospects, posted a 10-13 record with a 4.63 ERA in 32 starts last season. The A's want him to work on his slider and improve his performance against left-handed hitters, who batted .286 against him with a .558 slugging percentage in 2009.
It's possible that one of the losers in the fifth starter derby will assume a long relief role, but manager Bob Geren isn't thinking that far ahead.
"Right now I'm just going to treat them all like starters and stretch them out and see how the next few weeks progress,'' Geren said.
-- Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com
LIRIANO'S SLIDER IS BACK? (2:47 p.m. ET)
In his first three seasons after Tommy John surgery, Minnesota Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano lost touch with his slider, once one of the most feared and unhittable pitches in the big leagues.
In his fourth offseason since the procedure, Liriano was finally able to rear back and let it fly. For the first time in a long time, the bite was in the slider and not in his elbow.
While pitching in winter ball in his native Dominican this offseason, Liriano started to feel like the All-Star power pitcher he was in 2006, not the wayward youngster of the past three seasons who looked lost without his favorite pitch. He went 3-1 with a 0.49 ERA in seven postseason appearances for Leones del Escogido, including a one-hit, 10-strikeout, five-inning masterpiece in the championship game.
As the Twins' pitchers and catchers report for spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., the team and Liriano hope his winter ball performance was a sign of things to come.
"You just have to wait and see how he carries it up to here," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It's one thing pitching down there and it's another thing pitching up here. But the reports are that he's really throwing the ball well. He could be one of those ace in the holes if he can come back and bounce back, keep his arm up and the ball down."
-- The Associated Press
VAZQUEZ HAS FIRST BULLPEN SESSION (2:33 p.m. ET)
Yankees right-hander Javier Vazquez threw 35 pitches during his first spring training bullpen session Sunday.
Vazquez was acquired in an offseason trade with Atlanta to be the fourth starter behind CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte.
"The first time out, I feel OK," Vazquez said.
Vazquez had pitched off a mound several times -- the last being a week and a half ago -- at home in Puerto Rico. After working 219 1/3 innings last season, the Yankees had originally planned to keep him off the mound until Wednesday.
Jorge Posada caught Vazquez. The pair were Yankees teammates in 2004.
-- The Associated Press
OSWALT SETS GOALS FOR 2010 REBOUND (12:03 p.m. ET)
Roy Oswalt will be counting innings more than victories this season.
The Houston Astros' ace said on Sunday that if he can make 35 starts and reach 200 innings, he'll have a successful season.
Oswalt is coming off the most frustrating year of his career, when he went 8-6 and set a dubious franchise record with 16 no-decisions. He strained his lower back in July, then sat out the last two weeks of the season with a bulging disk.
The 32-year-old Oswalt says his back is healed and he's been reinvigorated by new manager Brad Mills and pitching coach Brad Arnsberg.
Oswalt is confident he can put up numbers like he did when he won 20 games in 2004 and '05, and helped Houston reach unprecedented postseason success.
-- The Associated Press
ROGERS TO VISIT TIGERS CAMP AS INSTRUCTOR (11:17 a.m. ET)
Former Detroit Tigers left-hander Kenny Rogers is returning to spring training as a special pitching instructor.
Rogers spent the last three years of his 20-year career with the Tigers, leading them to an American League pennant in 2006. He'll be working with the Tigers at their spring training facility in Lakeland, Fla., on March 2-5, the team said.
Another former Tigers great will not be at camp, however. Lou Whittaker, who has been a special instructor at spring training since his 1995 retirement, will not be reprising that role this spring.
-- ESPN.com news services
POSADA LOOKING FORWARD TO CATCHING BURNETT (11:06 a.m. ET)
Jorge Posada says he never took it personally when he was benched for A.J. Burnett's four postseason starts. And now that a new season has begun, the veteran Yankees catcher is looking forward to catching Burnett again, saying he enjoys that Burnett brings the same intensity to the game that Roger Clemens did, the New York Daily News reported.
"Last year I really got up when he pitched. You can't be passive back there," Posada said, according to the report. "His stuff is so good, he's electrifying. It's a real challenge, but it's fun. It's unfortunate what happened last season, but I'm looking forward to catching him again. I really am."
During the 2009 playoffs, Jose Molina started on days Burnett pitched, as Burnett seemed to pitch better when Molina was behind the plate. Now Molina is with the Blue Jays.
"I wasn't happy to sit down [during the playoffs]," Posada said, according to the report. "But you look back and you see we won, it makes it easier to accept. I know A.J. didn't ask for it, and he expressed that, so it's not as if we have a problem.
"Joe [Girardi] felt he and Jose had a good connection, and I don't blame him. You want to win. Looking ahead now, there's nothing to be addressed."
-- ESPN.com news services
DUCHSCHERER FIGHTING BACK SORENESS (10:40 a.m. ET)
Athletics starter Justin Duchscherer says he's feeling great mentally after getting treatment for what he described as a mental breakdown last season, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. But his body is not cooperating as spring training begins.
Duchscherer says he has an irritated SI joint -- the joint connecting the base of the spine to the hip bones -- and has had three cortisone shots to fight the irritation, including one last week, the Chronicle reported. But the right-hander also said the issue is minor and that there's a simple fix that would keep him off the field only a few days.
A's manager Bob Geren said Duchscherer, who is penciled in as the A's No. 2 starter, had lingering back soreness after throwing on Friday and will be re-evaluated on Sunday, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
"He's had it off and on for a week or two," Geren said, according to the Mercury News. "He felt good [Friday]. He threw a 20-pitch bullpen. But he woke up this morning, and it was a little bit stiff."
-- ESPN.com news services
First-time Astros skipper Brad Mills ran his first workout Saturday, when Houston's pitchers and catchers reported to the club's spring training complex near Orlando.
The 53-year-old Mills is a major league manager for the first time after spending the last six seasons as Terry Francona's bench coach in Boston. Mills inherits a team with veteran talent in Roy Oswalt, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee, but also wants to incorporate young players into prominent roles this season.
Mills was hired in October to replace Cecil Cooper, who was fired with 13 games left in the season.
-- The Associated Press
GAGNE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT CHANCE WITH DODGERS (7:18 p.m. ET) 
Eric Gagne is pretty sure this is his last shot at a major league comeback, and he's glad to be getting it with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 2003 NL Cy Young Award winner, who rejoined the Dodgers when he agreed to a minor league contract Friday, thinks making the team this spring shouldn't be a problem as long as he's healthy.
On his first day back inside the Dodgers' clubhouse, Gagne pulled on a fresh, blue cap Saturday and tugged at the bill. He said it was perfect.
He could have been referring to more than just the fit. Gagne has pitched for three big league teams since leaving the Dodgers after the 2006 season. But it was in Los Angeles where he became a star closer, and he says the Dodgers never left his heart.
-- The Associated Press
ROCKIES' COOK FINDS STRENGTH THROUGH WEIGHT LOSS (7:04 p.m. ET)
Colorado Rockies right-hander Aaron Cook cut out fried foods and sodas. He stopped eating desserts and avoided late night snacks.
The result was startling.
Cook reported to spring training at 200 pounds, down from 220 at the end of the 2009 season. He expects to gain between five and 10 pounds during camp but should enter the upcoming season carrying less weight.
Colorado catcher Chris Iannetta and pitching coach Bob Apodaca noticed a difference right away when Cook threw his first bullpen session of the spring Saturday. Iannetta says he had a lot more extension on his pitches and Apodaca says Cook looked "really healthy and athletic."
Cook went 11-6 with a 4.16 ERA in 158 innings last year.
-- The Associated Press
SLIMMER STAIRS AIMS FOR SPOT ON PADRES' BENCH (6:27 p.m. ET) 
Matt Stairs says he pushed himself hard during his offseason conditioning program just in case any teams had interest in his services.
At the same time, however, the veteran pinch-hitter put the thought in the back of his mind that he might have to retire.
But sometime after he secured a job as a hitting coach for the University of Maine, Stairs received an invitation to spring training from the San Diego Padres. Stairs, who signed a minor league deal in January after losing 32 pounds this offseason, officially checked into spring training on Saturday.
Stairs, who began his career with the Montreal Expos in 1992 and is playing for his 12th team, weighs 198 pounds. He finished the 2009 season with the NL champion Phillies weighing 230 pounds. Stairs attributed the weight loss to a diet and playing for two senior league hockey teams in Bangor, Maine. He also was a coach for the varsity hockey team at John Baptist Memorial High School in Bangor this winter.
"I feel great right now," Stairs said. "We'll see how it goes. If I can't hit any home runs, I'll start throwing some burgers in me."
-- The Associated Press
RED SOX CATCHER VARITEK IN ODD POSITION: BACKUP (4:14 p.m. ET)
For the first time in 12 years, Jason Varitek is starting spring training as a backup.
The Boston Red Sox catcher is the No. 2 man behind Victor Martinez.
"This isn't necessarily new for me," Varitek said after the first official workout for pitchers and catchers. "Is it different? Of course, it's different. But I think that in that role that it was last year toward the end that probably got me prepared for this.
"For the most part, I'm here to support Vic as much as possible and take the load off him when he needs it."
Varitek is starting his sixth season as the Red Sox captain and said he might be a better leader when he doesn't play and can devote more attention to communicating with teammates instead of the details of the game.
-- The Associated Press
ANGELS' SHIELDS SAYS REHAB ON TRACK (3:50 p.m. ET) 
Angels' reliever Scot Shields says that his recovery from season-ending knee surgery last June is on track and that Los Angeles' bullpen has never been better.
The Angels longest-tenured player said on Saturday that the Angels' relief corps is among the best since he joined the team in 2001.
Shields has been a bullpen mainstay as the right-handed setup man, spanning the tenures of closers Troy Percival, Frankie Rodriguez and Brian Fuentes.
But he made a career-low 20 appearances last season before opting for left knee surgery in mid-June. He admitted to pitching in pain while compiling a career-worst 6.62 ERA over 17 2/3 innings.
The Angels are bringing Shields along slowly this spring, and he says that was the plan all along.
-- The Associated Press
MARLINS LOOKING AT PLAYOFF BERTH (3:48 p.m. ET)
As the first spring training workout begins, the Florida Marlins are already swinging for the fences by talking optimistically about making the playoffs.
Pitchers and catchers took the field for drills Saturday with high expectations, from team president David Samson on down.
The Marlins have climbed from 71 wins in 2007 to 84 in 2008 and 87 last year, when they finished six games behind league champion Philadelphia in the NL East. The core of the team returns intact, and payroll will top $40 million for the first time in five years.
More improvement likely will be needed to crack the postseason for the first time since the Marlins won the World Series in 2003.
-- The Associated Press
DEMPSTER DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM AILING DAUGHTER (3:43 p.m. ET) 
Ryan Dempster has inspiration every time he gets in a tight situation on a baseball field with the Chicago Cubs. It comes from his 10-month-old daughter, Riley, who's been fighting DiGeorge syndrome all her young life.
Riley Dempster, who was born on April 1, 2009, has undergone numerous procedures, including the insertion of feeding and tracheal tubes as she fights the disorder caused by a defect in a chromosome.
Symptoms and conditions of DiGeorge syndrome vary in different patients and with different degrees of severity. In Riley's case, she's been unable to swallow. Early on, she underwent another procedure in which a portion of the stomach is wrapped around the esophagus to promote healing and reduce acid backup.
"She's doing well. She's still unable to swallow but she's doing well. She's a tough little fighter," Dempster said this week from the Chicago Cubs' spring training complex.
Dempster said his daughter must learn how to swallow on her own and it's a difficult process for someone so small and young.
"She inspires us," Dempster said. "You know, watching. If you're going through that, I can do anything. I really feel that way."
-- The Associated Press
CARDS GROOMING BACKUP OPTIONS FOR CLOSER FRANKLIN (3:23 p.m. ET) 
Ryan Franklin was one of the National League's top closers last year, even with an awful final month, a first-time All-Star for St. Louis whose ERA hovered around one until early September.
The Cardinals have faith that a pitcher who'll be 37 next month and isn't a strikeout machine can do the job again, but not enough that they're not trying to develop a backup this spring.
