Pap survives scare: Ankle twist turns out OK  —  FORT MYERS - The Red Sox [team stats] received a scare in the ninth inning of the final Grapefruit League game at City of Palms Park, when closer Jonathan Papelbon [stats] rolled his right ankle covering first base.

Pavano named Yankees' opening-day starter  —  TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Carl Pavano will be the New York Yankees' opening-day starter — his first time on the mound in the majors since June 2005.  —  Pavano will be followed in the rotation by Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina and Kei Igawa.

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.

Just Days Away  —  I spent half the day trying to figure out MLB options rules.  I discovered Mark Prior did have to go on waivers, while learning that the rule confuses even those tasked with managing the process.  I have no idea about Gary Majewski and I'm not even going to try and figure it out.

It's bonus coverage  —  A-Rod follies will be ratings hit for YES Network all season long  —  Only three days left until the Yankees' season opener with Tampa Bay.  Only three days until the Alex Rodriguez sideshow kicks into high gear.  —  The newspapers will cover it.  So will Tapeheads and radio blowhards.

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.

Peralta a sure thing for Royals  —  Pitcher, whose career has been more suspect than prospect, has become what Bell calls a 'valuable guy.'  —  Royals reliever Joel Peralta has it figured out, he believes.  It was a Dominican delicacy that knocked him for a loop last month and resulted …

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.

Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball (Part 3)  —  Moneyball or Great Player Development?  —  Much has been written about the success formula for the Billy Beane-led Oakland A's.  In Michael Lewis' book, Moneyball, he cites a strategy of finding players with high OPS …

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.

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.

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.