Jeter is a beacon for the entire WBC  —  Buzz up!  —  LOS ANGELES - Whether you like the WBC or haven't given it any thought at all, whether you view it as the intergalactic baseball championship or little more than puffed-up batting practice, any standing it does have in this country is a reflection of Derek Jeter.

Hughes among six Yankees cuts  —  Veterans Johnson and Mitre re-assigned to Minor League camp  —  TAMPA, Fla. — With spring innings now at a premium, the Yankees dispatched six right-handed pitchers to Minor League camp on Saturday morning.  —  Anthony Claggett, Phil Hughes and Steven Jackson …

Jays' rotation door wide open  —  Eight pitches into yesterday's exhibition start against the Rays, Jays rookie left-hander Brad Mills had allowed two runs on a walk followed by a homer by left-handed hitting Carl Crawford.  —  Big picture, it seems the Jays have a wide-open race for the final …

Stephen Strasburg Price Tag  —  By Ben Nicholson-Smith [March 21 at 12:35pm CST]  —  ESPN.com's Peter Gammons heard from some club officials that top amateur pitcher Stephen Strasburg and his agent, Scott Boras, could demand $50MM over six years if he's selected first overall by the Nationals in the June draft.

Drew's hand, Youkilis's foot  —  Kevin Youkilis took batting practice wearing sneakers, sans plastic boot on his left foot, while J.D. Drew did not participate with the Red Sox during their morning workout.  Youkilis is hopeful he'll play in a game Monday, while Drew was unsure of how long …

Second-Day Candidates  —  LOS ANGELES—Understandably, the majority of attention and publicity for the draft is focused on the top prospects.  In Southern California in 2009, that list would include Stephen Strasburg, Grant Green, Tyler Matzek and Tyler Skaggs, to name a select few.

Padres Looking For Relievers  —  By Ben Nicholson-Smith [March 21 at 10:17am CST]  —  According to ESPN.com's Buster Olney the Padres are aggressively looking for relief help.  They could fill as many as four bullpen spots with pitchers they pick up through trades or waivers.

A mound of questions  —  Readers wonder what the Sox rotation will look like if everyone's healthy  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — It's almost six weeks into spring training, and already one member of the Red Sox has had surgery, pitchers are headed toward five innings at a clip, and my bracket is shredded beyond recognition.

3-Dot Lounge  —  (03-20) 17:16 PDT — A few years ago, one of baseball's most respected trainers told me a story about steroids.  Picture any bullpen, he said, around the turn of the century.  Four guys had turned into supermen, fresh and ready each night, throwing harder than ever before.

Jeter's Big Hit: A 30,000 Square Foot House On Davis Islands  —  New York Yankees slugger Derek Jeter is building a behemoth of a mansion just a stone's throw from downtown Tampa.  —  Once completed, the seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom house on Davis Islands will be 30,875 square feet, according to Hillsborough County public records.

Game recap: Mets 4, Orioles 0  —  Down and out  —  The Orioles had eight hits, but were shut out for the second time this spring and have now dropped four straight Grapefruit League games.  They had their chances today, particularly in the final two innings.

Angels' Lackey seeking extension  —  Ace prepared to test free agency if deal not reached  —  TEMPE, Ariz. — After his most recent outing on Tuesday in Peoria, Ariz., against the Padres, John Lackey said his camp was waiting to hear back from the Angels on a proposal submitted to management for a contract extension.