"It doesn't matter to me," Franklin said Saturday. "I've got a couple of years, maybe three years left, and I want to win. Whatever that takes, whatever they think, is totally fine with me as long as I'm a part of it."
Among the potential fill-ins are Jason Motte, who began last year as the closer, and Mitchell Boggs. Both throw in the high 90s, more of a typical closer template than Franklin, who is a ground-ball pitcher.
"You always want a succession plan, and if something doesn't work you want to look for something internally first," general manager John Mozeliak said. "It's just natural."
-- The Associated Press
WAKAMATSU GIDDY ABOUT MARINERS' ROTATION (3:18 p.m. ET)
A starting rotation with Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee at the top is giving the Seattle Mariners plenty of optimism for 2010.
Lee, who still has strips of athletic tape covering the area of the surgery, is scheduled to take part in pitchers' fielding practice Monday and is expected to toss a bullpen session on Wednesday. Heavy rain at the Mariners' spring training complex prevented Lee from taking part in fielding practice on Saturday.
"It would be good to get him back on the mound. That's our first step," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. "Get him feeling comfortable with the club."
Yet little can douse the Mariners' excitement about having Lee, who came to Seattle in a December trade with the Phillies in exchange for three prospects.
"I joke. I said back in our winter meetings in October, I said 'Cliff Lee is the guy I'm targeting," Wakamatsu said. "That whole process was pretty amazing. At winter meetings his name got brought up and everybody got giddy in the room, and the second part is, 'Can we really do this?' and [general manager] Jack [Zduriencik] made it happen, which was pretty special."
-- The Associated Press
REDS' VOLQUEZ HAPPY IN CAMP DESPITE INACTION (3:08 p.m. ET)
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez was home in the Dominican Republic when he went to a baseball game just to see teammate Francisco Cordero throw in the winter league.
Volquez couldn't throw after season-ending Tommy John surgery, but he said he missed his teammates more than pitching. So he caught up with Cordero after the game and the veteran told Volquez to keep his head up, that spring training was just around the corner.
While he still doesn't take part in all the same activities as his teammates, and rehab is expected to take a full year, Volquez said Saturday he's happy to be around his teammates at spring training in Arizona.
"I'm still here on the team, I feel like I'm part of the team," he said. "I'm with my teammates. You get time with guys in here, you say hello to everyone, they make you happy."
-- The Associated Press
COX CONFIDENT IN SAITO, WAGNER (3:04 p.m. ET)
After watching Takashi Saito's first throwing session of spring training, Braves manager Bobby Cox had one word to sum it all up:
"Wow."
The former Dodgers closer turned 40 last week. But the Braves expect him to serve as Billy Wagner's primary set-up man. That's health permitting, of course. But Cox said he has no health worries whatsoever about Saito, whose Dodgers career was cut short by a sprained elbow in 2008, or Wagner, who missed most of last season following Tommy John surgery.
"Saito was never in the trainer's room once last year in Boston," Cox said. "And Wags has a new arm. So right now, I don't have any thoughts about those guys breaking down."
-- Jayson Stark, ESPN.com
COX ON JURRJENS, PROCTOR (3:02 p.m. ET)
On the first day that pitchers and catchers worked out, the only Braves dealing with any sort of health issue were starter Jair Jurrjens, who has a sore shoulder, and former Yankees reliever Scott Proctor, who had Tommy John surgery 11 months ago.
An MRI this week on Jurrjens' shoulder showed nothing alarming. But the Braves want Jurrjens to take it slowly at first.
"According to the MRI, he's great," Cox said. "But let's see."
Cox said Proctor is "about two weeks" behind the other pitchers. But the 33-year-old right-hander threw 50 pitches off the mound in the bullpen Saturday and "looked really good," Cox said. "He's still on a rehab schedule, but you'd never know it."
Proctor is viewed as a long shot to make the club out of spring training. But Cox won't rule it out.
"He's going to have plenty of time," the manager said. "I think he'll be ready coming out of camp. But if not, it will be real close."
-- Jayson Stark, ESPN.com
PIRATES WANT TO LESSEN DUKE'S WORKLOAD (2:58 p.m. ET)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to cut down on All-Star pitcher Zach Duke's workload this season.
Duke has made at least 30 starts in three of his first four full seasons in the majors. The exception was 2007, when shoulder problems limited him to 19 starts.
Duke didn't miss a start last season but faded over the final two months. On Saturday, pitching coach Joe Kerrigan said the amount of work Duke put in between starts might have been the culprit.
"We'll have to take a look at that," Kerrigan said. "Maybe that has something to do with the wear and tear in August and September."
Last season, Duke was injury-free and pitched 213 innings, tops on the team and 12th in the National League. The left-hander also was tied for third in the NL with three complete games, the most by a Pirates pitcher since Jeff Suppan had three in 2003.
-- The Associated Press
WILPON OPTIMISTIC FOR METS' 2010 SEASON (2:00 p.m. ET)
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Coming off a season he said was "torture" for him, New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon is optimistic about the 2010 season.
"[It is difficult] when you have all those injuries and a bad season, and the fans were disappointed -- but not anymore than I was because I am probably their biggest fan," Wilpon said. "Now that's last year. It's 2010, it's 70 degrees in Florida and the sun is shining, so I have a great feeling of optimism."
After an injury-filled, 92-loss season, Mets fans have higher demands this year. Wilpon has them in mind, especially as the organization tries to fill the stands at Citi Field.
The need to produce likely is putting some pressure on management and coaches, but Wilpon declined to talk about whether any jobs within the organization were on the line, saying, "Those are things of the future."
-- The Associated Press
FELIZ WANTS SPOT IN RANGERS' ROTATION (1:34 p.m. ET)
Right-hander Neftali Feliz was mainly a starter in the minors before being called up to the Texas Rangers' bullpen in August. He struck out four of his first six batters and finished with a 1-0 record, 1.74 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 31 innings.
"When he joined us we saw lightning in a bottle," Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux said. "What did we learn? That it wasn't an accident."
Should the Rangers have Perez start as he has done throughout his minor-league career or are they better off with his power fastball in the bullpen? Feliz, the team's top-rated prospect, is clear on his preference.
