Less competition for Bedard now?  —  The Mariners won't go on the record to say they are still pursuing Baltimore lefty Erik Bedard.  —  However, the undercurrents around baseball suggest that Seattle very much wants Bedard, and now it turns out that, other than the Orioles …

Cards complete a deal with Molina  —  The Cardinals and Yadier Molina finalized a contract today that cements the young catcher as a cornerstone of the club and rewards him for his defensive  —  presence.  —  The club is scheduled to announce a new contract for Molina at an 11:30 a.m. press conference at the Millennium Hotel.

Mailbag: Why no wholesale changes?  —  Beat reporter Marty Noble answers Mets fans' questions  —  By not making wholesale roster changes, the Mets seem to be saying they have the talent to win, even though the roster that will start the season probably will be similar to the one that produced the collapse in September.

These teams could make noise  —  Dayn Perry is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com and author of the new book, “Winners: How Good Baseball Teams Become Great Ones” (Available now at Amazon.com).  —  With Spring Training in the offing, most of the attention has naturally …

Pinch hitting: Will Carroll of BP  —  On Friday, Travis from Yankees, Etc. wrote a guest post for this blog about how many innings Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy could give the Yankees.  —  Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus was reading and asked if he could give his views on the subject.

Team Offenses  —  During this slow period of baseball news, I'd like to start looking at how team offense stack up for next season.  I'm planning on going in order of the 2007 ranking in runs per game.  We'll start with the Yankees.  In 2007, the Yankees scored 5.98 runs per game, the highest rate in the majors.

Yankee Heads South To Endorse Giuliani  —  From CBS News' Ryan Corsaro:\  —  ORLANDO, FLA. — New York Yankees centerfielder Johnny Damon is endorsing Rudy Giuliani's candidacy for president, according to a campaign aide.  —  He is scheduled to appear with the former mayor at a rally in Orlando this morning.

Mailbag: Is Posada's future at first?  —  Beat reporter Bryan Hoch answers Yankees fans' questions  —  Since we know that Jorge Posada signed a contract for four more years, do you think he is going to move to first base in two?  —  There has been no definite time frame on a position switch for Posada …

From one closer to another  —  Wagner elated to introduce his idol Gossage at annual dinner  —  NEW YORK — Billy Wagner promises a tux — black, not denim — and shoes that glisten.  No sneakers or work boots he vows.  His attire will be just a formality.

Pirates unveil plan for Latin American academy  —  Team will increase budget for signing bonuses, too  —  The Pirates' plan for their Latin American baseball academy, unveiled at a news conference this morning at PNC Park, includes 2 1/2 fields, multiple batting cages and mounds, a clubhouse …

Damon Heart Rudy...and Mitt's not bad either  —  Yankees star outfielder Johnny Damon joined up with Bronx Bombers loyalist Rudy Giuliani here today, introducing the ex-mayor at a rally at The Presidential Ballroom in Orlando.  —  Here's a taste of what Damon, a registered Republican voting in Florida's primary, had to say afterward: