D-backs GM confirms interest in Willis  —  Byrnes in discussions with Tigers about trade for lefty  —  LOS ANGELES — Dontrelle Willis bought a house in the Phoenix area.  Whether the lefty will live in it this summer could become known in the next 24 hours.

Strasburg to debut vs. Pirates on June 8  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals have decided that right-hander Stephen Strasburg will make his Major League debut on June 8 against Pirates — provided that a rainout or injury doesn't stand in the way, according to general manager Mike Rizzo.

Perez Gets Call, but by Then All Was Said and Done  —  SAN DIEGO — If there was any question about what situation would force Jerry Manuel to hand the ball to Oliver Perez, the Mets provided the scenario Monday night.  —  Perez's recent failures and Manuel's loss of faith …

Kalish promoted to Triple-A  —  Ryan Kalish got hot and is now out of Portland.  Kalish, 22, a left-handed outfielder, was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket after Monday's game at Hadlock Field.  —  Kalish was 2-for-4 with a double and three runs.  He not only went 9-for-13 in the past three games …

Objective knowledge  —  Tommy Bennett has a thought-provoking piece today at Baseball Prospectus on the nature of baseball analysis.  It's a fascinating article that has me thinking. … I'm not sure he has the second theorem stated quite correctly.  “The Book says: For all practical purposes …

Dodgers down D'backs thanks to 9th-inning balk  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — A blunder on the basepaths nearly cost the Los Angeles Dodgers .  But they got lucky with an even bigger mistake by the Arizona Diamondbacks .  —  A balk by Esmerling Vasquez allowed Casey Blake to score the winning run …

Pirates Notebook: Walker takes Iwamura's place  —  Neil Walker is the Pirates' new second baseman, and Aki Iwamura is on the bench.  —  That was the word Monday morning from manager John Russell, who informed both players that Walker would be getting “the majority of playing time” …

Enough is Enough  —  This Oliver Perez stuff has gone far enough.  His behavior towards his employers and his teammates has morphed from desultory to criminal.  He is stealing money, not because of his poor performance, but because he continues to refuse the Mets' request to go down to the minor leagues …

Blue Jays edge Rays  —  Among all the talented young pitching the Toronto Blue Jays have, no one has an arm as electric as Brandon Morrow.  —  The 6-3 right-hander has the stuff to overpower and dominate, which is exactly what he did Monday night in a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

When will The Conversation begin?  —  Is a position switch in the cards — or next contract — for Derek Jeter?  —  ESPNNewYork.com  —  The Conversation is almost inevitable.  The Yankees will ask Derek Jeter his thoughts about changing positions.  It really isn't a question …

Roaming the grasses  —  Mr. and Mrs. Smith  —  Last year I tooted Seth Smith's horn often and while he finished with solid numbers—15 homers and a .293 average in just 387 PAs—his inconsistent performance and playing time made him somewhat of a pain to own.

Rangers plan to put Holland on DL  —  Mild case of inflamation diagnosed in left rotator cuff  —  CHICAGO — The Rangers are planning to put pitcher Derek Holland on the disabled list Tuesday because of a mild case of inflammation in the rotator cuff in his left shoulder, assistant general manager Thad Levine said.

A-Rod's grand slam, Pettitte help Yankees rout Indians  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Rodriguez (FSY) hit his second grand slam of the season and Andy Pettitte (FSY) was nearly unhittable again in the daytime, helping the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 11-2 Monday.