"I think I would be a better starter than reliever in the long run," Feliz said through an interpreter. "I'm confident. I feel like I can do better as a starter. I get a lot of questions about it and I tell them that it's up to the team to decide."
Washington said Feliz's future is as a starter. But consistent with the team's mantra this season of making decisions based on what the team needs most to win, a rotation spot isn't guaranteed.
"All the guy's done all his career is start and we want to make sure we use his assets," Washington said. "But he's not going to be given anything. By the middle of spring training we'll determine whether his spot is in the bullpen or in the rotation."
-- The Associated Press
RANGERS' LHP HOLLAND INJURES KNEE (12:56 p.m. ET)
Texas Rangers left-hander Derek Holland injured his right knee during agility drills in a light rain Saturday.
Holland walked off the field under his own power and was examined in the clubhouse by Rangers team doctor Keith Meister. An MRI was scheduled to be performed as soon as a machine becomes available.
The 23-year-old was 8-13 with a 6.02 ERA in 33 appearances and 21 starts as a rookie for the Rangers last season.
-- The Associated Press. For more on this story, go to ESPNDallas.com.
HAREN GETS OPENING DAY NOD FOR ARIZONA (12:49 p.m. ET)
Dan Haren was given the Opening Day start for the Arizona Diamondbacks over Brandon Webb, who is expected to return after shoulder surgery.
"I think it's a great reward for Dan Haren," Arizona manager A.J. Hinch told the Arizona Republic.
Hinch plans on starting new addition Edwin Jackson in the second game, and bringing Webb out for the third game.
The Diamondbacks open the season April 5 against the San Diego Padres at Chase Field.
-- ESPN.com news services
MARINERS PITCHER STILL IN VENEZUELA (11:36 a.m. ET)
Mariners pitcher Yusmeiro Petit is dealing with personal matters in his native Venezuela and is not expected to join the team until next week.
A team spokesman declined to discuss the issues Saturday, although he said they are not related to Petit obtaining a visa to work in the United States.
Petit is the only pitcher not present at Mariners spring training, where pitchers and catchers have arrived ahead of the rest of the team.
The 25-year-old Petit went 3-10 with a 5.82 ERA in 23 games -- including 17 starts -- for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. He was claimed off waivers by Seattle in November.
-- The Associated Press
PETTITTE ON TIGER'S APOLOGY (9:19 a.m. ET)
Andy Pettitte, who had his own very public apology two years ago after admitting he used HGH, shared his opinions on Tiger Woods' statement.
"I think it will be good," Pettitte told 1050 New York's Andrew Marchand when asked what he thinks the apology will do for Woods' future. "Fans are very forgiving. People are very forgiving. For me, it was amazing. You know you have been following this team, I'm sure, and have been around this team. The fans, everywhere I went, have been unbelievable to me. I thank the Good Lord for that.
"I think my situation was a lot different. I stood and answered every question until you guys didn't have any more questions to ask and I think maybe, in my situation, made things a lot different, but I can't speak on Tiger's behalf or whatever he is going through."
In the end, an apology is only effective if it's sincere. Pettitte said that the public can detect insincerity.
"People know," Pettitte said. "People can tell if someone is sincere or not. I think people know me also. I've been around a long time. I've always been open to people and to being able to talk to people my whole career also. I think people know who I am and what I'm about."
-- ESPN.com
Ubaldo Jimenez is hoping a couple of minor adjustments will allow him to go deeper into games for the Colorado Rockies.
Jimenez threw his first bullpen session of spring training Friday, and pitching coach Bob Apodaca was pleased with what he saw.
"Today is absolutely how I'd hoped he'd come here," Apodaca said.
Jimenez went 15-12 last year, and his 3.47 ERA was the lowest in franchise history for a starting pitcher. He ranked sixth in the National League in innings (218) and strikeouts (198).
But the 26-year-old right-hander had some problems with his command when he was pitching out of the stretch. That forced him out of some games early because of a high pitch count.
Apodaca said Jimenez was quicker to the plate when he pitched out of the stretch during the bullpen session and his improved alignment led to better command.
-- Associated Press
PADRES' YOUNG FEELS GOOD AFTER PEN SESSION (6:20 p.m. ET)
San Diego Padres right-hander Chris Young says he felt good after participating in a bullpen session during the team's first workout on Friday morning.
Young, who had arthroscopic shoulder surgery on Aug. 17, says he spent all offseason strengthening his right arm and shoulder in order to be ready for spring training. He threw 40 pitches in 10 minutes.
Young was 4-6 with a 5.21 ERA in 14 starts last season and hasn't pitched since leaving early from a June 14 game against the Los Angeles Angels.
"It was a standard first day," Young said with a laugh. "Everybody was healthy. Nobody got lost. I think it's a good day."
"Being ready was the goal. The [doctors] had kind of gone over the rehab timetable and that was the goal. But you never know, one what they'd find once they got in there, or if you'd ever have any setbacks during the rehab. Fortunately I haven't had any."
Young began his rehab in November. Manager Bud Black has constantly been monitoring Young throughout the offseason at Petco Park. Prior to Friday's session, Young had thrown off a mound several times without incident.
-- Associated Press
BONDERMAN BACK TO BUSINESS WITH TIGERS (6:35 p.m. ET)
The Detroit Tigers appear content to go about business with Jeremy Bonderman as if the past two seasons never happened.
That'd be fine with him, too.
"My arm feels good, it's just a matter of building strength," said Bonderman, who didn't win a game last year after shoulder surgery in June 2008. "It's been two years and I need to work really hard in the next two weeks to get my mechanics back."
Tigers manager Jim Leyland said he has the 27-year-old right-hander penciled into the rotation. Bonderman has been throwing freely and without pain since early February.
"Bonderman, in my opinion, is back to a normal spring training and we're going to see what he looks like," Leyland said Friday. "I think he is OK. I mean we'll find out, you never know for sure."
The exhibition season starts March 2, and Bonderman is expected to take his turns in the rotation along with Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer.
