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.

Several Yanks pick camp over Classic  —  Pitchers Ramirez, Veras latest to decline participation in tournament  —  TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees have nine members of their 40-man roster listed as provisional participants for the World Baseball Classic, but numerous players are deciding to remain in camp instead and compete for jobs.

Assets of two New York Yankees frozen in financial fallout  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees outfielders Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady are among the investors whose accounts were caught in a freeze by the government of a company affiliated with Robert Allen Stanford.

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.

Rays sign Isringhausen to minor-league deal  —  The Rays have signed former All-Star closer Jason Isringhausen to a minor-league deal.  —  Isringhausen, 36, was with St. Louis last season, but did not pitch after Aug. 16 and had surgery Sept. 12 to repair a torn flexor tendon …

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 …

Minnesota Twins' Jason Jones content with anti-Yankees  —  Lifelong N.Y. hopeful likes Twins now  —  This text is replaced by the Flash movie.  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — When Jason Jones' brother called him in December with the news that he had been drafted moments earlier by the Twins …

Brian Roberts signs $40M extension with Baltimore Orioles  —  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Brian Roberts has signed a $40 million, four-year extension so he won't have to worry about being traded anytime soon, nor will money be an issue in the foreseable future.  —  The Baltimore Orioles second baseman signed the extension Friday.

Rangers to sign right-hander Benson  —  Minor League deal with spring invite likely done this weekend  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Rangers are expected to sign pitcher Kris Benson to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training, possibly this weekend.

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 …

A's halt plans for ballpark village in Fremont  —  (02-20) 11:50 PST Fremont — Oakland Athletics officials today asked the City of Fremont to halt the planning process required to build a new stadium and move the team there, saying they want to reconsider their options.