Budding slugger may be reined in by squeeze play  —  When the Red Sox acquired Jeremy Hermida early this offseason, they believed they were getting a young outfielder with great upside.  To develop that upside, however, Hermida needs at-bats, especially against lefthanded pitching …

Talking Baseball With Mets GM Omar Minaya  —  The general manager of the Mets, Omar Minaya, was the guest speaker at the ninth annual “21 Days of Clemente” sponsored by Latino Sports Ventures, Inc. The event is a remembrance by the South Bronx community of the legendary Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder …

Could Fernando Perez become surprise Chicago Cub  —  Tampa Bay Rays center field could plug hole  —  On Baseball  —  The Cubs clearly aren't blown away by any of the center fielders on the free agent market, preferring to explore trades.  One name to file away is Fernando Perez.

Prospectus Q and A: Jim Riggleman by David Laurila  —  Jim Riggleman … David Laurila: How would you describe yourself as a manager?  —  Jim Riggleman: Oh boy, that's an interesting question.  I don't really have a concrete way to answer it other than to say that, like most managers …

Inbox: Pondering some offseason moves  —  Beat reporter Marty Noble answers Mets fans' questions  —  Shouldn't the Mets try to build a team around speed, defense and pitching?  Why Jason Bay?  Why not Mark DeRosa, Xavier Nady and Jon Garland or Joel Pineiro instead?

Diamondbacks, Bob Howry agree to terms on one-year deal  —  The Diamondbacks continued to address their porous bullpen by agreeing to terms with free-agent reliever Bob Howry on a one-year deal that includes a team option for 2011.  —  The value of the deal is unknown, but it is said to be worth between $2 million and $3 million.

World renowned: Yanks achieve their goal  —  Bombers return to playoffs in '09, win 27th Fall Classic title … January:  —  The year opened with a final event at the old Yankee Stadium, as the Yankees formally introduced Mark Teixeira as the club's new first baseman.

Los Angeles Dodgers Top 20 Prospects for 2010  —  More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP  —  Los Angeles Dodgers southpaw Clayton Kershaw, 2006 first round pick.  (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)  —  Browse more photos »  —  Los Angeles Dodgers Top 20 Prospects for 2010

Selig a major factor in Dodgers' circumstance  —  As a fan of the Los Angeles Theatre of the Absurd, the coming divorce proceedings in 2010 - Jamie McCourt v. Frank McCourt, or vice versa - promises to titillate beyond imagination, and that's saying a lot since 2009 ended with local golf hero Tiger Woods being waist-deep in titillation.

Cursed anniversary: Babe's sale turns 90  —  MLB remembers storied transaction sending Ruth to Yanks  —  Saturday marked the 90th anniversary of the Red Sox selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees.  There was a time when that topic got people's blood boiling.  Now, it is just a transaction in the bio of the greatest player ever.

Not Just Tiger's Temptations  —  No one would have accused me of having multiple ladies on each arm when I was in high school or college.  I was a diligent student, kind of nerdy, the son of a teacher, and as interested in baseball and computers as I was in girls.