-- Associated Press
GIANTS' RENTERIA PLAYED WITH BONE SPUR (6:20 p.m. ET)
San Francisco shortstop Edgar Renteria played all last season with a bone spur in his right elbow, about the size of a piece of pea gravel.
Such a seemingly minor problem to derail an entire season.
Renteria hit a career-low .250 with 19 doubles, five home runs and 48 RBIs in 124 games before the Giants turned to hot-hitting Juan Uribe as they fought for a playoff berth down the stretch. It was the fewest homers for Renteria since 1998 and resulted in a season that he called simply "embarrassing."
"I can play like Edgar Renteria again," he said after arriving in the Giants' camp Friday.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy had no trouble naming Renteria the starting shortstop this season.
-- Associated Press
GRIFFEY ARRIVES AT TRAINING CAMP (6:18 p.m. ET)
Sporting a bucket hat with sunglasses, Ken Griffey Jr. arrived at the Mariners' spring training complex Friday with the kind of reception reserved for a veteran and clubhouse leader.
Griffey embraced manager Don Wakamatsu and general manager Jack Zduriencik, and bellowed greetings to teammates from across the clubhouse.
Slated to be the Mariners' designated hitter, Griffey flew overnight from Florida after watching his daughter's basketball game. He took his physical Friday after proclaiming that he'd lost seven pounds through dieting and exercise.
Mike Sweeney, another team leader from last season, is expected Sunday after signing a minor league deal last week.
"When you get Griff in here, it kind of puts pressure on everyone else," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. "I just called [Sweeney]. I said 'Griff's here, where you at?' He said, 'I got a late invitation. It wasn't my fault."
-- Associated Press
DICE-K REPORTS IN BEST SHAPE OF CAREER (5:58 p.m. ET)
Friday was conditioning day for the Boston Red Sox, which unlike last year, was an easy day, a great day for Daisuke Matsuzaka. He's in his best shape in his four years with the Red Sox.
Matsuzaka has a different looking body than the one he had when he was placed on the disabled list last June, and sent to the minor leagues, to rehabilitate his weak right shoulder, and get himself into much better shape. And now, he has. Matsuzaka spent five weeks in the Athletes' Performance facility in Phoenix in December, January and February.
"He had a great attitude, he was a pleasure to work with," said Mike Roberts, the director of baseball for Athletes' Performance. "He pushed himself in all areas, in the power area and the cardio area. He came to us like a minor league guy who was coming to big league camp for the first time. He was excited. He was like a rookie who was trying to make the club."
After going 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 2008, Matsuzaka dropped to 4-6 with a 5.76 ERA last year. When he was placed on the disabled list in late June, he was told by management that he had to get himself in better shape, as well as regain the strength in his shoulder. He came back in better shape in September, and pitched much better, but it was the off-season work with Athletes' Performance that prepared him for spring training.
Matsuzaka worked there for five weeks. For a two-week period, he did two workouts a day, which is rare for a pitcher given the workout regiment in that program. He didn't throw much off the mound, but threw a great deal during those five weeks. He displayed a great, tight spin on his breaking ball and, as always, tremendous balance over the rubber.
Matsuzaka had tightness in his back the first day of spring training, but it is nothing to worry about, several sources said. The Red Sox have Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and John Lackey as their first three starters, leaving two spots for Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz and Tim Wakefield. Most teams don't have five major league starters, the Red Sox have six. Matsuzaka, 29, is likely to be one of the five.
-- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN The Magazine
HARANG NOT ASSURED OF STARTING OPENER (5:11 p.m. ET)
Right-hander Aaron Harang isn't assured of making another opening day start for the Cincinnati Reds.
Manager Dusty Baker said Friday that he's open-minded about who will start the opener. Harang has started the past four, but has struggled to win the past two years, throwing the No. 1 spot open to competition.
"We're in a performance-based occupation, like most, but probably even more," Baker said. "It's a big responsibility to be a No. 1, you know?"
Harang's streak of four straight Opening Day starts is one shy of the club record. Harang has won six games each of the past two seasons, when injuries and an appendectomy held him back.
Bronson Arroyo led the staff in wins last season with 15.
-- The Associated Press
RANGERS' DOMINICAN PLAYERS JOIN CAMP (4:48 p.m. ET)
Omar Beltre and Alexi Ogando's five-year wait to attend their first major league spring training is over.
Beltre and Ogando arrived in the Rangers' camp on Thursday and took to the practice fields in Surprise, Ariz., on Friday afternoon.
The two right-handers admittedly were involved in a human trafficking ring in the Dominican Republic and were prohibited from entering the United States for five years, a ban that finally ended this year.
Their baseball careers had been limited winter ball, the domestic Dominican League and international tournaments.
-- The Associated Press
NEW ROLE FOR UEHARA (4:45 p.m. ET)
The Baltimore Orioles still believe that right-hander Koji Uehara can be a valuable member of their pitching staff.
It just won't be in the starting rotation.
Uehara will work out of the bullpen this season after making 12 starts in 2009 as a rookie. He ended his career in Japan as the closer for the Yomiuri Giants, but most of his experience has come in the rotation.
Uehara, the first Japanese player to sign with the Orioles, went 2-4 with a 4.05 ERA in 66 2/3 innings. He made two stops on the disabled list with hamstring and elbow injuries, and didn't pitch after June because of a slightly torn flexor tendon. He also struggled with his endurance and has hired a new personal trainer.
-- The Associated Press
HART HAS EDGE FOR ROTATION SPOT (3:58 p.m. ET)
Just two days into spring training, the Pittsburgh Pirates might already have settled one of their position battles.
Right-handers Kevin Hart and Daniel McCutchen were supposed to duel for the fifth spot in the starting rotation, and recent first-round draft pick Brad Lincoln was supposed to provide pressure while starting the season in Triple-A.
On Friday, all indications pointed to Hart as the frontrunner.
In discussing his pitching corps, manager John Russell mentioned Hart as one of the starters and McCutchen among the bullpen crew. But when pressed, Russell stopped short of confirming Hart has won the job.
