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 …

Mattingly steps down as hitting coach  —  Leaves job for family reasons; will be special assignment coach  —  LOS ANGELES — Don Mattingly, named by the Dodgers as hitting coach two months ago and the presumed eventual replacement for new manager Joe Torre, stepped aside on 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.

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.

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.

Reliever Betancourt signs two-year deal with Tribe  —  CLEVELAND — Rafael Betancourt, one of the AL's top relievers last season, signed a two-year contract Wednesday with the Cleveland Indians, who avoided going to salary arbitration with the right-hander.  —  Financial terms …

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 …

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.

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 …

Marquee Value for A-Rod or Santana?  Nearly Impossible  —  On more than one occasion, authors and analysts have worked to try and assign a value of a player, beyond the wins that they may contribute on the field.  Players like Alex Rodriguez, Johan Santana, and others have been talked …

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 …