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.

Mariners reach agreement with Kotchman  —  Club avoids arbitration hearing with new first baseman  —  SEATTLE — The Mariners and first baseman Casey Kotchman have reached agreement on a one-year contract, avoiding a potential salary arbitration hearing.  —  Kotchman, acquired from the Red Sox …

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.

Tigers, Verlander agree to $80-million deal  —  Hard-throwing ace set career highs with 19 wins, 3.45 ERA in 2009  —  Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to an $80 million, five-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

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 »

Bisciotti takes a swing at the Yankees  —  Clearly, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti is a proponent of the NFL salary cap, and took a light-hearted shot at the Yankees during today's big news conference for their inability to totally dominate Major League Baseball with their huge revenue and payroll advantage over the other 29 teams.

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 …

Quote: F-Mart wanted Beltran's Job  —  In the first game of the Caribbean Series last night, Mets OF Fernando Martinez went 0-for-3 in Escogido's 2-1 win against Puerto Rico.  —  Martinez told Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com that he thought he might get the chance to start in center field for the Mets …

One Giant arbitration showdown looms  —  Incredibly, the Giants have made no one-year offers for superstar pitcher Tim Lincecum, who's scheduled for a knockdown/drag-out arbitration war sometime this month if no agreement can be reached.  A two-year concept was reportedly broached …

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.

Brett Tomko is throwing again, looking for a deal  —  Who was the A's best starting pitcher last year?  Well, over a very short time period from when he came up to when he got hurt, it was veteran Brett Tomko, who went 4-1 with a 2.95 ERA and recorded one of the team's two complete games.

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.

Torre plans rest for Manny, Blake  —  Dodgers skipper looks to keep top players fresher  —  LOS ANGELES — Dodgers manager Joe Torre said Tuesday he will try to give veterans Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake more days off in 2010 to ration their strength throughout the season.

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 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 …