Pettitte told Congress Clemens admitted to using human growth hormone  —  CBSSports.com wire reports  —  WASHINGTON — Roger Clemens told Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte nearly 10 years ago that he used human growth hormone, Pettitte said in a sworn affidavit to Congress, the Associated Press learned Tuesday.

Mench for the bench  —  Kevin Mench is coming back to the Rangers.  Mench agreed to a minor league deal with the club on Tuesday afternoon.  He'll fight for a backup outfielder's spot along with David Murphy, Nelson Cruz and Jason Botts.  —  Mench, 30, hit .267 for Milwaukee last year with a .746 OPS and eight homers in 101 games.

Twins Sign Livan Hernandez  —  Faced with the possibility of an entirely 26-and-under rotation following the trade of Johan Santana, the Twins predictably acquired a veteran starter yesterday by signing Livan Hernandez to a one-year deal worth $5 million plus $2 million in incentives.

Marlins: Immaturity was a problem in '07  —  After an offseason self-evaluation, second-year manager Fredi Gonzalez said he's “going to do some stuff different” — including a bigger emphasis on defense after the Marlins committed a baseball-leading 137 errors last season.

Longoria earns chance to win job in spring training … ST. PETERSBURG - Prospect Evan Longoria's chances of being the Rays' opening-day third baseman are still not clear.  But at least he'll have the chance to show whether or not he's ready for the job.  —  Manager Joe Maddon said Tuesday …

Spring reality check  —  MESA, Ariz. — If no news is good news, then the news out of Fitch Park was great for the Cubs on the eve of pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training.  —  Almost as great as the 75-degree, blue-skied backdrop.  —  No visa-related no-shows, no hot-tub injuries, no Mark Prior sightings.

Looking ahead: The options game  —  DETROIT — Spring training starts this week, which means the guessing game for the 25-man opening day roster starts, too.  —  You'll need to know who has minor-league options remaining, and sure enough I got an e-mail this morning from Glenn, asking about just that.

Feb. 12 — BENSON ON THE WAY?  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — Just got off the phone with Kris Benson's agent, who says a deal between the free-agent right-hander and the Phillies may be struck within the next 24 to 36 hours.  —  Gregg Clifton told me he has been speaking with Phillies assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr …

Building Blocks: Huntington finds value in evaluation  —  Last in a series / Pirates' GM installs intricate system to analyze players  —  Neal Huntington's desk at PNC Park is swamped by scouting reports and statistics, bulging out of binders, all bouncing to the rhythm of a vibrating cell phone.

Home run apple will follow New York Mets to new ballpark  —  NEW YORK (AP) — The huge fiberglass apple that pops up when the New York Mets hit home runs will follow them to their new ballpark when it opens next year.  —  “The big home run apple is coming,” the team's chief operating officer …

Q & A with Joe Girardi  —  When I interviewed Yankees Manager Joe Girardi in Coral Springs, Fla., last Wednesday, we set 9 a.m. as the meeting time.  I figured I would get to the coffee shop early to scout out a quiet place to sit.  I arrived at 8:40 a.m., and Girardi was already there.

B.J. FIRING  —  Gregg Zaun was not talking about the Mitchell Report yesterday, but he was answering questions about catching closer B.J. Ryan Monday during a bullpen session.  —  “I was shocked at how loose he was,” Zaun said.  “He threw 35 pitches and every one was crisp.