A-ROD TROUBLES ARE OPEN BOOK  —  WON'T SAY IF HE'LL OPT OUT OF DEAL  —  What A-Mess.  Call it Alex in Blunderland.  —  Alex Rodriguez's appearance at a signing for his children's book was mishandled by his publicist and bookstore staff members, turning the ballyhooed event into a media circus …

Alou could make Mets' lineup even more formidable  —  The Mets haven't exactly loaded up on starting pitchers this offseason.  They struck out on Barry Zito and got outbid for the right to negotiate with Daisuke Matsuzaka.  Their biggest signing of a starting pitcher was the re-signing of 40-year-old Tom Glavine.

Pedro in fight to the finish  —  Pedro Martinez is working his way back into shape in hopes of returning to his old form and the Mets in time for a run to a World Series title.  —  Barring a change of heart, Pedro Martinez will likely retire once the remaining two years of his Mets' contract are up.

Manny questions yet to be answered  —  There is a long checklist of issues to be addressed during the upcoming Red Sox season, but one that has been in hibernation since the winter meetings in December is Manny Ramírez's frame of mind.  —  The people who know — or think they know — just aren't saying, or they're hedging.

A Spring-Training Invitation Remains Unanswered  —  The next road trip on Bernie Williams's schedule is not to Tampa, Fla., for Yankees spring training.  He will not be packing bats and gloves.  Instead, he will bring his guitar to a church in New Milford, Conn., tomorrow, for a benefit concert with Chynna Phillips.

Player Profile  —  Adam Dunn  —  Former Baseball Prospectus cover boy Adam Dunn has long been known for his incredible combination of power and patience at the plate, but none of that seemed to matter much in the second half of 2006 when Dunn's performance at the plate helped the Reds miss out on an easily attainable playoff spot.

Marlins continue hunt for closer, outfielder  —  Florida has not addressed its needs in the bullpen and outfield this offseason and is `prepared to go as is right now.'  —  Taylor Tankersley went on his first hunting trip in October, climbed a tree and with a single shot using a bow took …

Owning up to a problem  —  Sixty years after integration, baseball still has few black managers  —  DALLAS — Here we are in the second week of Black History Month, less than a week removed from the first Super Bowl in which both head coaches were African-Americans, and it would seem …

What a relief: Guillen likes Sox' new pen  —  It was a bold statement made by Ozzie Guillen.  —  Not that the White Sox manager ever falls short in that department.  —  But in talking two weeks ago about the 2007 version of the Sox, Guillen made an assessment that was completely heartfelt

Will Red Sox get bang for their bucks?  —  The Boston Red Sox delight in branding themselves as a hardscrabble, salt-of-the-earth alternative to that behemoth in the Bronx.  —  Well, they're full of it.  —  Sure, the Sox don't spend as much as the Yankees, but 28 other teams in baseball see them as being cut from a similar cloth.

Q&A with Scott Boras  —  The following excerpts represent much of an interview with baseball agent Scott Boras conducted by Michael Silverman last week at Boras' Newport Beach, Calif., headquarters.  —  Q. Where's Bill Caudill these days?  —  A. That was my first multiyear contract, my first arbitration case.

Feller was 'Rapid' to serve his country  —  If you check out the stats from Bob Feller's baseball career, you can't help but notice the gap.  —  Feller broke into the major leagues in 1936 and retired in 1956.  In 18 seasons, all with the Cleveland Indians, the hard-throwing righthander won 266 games …

Bazardo And Butto . . .  Yorman Bazardo-who has been outstanding since the Mariners designated him for assignment after signing Jeff Weaver-and Francisco Butto were two of the main reasons Venezuela was able to put away Puerto Rico on Tuesday and hand the Caribbean Series title to the Dominican Republic.

Will Clark - Hall of Fame Worthy  —  He glared, he scowled and he treated pitchers like they killed his hunting dog.  I loved that about Will Clark.  He brought a sweet left-handed swing and an intensity to the game that was rarely seen in the late 80s and early 90s.

Rotation  —  Thanks in large part to the spring training acquisition of Bronson Arroyo, the Reds' starting pitchers exceeded expectations in '06.  The rotation lowered its collective ERA by more than a half-run per game and was particularly strong down the stretch.