-- The Associated Press
SANTO: CUBS WON'T MISS BRADLEY (3:44 p.m. ET)
The buzz in Chicago is that the Cubs' "team chemistry'' will be better now that disgruntled outfielder Milton Bradley has been traded to Seattle. Veteran broadcaster Ron Santo certainly didn't dispute that notion in a talk with reporters in Mesa on Friday.
Santo said the mood in the clubhouse changed for the better in September, when the Cubs suspended Bradley for comments critical of the team and its fan base. In December, the Cubs traded Bradley to Seattle for pitcher Carlos Silva.
"I'm a very strong believer in a good chemistry, and there's nobody better than Lou Piniella when it comes to chemistry,'' Santo said. "But this was a tough situation when you bring in [Bradley], who's hopefully going to change. I couldn't understand the way he is. He's just not a happy man.
"When you start talking about the fans and Wrigley Field and how you can't wait to get off [the field], it's not good. It wasn't like he'd get on anybody in the clubhouse. He was always just kind of mad. He'd walk right by you and not even look at you. But that's over with now.''
-- Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com
CUBS HAVE SOME JOBS AVAILABLE (3:37 p.m. ET)
Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Randy Wells and Ted Lilly -- who had offseason shoulder surgery and is taking things slowly because of some discomfort in his knee this spring -- are penciled in as the top four starters in the Cubs rotation. That leaves Sean Marshall, Carlos Silva, Tom Gorzelanny and Jeff Samardzija to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation in Mesa.
Manager Lou Piniella will also have to weed through a number of candidates to round out his bench. At the moment, it looks as if Xavier Nady will be the fourth outfielder, Koyie Hill will be the backup catcher and Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker will divvy up the at-bats at second base.
That leaves eight or nine players to compete for what might be two bench jobs. The list of candidates includes Micah Hoffpauir, Andres Blanco, Chad Tracy, Sam Fuld, Kevin Millar, Brad Snyder, Bryan LaHair, Tyler Colvin and Bobby Scales. The Cubs will also take a long look at shortstop Starlin Castro, the franchise's top prospect. But Castro is 19 years old and has only 111 at-bats above Class A, so he's likely to begin the season in the minors.
-- Jerry Crasnick, ESPN.com
HAMILTON'S BOLD PREDICTION (2:54 p.m. ET)
Outfielder Josh Hamilton arrived at Rangers camp Friday and said he learned from last year and is ready to put all of that behind him and have a strong 2010 season.
He also predicts the Rangers will have a big season, saying he believes the team will win 96 games in 2010.
For more, check out ESPNDallas.com's Rangers blog.
CHAMBERLAIN, HUGHES THROW OFF MOUND (2:46 p.m. ET)
Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, the front-runners for the Yankees' fifth starter spot, both threw 30 pitches during their first spring training bullpen sessions on Friday.
The pair had worked off a mound during early workouts last week.
Chamberlain loves the competition and said that pushing each other makes the team better
Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre and Alfredo Aceves are also under consideration for that role.
Manager Joe Girardi said the competition won't really begin until the start of spring training games next month.
-- The Associated Press
ESCOBAR SAYS SHOULDER IS WEAK (1:20 p.m. ET)
Reliever Kelvim Escobar said Friday that his shoulder is merely weak and any rumors that he is hurt are untrue.
The former starter signed a one-year, $1.25 million deal with the Mets in late December, despite pitching in only one major league game since 2007 because of shoulder surgery. He's expected to contend for the eighth-inning setup role.
"I am in a program that I have to stick with," Escobar said. "It's not true I am not going to pick up a ball and the things I heard. You have to take it easy. I don't want to rush. There is plenty of time to get my arm in better shape, and it should be fine."
The 33-year-old Escobar pitched winter ball in Venezuela, then didn't pick up a ball for almost 5 weeks. Although he's been doing arm exercises and other workouts, Escobar acknowledged he's behind schedule and isn't sure when he'll be able to pitch.
-- The Associated Press
Red Sox starters John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka are taking new approaches to spring training this year in hopes of avoiding arm troubles that have bothered them in the past.Lackey has started the previous two seasons on the disabled list. He says this year he's taking a more conservative approach to camp to get ready for Opening Day.
Lackey threw about 40 pitches on the side on Thursday, when pitchers and catchers reported for the Red Sox. Lackey signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract this offseason as the prize pitching free agent.
Matsuzaka won just four games in an injury plagued 2009. He says he's been limited by a sore back, but promised to be more forthcoming with the Red Sox trainers about his injuries this season.
ZAMBRANO SAYS HE IS SHAPING UP (5:15 p.m. ET)
Carlos Zambrano had a different look Thursday when the Chicago Cubs pitchers and catchers held their first workout, with a conservative haircut and trimmer physique.
He estimates he's lost between 12 and 15 pounds through a new diet and is down to 260 pounds on his 6-foot-5 frame. Zambrano plans to lose five more pounds and work with a nutritionist once the season starts.
After a disappointing 9-7 season a year ago that included two trips to the disabled list for hamstring and back issues, the emotional right-hander said he plans to keep his angry outbursts in check and his body healthy.
"Believe me. I think I passed that stage where everything gets me mad," said the 28-year-old Zambrano, who headed to Arizona at the beginning of February to get a head start on spring training. "That's why you will see a Carlos Zambrano smiling and laughing with everybody."
Zambrano revealed Thursday that he's dropped the cutter from his pitching mix this season because he made too many mistakes with it last season.
"Carlos is serious this year. I think Carlos was embarrassed last year," manager Lou Piniella said. "We need Carlos. ... There is no reason Zambrano can't win 18 ball games or so."
RIVERA NOT WORRIED ABOUT AGE, CONTRACT (3:20 p.m. ET)
Mariano Rivera has no concerns about entering the final season of his contract at age 40.
The New York Yankees' closer doesn't know how many more years he wants to pitch but says, "I still think I can perform."
"Take it a year at a time and see what happens," Rivera said before the Yankees' first workout for pitchers and catchers on Thursday. "See how things go, how things develop and go from there."
Rivera went 3-3 with 44 saves in 66 games last season, helping the Yankees win their first World Series championship since 2000. He turned 40 on Nov. 29.
"How old do I feel? I feel 40," a smiling Rivera said. "I think that age will not be a factor unless you put in your mind. 'Oh, I'm 40. I feel strong. I'm ready to go. I want to play the game I love to play."
