Murton Very Available  —  Per the Chicago Sun-Times, Matt Murton is officially not a part of the Cubs' plans.  Today Lou Piniella named Mike Fontenot as the final player on the five man bench, ruling out the possibility of Murton making the roster and going on to say that the Cubs will try to get him a spot on a major league team.

SportsBiz: Jeter, A-Rod top baseball list  —  New York's dynamic duo are tops, but baseball stars still lag behind  —  New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, left, and Derek Jeter have movie star looks and squeaky clean images.  —  Baseball is enjoying a boom period.

Late-arrival Tatis may have right timing for Mets  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Delayed by visa problems, Fernando Tatis finally showed up on March 13, and his absence was already a running joke with his teammates.  Earlier in camp, Pedro Feliciano impersonated Tatis by taking the field for morning drills in his No. 17 jersey.

Back to US in no time  —  LOS ANGELES - It is 6:50 Wednesday night in Los Angeles and I am thinking about Marvin Barnes.  —  You remember Marvin.  Providence College.  Final Four.  Wasted potential.  Bob Costas tells a story of his days with Marvin when both worked for the Spirits of St. Louis of the old ABA.

Chasing Jose, By Pat Jordan  —  Pat Jordan is the author of 13 books, including “A False Spring,” hailed by Time as “one of the best and truest books about baseball, and about coming to maturity in America.”  A prolific freelance journalist for 40 years, Jordan was recently dubbed …

Rockies release 2B Giles  —  TUCSON, ARIZONA (TICKER) —The Colorado Rockies on Wednesday released second baseman Marcus Giles.  —  Giles, who will turn 30 in May, signed a minor league contract with Colorado on January 8.  He batted .333 (7-for-21) this spring.

Nats finalize 25-man roster  —  Estrada sent to DL; four others headed to Triple-A  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Nationals set their 25-man roster by placing catcher Johnny Estrada on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 21, while also optioning pitchers John Lannan and Chris Schroder …

Zito, Giants beaten by Triple-A Fresno  —  (03-27) 04:00 PDT Fresno —  The Giants' visit to their Triple-A affiliate really was a big deal.  Chukchansi Park was sold out long ago, local hero Mark Gardner tossed the ceremonial first pitch and the teams lined up along the base lines …

Padres place RHPs Prior, Hensley on DL  —  PEORIA, ARIZONA (TICKER) —The San Diego Padres placed righthander Mark Prior on the 60-day disabled list on Wednesday as part of a flurry of moves to trim their active roster to the 25-man limit.  —  Prior, who has made trips to the DL an annual rite of spring …

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.

Excerpt: ‘Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and the Battle to Save Baseball’  —  Jose Canseco's New Book Claims He Gave His ‘Guide to Steroids 101’ to ‘Hundreds’ of Players  —  Jose Canseco's new book revisits the issue of steroids in Major League Baseball. … Chapter Two: The Entertainers

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 …

TBS breaks out new lineup for baseball  —  In its first new take on TV baseball in three decades, TBS has made key roster moves: adding Ron Darling and Buck Martinez, to be formally announced today, as game analysts.  —  Those analysts, TBS executive producer Jeff Behnke says …

Spring Training: The unkindest cut of all  —  After flurry of moves, Burnett looks to be last one out  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — One extra player remains in the Pirates' camp, a number that could drop to zero by the end of today.  —  And the odd man out, based on strong indications yesterday, will be Sean Burnett.

Ziegel: Figure on Figueroa following his dream  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Nelson Figueroa, one of the Coney Island Figueroas, is a day or two away from finding out if the Mets have room for him in this part of the world.  If they don't, they don't.  He's a big boy.  And this won't be the first time the Mets have told him where to go.

Gomez hurt, but Twins defeat Rays  —  Center fielder injures hamstring, listed as day-to-day  —  TWINS 4, RAYS 2  —  Rays at the plate: Jason Bartlett went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a stolen base.  Akinori Iwamura went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored.

Brewers choose Rivera over Munson  —  Catcher will begin the season as the backup to Kendall  —  TUCSON — Brewers catcher Eric Munson cleared waivers Wednesday and was sent outright to Triple-A Nashville, though Munson had the right to refuse and elect free agency.

TINO TAKES TO NEW TASK  —  FORMER YANKEES 1B LIKES COACHING  —  Tino Martinez thought he had seen his last game from a dugout.  The former Yankees first baseman had zero interest in coaching following his retirement in February 2006, but a coach had interest in him: University of South Florida head coach …