Alex Rodriguez May Miss W.B.C. With Injury  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Alex Rodriguez has an injured hip and may not play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, according to a person in baseball who has spoken to Rodriguez.  —  Rodriguez is expected to fly to Colorado on Wednesday …

Source: Manny, Dodgers agree  —  ORLANDO, Florida — Manny Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers finally reached common ground in their negotiations, according to a source close to the talks.  —  Ramirez  —  After multiple failed attempts, Ramirez and the Dodgers agreed to a two-year, $45 million deal on Tuesday.

Straw: ‘Hell yeah,’ I would've used 'roids  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Darryl Strawberry would have taken steroids had they been widely available in the 1980s, the former Mets great said Tuesday.  —  “Hell, yeah, I would have used it.  Are you kidding me?”  Strawberry said in Mets camp, as he kicked off a week as a guest instructor.

No Santana for Opening Day  —  The Mets finally came to terms this afternoon with the reality that Johan Santana is not going to be their Opening Day starter for April 6 in Cincinnati.  —  Santana will have another bullpen session tomorrow morning, but the delay caused by the tightness …

Spring Game 7: Team USA at Yankees  —  YANKEES  —  Pitching: Phil Hughes followed by Coke, Dunn, Veras, Hacker, Robertson, Texeira  —  TEAM USA  —  Pitching: Roy Oswalt followed by Jon Broxton, Matt Lindstrom, Brad Ziegler, Matt Thornton and LaTroy Hawkins.  —  Notes: The game will be on YES.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Brad Penny scratched from start; J.D. Drew has injection in lower back  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Boston Red Sox pitcher Brad Penny was scratched from his first scheduled spring training start because of shoulder weakness, and right fielder J.D. Drew went to Boston for an injection in his lower back.

Agent: Phillies made offer to Ohman  —  The Phillies made an offer to free agent lefty reliever Will Ohman, and are engaged in ongoing negotiations with the pitcher, Ohman's agent tells the Inquirer.  —  We reported last month that Ohman and the Phillies had communicated …

YANKS SIGN KENNEDY AND ALBALADEJO  —  The Yankees completed the signing of their 40-man roster players by coming to terms with Jonathan Albaladejo ($220,000 in the minors/$403,075 in the majors); Francisco Cervelli ($65,000/$400,700); Wilkin De La Rosa ($23,500/$400,000); Michael Dunn …

Some young bloggers need a little seasoning  —  Was Evan Longoria's rookie season the best ever by a third baseman?  Over at DRaysBay, R.J. Anderson says yes, it was ...  Well, it's not true: Longoria's rookie season was quite probably not the best ever.  One problem that no one's solved yet …

Garciaparra announcement to come Friday  —  A source close to Nomar Garciaparra tells me that the A's have already agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the veteran infielder and that the team will announce the signing on Friday.  —  Garciaparra had been weighing retirement vs. the A's offer …

Miller Park to host Midwest League game on April 24  —  Tickets on sale tomorrow as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers square off versus the Peoria Chiefs in the “Border Battle”  —  MILWAUKEE, WI - On Friday, April 24, Miller Park will host the “Border Battle,” which will feature …

Odalis Perez: On holding out, getting fired and his future  —  In what might be a bigger exclusive than the raccoon chase at Rays camp, free-agent left-hander Odalis Perez told Big League Stew on Tuesday that “nine or 10 teams” are interested in him and he expects to sign “soon” with another major league squad.

Royals re-sign three players  —  All players on 40-man roster under contract after signings  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — All of the Royals' players on the 40-man roster are under contract for 2009 after first baseman Billy Butler and outfielder Mitch Maier agreed to terms and the club renewed shortstop Mike Aviles' contract.