Top News:
Todd Zolecki / MLB.com:
Phillies release Jenkins; eye Sheff? — With less than a week until Opening Day, the Phillies released veteran outfielder Geoff Jenkins on Tuesday. — The left-handed-hitting Jenkins hit .250 in 11 Grapefruit League games, with one homer and five RBIs. Last season, his lone campaign …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Drunk Jays Fans, Beck's Blog, Ken Davidoff's baseball …, Walkoff Walk and 24 Hours From Suicide
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MLB:
Gary Sheffield released by Detroit Tigers — DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers have released nine-time All-Star Gary Sheffield, who is one home run away from 500 for his career. — Detroit parted ways with the designated hitter Tuesday after a disappointing stay with the Tigers.
Discussion:
Bucs Trade Winds, bronxbanterblog.com, Sliding Into Home, Yahoo! Sports and High and Tight
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Tigers release Sheffield — Longtime slugger let go by Detroit with 499 career home runs — LAKELAND, Fla. — Gary Sheffield's milestone 500th career home run will have to come with a different team. The Tigers released the longtime slugger on Tuesday, a surprising roster move …
Discussion:
CastroTurf, Bless You Boys, MVN, ESPN, Beyond the Box Score, Trumbull and Michigan and TigerBlog
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Tigers release Sheffield — Longtime slugger let go by Detroit with 499 career home runs — LAKELAND, Fla. — Gary Sheffield didn't make the team. — Not since his Major League career began, in 1988, has he had to ponder that. But given his unparalleled ability to make news over his career …
Scott Warheit / Cutoff Man:Analysis: Could trade for Josh Anderson mean Gary Sheffield's on thin ice?
Discussion:
Bless You Boys
Todd Zolecki / The Zo Zone:
Phillies Release Jenkins — Just got word that the Phillies have released outfielder Geoff Jenkins. — Does this mean Gary Sheffield is on his way? — Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said he would talk later. — Reporters just met with Jenkins. Here is some of what he said:
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Todd Zolecki / The Zo Zone:
Park Wins Fifth Job, Phils Contact Sheffield — Ruben Amaro Jr. announced that Chan Ho Park beat J.A. Happ for the fifth starter's job. Happ's fate with the team has not been decided, although Amaro said Happ, Gary Majewski, Jack Taschner and Bobby Mosebach are comepting for two bullpen jobs.
Discussion:
Cutoff Man, FanGraphs Baseball, Philliesflow.com, The Good Phight, MLB FanHouse and MLB.com
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Tigers Release Gary Sheffield; Phils Interested — 5:12pm: Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer learned from a team source that the chances of the Phillies signing Sheffield are “very slim.” Martino did learn from Sheffield's agent Rufus Williams that a part-time role is not off the table for his client.
Discussion:
Philly.com, The Zo Zone, Bluebird Banter, The Heater, The Globe and Mail, The Yankee Universe, Rays Index and Hot Foot
Scott Lauber / Phillies:PARK TAKES THE FIFTH; SHEFFIELD CONTACTED
Discussion:
Balls, Sticks, & Stuff
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Spring Game 34: Yankees at Reds (now updated with roster moves) — YANKEES — Pitching today: Joba Chamberlain. — REDS — Tavares CF — Dickerson LF — Votto 1B — Phillips 2B — Bruce RF — Hernandez C — Encarnacion 3B — Janish SS — Owings RHP
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Tyler Kepner / Bats:
Yankees Complete Pitching Staff — SARASOTA, Fla. — There were somber players packing equipment bags in the clubhouse in Tampa this morning, which, in late March, means only one thing: cuts. — In this case, the Yankees cut all of their long-relief candidates and told Jonathan Albaladejo that he had made the team.
Jeremy Olshan / New York Post:
TRUE BREW FANS — BLEACHERS ARE AGAIN BEER-ABLE — The raucous fans who populate Yankee Stadium's bleachers should return to form this season, now that the team has lifted its nine-year prohibition on performance-enhancing suds. — Beer was banned in Section 39 at the old Stadium in 2000 …
Adam Kilgore / Boston Globe:
Signs point to Green, Carter — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Barring any unforeseen developments, it appears infielder Nick Green and first baseman/outfielder Chris Carter have secured the final two spots on the Red Sox' 25-man roster. — Club officials told Green and Carter that their chances …
Discussion:
SOX & Dawgs
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Dick Kaegel / MLB.com:
Royals option Hochevar to Triple-A — Ponson, Bannister, Ramirez in mix for final rotation slots — SURPRISE, Ariz. — Right-hander Luke Hochevar, one of the prime candidates for the last two spots in the Royals' rotation, was optioned on Tuesday to Triple-A Omaha.
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
How Citi Field will play still in question — Players need to adapt to differences between new home and Shea — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Nick Evans will tell you it was a fluke. He's just being modest. Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, for one, thought differently …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
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Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Garland happy, but questions offer — TUCSON - As a free agent this winter, Jon Garland said he always had the Diamondbacks, and the National League West, in mind. He just didn't expect his off-season to transpire the way it did. — Not that Garland is complaining.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Adam Kilgore / Boston Globe:
An Opening Day preview? — The Red Sox are getting ready to face the Tampa Bay Rays, the team they'll face next Monday in Game 1, but the above title refers as much to today's lineup as the opponent. This is probably the lineup the Red Sox will go with to start the year, starter Clay Buchholz aside.
George A. King III / New York Post:
LACK OF VELOCITY STILL JOBA ISSUE — DUNEDIN, Fla. — You were seduced by Joba Chamberlain's 100 mph fastball when he introduced himself in 2007 as the premier set-up man in baseball. — The Yankees right-hander blew away the best hitters in the majors, and made them look ill against a slider with fangs.
Adam Kilgore / Boston Globe:
Final: Red Sox 8, Rays 7 — SOX WIN (3:52, END 9, 8-7 SOX) — Ramon Ramirez gave up a one-out single up the middle to Jon Weber and a walk to Zobrist, making the victory precarious, especially after an Adam Kennedy sacrifice fly put the tying run 90 feet from home.
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Andrew Baggarly / Extra Baggs:
Bochy more or less sets Giants roster — We just chatted with Bruce Bochy and through his comments, along with some divining, we basically have the Giants' 25-man roster. Here it is: — Starting pitchers (5): Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Randy Johnson, Barry Zito, Jonathan Sanchez
