Dodgers sign Johnson to one-year contract  —  Veteran can play all three outfield positions  —  LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers officially added another piece to their rebuilt bench on Monday by signing free-agent outfielder Reed Johnson to a one-year contract.

Giants sign RHP Guillermo Mota to minor league deal with camp invite  —  The Giants signed RHP Guillermo Mota to a minor league deal and invited him to big league camp.  —  Mota becomes the third right-hander with big league time to ink a minor league deal with the club in the past 48 hours.

Rich Aurilia not ready to retire, hopes for a final season with Mets or Yankees  —  For at least a year, and probably two, it's been tacked on the bulletin board in the Giants clubhouse: A doctored-up, photocopied picture of the “Rat Pack,” with new identities for Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.

Rehabbing Reyes ‘100 percent,’ ready to roar  —  Jose Reyes ran like the wind yesterday.  Then ran some more.  —  For two hours, I watched the Mets shortstop work, testing his surgically repaired right leg time and again during the strenuous workout.  There were 90-foot dashes …

Mauer and Twins still talking despite yesterday's report of a done deal  —  The latest news on Joe Mauer is that there really isn't any news.  —  Mark Rosen of WCCO television in Minnesota reported yesterday afternoon that Mauer and the Twins had agreed to a 10-year contract extension …

Minor League Transactions  —  Larish lost his foothold on a 40-man roster spot when Detroit signed closer Jose Valverde.  Larish, the Tigers' fifth-round pick '05, batted .242/.323/.404 in 74 games with the big club during the past two seasons.  —  Florida Marlins  —  Signed: RHP Derrick Turnbow

Florida Marlins: McClung in; Gregg reunion possibility remote  —  The Marlins continued their low-risk, high-reward approach to bullpen building in adding right-hander Seth McClung on a minor league deal.  —  McClung spent the first three of his six major league seasons with the Rays and the last three in Milwaukee.

Caribbean Series sure to be passionate  —  Emotions for annual championship expected to run high  —  For six days, four teams from four countries will transform Venezuela's Margarita Island into the isle of baseball.  —  The 2010 Caribbean Series, the annual round-robin tournament featuring …

AMARO: 'I'M NOT A DUMMY'  —  Last weekend, I heard from an old friend, a guy who roots for the Phillies but lives out of town.  Like many of you, he is counting the hours until the first pitcher-catcher workout in Clearwater (Feb. 18, for those who don't already have it committed to memory) …

Pinch hitting: Chris and Trevor Kaftan  —  (Obviously that was a joke before about another guest post on instant replay.  Here's the real one ...)  —  Now up in the Pinch Hitters series are brothers Chris and Trevor Kaftan, who wrote about Derek Jeter's place in Yankees history.

Perez tops list of key No. 2 starters  —  The expectation within the Mets' organization is that the team has finished its winter spending, and this would seem to be confirmed by the Mets' reluctance to entertain an offer from catcher Yorvit Torrealba to play for the Mets on a one-year deal.

Does Verlander Deserve More Than Felix?  —  The Tigers are “increasingly optimistic” about signing Justin Verlander to a long-term deal, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Felix Hernandez's five-year, $78MM deal is being used for comparison, but Morosi feels Verlander might be aiming …