ENDY SEES WINNER IN SANTANA  —  Endy Chavez has joined Carlos Beltran in the prediction business.  —  The Mets' recent trade for ace left-hander Johan Santana is “a guarantee for us to make the playoffs,” Chavez excitedly told The Post yesterday after reporting to camp early yesterday.

Source says Kinsler, Rangers agree on 5-year, $22M deal … Second baseman Ian Kinsler has agreed to a five-year, $22 million contract with the Texas Rangers, according to a baseball source.  The deal includes a club option for a sixth year that could increase the overall value of the package to $32 million.

Nats sign Boone to Minor League deal  —  Second baseman comes out of retirement looking to start  —  VIERA, Fla. — The Nationals signed second baseman Bret Boone to a non-guaranteed Minor League contract on Monday, and he will begin working out in the team's Accelerated Development Program for Minor Leaguers on Tuesday.

Jon Heyman: Ranking the best GMs in the game  —  Also in the Daily Scoop...  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Who is the best general manager in baseball?  —  Normally that's a tough call, but not this year.  There's one fellow who stands out, only one GM whose team has won two World Series championships …

Pettitte discusses ‘embarrassment’  —  Yankees lefty expresses remorse for decision to use HGH  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Expressing relief but also embarrassment about his use of human growth hormone, Andy Pettitte made his Spring Training debut on Monday, apologizing for making decisions that he called “stupid” and “desperate.”

Juan Pierre tries to figure out his future  —  He's unsure about Dodgers' commitment to him after Andruw Jones is signed to be center fielder.  He strongly hints at his willingness to waive no-trade clause, but Ned Colletti calls him ‘a strong asset.’  —  VERO BEACH, Fla. …

Why Cy?  —  While cruising through blogs and message boards, I recently noticed an alarmingly high rate of variations of the term “Cy Young potential.”  I even read an analysis of Daniel Cabrera that mentioned how, on some nights, he managed to “look like Cy Young.”

Henry arrives, walks right into it  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. - This felt like the old days of Red Sox spring training - the days of Oil Can Boyd's overdue porn videos (the Can's Film Festival), the days of Roger Clemens running with headphones on while Daddy Butch Hobson tried to speak to the Rocket …

E-mail from Port St. Lucie  —  Gas prices remain well over $3 a gallon, but you'd never know it in the players' lot here at Tradition Field, where bigger and badder is the way to go in the stable of SUVs.  The Cadillac Escalade appears to be the preferred ride, and the undisputed king …

McLain expects Hall to rebuff Clemens  —  Says Clemens' focus is on his Hall chances  —  Perhaps it takes one to know one: Two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Denny McLain says he is certain Roger Clemens is not telling the truth.  —  McLain delivered a high hard …

Commish continues to review Mitchell Report cases; no deadline for action  —  Commissioner Bud Selig still is reviewing cases of players accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs in the Mitchell Report.  —  Selig initially hoped to complete his review by spring training.

HOPING FOR RELIEF  —  'IT'S TIME' FOR SANCHEZ TO BOOST METS' BULLPEN  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - By the end of the morning, the rest of the Mets pitchers had wandered back to the air-conditioned bliss of the clubhouse, or scattered off to the weight room, or marched off to one of the front fields to get their running in.

Notes: Simmons says Yost has nothing to worry about  —  Phoenix - Ted Simmons laughed at the notion that he was hired as the Milwaukee Brewers' bench coach to provide a fall-back position should manager Ned Yost get fired.  —  “Ned's not looking over his shoulder at me,” Simmons said.

Notes: Deal for Byrd not looking likely  —  Discussions with Cubs over possible trade at an impasse  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs have not given up hope of acquiring outfielder Marlon Byrd but the Rangers aren't giving them much hope that a deal can be done.

HAL: STEROIDS WEREN'T DISCUSSED  —  The possibility that an aging Roger Clemens was using steroids to remain successful was never discussed by the Yankees, Hal Steinbrenner says in an exclusive interview with GQ.com released today.  —  The younger Steinbrenner tells the magazine's Web site …

Yankees offer top stadium deal for $20M  —  Fear of recession grows daily across America, but don't tell the New York Yankees.  One proposal out there for the top sponsorship at the new Yankee Stadium is listed for about $20 million annually.  —  CAA is selling the package and using …