Spring Training: McLouth bumps Gerut in surprising move  —  Santos named fifth starter, four players cut to finalize roster  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Nate McLouth would not board the bus.  —  Having seen teammate Jose Bautista — pillow in hand — get pulled off a bus earlier in the week …

Rangers deal Dellucci to Phillies for pitcher  —  ARLINGTON - Rangers general manager Jon Daniels took another stab Saturday at trying to fill what became a depleted starting rotation with the injury to Adam Eaton.  —  The Rangers made their second trade in as many days …

With Greenies Banned, Up for a Cup of Coffee?  —  For perhaps half a century, amphetamines have been accessible to major league baseball players.  If players were weary after a late night out, a long trip or a streak of tiring games, they could find the pep pills almost as readily as they could sip coffee or swig soda.

Notes: Wright hits fifth in loaded lineup  —  Third baseman to break up lefties Delgado and Floyd  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — With one date remaining on the Mets' exhibition game schedule, Willie Randolph unveiled the batting order he later identified as the one he expects to use most often among …

Miles appears to get the nod at second base  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. — Moving before, during and after Friday's exhibition win over the New York Mets, the Cardinals reversed field at second base, postponed a call on their final position player and solidified a pitching staff.

Emphasis on defense squeezes out Bartlett  —  Juan Castro will be the Twins' Opening Day shortstop, while Jason Bartlett will head to Rochester to work on leadership skills.  —  FORT MYERS, FLA. - The Twins will set their 25-man roster today, and manager Ron Gardenhire delivered most of the big news Friday …

PRE-SEASON ROUNDTABLE 2006, PART II  —  Cubs Roundtable Questions (Spring 2006)  —  Yesterday we got the opinions of the TCR powers that be, we now pose the same 11 questions to some of the finest Cubs bloggers out there.  Former TCR writers Scott Lange(Gonfalon Cubs at Baseball Think Factory) …

Hit, or Miss  —  Everybody knows what's wrong with the Nationals.  We've listened to the litany since last fall when Esteban Loaiza and Hector Carrasco left town.  We heard the wails when Brian Lawrence and Luis Ayala were lost for the season to injuries.  Ramon Ortiz, Tony Armas …

Giant scare just a spoof  —  The sight of Michael Strahan lying on the floor in pain at the end of Friday night's "Best Damn Sports Show Period" probably would have sent Giants coach Tom Coughlin into a panic — if he didn't already know it was a pre-April Fools' Day joke.

Twins' Liriano charged with DUI  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Twins lefthander Francisco Liriano was arrested by the Cape Coral Police Department early Thursday and charged with driving under the influence.  —  Liriano was pulled over at 1:58 a.m. after leaving a Cape Coral bar.  He was driving alone at the time.

Source: Ortiz, Red Sox close to $50M deal … MIAMI — Dominican David Ortiz is about to sign a $50 million extension of his contract with the Boston Red Sox, a family member told ESPNdeportes.com.  —  If the new contract is finalized, "Big Papi" would earn an average $12.5 million per year from 2007 to 2010.

Kris, Anna Benson headed for divorce  —  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Anna Benson wants a divorce from Orioles pitcher Kris Benson, who still thinks the Mets traded him because of his impulsive wife.  —  Anna Benson, an actress and model who has posed topless, filed for divorce in Atlanta on Thursday.

Projected Standings for the 2006 Season  —  How much, and how well, will Barry Bonds play?  Will Roger Clemens pitch this year, and where?  Which leadoff-hitting center fielder will do more for his team, Johnny Damon or Coco Crisp?  Have the Mets added enough talent to end the Braves division-winning streak?

Notes: A's get Dominguez from Texas  —  Oakland ships Bynum, Rheinecker to Texas for righty  —  OAKLAND — The A's on Friday picked up a relatively young arm they've been coveting, giving up a promising hitter for whom they had no room.  —  In a three-team deal, Oakland acquired right-hander Juan Dominguez …

Preseason Predictions  —  NL Staff Picks, 2006  —  Yesterday we started our prediction miniseries with a look at the American League.  Today we unveil our National League and World Series picks.  —  Each author's ballot may be found later in the article.  Here, we neatly summarize the results.