Murphy nails down No. 2 spot in lineup  —  Hernandez officially the fifth starter; Takahashi signs Minor deal  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Less than four days after he said he felt inclined to use Luis Castillo as his No. 2 hitter, manager Jerry Manuel said on Monday night that Daniel Murphy …

Ollie sharp, helps calm Mets' fears  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Oliver Perez can exhale.  So can Jerry Manuel.  —  After a rocky showing in the World Baseball Classic, then a subpar outing last week against the Tigers, Perez looked far more like the pitcher the Mets signed to a three-year …

Chipper close to contract extension  —  Deal would likely allow veteran to finish career with Braves  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — It appears Chipper Jones may get his wish to remain with the Braves throughout his entire career.  —  A Major League source has indicated that Jones and the Braves …

NL CENTRAL PREVIEW  —  The division preview series continues with the big one, the six team National League Central.  I'm rating the core of the team, the eight position players, five starters and closer by value wins or WAR.  —  Chicago Cubs  — Position player WAR: 28.0  — Starters WAR: 15.7

Q.& A.: Mets Bloggers Assess the Coming Season  —  As opening day draws near, The Times will be previewing the Yankees' and Mets' coming seasons from all angles, with analysis from Tyler Kepner, Ben Shpigel, Jack Curry and many others.  But with so much happening this off-season there are a lot of opinions to go around.

Nick Green, Chris Carter make the cut for Sox  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Nick Green and Chris Carter have been told that they have made the Red Sox [team stats] Opening Day roster, with the understanding that things could change if the Sox make a last minute deal or waiver claim.

Baseball's hype machine cranks out another 'can't miss' prospect  —  Matt Wieters' college teammates called him “God,” and not just once or twice.  Somewhere along the line, it became Wieters' nickname.  The way some guys become “Slim” or “Big John” or go by their initials, Wieters went by “God.”

Spring training: McCutchen's demotion has asterisk  —  Pirates can delay free agency by keeping top prospect in minors for stint  —  Left: Andrew McCutchen — 22, hit .318 with two HRs, seven RBIs and two steals this spring.  Right: Brian Bixler — 26, batted .345 with three RBIs and three steals this spring

A big night for The YES Network  —  The YES Network can be mystifying.  Why, for instance, will only two of the 12 Yankees games from March 20 to April 1 televised?  That's just when spring training gets interesting.  And why do they need so many announcers?  Why is Kim Jones not used during the game to report news?

McJaygate: Day 31  —  Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler learned Feb. 28 he was discussed in a three-team trade proposal that would have sent him to Tampa Bay and Matt Cassel to Denver.  The deal didn't happen, but Cutler has since been on the outs with the man who considered trading him, new coach Josh McDaniels.

Lasorda defends former Dodgers catcher Piazza on steroid allegations in new book  —  It's going to take more than accusations from former players to make Tommy Lasorda doubt Mike Piazza.  —  Piazza, a former Dodgers catcher, was one of a handful of players singled out as a steroid user …

Mariners bat Ichiro third as experiment  —  Regular leadoff man dropped in lineup for one-game test  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — The large lineup card posted on one of the double doors leading into the clubhouse caused some double-takes on Monday morning.  —  Batting third for the Mariners …

Astros load up truck for trip to Texas  —  After seven weeks in Florida, club preparing to head home  —  KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Astros played on the road Monday afternoon, but there was plenty of hustle and bustle at the home complex in the morning as the support staff prepared for its long-awaited journey home.

Welcome to the new Moneyball  —  Less talk about the economy and more about the money players of 2009  —  First off, let's all agree on one thing: Money is an excellent invention.  And we're all in favor of accumulating as much of it as possible.  —  But now let's agree on something else …

Dodgers sign reliever Ohman  —  One-year deal for left-hander includes an April 14 opt-out clause  —  PHOENIX — The Dodgers signed free-agent left-handed reliever Will Ohman to a one-year Minor League contract plus a one-year option, the club announced Monday.

Joe Angel on Sunday's ‘rainout’  —  Orioles radio voice Joe Angel e-mailed the following message about Sunday's broadcast, which was ended during a rain delay and didn't return when the game resumed:  —  To ALL Orioles Fans.....Fred And I had nothing to do with the decision to

Philadelphia Phillies officially rule out Cole Hamels for opener  —  Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee said Monday afternoon that Cole Hamels was officially out of the running for an opening-night start this Sunday against the Braves.  Instead, he'll pitch in an exhibition game Saturday against Tampa Bay in Philadelphia.