Top News:
Kat O'Brien / Newsday:
Yankees' Posada relieved shoulder is only strained — KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Jorge Posada's sense of relief was palpable yesterday after learning that nothing more was wrong with his shoulder than a strain. — Instead of facing a stint on the disabled list or even his worst- case scenario …
Discussion:
River Ave. Blues
RELATED:
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Girardi's gamble can't save Yanks — Kennedy pushed to relief with threat of rain; offense silenced — KANSAS CITY — The idea might have looked good on paper, and it was certainly understandable considering the large green blob that threatened the general area.
David Lennon / Newsday:
Duque out; Vargas on way in? — The Mets' patience with the fluctuating health of Orlando Hernandez finally ran out yesterday and the team is on the verge of signing Claudio Vargas to a minor-league contract to help fill the void, the pitcher's agent confirmed last night.
RELATED:
ESPN.com:
Indians sign young star Carmona to multiyear deal — The Indians have signed right-hander Fausto Carmona to a multiyear contract extension, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney is reporting. — The deal is guaranteed through 2011 with club options for 2012, 2013 and 2014. No monetary terms have been disclosed yet.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Indians, Carmona agree to terms on 7-year deal — CBSSports.com wire reports — CLEVELAND — Fausto Carmona, a surprising 19-game winner last season, agreed to terms of a seven-year contract with the Cleveland Indians on Thursday. — A person familiar with the negotiations says Carmona's deal will be announced later in the day.
Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
Marlins Notebook: Miller under orders to throw hard, not worry — WASHINGTON — Let it rip. — That's the order the Marlins have given to left-hander Andrew Miller, whose velocity hasn't touched 90 mph in either of his two starts this season. — The team said Miller's health is fine.
Discussion:
FishStripes
RELATED:
Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Marlins' bats overcome Nationals — Jacobs homers twice, Hermida hits a pair of doubles in return — WASHINGTON — There were a number of promising signs for the Marlins on Wednesday night. — Scott Olsen gave the bullpen a breather with a quality outing.
Steve Buckley / Boston Herald:
Boos taste sweet to Renteria … Fenway fans may have had a blast last night as they endlessly booed former Red Sox [team stats] shortstop Edgar Renteria, who now plays for the Detroit Tigers. — But Renteria did not get battered by the booing. Instead, he turned it into a positive.
RELATED:
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Tigers get on board — Sox lose Lowell to thumb injury — The one thing the Red Sox did better than just about anybody last season was stay healthy, a not insignificant reason they were the last team standing. — The Sox did not place a starting position player on the disabled list the entire season …
Juan C. Rodriguez / Sun-Sentinel:
Building ballpark is daunting — WASHINGTON - If a notion exists that the hard part is over now that financing is in place for a downtown Miami ballpark, Marlins President David Samson wants to clear it up. — The work may now be more gratifying, but it's certainly no easier.
Discussion:
ShysterBall
Ross / Yankee Stadium Insider Blog:
Good news Yankee Fans - Ian Kennedy got jerked off in the bullpen — Get your mind out of the gutter, people. I haven't turned this blog NC-17 on you. The line in the title of the post is taken verbatim (well, almost verbatim) from David Cone who made his proud return to the broadcast booth …
Jason Anderson / Recordnet.com:
Sprague admits use of Andro — Pacific baseball coach also used amphetamines — STOCKTON - One of Stockton's most accomplished baseball players said that during his 11-year playing career he took substances that have since been banned by Major League Baseball.
Jeff Barker / Baltimore Sun:
Angelos says he hopes Nationals succeed — Orioles owner attributes record-low Camden Yards crowd to weather — Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who once fought to keep a team out of Washington, said yesterday that he hopes the Nationals are successful and doesn't mind if Orioles fans occasionally slip away …
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Baseball Is Again Linked to Steroids — Player agents in Major League Baseball referred clients to a doctor in California who illegally wrote prescriptions for performance-enhancing drugs, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday by federal authorities.
RELATED:
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
Indictment: Agents steered baseball players to doctor for performance …
Indictment: Agents steered baseball players to doctor for performance …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Dan Martin / New York Post:
GOOSE: LEAVE JOBA IN BULLPEN — YANKEES SHOULD STICK TO ONE ROLE — The Yankees still intend to make Joba Chamberlain into a starter this season, although no one seems to be sure just when or exactly how that change will happen. That lack of certainty strikes Goose Gossage as a bad idea.
Discussion:
Rivera's Cutter
Chicago Tribune:
Chicago Cubs — But Sammy Sosa, the Cubs' career home run leader, remains an outcast to many of the same fans who used to cheer his majestic blasts and animated chest-thumping routine. — Sosa, who reached 609 career home runs last season while playing for Texas, is considering retirement …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors