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 …

Pujols bans TV station that had bad Mitchell info  —  ST. LOUIS — Albert Pujols, angry his name was incorrectly linked to the Mitchell report on steroids last month, banned a St. Louis television station from participating in a news conference Monday.  —  Pujols asked Cardinals media …

Clemente's No. 21 May Be Retired From Play  —  Hispanic baseball pioneer Roberto Clemente's uniform number 21 will be retired from use by all 30 teams in Major League Baseball if the New York City Council has its way.  —  The council will debate a resolution today calling on the commissioner of baseball …

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:

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.

Search for the Truth  —  In Rob Neyer's Friday Filberts, he made a keen observation that perhaps has been lost in the debate over Jim Rice's Hall of Fame worthiness. … I totally agree with Rob's take on this matter.  I'm not nearly as interested in whether Rice gets elected to the HOF as I am in shaping the thought process.

Mailbag: Predicting prospects' potential  —  Beat reporter Bill Ladson answers Nationals fans' questions … Looking ahead, who would you rate as a can't-miss prospect in the Nationals organization?  —  I would have to say that Chris Marrero is a can't-miss prospect.  He has a beautiful swing.

Cyberspace exploration  —  Nevis, nestled in the Caribbean, is a near-perfect place to disappear a month before spring training.  The population is the same as it was when Alexander Hamilton was born there in 1755, which is a good thing.  —  There are four times as many monkeys as people …

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 …

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 …