Excited Vazquez arrives at Yankees camp  —  Back in pinstripes, veteran concerned about only winning  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Just prior to Javier Vazquez's first season in Montreal, the Expos traded their defending National League Cy Young Award winner, Pedro Martinez, to the Red Sox …

Nats win arbitration case with Bruney  —  Reliever will be paid $1.5 million; had requested $1.85 million  —  Reliever Brian Bruney lost his arbitration case Wednesday, meaning he will make $1.5 million in his first season with the Nationals instead of the $1.85 million he was seeking.

Remoreseful Mark McGwire still denies steroids improved ability in impromptu press conference  —  JUPITER, Fla. - Mark McGwire was ready to talk when he made his official return to baseball as batting coach for the St.Louis Cardinals yesterday.  —  After a lengthy coaches meeting with manager Tony LaRussa …

David Wright says he expects NY Mets to win NL East, go deep in playoffs … PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — David Wright doesn't share the low expectations some fans have for the Mets this year.  The third baseman said Wednesday he expects the Mets to win the National League East and make a run in the playoffs …

Sources: Cards, Padres pursuing Lopez  —  Fox Sports  —  The Cardinals and Padres are among the four teams currently pursuing free agent infielder Felipe Lopez, multiple sources told FOXSports.com.  —  Lopez played for St. Louis in 2008, and the Cardinals' interest may be linked …

Girardi: “The expectation here is the same every year”  —  Just got back from the Joe Girardi press conference.  As expected, the bulk of the conversation was about attempting to repeat as World Series champions.  —  “The expectation here is the same every year,” Girardi said.

Pulled teeth delay Greinke's workout  —  Bullpen session scrapped, but righty will throw Thursday  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Zack Greinke already has experienced the first bump of his 2010 spring.  Fortunately for Kansas City, it's nothing serious.  —  Early on Wednesday afternoon …

Free Player Injury Database  —  When I started working on Rotobase I knew I wanted to generate notes like the following: … However all the databases out there are either proprietary, or don't allow for easy access to the underlying data for analysis.  So, I started developing my own database, starting with 2009.

Sore subject for Escobar  —  Reliever Kelvim Escobar recently experienced shoulder soreness and will be treated gingerly as Mets pitchers and catchers officially report Thursday.  Escobar experienced the trouble last month while ramping up for spring training and was examined by team doctor David Altchek.

Theo Epstein: Daisuke Matsuzaka's back strain is not serious  —  Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein told a group of reporters on Wednesday morning in Fort Myers, Fla. that Daisuke Matsuzaka has what the team believes to be a mild back strain but that it would not prevent the pitcher from having a normal spring training.

Twins cringe at thought of nearly passing on Mauer  —  MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Twins watched local schoolboy Joe Mauer compete in hundreds of games in three different sports.  They sent 15 scouts to watch him play baseball alone.  They had dozens of talks with him and his family at his St. Paul, Minn. home.

Stark: Goodbye offseason, hello spring training  —  Leaving winter in the rearview mirror, and eyeing what awaits in Florida and Arizona  —  We're not sure what winter looked and felt like where you live.  But from where we live, in the tundra formerly known as Pennsylvania …

Giants, Freddy Sanchez have difference of opinion on why they kept his shoulder surgery quiet  —  We have our first controversy of the spring.  Sort of.  —  It might not be a big deal to you, but we reporters get irked when a player has a major surgery and it's hidden for more than a month.

Jurrjens relieved after receiving MRI results  —  Count Jair Jurrjens among the many members of the Braves family who gained a sense of relief on Wednesday morning, when MRI results showed that he isn't dealing with any structural damage in his right shoulder.