White Sox GM Williams' work is far from done  —  Dotel, Ramirez join Sox, but more tinkering to come  —  The White Sox's bullpen is set, and the rotation appears firm.  —  But after signing veteran reliever Octavio Dotel and utility player Alexei Ramirez, general manager Ken Williams intimated Tuesday …

Agent: Cano interested in long-term deal  —  The Yankees could lock up Robinson Cano, their All-Star second baseman, to a long-term deal before he hits free agency.  (Newsday / Paul J. Bereswill)  —  Robinson Cano would be open to the idea of signing a long-term contract with the Yankees, his agent, Bobby Barad, said yesterday.

Betancourt earns raise from Tribe  —  Reliever tied for American League lead in holds in 2007  —  CLEVELAND — When it comes to the job of setting up a closer, Rafael Betancourt is one of the best in baseball.  —  And in doing that job, Betancourt has set himself up with a hefty raise and a measure of stability.

Don leaves Joe's side over family  —  Almost three months after he was a finalist for the Yankees' managerial job, Don Mattingly has asked the Dodgers to scale back his responsibilities as a member of Joe Torre's new coaching staff in Los Angeles.  —  Mattingly was supposed …

Around the Horn: Outfielders  —  Anchored by Beltran, trio looking to provide steady production … The Mets' 2007 season was defined by what wasn't achieved.  In much the same way, the subsequent months have been all about what hasn't been accomplished, the acquisition of a front-of-the-rotation pitcher …

Focus on outfields: National League  —  With spring training about a month away, Sporting News takes a look at how teams are shaping up for the opening of camp.  Here is SN's ranking of National League outfields.  —  1. ROCKIES  —  LF Matt Holliday, CF Willy Taveras, RF Brad Hawpe.

Notes: Mulder's outlook optimistic  —  Kennedy under microscope; Ankiel addresses leadoff talk  —  ST. LOUIS — Mark Mulder remains uncertain about a timetable for his return to the Cardinals' starting rotation.  He's certain that he already feels better than ever about his chances at eventual effectiveness, though.

Ernie Harwell, ageless voice of the Tigers, turns 90 on Friday  —  The ageless voice of the Tigers brings the same energy to his life after baseball  —  Immediately after he awakes Friday on his 90th birthday, Ernie Harwell plans to do a series of exercises.

Brewers invite Nunez to camp  —  All winter, I've been wondering if the Brewers needed another utility infielder to go with Craig Counsell, particularly up the middle in the event something happens to shortstop J.J. Hardy or second baseman Rickie Weeks.  —  The Brewers apparently have been concerned about the same thing.

Suggested Candidates For Regime Change If Mets Fail In 2008  —  With Spring Training less than a month away, the 2008 Mets will begin to assemble in St. Lucie, Florida, with few changes being made.  After last season's historic collapse, and with a returning cast of older, often injured …

Colon-o-Scopy  —  Monday's Dominican League Finals game featured Bartolo Colon pitching for the Cibao Eagles against his Angels teammate, Ervin Santana.  Since Colon's probably the most prominent unsigned free agent remaining on the market (non-Barry Bonds division), there were likely a number …

Sox uniforms to sport EMC logo during Japan games  —  When the Boston Red Sox take the field in Tokyo in late March for their first two games of the season, they'll be wearing the corporate logo of EMC Corp., the giant data storage firm in Hopkinton.  It's the first time Red Sox players …

Matsui's knee not quite there yet?  —  My Baseball Bias tips us off to this post at the Let's Go Yankees Blog about Hideki Matsui's knee.  Let's Go Yankees Blog sends us to an article on MLB.com's Japanese affiliate.  Got all that?  There will be a quiz.  —  The article, according …