CASHMAN: JOHAN'S NOT THE KEY  —  Brian Cashman won the popular vote last night in what he joked beforehand was the equivalent of a Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama debate.  —  The Yankee GM actually was a guest lecturer, joined onstage by his Red Sox counterpart Theo Epstein …

Morneau, Cuddyer Sign Long-Term Extensions  —  The Johan Santana saga continues to drag on with no obvious end in sight, but the Twins made a pair of big moves Friday afternoon by signing Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer to long-term contract extensions.  Morneau's deal overrides the one-year …

Agitated Bedard feeling unwanted  —  'They don't want to keep me,' ace says; O's dispute his version of extension talks  —  Ace pitcher Erik Bedard said today that he is resigned to being traded this season and is disappointed that the Orioles haven't made a greater effort to sign him to a contract extension.

Minors make major strides for Texas Rangers  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  The Rangers' organization's talent level has made the biggest one-year jump in Baseball America's rankings since the trade publication started doing an annual list in 2001.  —  The Rangers, who ranked 28th …

Team Offense, New York Mets  —  We continue to look at team offenses for 2008 with the New York Mets. … In 2007, the Mets scored 4.96 runs per game.  —  I plugged in a likely lineup to the Lineup Analysis Tool, using the Marcel the Monkey predictions from Tom Tango.

Yanks and Canó Agree on Deal  —  The Yankees and second baseman Robinson Canó reached a preliminary agreement Friday on a contract that could pay him about $55 million over six years.  —  The deal, contingent on Canó's passing a physical, will earn him $28 million for the 2008 through 2011 seasons.

Rays say losses surpass $20M … ST. PETERSBURG - The Rays have lost between $20-million and $30-million since 2005, a team executive revealed Friday as he made the case for a new stadium downtown.  —  Rays president Matthew Silverman said during a televised luncheon with more than 100 community …

MLB's cheats are closer to being public  —  There was a big enough thunderclap when George Mitchell named 89 players in his report on performance-enhancing drug use in Major League Baseball.  Now, government lawyers might potentially upstage the former senator, thanks to a dense …

Reds, Goodyear ready to move forward  —  Sides nearing an agreement for exclusive negotiations  —  CINCINNATI — The Reds' flirtation with Goodyear, Ariz., appears to be headed to the next level.  —  The Goodyear City Council is scheduled to hold a special meeting on Monday to consider entering …

Canberra teenager bound for the New York Yankees  —  The latest Canberra teenager bound for the big US baseball leagues is expected to sign a seven-year deal with the New York Yankees today.  —  Kyle Perkins, 16, joins the world's most renowned baseball club after being spotted …

Optimism is reality at SoxFest  —  If the reality ever matched the hype, White Sox GM Kenny Williams would have stopped attending SoxFest years ago for fear of an all-out verbal assault.  —  But, as usual, the paying customers' discomfort with the upcoming version of the White Sox didn't meet …

AP Interview: Yankees boss Hank Steinbrenner promises patience (really), but team better win  —  TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Hank Steinbrenner sat behind his desk and looked out at empty Legends Field, where all was quiet and calm.  —  Over and over again, he emphasized his philosophy …