Young close to signing with Nats  —  Dmitri Young, the former All-Star slugger released by the Tigers last September, is close to signing a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals.  —  Young, who played for Washington general manager Jim Bowden while with the Cincinnati Reds …

RIVERA AWAITING GM'S PITCH  —  Mariano Rivera a Red Sox?  It could happen.  —  Sitting in his car outside Legends Field yesterday, Rivera was asked by The Post if he could be Boston's closer next year.  —  "You never know," said Rivera, who is determined to become a free agent …

Can O's answer?  —  Have the Orioles improved enough to make waves in the American League East?  —  The consensus answer now is "no." Sure, the bullpen is drastically better and the offense also looks more dangerous with the addition of Jay Payton and Aubrey Huff.

Around the Horn: Bench/DH  —  Sosa the key in determining Rangers' plans for reserves … ARLINGTON — Here is as good of a reason as any for the Rangers to give Sammy Sosa a chance to make their team as a full-time designated hitter.  —  Over the past three years, Rangers designated hitters …

Martinez rehabs with controversial fitness guru … SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Pedro Martinez continues to stand by controversial fitness guru and massage therapist Angel "Nao" Presinal.  And Presinal, in turn, promises to deliver something sure to brighten the New York Mets' pennant …

Say hello to Dice-K mania: Arrival attracts a crowd  —  FORT MYERS - The rapid-fire clicks of more than a dozen camera shutters capturing every movement made it sound like a den of rattlesnakes had just been disturbed along the outfield warning track of the practice field at the Red Sox …

Future Shock  —  Organizational Rankings  —  It's generally accepted that the legendary Branch Rickey devised the universally used 20-80 scouting scale.  The actual origin of the scale is a bit of a mystery, but some believe it's based on a scientific scale used in some fields that revolves around a median …

Gaslamp Ball Interview with Paul DePodesta Part I  —  Update [2007-2-14 11:43:15 by Dex]: How could I forget?  It's officially been two years since jbox and I started this blogging thing.  It's been a great time, and we never would have thought that these first few posts would eventually lead to this... Thanks all!

Expressions of love for baseball  —  Cupid's arrow finds its way into hearts of baseball aficionados  —  NEW YORK — Over the years, the Mets have had a number of players whose affection for the game was evident in how they approached the game and acted in the dugout and on the field …

All Zumaya Linking  —  You've probably all heard that Joel Zumaya just won't give up Guitar Hero.If you want my feelings on this, Roar of the Tigers has summed them up perfectly. … I'm not even that bothered that he missed the A's series last year.  I can understand a situation …

Photos: Spring Training Set To Launch  —  Pitchers and catchers don't officially report until tomorrow, but there was plenty of action at the Port St. Lucie complex this morning.  —  Philip Humber and Jason Vargas tossed bullpen sessions as Al Jackson looked on.  —  David Wright took grounders at third base from Edgar Alfonzo.

Sizemore emerging as a legitimate star … In 2006, Grady Sizemore led the American League in runs scored (134), doubles (53) and extra-base hits (92).  Granted, 92 extra-base hits isn't as impressive as it once was.  In 1995, Albert Belle became the first American Leaguer since 1940 …

Mariners expect to contend  —  Hargrove enthusiastic, idealistic as Spring Training begins  —  SEATTLE — Seattle manager Mike Hargrove has anxiously been awaiting the start of Spring Training.  —  Now, it's here.  —  The Mariners' pitchers and catchers report to the team's Spring Training facility …

Steroid problem reaches critical mass in the D.R. … BOCA DE NIGUA, Dominican Republic — Waner Mateo was a time zone and a culture removed from his tropical homeland, an aspiring major league pitcher hunkered down in a Florida training camp, when he bungled his foray into performance-enhancing drugs.

Contreras, not Buehrle, to start Sox opener  —  Mark Buehrle's reality is that he will likely be wearing a different uniform at this time next season.  —  Until then, the White Sox are hoping that the free agent-to-be pitches like the team ace he was for five of the last six seasons.