Ivan Rodriguez agrees to one-year, $1.5 million contract with Houston Astros  —  Catcher Ivan Rodriguez has agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Houston Astros.  —  The deal is contingent on Rodriguez taking a physical, the catcher said in an interview Monday on ESPN …

Hamels speaks  —  Breaking news from Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.:  —  Cole Hamels will leave Clearwater tonight for the Philadelphia area to have his left elbow examined tomorrow by team doctor Michael Ciccotti.  Amaro said that Hamels' had complained of “a little bit of a persistent soreness” in the elbow.

Team USA eliminates punchless Dutch 9-3  —  MIAMI GARDENS - The Dutch were prepared to go out with a fight — literally.  —  Trailing the United States 8-1 in the top of eighth of Sunday's World Baseball Classic elimination game, the Netherlands got its first homer of the tournament.

Minor injuries for New York Yankees' Robinson Cano and Damaso Marte  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano and reliever Damaso Marte underwent magnetic resonance imaging exams on their injured throwing shoulders on Monday.  The exam showed Cano has bursitis in his right shoulder …

Some Thoughts On (And From) Lastings Milledge  —  You can read the paper version of my Milledge-Dukes story here.  The DMTP stuff on this one — especially w/r/t to Milledge — is expansive, so maybe that's a timely fit for all the Milledge-related debate we've seen here in the last day(s).

New York Mets name Julio Franco minor-league manager  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Julio Franco is back with the Mets.  —  Except this time, he isn't trying to extend his playing career.  He's starting a new one.  —  The team named Franco manager of the rookie-league Gulf Coast Mets on Monday …

ROTATION CLOSE AS FIVE YANKS-KETEERS  —  TAMPA - Andy Pettitte warmed up early yesterday afternoon and - as has been the case all spring when the Yankees are at home - he was not alone.  —  On a suggestion from A.J. Burnett before a Feb. 28 game at Steinbrenner Field, the members …

Yanks get new loan for ballpark  —  The New York Yankees earlier this month borrowed $105 million from a group of banks led by Goldman Sachs to cover final cost overruns at the new Yankee Stadium, sources said.  —  The loan brings the total debt on the stadium, which opens next month, to more than $1.3 billion.

Cook makes most of rare luxury  —  Tucson - Aaron Cook can afford luxury.  —  Not because he's the Rockies' No. 1 pitcher and is playing under a $34 million contract.  —  Rather, it's because he's talented enough, confident enough and secure enough in his position to afford experimentation.

Marlins return Kroenke to Yankees  —  The Marlins did not strike Rule 5 gold again as they opted to return left-hander Zach Kroenke to the Yankees this morning.  —  Kroenke totaled one inning over two Grapefruit League appearances, including one disastrous outing in which he failed to retire any of the seven batters he faced.

Minor League Transactions  —  This installment: March 8-13  —  We're a week or two away from the annual spring purging, where players are released left and right, but this edition of transactions at least brings news of minor league assignments for a handful of top-shelf prospects …

Roy Halladay surrenders 3 homers in Blue Jays loss  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. — Toronto Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston is so used to watching Roy Halladay pitch well that Monday's rocky start by the right-hander surprised him.  —  Halladay gave up three homers in Toronto's 6-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox …