Valentin among seven cut by Mets  —  Veteran second baseman hopes to catch on with another team  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The composition of the Mets' Opening Day roster came into somewhat sharper focus Friday night, when the club removed seven players from its Spring Training roster.

Tie game, decisions  —  It's tied 1-1 after three innings.  Derek Jeter led off the game with a double and went on to score on a Mark Teixeira single.  CC Sabathia has allowed one run on four hits, with three strikeouts.  —  Joe Girardi said before the game that he wants to have the centerfield job settled by Sunday or Monday.

Marlins acquire Paulino from Giants  —  Giants to get right-handed pitcher Hector Correa  —  JUPITER, FL — The Florida Marlins have acquired catcher Ronny Paulino from the Giants in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Hector Correa.  The announcement was made by Marlins President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest.

Duchscherer to start season on DL  —  Projected Opening Day starter will have surgery, miss at least six weeks  —  PHOENIX — A's right-hander Justin Duchscherer, a 2008 All-Star and Oakland's projected Opening Day starter when Spring Training opened last month, is headed for surgery …

Tabata addresses wife's charges  —  Bucs prospect believed 2-month-old girl was his daughter  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — Under his own insistence, Pirates prospect Jose Tabata wrote and delivered a statement on Friday concerning the kidnapping charges his wife, Amalia Tabata Pereira …

Melhuse informed he won't make team  —  Rangers decide to go with youth tandem as veteran ponders options  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Adam Melhuse is hitting .632 for the spring.  He is 12-for-19, giving him the highest batting average anywhere in Spring Training for a player with a minimum of 15 at-bats.

Always, the Crack of the Bat  —  HANGING on my office wall is a baseball photograph taken in 1926.  I bought it from an antiques dealer many years ago because I had never seen a picture that so perfectly distills the essence of the game; it almost looks staged.

Mets' Castillo: I'm a different guy this season  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Luis Castillo hates thinking about the injury-plagued, beaten-down player he became last season.  Despises it.  Loathes it.  Take your pick.  —  Heck, even the mere mention of the phrase “last year” makes him cringe.

Orioles' Montanez, Trembley clicking better this time around  —  Prospect's lack of maturity irked manager when they were both at Single-A  —  JUPITER, Fla. - Dave Trembley was a no-nonsense minorleague manager who preached respect and responsibility and tolerated nothing less.

BREAKING THE GENDER BARRIER  —  A woman pitched for a Japanese professional team today, Friday. … I've thought for a while that the path for women to professional baseball would be through the knuckleball.  Glad to see that happened in Japan.

Organizational Rankings: #1  —  And we reach the end - the healthiest organization in baseball.  —  Rankings So Far  —  #30: Washington Nationals  —  #29: Florida Marlins  —  #28: Houston Astros  —  #27: Kansas City Royals  —  #26: Pittsburgh Pirates  —  #25: San Diego Padres

New York Mets' Johan Santana ‘ready to go’ on Opening Day after throwing seven innings Friday in 4-1 victory over Nationals … PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — It has been only a month since Johan Santana was sidelined by elbow soreness, sparking widespread concern about his status for Opening Day.