Top News:
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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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Zambrano, Cubs agree on 1-year deal — $12.4 million, no arbitration, but long-term deal looks iffy — MESA, Ariz. — Part I of the Carlos Zambrano saga ended Tuesday when he agreed to a one-year, $12.4 million deal, avoiding an arbitration hearing only minutes before it was to begin.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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 …
Jeff Horrigan / Boston Herald:
New look, new hopes: Crisp eyes turnaround — FORT MYERS - Several Red Sox [team stats] players stopped to get a closer look at the player with the mini-fro hairstyle who arrived yesterday morning and immediately buried his head in a locker to sort out equipment.
Discussion:
Fenway Blogger
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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 …
Discussion:
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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Tracy Ringolsby / Rocky Mountain News:
Baker transforms himself into ultimate utility player — TUCSON - Jeff Baker was a concern for the Rockies last year. He was headed into the final year of a four-year, major league contract he signed with them when he came out of Clemson. The first three seasons had created more questions than answers.
Discussion:
Purple Row
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Patrick Saunders / Denver Post:
Taveras is green-light special — Newly acquired speedster in table-setter role — Willy Taveras stole 67 bases in 2005-06 for Houston, but his on-base percentage is a speed bump. (Getty / Jonathan Daniel) — Tucson - Beep! Beep! — Willy Taveras plans to be the Rockies' roadrunner this season.
NY Daily News:
Score it an error on — Derek for big chill — TAMPA - Forced to respond to Alex Rodriguez's portrait of a faded friendship, Derek Jeter sat in the same dugout a day later and had something to get off his chest. — Really? He was finally going to roll down the tinted windows that guard …
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
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Todd Zolecki / Philly.com:
Werth's healthy outlook — His wrist healed, he's eager to play. — CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jayson Werth showed up at Bright House Networks Field yesterday with intentions to resurrect a baseball career that seemed near its end just last summer. — It's incredible how one pitch can change a life.
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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.
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
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 …
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
