First Base: International signings  —  Lagging in Latin America a costly mistake  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — The earliest point in the building process for any Major League Baseball team is through Latin America.  That is because international players — anyone outside the United States …

Home plate: The majors  —  Littlefield quietly seeks window of opportunity  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — Although Dave Littlefield does not cite a role model for building a franchise, he could do worse than to take a look up the Turnpike.  —  No general manager in Major League Baseball …

Third base: Development  —  Thorough teaching methods, planning pay off  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — Once the Pirates sign a player, he becomes the project of Brian Graham, director of player development since late 2001.  —  Graham's job might be the most difficult to judge on the staff.

Notes: Workout just the start for Nats  —  After getting in time on field, team faced strategy meetings  —  NEW YORK — The Nationals took the field at Shea Stadium late Sunday morning and had their usual hitting and fielding drills, which lasted about 90 minutes.  But their day was far from over.

Nationals' Astacio Heads to DL  —  No. 3 Starter Will Have MRI Exam On Stiff Forearm  —  BALTIMORE, April 1 — Washington Nationals starting pitcher Pedro Astacio was placed on the disabled list after he experienced stiffness in his right forearm; he threw two innings in Saturday's 8-4 exhibition loss against the Baltimore Orioles.

Yankees win!  Thaaaa Yankees win! … We are peering through the haze, peering ahead to October.  —  We see confetti floating.  We see champagne spouting.  We see another of baseball's interminable World Series droughts fading into the past tense.  —  The Cubs, you ask?  The Indians?