MacPhail: Roberts deal unlikely before opener  —  O's second baseman expected to be in lineup for start of season  —  JUPITER, Fla. - Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail acknowledged today that it is unlikely that All-Star second baseman Brian Roberts will be traded before Opening Day.

Pirates acquire Yates from Atlanta, buy out Kim  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates this morning acquired reliever Tyler Yates from the Atlanta Braves for pitching prospect Todd Redmond, bought out the contract of reliever Byung-Hyun Kim and made several other moves.  —  Among them:

Angels' Escobar has torn shoulder  —  The pitcher says he might face surgery that would force him to miss the season or, worse, end his career.  —  TEMPE, Ariz. — Pitcher Kelvim Escobar, an 18-game winner last season, revealed this morning that he has a tear in his shoulder …

Laird edges Saltalamacchia as Rangers' catcher  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Gerald Laird won his duel with Jarrod Saltalamacchia for the job as the Texas Rangers' starting catcher.  —  Saltalamacchia was optioned to the Rangers' minor league camp Wednesday.  The 22-year-old switch-hitter …

Phillies Notebook: Mystery, intrigue as deadline nears for Phillies' final roster spots  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - At the beginning of spring training, the Phillies clubhouse always resembles a crowded bus terminal with players here, players there, players, players everywhere.

Washington Nationals to host inaugural game at Nationals Park on Sunday, March 30 at 8:15 PM  —  The Washington Nationals will host the Atlanta Braves at 8:15 pm in the Inaugural Game at Nationals Park, their new home on South Capitol Street, SE in the Capitol Riverfront District.

Three for the money  —  Mike Mussina has found the fountain of youth, and it resides in the picturesque lake that can be seen on the wall next to his locker.  —  “Lake Mussina,” as it has come to be known, is the centerpiece of a corner of the Yankees' home clubhouse at Legends Field.

FIFTH AVENUE  —  VARGAS COULD FILL OUT ROTATION  —  Claudio Vargas could be a candidate for the Mets' No. 5 starter vacancy.  —  The 29-year-old right hander was released yesterday by the Brewers in a salary dump, and Mets GM Omar Minaya said his club will have a strong interest now that Vargas reportedly has cleared waivers.

Sheppard will miss final opener  —  Bob Sheppard, the Yankees' public address announcer since the 1951 home opener, will not work the final opener at Yankee Stadium Monday as he continues to recover from health problems that have limited him for the past six months.

Taylor: Canseco needs to find new way to make quick buck  —  Someone needs to find Jose Canseco a new hobby.  Maybe we could all chip in for a set of golf clubs, or get him started on a coin collection, because Canseco clearly has too much time on his hands, some of which he has used …

Royals trade Justin Huber to San Diego for a player to be named  —  KANSAS CITY — The Kansas City Royals traded first baseman/outfielder Justin Huber to the San Diego Padres in exchange for a player to be named.  —  Huber, 25, has made brief appearances in the Majors with the Royals …

Reyes is likely to go to Memphis  —  JUPITER, FLA. — If it was an audition for another club, Anthony Reyes' outing Tuesday against the Washington Nationals ranked as a success.  —  If it was a last pitch for the Cardinals' season-opening rotation, better luck next time.

About Gotay ...  Ruben Gotay hit against Pedro Martinez in his minor league game.  News he was placed on waivers is inaccurate.  That's not to say it won't in the future, but not right now.  He appears to have fallen behind Fernando Tatis.  The emergence of Tatis could also push out Brady Clark.