Joba's bullpen call  —  It was impossible to ignore, and the Yankees didn't ignore it.  —  Words were not needed.  Joba Chamberlain's body language screamed confidence and the scoreboard flashed 97 mph.  Here at the end of his most taxing season, Chamberlain was a strutting fire-breather again.

Kotchman in fold, is Bedard coming back?  —  Six down, none to go — and maybe somebody coming back.  —  Those are the headlines today out here in blogo-land.  First baseman Casey Kotchman reached agreeement on a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the team, avoiding an arbitration hearing that had been scheduled for this month.

Different parallels for Mauer, Gonzalez  —  SAN DIEGO - Though their similarities are striking, the differences between Joe Mauer and Adrian Gonzalez may be irreconcilable.  —  Both were the first overall selection in baseball's amateur draft: Gonzalez in 2000, Mauer in 2001.

Caribbean spotlight on Mets' Martinez  —  Outfielder hopes strong series lands him big league role  —  MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela — Mets outfield prospect Fernando Martinez admits that he thought about the possibility of playing in the same outfield as Jason Bay this season.  —  Now, he's thinking again.

Baseball's Best Statues, by Ballpark  —  Last week, the Pirates unveiled plans for their newest statue to be erected outside of PNC Park sometime next summer.  As you can see from the picture to the right, it's an awesome depiction of one of the Pirates' most memorable moments …

The 2010 Interview with Josh Byrnes, Part One  —  Josh Byrnes, left, and Colorado Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd, right, look over the desert view prior to MLB meetings last month in Paradise Valley.  Either that, or they were pointing at the Giants' offense, and laughing.  —  Browse more photos »

Dodgers agree to minor-league deals with Jeff Weaver and Alfredo Amezaga  —  Jeff Weaver will have to pitch his way onto the Dodgers' roster again.  —  One of the unsung heroes in the Dodgers' run to the National League Championship Series last year, Weaver agreed Tuesday …

Yankees' Winn ready to get started with Yankees  —  Buzz up!  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Randy Winn  —  believes his versatility makes him a good addition to the New York Yankees, and he's eager to get started with the reigning World Series champions come spring training.

RHP Mike Ekstrom claimed from Padres  —  The Rays claimed RHP Mike Ekstrom off waivers from the Padres and added him to their 40-man roster.  —  Ekstrom, 26, has some experience with the Padres over the last two seasons, going 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA (35 hits, 15 walks in 25 IP) in 20 games.

Nationals monitoring Wang's progress  —  Veteran right-hander still recovering from shoulder surgery  —  The Nationals are not done looking for starting pitching.  In fact, they are monitoring free-agent right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, according to a baseball source.

Boras turns to Tigers to seek deal for Damon  —  Jon Paul Morosi is a national MLB writer for FOXSports.com.  He previously covered baseball for the Detroit Free Press and Seattle Post-Intelligencer.  He began his journalism career at the Bay City Times in his native Michigan.

BREAKING NEWS: Pascucci returns  —  According to BA's prospect blog, the Mets have signed Val Pascucci to a Minor League deal.  —  Hat tip to the great Nate Freiberg and Bobby Valentine in the comments section for the heads up.  —  Nate is, I should mention, the person who first tipped …

Gale recommended Estrada  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  I just spoke on the telephone with Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash and he said the Brewers claimed right-hander Marco Estrada off waivers from Washington after getting a “strong recommendation” from new Class AAA pitching coach Rich Gale.

The Greatest Quote In The History Of Whatever.  —  Dick Kaegel has covered the Royals as a beat writer for something like a quarter of a century, writing for the Royals' website for the better part of a decade and for the Kansas City Star long before that.  You know what you're …

Dodgers ink right-hander Ortiz  —  Free-agent pitcher signed to Minor League deal  —  LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers signed right-handed free-agent pitcher Ramon Ortiz to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League camp.  —  Ortiz, 36, last pitched in the Major Leagues in 2007 …