Sources: Cards' Duncan taking leave  —  Dave Duncan, one of the game's most respected pitching coaches, is taking a leave of absence from the St. Louis Cardinals, general manager John Mozeliak said Thursday night.  —  Duncan, 66, is leaving the team so he can be with his wife, Jeanine …

Nats GM Mike Rizzo says nothing has changed with regard to Prince Fielder  —  The Washington Nationals and Prince Fielder.  Prince Fielder and the Washington Nationals.  With each day that ends with the slugging first baseman still on the free-agent market, the assumption grows that when it comes …

Yankees likely to pass on signing Japanese SS Hiroyuki Nakajima, may re-sign Eric Chavez  —  Nakajima is eligible to return to Japan, be free agent next winter  —  Japan's Hiroyuki Nakajima is heading to the MLB next season, but it likely won't be with the Yankees.

MacDougal on verge of signing one-year deal  —  LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are close to re-signing right-handed reliever Mike MacDougal, who would round out their bullpen, to a one-year, $1 million contract.  —  MacDougal, who turns 35 in March, was signed a year ago by the Dodgers …

Sources: Bill O'Brien to coach Penn St.  —  New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien has agreed to become the coach at Penn State Nittany Lions, according to sources.  —  The Nittany Lions plan to make the move official with an announcement Saturday, the sources said.

Agent: M's will add P Hisashi Iwakuma  —  Free agent pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma has reached agreement on a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Seattle Mariners, Iwakuma's agent, Paul Cobbe, told ESPN.com.  —  The total value of the deal could increase to $4.9 million if Iwakuma reaches …

Source: Manny Ramirez plans workout  —  Manny Ramirez plans to work out for teams later this month in an effort to return to the major leagues, a source told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.  —  Ramirez  —  There were no immediate word on which teams are interested in watching Ramirez work out, Olney reported.

Rockies trade Greg Reynolds for Chad Tracy, shipping off another first-rounder  —  As the Rockies nosedived in the standings last September, general manager Dan O'Dowd admitted that the team has to draft better to contend consistently.  —  This winter has been a painful reminder of missed picks …

Rangers start to raise railings  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers are in the early stages of installation of railings throughout Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in an effort to make the park safer for fans.  —  Shortly after 39-yard-old Brownwood firefighter Shannon Stone died …

Explaining the Command Disconnect  —  We only remember the most exciting plays.  Diving catches, game-winning hits, high-pressure situations — these are the things that fill our memories and our imaginations.  But baseball isn't always exciting — often it's far from it.

Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera pleads no contest to drunken driving, will not get jail time  —  Miguel Cabrera DUI arrest: The Florida state attorney's office today released a police video in Detroit Tiger Miguel Cabrera's Feb. 16 arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence and resisting an officer without violence.

Rangers hire Josh Hamilton's father-in-law as the outfielder's new accountability partner  —  From Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com: … Chadwick will travel on the road with the Rangers, watching over Hamilton's daily activities and providing him a steady source of encouragement …

Mets Hire Turnaround Consultants, Put Bankruptcy On Table?  —  A source familiar with the situation has said that the Mets have hired CRG Consulting — the turnaround consultants that handled the Rangers' bankruptcy sale — and that a team sale with or without bankruptcy is on the table.

Zambrano completes Marlins' circus act  —  To: Rick Jaffe, Senior VP, FOXSports.com  —  Much as I enjoy covering all 30 teams as the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com, the time has come for a change.  —  I am writing to ask that you allow me to cover the Miami Marlins full time next season.

Rangers, Napoli likely to settle on one-year deal  —  GM Daniels discusses potential extensions, makeup of bullpen  —  ARLINGTON — The Rangers, while focused on signing pitcher Yu Darvish, have not shut down all other business.  They are still discussing long-term contracts for certain players …