Howard v. Phillies (cont.)  —  Wang is no Michael Jordan  —  Wang was shooting for the moon with his $4.6-million arbitration request, and his representatives also badly overshot when they tried to compare Wang to Michael Jordan — yes, that M.J.! — in his hearing.  That's why it's no surprise he lost at $4 million.

Reds sign veteran starter Fogg  —  Right-hander agrees to one-year deal worth $1 million  —  SARASOTA, Fla. — For the Reds' younger rotation candidates, their chances of landing a starting spot just got harder.  —  Free agent right-hander Josh Fogg signed a one-year, $1 million contract.

Sheffield calls ex-agent Boras a ‘bad person’  —  LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - Gary Sheffield put himself in the spotlight again, and the Detroit Tigers slugger enjoyed every second of it.  —  “My family has been trying to get me to walk away for a while now because they don't like the negative stuff that comes my way.

Duque's last dance?  —  Interesting chat with Orlando Hernandez a few minutes ago.  Turns out he didn't have bunion surgery as the Mets said.  The bunion on his right foot is still there and its causing him problems this spring.  —  El Duque had surgery to fix a dislocated second toe …

Stark: Howard hits the jackpot … CLEARWATER, Fla. — What does it mean when a guy wins 10 million negotiable American dollars through the miracle of salary arbitration?  —  In Ryan Howard's case, says his buddy Jimmy Rollins, it means he can afford that Aston Martin DB9 James Bond-mobile he's had his eye on.

A-Rod: Jeter will win MVP  —  Alex Rodriguez predicted about 30 minutes ago that Derek Jeter would win the MVP and that Bobby Abreu would have a monster year.  —  “I think Jeter is going to have an MVP season.  That's my prediction for the year,” Rodriguez said.  “And Bobby's going to have a monster year.”

Source: D-backs, Trot Nixon agree … The Arizona Diamondbacks have reached an agreement on a minor league contract with veteran outfielder Trot Nixon, according to a baseball source.  —  Nixon, 33, gives the Diamondbacks some insurance from the left side of the plate as corner infielder Chad Tracy continues …

Reliever Rodney's shoulder pain isn't bothering Jim Leyland  —  Reliever is pegged as key to hot bullpen  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — Tigers manager Jim Leyland sounded unconcerned this morning that reliever Fernando Rodney has stopped throwing off the mound for now because of pain in his pitching shoulder.

Diet fit for a Prince  —  Fielder takes meat off his menu as he opts for vegetarian lifestyle  —  Phoenix - As Prince Fielder matures, he's not afraid to try new things.  —  At the plate and on his plate.  —  Fielder is known as a large, imposing figure on the field.

Milledge has no regrets  —  Give Lastings Milledge credit for honesty.  —  The Washington Nationals outfielder did not let out one phony “I'm sorry” or a fake “I've changed” while speaking today about his occasionally rocky time with the Mets.  —  “If I had to do it all over again, I'd do it the same way that I did it.

Flashing Leather Down on the Farm  —  “It is the peculiar and perpetual error of the human understanding to be more moved and excited by affirmatives than by negatives.”  —Francis Bacon (1561-1626)  —  Earlier this week, both the sabermetric community and the topic of defense received …

Bonds: Prosecutors' typos could compromise case  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Slugger Barry Bonds has submitted court papers complaining his chances for a fair trial could be hurt by typographical errors in a government filing wrongly accusing him of flunking a drug test in 2001.

Fight club  —  Asked about one (unnamed) Phillies' claim to ESPN's Jayson Stark that there could be some punches thrown in the first meeting between these two clubs, David Wright smiled.  He's not looking for a brawl, but he thinks Mets fans might be able to settle this in the box seats.