Jose Canseco Reviewed: With Spoilers  —  There I was, wandering through a quaint Cambridge bookstore on Monday, when I noticed a copy of Jose Canseco's new book “Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and The Battle to Save Baseball” in their tiny sports section.  That's odd, I thought.

Brewers release Vargas  —  Phoenix - In a somewhat surprising move and a definite commitment toward youth, the Brewers just released veteran right-hander Claudio Vargas.  —  The move paves the way for two young pitchers, Manny Parra and Carlos Villanueva, to make the starting rotation, along with Ben Sheets, Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush.

Moss, Manny come up clutch  —  Rookie ties things up with blast, veteran drives in winning runs  —  TOKYO — The 24-year-old outfield prospect from Loganville, Ga., had to travel all the way to the Far East to club his first Major League homer.  However, the timing was nothing short …

Padres pick up Black's option  —  PEORIA, ARIZONA (TICKER) —The San Diego Padres on Tuesday exercised their 2009 contract option on manager Bud Black, who last season guided the team to its best record in nearly a decade.  —  Black, 50, made his managerial debut with the Padres last year and posted an 89-74 record.

The word from DIRECTV  —  Here's the official word from a DIRECTV spokesman on problems this morning with NESN and ESPN2 that kept the Sox game off the air until the seventh inning:  —  “We experienced some temporary technical difficulties early this morning that resulted in some channels not being available to customers.

Register on waivers, likely headed elsewhere  —  Reliever Steven Register has been placed on waivers, two sources unaffiliated with the Mets told the Daily News.  That signals that Mets officials intend to turn elsewhere - presumably to Joe Smith or Brian Stokes - if Duaner Sanchez is not ready to break camp with the team.

Cubs, outfielder Reed Johnson agree to one-year contract  —  Additionally, Cubs announce fifth round of roster cuts; Place right-hander Angel Guzman on 60-day disabled list  —  MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs today announced the club has agreed to terms with outfielder Reed Johnson on a one-year contract.

Pettitte's 2008 debut pushed back  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Andy Pettitte will miss his first scheduled start of the regular season on April 2 against Toronto because of back spasms.  —  New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi expects Pettitte will start the third or fourth game instead.

From Wright to Cabrera: The top 50 for five years … This winter, I made lists of the top players at each position over the next five seasons (2008 to 2012).  Mistakes were made, readers were horrified and corrections were issued.  With that experience to guide me, I've now combined …

It's official: Tigers, Miguel Cabrera reach deal; saved money by doing it now  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — The Tigers formally announced today the seven-year contract extension through 2015 with third baseman Miguel Cabrera that prevents him from leaving as a free agent after the 2009 season.

Bring Your Questions for Sabermetrician Bill James  —  If the name Bill James doesn't mean anything to you, then you are probably not a baseball fan and have no need to read further.  If, however, you are a baseball fan — ranging from fairly serious to obsessively statistical …