A-Rod's pal, the tainted trainer: Steroid-linked friend is banned by every MLB team  —  Embattled Yankee Alex Rodriguez has had a long relationship with a steroid-linked trainer who's been banned from major league clubhouses, four independent sources told the Daily News.

Infielder Hudson signs with Dodgers  —  All-Star second baseman costs team first-round Draft pick  —  PHOENIX — Free agents are on sale, and the Dodgers picked one up on the cheap Friday when they agreed with second baseman Orlando Hudson on a one-year contract, baseball sources confirmed.

Zimmerman Avoids Arbitration, Signs One-Year Deal  —  The contract Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman signed late last night didn't satisfy the ultimate goal — a long-term deal — but at least it erased the most immediate fear.  Because of the one-year, $3.325 million agreement …

CC you in April: Lefty in line for opener  —  TAMPA - CC Sabathia won't make his first start of the spring until the Yankees play their 10th game, but the big lefthander is lined up perfectly to make a much more important start: Opening Day.  —  Sabathia will make his spring debut on March 6 …

Glavine, Braves agree to deal  —  Veteran lefty will have chance to earn up to $4.5 million in 2009  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Confident that his left arm is as strong as it's been in nearly six years, Tom Glavine has gained the opportunity to prove he can still be a valuable member of the Braves rotation.

Using Z-Scores to Rank Pitchers  —  If you're not a stathead, fantasy geek, or a baseball nerd, then you might want to skip ahead to the rankings of pitchers in the middle and at the bottom of this article.  Or you just may want to skip this article altogether and check out Deadspin …

The color of clutch  —  I hope this is the last time I need to write an article devoted to clutch hitting.  —  The data  —  There have been many attempts to find evidence of clutch hitting.  All of these attempts focus on the same basic principle: compare a player's performance …

Bowden May Wind Up Paying Again  —  The bucks stop on Jim Bowden's desk.  All 1.4 million of them.  —  When that bill comes due, will the Nationals' general manager pay with his job?  —  For the moment, Bowden appears to have been the primary sucker in one of the most embarrassing scams ever used to defraud a baseball team.

Moneyball II: Statistics Driving Marketing for MLB's Indians  —  Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) — The Cleveland Indians may have found their most valuable statistics this season are coming from the ticket office rather than the playing field.  —  Using statistical analysis of ticket purchases …

Milledge gives Dunn No. 44, changes to No. 85  —  VIERA, Fla. (AP) — There's a new Ocho Cinco in pro sports: Washington Nationals outfielder Lastings Milledge is switching to No. 85 after relinquishing his career-long No. 44 to new teammate Adam Dunn.  —  Milledge, who wore No. 44 with the Mets …

Willie Mays, Hank Aaron told Ken Griffey Jr. to think legacy … Ken Griffey Jr. will join Willie Mays and Hank Aaron in the Hall of Fame one day.  On Wednesday, the two baseball icons and Griffey's 13-year-old daughter played pivotal roles in helping him decide where he would be making the final stop in his illustrious career.