Selig's term extended through 2012  —  Three-year extension ratified at Thursday's owner's meeting  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Commissioner Bud Selig's contract has been extended by Major League Baseball's 30 owners for three years, taking him through the 2012 season.

Rays acquire Aybar from Braves  —  The Rays have acquired infielder Willy Aybar from the Braves, bringing aboard a utility infielder who could play third base if Evan Longoria doesn't break camp with the major-league team.  Aybar, who turns 25 in March, missed all of last season with an injury and off-the-field issues.

Roger Clemens Hires Top Washington Lawyer  —  Roger Clemens has bolstered his legal team, hiring a powerhouse Washington lawyer, Lanny A. Breuer, who represented former President Bill Clinton during his impeachment hearings as well as numerous corporations that were the subject of Congressional investigations.

Phillies - Ruffin on Kendrick: Don't do what I did  —  BY NOW, THE story is familiar.  How the Phillies, in desperate need of a starting pitcher at midseason, reached all the way down to Double A Reading.  How the kid came up and amazed everyone with his poise and success.

Lowell living large  —  Series star enjoys his new celebrity  —  There are perks to being World Series MVP, as Mike Lowell happily recounted yesterday.  —  “I got to shoot an ad today with Rene Russo,” the Red Sox third baseman said before the Boston Baseball Writers dinner at the Westin Waterfront Hotel.

The Biggest Loser  —  Ray King, a 34-year-old lefty trying to make the Nationals this spring, on winning the battle of the bulge  —  I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO LOOK great in uniform to be a great ballplayer.  C.C. Sabathia is a big guy, and he won the Cy Young.  Prince Fielder was in the race for MVP.

Athletics agree to terms with Huston Street on one-year contract  —  A's pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Feb. 13  —  OAKLAND — The Oakland Athletics announced today the club has agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Huston Street on a one-year contract for the 2008 season.

One giant leap (cont.)  —  Ervin Santana: Santana still has the power stuff that helped him throw 204 innings of above-average ball for the Angels in 2006.  As a flyball pitcher who fights his command at times, Santana runs the risk of blowups when he's both walking people and allowing homers.

The All-Clean Team  —  Chipper, A-Rod head list of players worth believing in  —  The hardest part of this whole Steroids Period in baseball — sounds much less ominous than Steroids Era, doesn't it? — is figuring out who and what to believe.  I'm not talking Roger Clemens vs. Brian McNamee here …

Baseball's average salary record $2.82M  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball's average salary rose 4.6 percent last year to a record $2.82 million, and the New York Yankees set a high for teams at $7.47 million.  —  Final figures released Thursday by the Major League Baseball Players Association showed …

Phillies avoid arbitration with Lidge, Madson  —  Right-handers Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson avoided arbitration by agreeing to one-year contracts with the Phillies, Assistant General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.  —  Lidge, 31, will earn $6.35 million this season, while Madson will earn $1.4 million.

Jays LHP Downs given 3-year, $10M deal  —  TORONTO (AP) — Left-hander Scott Downs agreed Thursday to a $10 million, three-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays after a breakout season in which he had a 2.17 ERA.  —  Downs went 4-2 in 81 relief appearances, tied for the AL lead.

Investigation might jeopardize immigration status  —  Miguel Tejada's immigration status could be in peril in light of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's decision to ask the Department of Justice to investigate whether the new Astros shortstop lied to federal investigators in 2005.