Belliard gets minor league deal from Nats  —  VIERA, Fla. — Second baseman Ronnie Belliard agreed to a non-guaranteed, minor league contract with the Washington Nationals on Sunday that will pay him $750,000 if he makes the team.  —  "We feel it gives us protection in the middle of the diamond …

Turnbow seeks to regain form in 2007  —  Former closer will serve as Brewers' setup man to Cordero  —  PHOENIX — Trivia tidbit: Brewers reliever Derrick Turnbow's full name is Thomas Durwood Derrick Turnbow.  The first two names are in honor of his mother's father, and while he still signs …

Baseball season means a trip to wondering land with Manny  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — The first official workout for Red Sox pitchers and catchers is today.  Position players are scheduled to "report" Tuesday, and their first workout is supposed to be Thursday at the minor league complex …

Catcher Laird critical to Rangers  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. - The past three years, catcher Gerald Laird arrived at Rangers training camp with one question: "How can I make this team?"  —  This year, the question is slightly different: "How can I make this team better?"

Bedard glad he avoided arbitration  —  FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. // Had the Orioles not agreed to a one-year deal with pitcher Erik Bedard yesterday, the process would have played out Tuesday in a hotel conference room in Phoenix.  At the head of a long table, three arbitrators would have been seated …

Team Report: Inside Pitch  —  Armando Benitez arrived early to spring training, admitting he failed the past two years and vowing for a better 2007.  —  Whether he'll pitch for the Giants will be determined.  —  If Benitez, 34, shows he's somewhat healthy (he has an arthritic right knee) …

Trouble you can love  —  In the first week of Spring Training 2007, here is what happened: A superstar issued a contractual ultimatum.  An older, veteran player questioned the commitment of a relatively younger one.  A general manager and manager stood on opposite ground regarding their team's position on a longtime dignitary.

Johnson clears up eyesight  —  The first baseman was recently diagnosed with double vision in his right eye, which could explain his hitting woes last season  —  PHOENIX - A little offseason tinkering may have helped Dan Johnson solve his hitting woes from 2006, and it didn't even involve picking up a bat.

WHITE SOX  —  Erstad fits into Sox's big picture  —  TUCSON, Ariz. - Darin Erstad and the White Sox.  Now there's a match made in OzzieBall heaven.  —  He'd run over your mother to catch a flyball, and he just might run over his own mother if she tried to block home plate.

At threshold of Hall  —  Schilling no lock, but he's very close  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — When a Boston radio talk show last month floated the idea of Curt Schilling running for a US Senate seat against incumbent John Kerry, the idea evoked only mild interest from the Red Sox pitcher …

Long road back  —  Humber comeback from arm surgery hits overdrive  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - A two-strike curveball, the same caliber of pitch that Cardinals closer Adam Wainwright would snap off 19 months later to end last October's NLCS, buckled Miguel Cairo's knees in the batter's box.

Payroll total takes $5 million hit  —  Decision by reliever Foulke to retire leaves Tribe with unimpressive salary figure for upcoming season  —  WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Keith Foulke's retirement points to a continuing image problem for the Indians.  —  By quitting baseball rather than accepting …

Notes: Matsuzaka slated for debut  —  Right-hander to face Boston College in split-squad game  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — In a Spring Training debut unlike any other in club history, Daisuke Matsuzaka threw off a mound for the first time in a Red Sox uniform Sunday.

WILLIE SEES NO NEED FOR A CAPTAIN  —  Willie Randolph believes the Mets are better off without a captain.  —  The Mets manager, who is a former Yankees co-captain, has not had a captain for either of his first two Mets seasons and the Mets haven't had one since John Franco left following 2004.