Shoulder to lean on: Pap ready to be fallback closer  —  FORT MYERS - The closer situation has left Red Sox [team stats] fans tossing and turning at night.  The Sox are wrestling with it, too, because it's a problem that hasn't been resolved during the first month of spring training.  —  Red Sox forum:

Cardinals manager arrested for DUI in Florida  —  JUPITER, Fla. — St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was arrested early Thursday and charged with misdemeanor DUI after he was found asleep at the wheel in his running SUV at a green light.  —  La Russa's SUV was stopped at a light that …

Sosa remains Cub at heart  —  Fans' reaction mixed, but 'I'm so grateful for that city,' Rangers' No. 21 says of Chicago  —  MESA, Ariz. — Sammy Sosa got warm welcomes from Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, team president John McDonough and pitcher Carlos Zambrano on the field before his first game at HoHoKam Park in three years.

Vegas, Baby, Vegas  —  There's nothing like a long weekend in Vegas to recharge the batteries before the season starts.  From a couple Cirque du Soleil shows to one of the best fights I've ever seen, it was a four day vacation that Barney Stinson would describe as an "awesomefest."

National League Preview  —  This should be the year that the Phillies finally get to the playoffs, the Brewers' youngster turn into winners and the Dodgers take another step forward.  —  EASTERN DIVISION  —  PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES  —  QUICK TAKE: After near misses the last four years …

Lieber might start season in Phillies' bullpen  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — Ending weeks of speculation, Jon Lieber was told on Wednesday that he's going to the bullpen because the Philadelphia Phillies have six starters.  —  "I'm disappointed," Lieber said Wednesday.  "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't.

MLB: Yankees won't extend A-Rod's contract  —  The Yankees don't intend to offer Alex Rodriguez a contract extension, leaving him the option of opting out of his deal after the season and becoming a free agent.  —  "He has a decision to make,"said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.

Notes: Nats make roster changes  —  Club adds Fick, Belliard to 40-man roster, cuts three others  —  JUPITER, Fla. — The Nationals trimmed their roster to 38 players and added to two others to their 40-man roster on Wednesday night.  —  Washington purchased the contracts of infielders Ronnie Belliard …

Nationals want equal return for Cordero  —  The Rockies, seeking to acquire a setup man, are interested in Nationals closer Chad Cordero, but a trade appears unlikely, major-league sources tell FOXSports.com.  —  The Nationals have been scouting the Rockies in recent days …

Better glove earns Cedeno roster spot  —  Shortstop's work with Trammell clicks  —  MESA, Ariz. — Ronny Cedeno struggled last year after being handed the starting shortstop job in the off-season and was considered a long shot to make the team when camp opened in mid-February.

NCAA Basketball Scouting Reports  —  The three dirtiest words around Astros camp this year: World Baseball Classic.  —  Last March, nearly four weeks before he normally would pitch in a meaningful game, closer Brad Lidge was called on to close a first-round game against Mexico in the inaugural WBC.

Five Questions: Los Angeles Dodgers  —  Thrill of victory?  Agony of defeat?  The Los Angeles Dodgers had it all in the wide, wide world of 2006.  They produced this decade's nominee for Game of the Century with September's 4+1 game: four consecutive solo home runs in the bottom of the ninth …

Fogg auditions for starting role  —  Rockies trying to deal Kim, but interest minimal  —  TUCSON - Josh Fogg has made a strong case for the Rockies' fifth-starter job.  —  Now it's up to the Rockies to make room.  —  With spring training winding down, general manager Dan O'Dowd is trying …

Got Melky?  Yanks glad they do  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Melky Cabrera probably wouldn't get a lot of votes from fans as the player most critical to the Yankees' season.  Those affiliated with the team give a different account.  They know approximately what to expect from players such as Mike Mussina, Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera.

Baseball Lays Off Cable Operators' Pitch  —  Major League Baseball spurned a revised offer by leading cable operators yesterday to retain the Extra Innings package of out-of-market games, which may now become the exclusive satellite domain of DirecTV.  —  The rejection sets up two showdowns …