ON 2ND THOUGHT, PUT JOBA IN 'PEN  —  NOW that Andy Pettitte is signed, sealed and finally delivered, it's time the Yankees throw a high, hard one at the opposition.  Forget about Joba Chamberlain being in the rotation - he needs to go back to the bullpen.  From Day 1 of spring training.

Don't believe Perez rumor  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  I just saw this report that Jon Heyman said on the MLB Network that the Brewers might have interest in free agent lefty Oliver Perez.  —  Don't count on it.  —  When I ran Perez's name by Brewers general manager …

Red Sox give Varitek deadline on offer  —  Boston reportedly asks veteran catcher for decision by Saturday  —  BOSTON — The Red Sox should know by the end of the week if Jason Varitek, their primary catcher since 1999, will be part of their 2009 squad.  —  The Boston Herald — citing a …

Pirates add Fogg-like pitcher Vasquez  —  Hearing dates set for McLouth, Maholm; payroll near $50 million  —  If there is a familiar feel to the statistics of Virgil Vasquez, the pitcher the Pirates claimed off waivers yesterday from the Detroit Tigers, there probably is a reason …

Astros sign Rodriguez, Geary to one-year deals  —  Club avoids arbitration with pair of pitchers  —  Meeting their deadline to work out deals before having to hunker down for arbitration hearings, the Astros signed starting lefthander Wandy Rodriguez and reliever Geoff Geary to one-year contracts.

The details on Pettitte's deal  —  Base salary: $5.5 million.  —  Innings bonuses: $500,000 each for 150, 160 and 170 innings pitched and $750,000 each for 180, 190, 200 and 210 innings.  —  Roster bonuses: $100,000 for 120 days on the active 25-man roster, $200,000 for 130 days …

Justice, Gooden deny Radomski's allegations  —  David Justice and Dwight Gooden denied allegations made by former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski during an exclusive interview with “Outside the Lines” on Sunday.  Radomski told ESPN that Justice lied about knowing him and purchasing …

Bucks' season could make future tense  —  Snap.  —  Michael Redd tears his anterior cruciate ligament.  —  Crackle.  —  Redd also tears his medial collateral ligament.  —  Pop.  —  The Milwaukee Bucks' playoff chances in a must-have-it year take a monumental hit …

Draft Strategy: Park Factoring  —  One of the common misconceptions when it comes to “park factors” is that the quality of a team's lineup and pitching staff drives the number.  For instance, whenever I write that Michael Young is overrated in part because his offensive stats have been padded …

Will Ryan Howard Win His Arbitration Case?  —  There's little denying that Ryan Howard has been a league-leader since being called up from the minors.  NL Rookie-of-the Year in 2005, NL MVP and All-Star in 2006, 5th in NL MVP voting in 2007, and 2nd in NL MVP voting last year, he's racked up a collection of awards.

Atkins looks forward to 2009 with Rockies  —  Third baseman Garrett Atkins is pointing toward the 2009 season with the Rockies, something he didn't foresee happening when 2008 ended.  —  “I figured they would trade either me or Matt (Holliday), going in (to the offseason),” Atkins said.

Counsell gets 1-year, $1M deal from Brewers  —  MILWAUKEE (AP) — Craig Counsell and the Milwaukee Brewers completed a $1 million, one-year contract on Monday after the veteran infielder passed a physical.  —  The 38-year-old Counsell spent the past two seasons with the Brewers …

Why We Need Numbers  —  I don't know how it is for you, but for me, when someone says, “Jeff Kent,” well, I don't think “Hall of Famer.”  I just don't — this is an utterly involuntary reaction.  I never thought of him as a great player when I watched him play.  I never felt any special excitement when he was in the game.