Rays win arbitration case vs. Upton  —  UPDATE, 6:21: Upton was disappointed, but ready to move on.  “I thought we put on a good case, but they ruled the way they did.  Congratulations to the Rays.  Now it's time to put all this behind me, hit spring training and get ready to play baseball.”

1B Morales hires Boras in about-face  —  Los Angeles Angels first baseman Kendry Morales has fired agents Alan and Randy Hendricks and signed with Scott Boras, the agent confirmed to ESPN The Magazine.  —  “Essentially, we had gotten a call from Kendry about a month ago and said he was interested …

Yanks target Cuban SS as Jeter's heir  —  Do the Yankees have their sights on Derek Jeter's eventual replacement, who also could be a future center fielder who nudges Curtis Granderson to left?  —  According to the multiple members of the international scouting community …

Yankees re-sign some minor league depth  —  Via Baseball America's latest minor league transactions, the Yankees have re-signed RHP Paul Bush, 3B Marcos Vechionacci and OF Edwar Gonzalez to minor league deals.  It does not seem any of the three will be brought to big league camp.

New York Yankee Brett Gardner plans to add bunting to his hitting arsenal  —  TAMPA - Brett Gardner hits during the winter at the Charleston Baseball Academy, about 10 minutes from his South Carolina home, tweaking his swing and keeping sharp.  This offseason, Gardner spent a lot of time working …

Yankees trainer Gene Monahan ill  —  A very familiar face and important cog in the Yankees' universe won't greet the players in Tampa this week when spring training camp opens.  The Post has learned that legendary athletic trainer Gene Monahan will miss his first spring training in 48 years due …

Cardinals Open To Another Spring Signing  —  MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports that St. Louis has between $6MM and $7MM worth of “wiggle room” in their payroll that may have to last the club through the rest of the season.  But, as Leach notes, “the Cardinals aren't holding onto money …

Jeter's Next Contract Is About More Than Money  —  It is, all at once, the biggest issue and the biggest nonissue that will hover over the Yankees this season: Derek Jeter is in the final year of his contract.  —  That fact by itself is important.  But the Yankees have said for months …

Richmond hurts shoulder preparing for spring training  —  Jays pitcher is suffering from right shoulder impingement and will need rehab  —  Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Scott Richmond of North Vancouver, B.C., has hurt his shoulder preparing for spring training, the team announced Saturday.

Blessed with talent, West divisions are best  —  Angels, Dodgers poised to face serious challenges in 2010  —  For eight days and nights, October tumbling into November, the East owned the grand stage, with the New York Yankees dethroning the Philadelphia Phillies in a rousing World Series.

Reinsdorf: Put Thomas in HOF … Saying it would be “a disgrace” if Frank Thomas was not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf called his former slugger one of the best right-handed hitters in the game.  —  “I never saw Joe Jackson, he was a little before my time …