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Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Zambrano, Cubs deftly avoid arbitration — Just before hearing, parties ink one-year, $12 million deal — MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs and Carlos Zambrano reached agreement Tuesday on a one-year, $12 million contract and avoided arbitration. — The Cubs had hoped to settle before a 2 p.m. MST hearing at the Phoenix Hyatt.
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Zambrano, Cubs avoid arbitration — The Chicago Cubs and right-hander Carlos Zambrano settled their arbitration case Tuesday, agreeing to a one-year, $12.4 million contract and avoiding a potentially divisive hearing. — Zambrano had requested $15.5 million in arbitration. The Cubs were offering $11.025 million.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Associated Press:
Cubs, Zambrano avoid arbitration with 1-year deal — MESA, Ariz. — Carlos Zambrano and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a $12.4 million, one-year contract Tuesday, avoiding salary arbitration by striking the deal just before the scheduled hearing. — He would also earn bonuses for finishing among …
Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:
'I had a mental breakdown' — Logan's rapid rise led to rocky start to big-league career — TUCSON, Ariz. — Boone Logan's big-league season was spiraling downward even before he stepped on the mound last May 16 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. — The loud thud heard over the next 1 2/3 innings …
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South Side Sox
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Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
Boone completes trip around the horn — JUPITER — The last time infielder Aaron Boone played first base, he was in the minor leagues. That was more than 10 years ago. — On Tuesday, Boone started his 11th major-league season by going back to school for a first-base refresher.
Discussion:
FishStripes
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Dave George / Palm Beach Post:
Commentary: Gonzalez seems like right fit — JUPITER — It was a small thing, nothing at all like the shaving-cream pie in the face that baseball teammates often use to smear the seriousness off somebody's face during a TV interview. — Still, while rookie Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez …
Ken Davidoff / AM New York:
Defiant Barry's back — SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — His sixth swing of the day, of the year, produced a massive shot, a home run well over Scottsdale Stadium's wall in right-centerfield. It might as well have been 2001 again. — With that, Barry Bonds exited the batting cage …
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Padilla Says He Still Has Something Up His Sleeve — As Juan Padilla closed his eyes and turned away, Jorge Sosa showed a crowd of onlookers his card — the two of diamonds — before he shoved it into the bottom of the deck. Padilla shuffled the cards with a little too much force, and most of them crashed to the ground.
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Notes: Leyland outlines two requests — Tigers skipper wants two-strike approach, smarter baserunning — LAKELAND, Fla. — When Jim Leyland's Pittsburgh Pirates commanded the National League East in the early 1990s, they were known around baseball for their superb hitting with two strikes in the count.
Discussion:
TigerBlog
Dara Kam / Palm Beach Post:
Marlins have shot at park — TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Marlins renewed their annual effort to get a second tax break from the state to help finance a new stadium, but for the first time in five years, the major league team has a chance of a promising finish.
Discussion:
FishStripes
Associated Press:
MLB doffs wool caps, adopts synthetic material — BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - One question facing baseball this season: Will cooler heads prevail? — On opening day, the sport will doff the traditional wool cap in favor of a new polyester blend model designed to wick away sweat before it can stream down a player's face.
Discussion:
FishStripes
Associated Press:
Former Mormon missionary bids for job as Marlins closer — JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Matt Lindstrom must be the hardest-throwing, Swedish-speaking, former Mormon missionary in baseball. — It's a large leap from Stockholm to the big leagues, but Lindstrom has a shot at becoming the Florida Marlins' closer this season.
Baseball America:
Los Angeles Dodgers — Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched …
Discussion:
Dodgers Minor League …
Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Notes: Eye surgery helping Peralta — Shortstop expects restored vision to benefit all aspects of game — WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Looking in to read catcher Victor Martinez's signs from his shortstop position, all Jhonny Peralta could see was a fuzzy blur.
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Notes: Alomar Jr. inks Minors deal — Veteran catcher could be third family member to play for club — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Sandy Alomar Sr. played with the Mets in briefly in 1964, Robbie Alomar had an uneven tenure with the Mets in 2002 and into 2003, and now a third Alomar …
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Tracy Ringolsby / Rocky Mountain News:
Matsui not looking in past — Rockies prefer to see promise, not failure with Mets — TUCSON - The Rockies saw enough from Kaz Matsui in the final six weeks of last season that they are willing to ignore what he did in slightly more than two years with the New York Mets.
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