Going back to 'pen a gamble for Papelbon  —  Here's the question: If the Red Sox had acquired a quality closer, would Jonathan Papelbon have been losing sleep at night, itching to return to his former role?  —  Doubtful.  —  Papelbon, 26, says otherwise.  Maybe his return to closing will work out for the best.

Notes: Williams helps his cause  —  Righty nears solid rotation spot with another impressive outing  —  KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Right-hander Jerome Williams inched closer to joining the Nationals' starting rotation on Thursday.  Williams had his second consecutive solid outing …

Rangers' fifth starter still uncertain  —  Rotation's final piece remains a mystery; Young's return is brief  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  MESA, Ariz. - Fifth Starter Mystery Theater rolls on with another twist in the still unsolved case.  —  Kameron Loe was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday …

Mirror Mirror  —  The death of former commissioner Bowie Kuhn caused a lot of reflection in baseball circles about his contributions (or lack thereof) to the sport.  Kuhn will always be linked in the minds of many to his foil—Marvin Miller, former executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Mariners Notebook: Good session for relievers  —  Rhodes further along than Putz in nursing sore elbow  —  TUCSON, Ariz. — There was a little unexpected pain when ailing relievers J.J. Putz and Arthur Rhodes threw on flat ground Wednesday morning.  —  The pair threw from distances up to 125 feet …

National disaster  —  VIERA, Fla. - Sometimes there are those telephone conversations you wish took place face to face.  The person on the other end is so incredulous, so frustrated, so spitting angry that you know he is sporting a look - like the worst bitter-beer face known to man - words can't do justice.

Prospectus Today  —  Nice Deal  —  Steal.  —  That was my first and only reaction to the announcement that the Braves had signed catcher Brian McCann to a six-year deal worth $26.8 million.  The deal keeps the team out of arbitration with McCann and ties him to the Braves through at least …

Schilling unfiltered  —  Ace pulls no punches in joining baseball blogosphere  —  More than any other sport, baseball has always produced great writing, but the immediacy of blogs are ideally suited to baseball's long season.  "This ain't football," Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver once said, "We do this every day."

Five Questions: Colorado Rockies  —  1. Are the Rockies rebuilding yet again?  —  How many rebuilding plans have the Rockies had?  Too many to count, for sure, at least not without upsetting every baseball fan in the state of Colorado.  And it seems like yet again, the Rockies have decided to wait 'til next year.

APR Spurs Proposal That Would Have Wide-Ranging Effects  —  Division I coaches were promised at January's American Baseball Coaches Association convention that big changes were on the way as a result of baseball's poor score in the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate.  Two months later, it's clear that was more than just grandiose talk.

Podsednik enjoys flashback to '05  —  Leadoff man playing with confidence again after rough '06 season  —  TUCSON, Ariz. — While non-roster invitee Adam Russell has opened some eyes around White Sox spring camp, another late bloomer has created comparable excitement.

Spring Training: Burnett's bid for spot in pitching rotation is trickier than it seems  —  Pitcher Sean Burnett has been working this spring to regain his position in the Pirates' rotation.  —  By Paul Meyer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. — Before there was Zach Duke, there was Sean Burnett.