Top News:
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Aaron wants to start over — Not happy with pen role — PORT ST. LUCIE - Yes, Aaron Heilman asked again. No, he's not going to get a look as a starting pitcher this spring. — "I haven't given up," Heilman said yesterday, a day after arriving from his home in Chicago.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
RELATED:
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
David ready to spring ahead — PORT ST. LUCIE - David Wright has been here for a week. Now it's time for his teammates to join him. — Pitchers and catchers report to the Mets' spring-training complex today, with position players due to report Monday. The first official workout for pitchers and catchers is two days away.
David Lennon / Newsday:
Wright tries to live right — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - David Wright was thrilled this winter when he was selected as the cover athlete for "MLB 07: The Show", an honor previously held by Red Sox slugger David Ortiz. But Wright also understands that life is nothing like a video game …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Associated Press:
Nats agree to minor league deal with Young — VIERA, Fla. — Former All-Star Dmitri Young agreed to a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, getting another chance after the Detroit Tigers cut him last year following legal and substance-abuse problems.
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Washington Post:
Young, Batista Will Get a Look — On the day before their pitchers and catchers held their first workout, the Washington Nationals added two more low-risk bargains to the fold, signing one-time sluggers Dmitri Young and Tony Batista to minor league contracts.
Discussion:
MLB.com, Washington Times, Nats320, Ben Maller's Sports …, The Daily Fungo and Nats Triple Play
Associated Press:
Rivera says he'll consider offers from other teams — TAMPA, Fla. — Mariano Rivera had this warning for the New York Yankees: If he becomes a free agent, he'll consider offers from other teams. — "Everybody has the same shot," he said Wednesday. "The Yankees will not have an advantage."
RELATED:
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:Scrub pitcher moves into Bernie's locker
Discussion:
Pride of the Yankees
Jack Etkin / Rocky Mountain News:
Iannetta counts more than blessings — Catcher figures he has better shot at Opening Day roster — Catcher Chris Iannetta was a math major in college, so it's no surprise he's analytical. He asks a lot of questions, readily applies new knowledge and has no illusions while viewing his nascent career amid the Rockies' big picture.
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Patrick Saunders / Denver Post:
Hirsh a candidate for stardom — Tucson - Rockies right-hander Jason Hirsh is a 6-foot-8, 250-pound walking contradiction. — He's built like an NFL tight end but throws a 95 mph fastball. He uses yoga to flex his body and calm his mind but intimidates from the mound.
Discussion:
Purple Row
Sports Illustrated:
Benitez feels healthier than previous two springs — SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -Armando Benitez expects nothing less than to be San Francisco's closer this season - as long as he's healthy. — The Giants want to evaluate him this spring before handing him back his old job.
Discussion:
FishStripes
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John Walsh / Hardball Times:
Best Outfield Arms of 2006 — It was the last day of 2006 and I was getting ready for a little New Year's Eve get-together. While I was blowing up some balloons, I saw a new message in my inbox, and after a click I realized that I had just received a late Christmas gift …
Discussion:
Blue Jays Journal
Mike Fish / ESPN:
Presinal's past makes MLB wary about his present … SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Angel "Nao" Presinal struts about like a muscle-bound canary with his bright yellow Nike cap pulled low and his matching yellow T-shirt drenched in perspiration on a sunbaked morning.
RELATED:
Mike Fish / ESPN:Steroid problem reaches critical mass in the D.R.
Discussion:
The House That Dewey Built
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Spring Training: Japanese pitcher steals spotlight — Followed by large media contingent, Kuwata aims high with Pirates — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — On this, the day the Pirates' pitchers and catchers report for work in Bradenton, Fla., no fewer than a dozen cameras …
Discussion:
Ben Maller's Sports …
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Determined Vargas Vies for Mets' Rotation — Five-year-old Jason Vargas scampered around the batting cage, helping some of the Victor Valley High players retrieve balls, when he reached a milestone in his development. Vargas did not notice a pitch hurtling toward the plate when he trotted out to grab a stray ball.
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Steve Silva / Extra Bases:
DiNardo to A's — Cross Lenny DiNardo off your list of potential Red Sox closers for 2007 because he's headed for Oakland. The A's claimed DiNardo off waivers today. — The Red Sox announced that right fielder J.D. Drew, who signed a $70 million deal with Boston as a free agent on January 26 …
RELATED:
Cory Humes / Pittsburgh Lumber Co.:
Pittsburgh Pirates Roundtable #15 — On Monday, you read what our regulars had to say. Now, you get to hear from the enemy: Enjoy the contrasting opinions that these big timers provide, and feel free to rip each other apart in the comments. Nothing like a good division rivalry, eh? — Question:
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Wrigley to feature Under Armour ads — Signs will be first allowed on stadium's outfield doors — MESA, Ariz. — The green doors tucked into the ivy in the left- and right-field bleachers of Wrigley Field will be decorated with 7-by-12 foot advertisements, touting Under Armour's signature logo.
Discussion:
Ivy Chat
Chad Finn / Baseball Analysts:
Everything I Know About Baseball I Learned From Strat-O-Matic — All right, so that title there is a modest exaggeration. Truth be told, my first introduction to baseball came in my eighth summer, when a Rodent Napoleon named Don Zimmer mismanaged the '78 Red Sox into infamy.
Enrique Rojas / ESPN:
Cabrera doesn't want to ruin image with fans … MIAMI — Although he is still young, Miguel Cabrera understands that baseball is not only a sport but also a business. However, the Venezuelan wouldn't want the business part to influence the image that fans have of him.
Discussion:
FishStripes
