Top News:
Murray Chass / New York Times:
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.
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Associated Press:
Here's the pitch — FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Jon Lester's next destination on his road back from cancer is Boston's minor league team in Greenville, S.C. — The left-hander is slated to make four rehabilitation starts for the Drive of the Class-A South Atlantic League to build his stamina and pitch count.
Jeff Goldberg / Hartford Courant:
Snyder Makes The Cut — Delcarmen, Hansen Sent To Pawtucket — FORT MYERS, Fla — Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Monday there would be no pitch-offs in Philadelphia this weekend to decide the final two roster spots. — After Tuesday, there won't be any pitch-offs, period.
Sports Illustrated:
The myth behind the man — Matsuzaka says 'gyroball' not part of his arsenal — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Despite highly descriptive news reports, slow motion video and purported eyewitness accounts from major league hitters — well, the Florida Marlins' scrubs — Red Sox pitching sensation …
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
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.
Discussion:
Banks of the Anacostia
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Tuesday's spring training report — egrant@dallasnews.com — San Diego 24, Rangers 7 — Dan Fouts connected for three touchdown passes, er, oops. ... The Padres batted around in the fifth and sixth innings and ran away with a sloppy game on a windblown afternoon at Surprise Stadium on Tuesday.
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Rangers' Benoit springs forward — egrant@dallasnews.com — SURPRISE, Ariz. - How much has Joaquin Benoit's stock zoomed this spring? — Just consider this question posed to manager Ron Washington on Tuesday: "What reliever would you go to if you had to retire a lefty late in a game?"
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Jorge Arangure Jr / Washington Post:
Parrish Expected To Stick — Barring an injury, reliever John Parrish will be on the Baltimore Orioles' Opening Day roster, according to one team source. — Parrish has a 3.72 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings this spring and has attracted attention from several teams, including the Kansas City Royals.
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Roch Kubatko / Baltimore Sun:
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:
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox's Hall opts for rehab — Backup catcher hopes to recover enough to avoid surgery — TEMPE, Ariz. — White Sox backup catcher Toby Hall will try to avoid season-ending surgery with at least three weeks of rehabilitation on his torn right labrum.
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Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
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 …
Discussion:
Up in the Rockies
Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
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.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
The Sporting Green / SFGate:
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.
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
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 …
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
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.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
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.
Discussion:
FishStripes
