David Ortiz makes a final plea to Yankees fans  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. - David Ortiz watched the Red Sox honor Mariano Rivera on his last trip to Fenway Park.  He was there to see Derek Jeter make his final appearance in Boston.  —  The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is the best, the most emotional, the biggest of them all.

Uncertain future of Jose Reyes means prospect gets chance to break with team  —  The Denver Post  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — After 537 games, 2,061 at-bats and 70 home runs in the minors, Trevor Story is pounding on the major-league door.  But if he wants to leave spring training …

Sources: Bautista's demand is five years, $150M  —  Toronto Blue Jays' all-star outfielder Jose Bautista is demanding a five-year contract extension worth more than $30 million per year, two sources familiar with the matter told TSN.  —  Bautista turns 36 in October and a $150-million contract …

Braves Sign Cuban Pitcher Carlos Portuondo  —  The Braves have signed 28-year-old Cuban righthander Carlos Portuondo to a minor league contract with a $990,000 bonus, according to international sources.  Portuondo is exempt from the international bonus pools, so he's able …

Nurse Accused of Helping with Surgery While Drunk … PLAINS TOWNSHIP — A nurse is charged with being drunk while assisting on an emergency surgery at the VA Medical Center near Wilkes-Barre.  —  He admits he was at a casino drinking when he was called into work.

Dodgers To Sign Jamey Wright To Minors Contract  —  The Dodgers have signed veteran right-hander Jamey Wright to a minor league deal, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports (Twitter link).  The contract contains an invitation to the team's Major League spring camp.  The 41-year-old Wright is represented by Excel Sports Management.

Car Salesman Killed in Crash During Corvette Test Drive at Ontario CarMax; Driver Arrested  —  A used car salesman was killed when a red Corvette crashed during a test drive in Ontario, and the prospective car buyer was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter Tuesday afternoon, police said.

Sources: Dexter Fowler, Orioles strike three-year, $35M agreement  —  Free-agent outfielder Dexter Fowler has agreed to a three-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles, according to ESPN's Buster Olney and multiple reports.  —  The deal is worth approximately $35 million, according to Olney …

Pirates will talk deal with Andrew McCutchen at ‘appropriate time’  —  On Monday, Pittsburgh Pirates star Andrew McCutchen repeated his desire to finish his career in Pittsburgh.  A day later, the Pirates' general manager said the team plans to talk contract with him at “the appropriate time.”

Umpires Aren't Compassionate; They're Bayesian  —  Baseball fans have long known, or at least suspected, that umpires call balls and strikes differently as the count changes.  At 0-2, it seems that almost any taken pitch that is not right down the middle will be called a ball …

Source: LeGarrette Blount, Patriots have mutual interest in reunion  —  INDIANAPOLIS — The Patriots' wrecking ball could be back for more.  —  Running back LeGarrette Blount and the Pats have shown mutual interest in a new contract, according to a source.