Boston Got What It Wanted, or So It Seems  —  Maybe the move will wind up serving as the catalyst that vaults the Boston Red Sox to their first American League East title since 1995, but when they began their pursuit of Daisuke Matsuzaka last fall, one of their main motivations was to keep him from the Yankees.

Piniella chooses Miller over Prior  —  Ex-ace Iowa-bound after 5th starter battle  —  MESA, Ariz. — Mark Prior's start Wednesday at HoHoKam Park will be his last in a Cubs uniform for quite a while.  —  Manager Lou Piniella confirmed Tuesday that Wade Miller has sewn up the fifth starter's spot …

Pettitte's back holds up in session while Iggy impresses Phils & self  —  Read Mark Feinsand's Blogging the Bombers  —  TAMPA - Andy Pettitte threw 25 important pitches in the bullpen yesterday, but it was the 87 tosses made by Kei Igawa that may have most calmed the Yankees' fears.

Payton injury delays Perlozzo's final roster … FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. // Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo seems resigned to having left fielder Jay Payton begin the season on the disabled list with a left hamstring injury, which creates a second issue as Opening Day approaches:

Brandon Morrow  —  I guess it's my turn to weigh in on this.  —  I have to admit, I've been going back and forth on the issue - at first I liked it, but that's because my first impressions are always shortsighted, and the more I thought about it, the more I started to side with the "send him to the minors" camp.

How the New York Yankees Can Win the World Series  —  Will talks with Alex Belth about the Yankees' chances on Baseball Prospectus Radio.  Click to download the mp3.  —  Imagine the Yankees winning it all this year.  I know it's a leap of faith, but go ahead and try.  Okay, that didn't take long now, did it?

Union to look into Walker's release  —  Agent questions Padres' motives over action  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — Brian Carlin, the agent for infielder Todd Walker, said in a statement on Tuesday the Major League Baseball Players Association is looking into the Padres' decision to release the 33-year-old veteran.

Z-Day (cont.)  —  So, given some of those hefty numbers and the certainty that, next winter, they'll probably be even heftier, both sides are busy burning up calculator batteries and wording contract proposals just right.  Yet the question remains: Can Hendry and Zambrano …

PECOTA Projected Standings, AL and NL Central  —  This miniseries breaks down into three parts, canvassing the country from East to West.  For each of the thirty clubs, I'm going to identify one player for whom I think the PECOTA forecast looks low ("Take the Over") based on statistical …

Miller forced back onto the sidelines  —  Forearm strain opens bullpen door for Lara or Mastny  —  KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Matt Miller proved he was healthy enough to be named a member of the Indians bullpen.  —  And then, cruelly, he got hurt again.  —  Miller, who suffered a strain …

Rotation set, but concerns linger  —  Health, inexperience key issues facing Nats' starting five  —  VIERA, Fla. — The Nationals had 36 healthy pitchers in camp, and they were looking for four starters to follow right-hander John Patterson in the rotation.

Sheets named Opening Day starter  —  Capuano, Suppan, Bush and Vargas round out rotation  —  PHOENIX — Brewers manager Ned Yost told the parties involved two weeks ago, and on Tuesday, he finally went public with the worst-kept secret in camp.  Ben Sheets will start the season atop Milwaukee's starting rotation.

Dan Johnson out with hip injury  —  From Sporting Green A's beat writer Susan Slusser at Spring Training:  —  Just two days away from breaking camp, the A's were looking reasonably good from a health perspective, but on Tuesday, first baseman Dan Johnson was scratched from the lineup with a strained left hip flexor.

Mets Need Heilman in Bullpen More Than Ever  —  Aaron Heilman jogs out of the bullpen to "London Calling" by the Clash.  It is an urgent song for a low-key reliever, and one that fans at Shea Stadium can expect to hear even more than the 74 times they did last season.

Nats' Guzman hopes he's hitting stride  —  VIERA, Fla. — Cristian Guzman is doing what he can to put a certain number behind him, a number that defines his Washington Nationals career so far: .219.  —  That was his 2005 batting average, and, because he missed all of last season after shoulder surgery …