PSL: Omar Talks with Reporters from Dugout  —  Omar Minaya just talked with reporters from the dugout. … According to Minaya, Moises Alou will have surgery and should be on a bike roughly one week later, “hopefully.”  He is expected to be back in four to six weeks, as had been reporters yesterday.

Pap, Sox agree to deal  —  The Red Sox and closer Jonathan Papelbon have agreed to a one-year deal worth $775,000.  —  That's more than closer Bobby Jenks got with a similar amount of service time, as he signed a $550,000 contract.  Papelbon was looking for a deal in the range of $900,000 …

Giants' Lowry likely out through April  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP)—San Francisco Giants pitcher Noah Lowry will have surgery on his left forearm Friday after a recent bout of wildness and is probably out until the end of April.  —  Lowry was the Giants' top winner with a 14-8 record last season.

Farnsworth happy there's a new Joe in charge  —  SARASOTA, Fla. - Perhaps no Yankee player is happier than Kyle Farnsworth with the switch in the manager's office from Joe Torre to Joe Girardi.  And not just because he doesn't have to listen to Torre call him “Farnsie” anymore.

Pujols has ‘high-grade tear’ of elbow ligament  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Albert Pujols' injury elbow is a “high-grade tear” of the ligament, but, as he announced when he arrived at the St. Louis Cardinals' spring training home in mid-February, he won't have surgery.  —  At least for now.

Frandsen's days at shortstop are over  —  (03-08) 09:11 PST SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — Kevin Frandsen will not be the Giants' shortstop on Opening Day.  Manager Bruce Bochy said today he has informed Frandsen, who has struggled at the position, that he will return to his natural position at second base and get some time at third.

Chamberlain holds a starting gun  —  The New York Yankees' 2007 playoff run had barely ended when Hank Steinbrenner declared that hard-throwing rookie right-hander Joba Chamberlain would be installed in the Yankees starting rotation for 2008.  As spring training approached, however …

Notes: Haren working on new pitch  —  Elevating fastball could give hitters more to worry about  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Dan Haren gave National League hitters another thing to keep in the back of their minds when they face him this year as he worked on elevating his fastball during his second start of the spring on Thursday.

A Brave New World: MetsBlog in the Mets clubhouse  —  Over the past week, some of the best baseball blog reading has come from Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog.com.  From getting a personal lesson in the circle changeup from Johan Santana to the politics of the parking lot order …

Ponson garners attention at camp  —  Right-hander throws off bullpen mound; scouts take notice  —  JUPITER, Fla. — The Cardinals offered Sidney Ponson a mound to showcase his stuff, largely as a favor to the right-hander and his agent, Barry Praver.  It turns out, however …

Lou beats media to punch line  —  TUCSON, Ariz. — With Carlos Zambrano scheduled to pitch the first time the Cubs saw the Arizona Diamondbacks since getting swept out of the playoffs in October, manager Lou Piniella was ready to respond before the first question was finished.

Clemens Investigators Look at Houston Clinic  —  HOUSTON — Internal Revenue Service agents have contacted a former employee of a fitness center here as part of an effort to determine whether Roger Clemens obtained steroids or human growth hormone in the Houston area, where he lives, the former employee said.