Washington Nationals to fire special assistant Jose Rijo in wake of prospect age scandal  —  The Washington Nationals have decided to fire special assistant Jose Rijo and will shut down the team's academy in the Dominican Republic as part of a restructuring of the team's operations in Latin America …

Mr. October gives A-Rod a sitdown  —  Yankees legend lends advice to oft-discussed slugger  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. — There's nothing like a stern lecture from Mr. October to help a troubled friend focus on the priorities of life and career when enormous distractions are closing in and his reputation is crumbling.

Dodgers make two-year offer to Manny Ramirez  —  The deal calls for $25 million this season and $20 million for the next — providing the slugger chooses to exercise the second-year option.  —  Reporting from Mesa, Ariz. — The Dodgers have made another offer to Manny Ramirez …

On Day 1, Mets, Ryan Church and Luis Castillo Ace Exams  —  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — One by one, the balls landed on the outfield grass, guided from the Mets' bats to the opposite field by some sort of otherworldly force.  No other explanation could suffice for Jerry Manuel …

In '09 debut, Beckett ‘free and easy’  —  Veteran righty, Francona pleased with first spring appearance  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Unlike the last time he took the mound in a game for the Red Sox, Josh Beckett didn't need anti-inflammatories just to make it bearable.

Gardner and Swisher Stand Out In Yanks' Win  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. — Brett Gardner's son, Hunter, was born last November and attended his first baseball game on Wednesday with his mom.  It's probably a good thing he doesn't understand what he's watching yet, because his father stepped out of character with his first swing of the season.

Yankees lower partial-view seat price to $5  —  The price of watching a fraction of Yankees games dropped to a fraction of its original cost yesterday, with obstructed-view bleacher seats abruptly falling from $12 per game to $5.  —  Lonn Trost, the team's chief operating officer, made the announcement during an interview on WFAN.

Ozzie Guillen comes alive as manager of Chicago White Sox  —  TEMPE, Ariz. — As sure as the sun rises in the east and Ozzie Guillen rises in a talkative mood, it will happen.  —  At some point this season, Guillen will talk about retiring, going home to Miami and living the good life.

Angels' John Lackey heads impressive list of potential free agents  —  Unheralded Angels ace fronts deep group of walk-year players to watch  —  An under-the-radar ace on a talented, deep team, John Lackey somehow has avoided attention throughout a remarkable big-league career.

Free-agent update: Beimel ‘offering flexibility’  —  Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005.  He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX.  —  add this

McCarver Awarded $100K in Morgan Keegan Claim  —  Memphis native and sports broadcaster Tim McCarver has been awarded $100,000 in compensatory damages as a result of the arbitration claim he filed over losses from Morgan Keegan & Co. mutual fund investments.