Gardner wins Yanks' center-field job  —  Speedster beats out Cabrera in Spring Training competition  —  TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees have officially announced that Brett Gardner has won a starting job to open the 2009 season, likely making him the first player to patrol center field at the new Yankee Stadium.

Newhan released by Astros  —  Veteran irked by exclusion from backup-infielder competition  —  KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Astros trimmed two players from their roster Sunday morning when they released infielder David Newhan and reassigned Chad Paronto to Minor League camp.

Projected No. 1 pick Strasburg's $50 million figure and much more … That $50 million figure that's being attached to ballyhooed college pitching prospect Stephen Strasburg is no joke.  Baseball people who have spoken to Strasburg's adviser Scott Boras say they believe that's the figure Boras …

Ten things for Monday  —  Ten things for a Monday morning:  —  1. The Cubs' Kevin Gregg/Carlos Marmol closer situation is not set in stone.  “I think it's the right way to start the season and take some pressure off Marmol,” Lou Piniella said Sunday.  “We'll see how it evolves.”

Reliever Will Ohman tries out for specialist role  —  Veteran is offered a contract, believed to be for $1 million for one season, to be the Dodgers' situational left-hander but the team is still awaiting a decision.  —  Reporting from Phoenix — The Dodgers remain active on the free-agent market …

A.J. believes in Jeter's pitch  —  TAMPA - A.J. Burnett wasn't a member of the 2008 Yankees, yet he may have played as big a role as anybody in the Bombers' streak of 13 straight years in the postseason coming to an end.  —  Burnett went 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA in five starts against the Yankees …

Seaver & Piazza to return … Best Of NYDN.com

Faith in the skipper: Royals manager Trey Hillman talks about his religion  —  The boss walks in with a steaming hot cup of coffee and the biggest Bible around.  The pages are worn at the edges.  A leather bookmark keeps his favorite verse handy.  —  Sunday morning.  It's early still, and cold in this tent.

Top 10 Ugliest Uniforms of the 1970s  —  If you did not live through the 1970s, you can be forgiven for thinking that the time period never really existed.  In retrospect, things that happened then do not really sound very plausible now.  But I can assure you that Pet Rocks were big …

Giles Released; Mayberry and Carrasco Optioned  —  The Phillies made a few roster moves this morning:  — Marcus Giles has been released.  — John Mayberry Jr. and Carlos Carrasco have been optioned to Minor League camp.  — Mike Koplove, Jason Ellison and Pablo Ozuna have been told …

Wilkerson leaves team  —  Red Sox manager Terry Francona confirmed to reporters this morning that outfielder Brad Wilkerson has left the Red Sox.  He doesn't figure to be in the major league team's plans heading into the regular season.  —  Wilkerson, who had signed a minor-league deal …

Rule 5: More competition for Corona (updated)  —  I'll update this post later if Reegie Corona (right) plays in the Mariners game.  For now, there are two bits of Rule 5 news.  —  First, Ivan Nova has cleared waivers and been given back to the Yankees, who have assigned him to Double-A Trenton.