Valentine dismisses report of wedge with GM  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine was not amused at all by a recent Boston Globe report that suggested a wedge between he and general manager Ben Cherington over some upcoming roster decisions.  —  “I think it's lazy journalism,” said Valentine.

Indians restructure contract for Carmona/Hernandez  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians still don't know if Roberto Hernandez, formerly known as Fausto Carmona, will pitch for them this season - or again.  —  So while awaiting the outcome to his strange case, the club restructured the right-hander's contract.

Rosenheck & Jonas: International Draft Issues  —  MLB's new Collective Bargaining Agreement seemingly portends an international draft — Bud Selig has called it inevitable — but questions remain.  Among them are: “Is it a good idea?” and “Is it even practical?”

Blue Jays' Dustin McGowan expects quick recovery from foot injury  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. — Dustin McGowan knows this injury, and he is not worried.  —  “It's still a little tender, but it's getting better, actually,” the Toronto Blue Jays' right-hander said Monday after undergoing treatment …

Marmol returns strong in Cubs' split-squad win  —  MESA, Ariz. — Bryan LaHair hit an RBI double to back Paul Maholm, who struck out six over five scoreless innings and led a Cubs split squad to a 2-0 victory Monday over the Padres.  —  Maholm, expected to be the fifth starter for the Cubs …

Jackson nicked for three runs vs. D-backs  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Ian Kennedy pitched seven strong innings as the D-backs beat the Cubs, 3-2, on Monday afternoon in front of a sellout crowd at Salt River Fields.  —  Kennedy (2-2) became the first Arizona pitcher to last seven innings …

As Niese's nose shrinks, Beltran's stays same  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Carlos Beltran kept his promise, after all  —  Beltran has officially paid his debts to Mets pitcher Jon Niese, forking over $10,000 for the Rhinoplasty operation that he originally recommended.

Fly, fly away: Mariners ride in a Blackhawk  —  TOKYO — Mariners players Justin Smoak, Dustin Ackley and George Sherrill got a different view of Japan on Monday.  A little sideways it turned out, with hearts in their throats, as they received a thrill-of-a-lifetime ride on a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter.

Tampa Bay Rays say Matt Bush won't remain in organization  —  PORT CHARLOTTE — Matt Bush is “not going to play for us” again, Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said Sunday, speaking for the first time about the minor-league pitcher's DUI hit-and-run arrest.

Dale Sveum is Losing Sleep Over Lineup Construction  —  There are folks who will tell you that lineup construction doesn't really matter - and they'll offer you advanced stats to prove it.  I'm still a bit unsold in either direction (at bottom, I do agree with the idea that you want to bat …

Brewers, Lucroy Nearing Extension  —  The Brewers are nearing an extension with catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report (Twitter link).  The deal with the Sports One Athlete Management client would be either four or five years long.

Jon Lester, Mike Adams Join ACES  —  Red Sox lefty Jon Lester and Rangers reliever Mike Adams have changed agencies, following agent Josh Yates to ACES.  Both pitchers had formerly been represented by SFX Baseball.  SFX negotiated Lester's then-precedent-setting five-year, $30MM deal three years ago.

Michael Pineda Flashes His Fastball  —  TAMPA, Fla. — With a solid performance Sunday, Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda might have quelled for now some of the near panic over the mysterious loss of three or four miles per hour on his fastball.  —  Pitching against the Detroit Tigers …

Marcum on upswing entering key season  —  Righty throws three innings against Dodgers, with three K's  —  PHOENIX — So far, so good for right-hander Shaun Marcum, who is playing catchup in a bid to begin the season in the Brewers' starting rotation.  —  Marcum, slowed this spring by a stiff shoulder, needs no extra motivation.