"I definitely want to pitch. It's another thing if they want me here," Rivera said. "I have a contract this year. That's all I need to know. The rest is not in my control. That's why I don't have to worry about it."
-- The Associated Press
HAMELS REPORTS TO PHILLIES IN GOOD SHAPE (1:34 p.m. ET)
Cole Hamels has reported to spring training, and pitching coach Rich Dubee and manager Charlie Manuel say he's in much better physical condition to be able to throw in the spring than he was last year.
They said he's in much better position to work on his curveball, which he struggled to throw throughout last season, than he was last spring.
Hamels said he will also work on his mental approach during games this spring, after there was concern that last season he was "pitching angry."
He also started throwing a cutter, and he called Phillies Hall of Famer Steve Carlton several times to talk about the pitch. He talked to former teammate Cliff Lee and John Wetteland about the pitch as well.
He didn't say the cutter would become his third pitch, but said that it was something he wanted to revisit.
-- Buster Olney, ESPN The Magazine senior baseball writer
The Mets plan to proceed with caution as reliever Kelvim Escobar experiences discomfort in his right shoulder, according to multiple media reports. Mets spokesman told The Star-Ledger Wednesday that the team had planned to move slowly all along with Escobar.
Escobar, an 18-game winner in 2007, missed nearly all of the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels because of shoulder trouble. Escobar signed a one-year deal with the Mets in late December. If healthy, he would likely work out of the bullpen for the Mets, who are looking for setup help for All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez.
The 33-year-old Escobar has extensive relief experience from his days in Toronto. He came up with the Blue Jays in 1997 and saved 38 games in 2002.
-- Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
RAYS ABANDON NAMING RIGHTS DEAL (9:13 p.m. ET)
The Tampa Bay Rays are reconsidering plans to change the name of their spring training stadium.
The team announced Wednesday that it has decided to "defer pursuit" of a deal for naming rights to Charlotte Sports Park.
Under a proposed 15-year partnership with The Mosaic Company, the ballpark would have been called Mosaic Field at Charlotte Sports Park.
The proposed arrangement drew opposition from some local residents.
-- The Associated Press
GREINKE MISSES WORKOUT FOR DENTIST TRIP (6:52 p.m. ET)
Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke has missed his first scheduled bullpen session for the Kansas City Royals because he had to get two teeth pulled.
Greinke left camp Wednesday with puffiness in his right jaw after he said he had a wisdom tooth and a broken tooth extracted.
Greinke said he would play catch Thursday and, if all goes well, resume throwing off the mound Friday. Greinke went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA last season and has been named the Opening Day starter.
Jose Guillen was among the few players who did not check into camp. General manager Drayton Moore says he expects the veteran outfielder to arrive by Monday, when all position players are scheduled to report.
-- The Associated Press
VILLONE AGREES TO MINOR LEAGUE DEAL (5:02 p.m. ET)
Left-hander Ron Villone is staying with the Washington Nationals, agreeing to a minor league contract.
The 40-year-old would get a $900,000, one-year contract if added to the 40-man roster and would have the chance to earn an additional $700,000 in performance bonuses.
Villone agreed to a minor league deal before the 2009 season and went 5-6 with one save and a 4.25 ERA in a team-leading 63 games. He has a 61-65 record with a 4.73 ERA in 15 big league seasons.
-- The Associated Press
COX ON HIS LAST SEASON: NO LOOKING BACK (2:38 p.m. ET)
Getting ready for Friday's start to his final spring training as a major league manager, Atlanta's Bobby Cox insists he will not attempt to savor this visit to Florida more than any other.
"I think I did it the right way. Now I've got to do it and there's no looking back," he said while relaxing in his office at Turner Field this month.
Cox is entering his 21st consecutive season as Braves manager -- the longest tenure of any active manager -- and 25th overall. During two stints with the Braves and four seasons with Toronto, Cox has won 15 division titles -- including 14 straight with Atlanta -- five pennants and one World Series.
Now, Cox says a return to the playoffs would be the best reason to celebrate in 2010.
"It's no different," he said. "We still have a job to do. Just because I'm retiring, you're expected to win and give everything you've got."
-- Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
NEW SPRING NEST, NEW ATTITUDE FOR ORIOLES (2:30 p.m. ET)
The Orioles begin 2010 with a new spring training home in Sarasota, Fla., and a commitment to ending 12 consecutive years of losing. Manager Dave Trembley and team president Andy MacPhail say they're done blaming youth and inexperience for results like last season's 64-98 finish.
"There needs to be improvement on a more consistent basis from everybody, and I think we have enough guys that we'll do that," Trembley said.
The additions include third baseman Miguel Tejada, first baseman Garrett Atkins, closer Mike Gonzalez and starting pitcher Kevin Millwood.
But the new additions come with questions. Can Tejada make the switch from shortstop to third? Can Atkins bounce back from an awful season that cost him a starting job in Colorado? And can young pitchers including Brad Bergesen, Brian Matusz, Jason Berken, Chris Tillman and Dave Hernandez make progress?
"You're not going to win in any division without pitching. If you can build it through your own system, then you're a step ahead," Millwood said. "It's going to be a lot cheaper and you have control of your guys for a lot longer. Getting it done the way they're getting it done is definitely the way to go."
-- Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
PAPELBON USED BLOWN SAVE TO SPUR WORKOUTS (9:41 a.m. ET)
All the motivation Jonathan Papelbon needed in the weight room this offseason was on tape -- the footage of his blown save against the Los Angeles Angels in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. The loss ended the Boston Red Sox's 2009 season and his streak of 26 scoreless postseason innings pitched.
"I've got it on tape and I watched it 100 times in my weight room,'' Papelbon told reporters on Tuesday. "I used it as motivation when I was feeling tired and weak. I'd pop it on, and kind of go over and say, 'There's still work to be done.' ''
The footage has also reminded Papelbon to be more mindful of pitch selection. Last season, he came to rely heavily on his fastball, using his split-fingered fastball less. Sometimes that worked; sometimes, opposing hitters adjusted to the heat.
