The return of Pedro?  —  Saying he would be a “bargain,” Pedro Martinez talked today about pitching this year, how great he is feeling and also detailed his winter chat with GM Omar Minaya in the Dominican Republic.  —  Martinez said he would not be inclined to take a low-base, high-incentive contract.

Masterson should be ready to start if Penny can't  —  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — With the news that Brad Penny had to cut his last side session short due to his inability to get loose, the Red Sox' plan to stretch Justin Masterson out this spring may prove crucial.

Rodriguez Manages to Make Himself Conspicuous  —  JUPITER, Fla. — When Alex Rodriguez first appeared in his white, red and blue Dominican Republic uniform Monday, it was naturally a photo opportunity.  As he strolled toward the field, he was trailed by a few dozen reporters, cameramen and photographers.

Concerns about Castro put Pudge on radar  —  JUPITER, Fla. - The Mets were unsuccessful in their attempts to shop Ramon Castro this offseason, but they still remain very interested in Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, according to a person familiar with the team's thinking.

Lou Piniella outraged by ESPN analyst's criticism  —  MESA, Ariz. — ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips might want to steer clear of Lou Piniella when the Cubs play Milwaukee on an April 12 ESPN telecast.  —  Piniella was fuming over a remark Phillips made recently on Chet Coppock's WMVP-AM 1000 radio show.

The Worst Contracts In Baseball  —  For this exercise I only considered current contracts (so Mike Hampton's eight-year, $121MM deal is out).  Also, there are some lousy deals that were worth less than $15MM total that I chose to leave out. 2006 was a black hole for free agent contracts.

Sources: Oakland Athletics, shortstop Orlando Cabrera agree to deal  —  Free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera has agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with the Oakland Athletics, who also are closing in on a deal with veteran infielder Nomar Garciaparra, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney on Monday.

Spring Game 7: Team USA at Yankees  —  YANKEES  —  Pitching: Phil Hughes followed by Coke, Dunn, Veras, Hacker, Robertson, Texeira  —  TEAM USA  —  Notes: The game will be on YES.  First pitch is set for 1:15 p.m. ... Team USA has been in flux.  Joe Nathan, Brian Fuentes and B.J. Ryan bailed …

Ducksnorts 2009 Baseball Annual Now Available!  —  The moment you've been waiting for has arrived.  No, Yvonne Strahovski isn't coming over for dinner; I'm talking about the Ducksnorts 2009 Baseball Annual.  —  I may be biased, but I think this is the best Annual yet.

Mets hope small ball pays off big  —  Manuel looking to incorporate ‘more Lemke, less McGwire’  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Among the defeats the Mets endured during their September slide last season was one that particularly distressed their manager, because he was certain that it could have been averted …

Bonds' agent again shops for a contract to play in 2009  —  PHOENIX — Barry Bonds, whose federal perjury and obstruction-of-justice trial has been indefinitely delayed, gave permission Monday for his agent to solicit interest from major league teams in hopes of resuming his career.

Errors Cast Doubt on a Baseball Memoir  —  Matt McCarthy, a graduate of Yale and of Harvard Medical School now working as an intern in the residency program at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital in New York, has gained national attention in recent weeks for “Odd Man Out,” …

New Yankee Stadium Construction Photo Update- 2/2/09  —  Here are some of the latest photos (about 150 Photos. haha) taken at the new ballpark.  Every time I see new pictures of the ballpark..it looks like its getting better and better.  I want to thank topkidnum1, Clarissa Rivera …

Wang feels fine after two innings  —  Here's what matters today: Chien-Ming Wang pitched two innings and his right foot felt fine.  Everything else is window dressing.  —  The Yankees led 5-2 when the starters came out.  The game finished in a 5-5 tie.  George Kontos allowed three runs and there was some sloppy defense.

Davies impressive in second outing  —  Potential starter allows one hit over three scoreless innings  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Kyle Davies took another big step toward securing a spot in the Royals' starting rotation with three scoreless innings Monday.  —  Davies gave up only one single …