The cost of doing business: A fans' guide to understanding the '07 Sox payroll  —  The Red Sox [team stats] partied like a bunch of drunken sailors over the winter, freely spending money in an attempt to get back to the postseason.  But if you're trying to determine just how much the 2007 Red Sox have cost …

Blalock making adjustments  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. - Hank Blalock finished up his extreme Arizona spring makeover Thursday with one fly ball out to left field and one to center to drop his average to .227.  He did not have a home run in his 18 Arizona exhibitions.

Veterans complete roster  —  JUPITER — The young Marlins got a little older Thursday when two thirtysomethings won the final places on the roster.  —  Infielder Jason Wood, 37, beat out outfielder John Gall for the last bench spot, and right-hander Lee Gardner, 32, edged righty Nate Field for the final bullpen spot.

In a Shift, Younger and Cheaper Will Make the Roster  —  Sean Henn has no idea where the Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees open the season.  He will drive to Pennsylvania if the Yankees send him there, making a gloomy two-day journey.  —  If Henn makes the major league roster …

Mets take on two more; two more spots remain  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — With the Mets packing everything in boxes for the trip north, GM Omar Minaya did some housecleaning of his own Thursday with the roster, but it appears that the final version won't be ready until Friday afternoon.

'Employee' Prior accepts demotion  —  MESA, Ariz. — Mark Prior said Thursday he has no choice but to go to Triple-A Iowa and try to fight his way back to the Cubs, calling himself just another "employee."  —  After returning to the clubhouse before reporting to minor-league camp at nearby Fitch Park …

Rising influence  —  Japanese stars have become players in US  —  Red Sox pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka (left) and Hideki Okajima (right) are caught cavorting with the enemy — Yankees left fielder Hideki Matsui — as the countrymen exchange pleasantries before a spring game in Fort Myers.

Nationals' Big Three Don't Run, Hit or Field  —  Thursday afternoon, Jim Bowden stood in a blazer on the field at Cooper Stadium, home to the Washington Nationals' Class AAA affiliate here, as his team was introduced.  Stan Kasten, Bowden's boss and the Nationals' president, stood nearby in a suit, a blue tie and a red Nationals cap.

Pirates tell Kolb he is free to go  —  Reliever's release to open door for Bayliss, Wasdin  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — Dan Kolb will not make the Pirates' bullpen.  —  Management informed him late last night that it would not place …

Denorfia to undergo surgery  —  Outfielder sidelined for six months by torn elbow ligament  —  SARASOTA, Fla. — In a busy Thursday at Reds camp, several developments moved the club closer to naming its 25-man roster.  —  The biggest news of the day was a surprise.

Martin on DL with hurt groin  —  Tucson - Tom Martin is hurt.  Not cut.  The Rockies left-hander landed on the disabled list Thursday with a strained left groin, a reflection of a bullpen that figures to continue evolving even as seven relievers were chosen to break camp.

Cabrera confident for start of season … COLUMBUS, OHIO // While two charter buses ran idle outside Cooper Stadium here, a throng of fans crowded near the exit of the visiting clubhouse for Orioles' autographs after the team's rare appearance in Ohio's capital city.

Jeter again has spring in step  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. - A few more days and the palm trees will disappear.  And the signs on the outfield fences for Carson Pest Control and Perky's Pizza will be replaced by ads for your phone and cable company, your beer, your hometown newspaper.