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.

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.

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:

Hill feels strong despite blister  —  Rich Hill wasn't particularly sharp against Kansas City on Tuesday, but that might've been due in part to a blister on his finger and a rain-shortened outing in his previous appearance.  —  The blister isn't considered serious, but Hill was taken out with two on and two outs in the fifth inning.

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 …

For Lastings, injury erases upper hand  —  Read Adam Rubin's Surfing the Mets Blog  —  VIERA, Fla. - Lastings Milledge reached for the bat leaning against teammate Ruben Gotay's adjacent locker, gripped it despite the blue athletic wrap on his right hand and took a few faint mock swings.

Rockies' rotation more suspicious than special  —  Tucson  —  Even before Arizona's Scott Hairston clobbered consecutive home runs to right, left and center field Tuesday, the Rockies' starting rotation was taking hits from all directions.  —  Talked to Yankees captain Derek Jeter …

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.

Jacobs, Willingham to share cleanup duties  —  FORT LAUDERDALE — Mike Jacobs hopes he'll develop into the same caliber of cleanup hitter as Gary Sheffield, Carlos Delgado and Derrek Lee - some of the more prominent hitters who have batted fourth for the Marlins over the years.

Those 'Poor' Nats  —  Right now, the Nationals are sometimes compared to the '62 Mets, the worst team in history.  In one year, they'll be compared to another New York team, the filthy-rich Yankees.  Now, the Nats are pitied.  Soon, they will be feared.  That's not a prediction as much as it is a virtual baseball certainty.

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 …

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.