"I think when you're successful at one certain aspect of your game, and mine was being able to locate my fastball, towards the end of the season, I tended to really rely on that a lot," Papelbon told reporters. "And until I got hurt with it ... I went with it. Hindsight's 20/20 now, but obviously I'm going to take that in consideration and try to be a little bit more selective with my [pitches]."
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MORNEAU PRIMED FOR OPENER (11:43 p.m. ET)
Justin Morneau wrapped up a big spring, doubling and driving in three runs Saturday as the Minnesota Twins
beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6.
The former AL MVP hit .394 with three home runs in 14 exhibition games for the Twins. He also went 4-for-9 for Canada in the World Baseball Classic.
Morneau showed no ill effects from the back soreness that hampered him this past week. He hit .300 with a team-high 23 home runs and 129 RBIs last season.
"No, not at all," Morneau said when asked if his back still troubled him. "I'm good to go."
METS FALL TO BOSOX IN FINAL TUNEUP (9:35 p.m. ET)
Citi Field will be neither a pitchers' nor a hitters' park if no one throws strikes.
Spring Training Video: BoSox beat Mets
Oliver Perez made his first appearance at the New York Mets' new home and was as inconsistent as he was at Shea Stadium.
The left-hander failed to make it out of the first inning, walking four and giving up a grand slam to Jed Lowrie in a 9-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Saturday that completed a two-game exhibition series.
The Red Sox, who also got Jason Varitek's fifth spring training homer, headed home after the game for Monday's opener at Fenway Park against AL champion Tampa Bay
New York planned to work out at Citi Field on Sunday before flying to Cincinnati for the traditional NL opener Monday. The Mets don't return home until the ballpark's official opener against San Diego on April 13.
CONTRERAS, COLON DAZZLE AGAIN (9:02 p.m. ET)
Jose Contreras threw four shutout innings and
Bartolo Colon followed with five more, leading the Chicago White
Sox over the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 on Saturday at Chase Field.
Contreras gave up one single while throwing 55 pitches, and Colon gave up three singles and walked one while throwing 72 pitches. Question marks entering the spring, the two have made Chicago's starting rotation behind Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd and John Danks.
Contreras, who underwent surgery after suffering a season-ending Achilles' injury Aug. 8, was 3-0 with a 5.82 ERA in 17 innings. Colon (0-2, 6.60) hasn't pitched a full season since winning 21 games and the AL Cy Young Award in 2005 because of shoulder, elbow and oblique muscle injuries. He had surgery to remove bone chips in the offseason.
Manager Ozzie Guillen hasn't yet determined the order of his rotation, other than Mark Buehrle being the opening-day starter.
"I want to check out the matchups when we get to Chicago [on Sunday]," Guillen said. "That way, I'll have a better idea. I want to see who they are going to face if they go '4' and '5.' No matter who is '4' or' 5,' I really don't care. You are No. 1 when you are on the mound. ... The way they threw made a lot of people in this locker room very excited."
ROYALS TRIM FOUR PLAYERS (6:56 p.m. ET)
The Kansas City Royals trimmed four players off their roster Saturday, leaving them one move to make.
The Royals reassigned left-handed pitcher Tim Hamulack and righties Roman Colon and Brandon Duckworth to Triple-A Omaha. The club also optioned outfielder Mitch Maier to Omaha after its game Saturday against the Texas Rangers.
Kansas City still have 26 players on their roster and need to have it down to 25 by Sunday afternoon. Royals manager Trey Hillman said outfielder Shane Costa and catcher Brayan Pena are battling for the final roster spot.
NATIONALS SET UP ROSTER (5:58 p.m. ET)
The Washington Nationals optioned right-handers Jason Bergmann and Garrett Mock to Triple-A Syracuse, part of a series of moves to set their 25-man active roster.
The Nationals also reassigned right-handers Jesus Colome and Jordan Zimmermann and infielder Alex Cintron to minor league camp. Zimmermann earned a spot in the Nationals' rotation, but they won't need a fifth starter until April 19, so he opens the season at Triple-A Syracuse.
Earning roster spots: right-hander Julian Tavarez, left-hander Wil Ledezma and catcher Josh Bard, whose contracts were selected Saturday.
The moves mean Washington will have three lefty relievers (Ledezma, Mike Hinckley, Joe Beimel) and three catchers (starter Jesus Flores, Wil Nieves and Bard).
BURRELL TAKES HAMELS DEEP (5:33 p.m. ET)
Pat Burrell hit his first homer at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia since he left the Phillies in the offseason, and Carlos Pena also went deep to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 9-7 victory on Saturday.
Rays manager Joe Maddon put Burrell in the leadoff spot to get him an at-bat and took him out after his first-inning homer off ace Cole Hamels. Pena also hit a three-run drive in the first.
Raul Ibanez, Greg Dobbs and Jason Donald homered for the Phillies.
JOBA WORKS OUT AT MINOR LEAGUE CAMP (2:42 p.m. ET)
Joba Chamberlain worked out at the Yankees' minor league complex Saturday, one day before his final spring training start.
New York's No. 5 starter flew to Florida after watching the Yankees play their first game -- an exhibition matchup with the Chicago Cubs -- at the new Yankee Stadium on Friday night.
Chamberlain says he will throw five innings or 75 pitches in Sunday's camp game between Triple-A Scranton/Wikes-Barre and Double-A Trenton. The right-hander is scheduled to make his first start of the regular season April 12 at Kansas City.
Also, Jason Johnson, who had treatment for a cancerous tumor behind his right eye in February, gave up two hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a minor league spring training game Saturday.
BUCHHOLZ SENT DOWN; 5 PUT ON DL (2:38 p.m. ET)
The Boston Red Sox have optioned right-hander Clay Buchholz to Triple-A Pawtucket and placed five players on the 15-day disabled list.
Right-hander John Smoltz (right shoulder surgery), outfielder Mark Kotsay (right elbow), shortstop Julio Lugo (right knee surgery), outfielder Jonathan Van Every (right ankle sprain) and right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (right elbow surgery) all went on the DL on Saturday retroactive to March 27.
Boston must make at least one more move by Sunday to get down to the 25-man active limit.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.