Top News:
Sean McAdam / Providence Journal:
Papelbon sticking to his guns over contract — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Jonathan Papelbon may be young, but he knows how the business of baseball works. — He knows that, with a little more than two years of major-league service time, he has no contractual leverage with the Red Sox.
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Hartford Courant:
Hank Brings Back Bluster — CLEARWATER, Fla. - Long before it became fashionable in baseball, George Steinbrenner talked about the importance of the brand name. — That's what he bought in 1973: a team with pedestrian talent in the big leagues and the minors, a crumbling stadium …
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Scenes lacked direction — Buchholz and Hansen are all over the lot — While the fans watched the action, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz kept his sun-shielded eyes on the fans at City of Palms Park. (Brita Meng Outzen/Associated Press) — FORT MYERS, Fla. - Even though the trophy …
Jeff Goldberg / Hartford Courant:
Rookie Finds His Mentor — FORT MYERS, Fla. - Clay Buchholz, 23, is the second-youngest player on the Red Sox's 40-man roster. Tim Wakefield, 41, is the second-oldest. — In his first major league spring training with the Red Sox, Buchholz has anchored himself to the veteran knuckleballer …
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Sources: Schoeneweis, Sosa being shopped — VERO BEACH, Fla. - Mets GM Omar Minaya has let teams know that relievers Scott Schoeneweis and Jorge Sosa can be obtained in trades, according to sources briefed on the players' availability. Schoeneweis has two years and $7.2 million left on his original three-year deal.
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Adam Rubin / Surfing the Mets:
Mets shopping Schoeneweis and Sosa — As you may have already ready in today's Daily News, the Mets have started to shop Scott Schoeneweis and Jorge Sosa. Schoeneweis will make $7.2 million through 2009, while Sosa is owed $2 million this season in his final year before free agency.
Tim Marchman / New York Sun:
Risks of Injury Highlight Mets' Lack of Depth — A skeptic, keeping an eye on early returns, might point out that no matter how impressive they are in theory, this year's Mets are old, injury-prone, and thin, and that teams fitting this description are rarely impressive in practice.
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Notebook: Ponson reappears; reassignments loom — JUPITER, Fla. — The Cardinals will lend former pitcher Sidney Ponson a place and a mound to throw for scouts Thursday at lunchtime. — Ponson, who made 13 starts for the Cardinals in 2006, is said to have slimmed down to 245 pounds and cranked up his fastball to 91 mph.
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Concern for reliever Johnson — Lefthanded reliever Tyler Johnson will have an MRI taken of his left shoulder today to determine if there is an injury. Johnson stopped throwing during his warm-up for Saturday's game because of tightness and soreness in the shoulder.
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Pettitte Shakes Off the Rust and Gets Back to Business for the Yankees — TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees' broadcasters interviewed Manager Joe Girardi during Sunday's game, which was playing on the television in the middle of the clubhouse. Girardi spoke of how well Andy Pettitte was dealing …
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Faran Fagen / MLB.com:
Notes: McPherson to return on Monday — Newly acquired slugger hopes to fill vacancy at third base — JUPITER, Fla. — Dallas McPherson, out since Thursday with a strained right side, will be available to play Monday against the Boston Red Sox. — Manger Fredi Gonzalez said McPherson …
Discussion:
FishStripes
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Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
McClellan opens eyes in spring debut — Cards, scouts, fans alike marvel at Missouri native's progress — JUPITER, Fla. — First, Kyle McClellan caught the eyes of the prospect hounds with a big year in relief in 2007. Then McClellan drew the notice of Cardinals coaches …
Jim Salisbury / philly.com:
Cole Hamels is out of line — CLEARWATER, Fla. - Cry no tears for Cole Hamels. — This isn't Ryan Howard all over again. — Not even close. — Hamels is bent out of shape over having his contract renewed yesterday. Howard was in a similar mood after having his deal renewed a year ago.
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Sports Illustrated:
Roberts trade talks heat up — Orioles second baseman could go to Cubs with Payton — The Cubs and Orioles have resumed trade talks involving second baseman Brian Roberts, and one person familiar with the talks indicated discussions were starting to get serious.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Bart Hubbuch / New York Post:
ELEVEN MEN OUT — NO-NAMES TAKE FIELD AS METS' INFIRMARY FILLS — VERO BEACH, Fla. - The bumps, bruises and strains keep piling up so fast that the Mets are already resorting to black humor. — Bullpen coach Guy Conti took one look at the lineup of nobodies the injury-ravaged Amazin's brought …
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Jim Litke / Boston Herald:
If Sam Zell is so rich, how come he's not smart? — Vida Blue was ahead of his time, or else hopelessly behind, depending on your view of the naming-rights debate currently swirling around Wrigley Field. — The promising young left-hander was just starting to make his mark in Oakland …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Chris Jaffe / Hardball Times:
2007's Most Historic and Impressive Team Splits — Over the last several months, I've raided the team splits information over at Baseball-Reference. For whatever sick and sorry reasons of my own, I decided to find team splits that interested me and download them into excel for every single team …
Discussion:
WasWatching.com
Associated Press:
Brewers renew Fielder's contract, and slugger ‘not happy about it at all’ — CBSSports.com wire reports — PHOENIX — Prince Fielder is frustrated about his contract. — The Milwaukee Brewers renewed the slugger's deal for $670,000 on Sunday after finishing third in NL MVP voting last season.
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Tom Haudricourt / Brewers Blog:Fielder: “I'm not happy about it” — Phoenix - As I suggested …
Discussion:
Brewers Bar
