A-Rod reached out, offered Damon advice  —  Third baseman no stranger to dramatic of free agency  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Perhaps more than anyone, Alex Rodriguez wanted Johnny Damon back in the Bronx.  —  Rodriguez, speaking publicly Thursday for the first time this spring …

John Henry: 'We generally don't use insurance'  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Red Sox principal owner John Henry has his eyes wide open when it comes to handing out long-term contracts to free agents, calling the process of extending such offers as “very complicated”.

Kevin Youkilis has no love for glove ratings  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email + Bio  —  FORT MYERS - Kevin Youkilis [stats] is as old-school as Ty Cobb sliding into third, so it comes as no surprise that he has little use for the statistical revolution transforming the game.

Crawford, Rays table contract talks until end of season  —  Unable to reach a deal now, the Rays and Carl Crawford have decided to table any further negotiations on a new contract until after the season.  —  “We had an opportunity to exchange ideas with the club about a contract extension …

Revenue-Sharing in Major League Baseball Totals $433 Million for '09  —  The total amount of revenue-sharing dollars that funneled from high revenue-making clubs such as the Yankees and Red Sox to low revenue-makers such as the Marlins, Rays, and A's totaled $433 million …

Moving experience for former Phillies' prospect Taylor, now with Oakland  —  PHOENIX - The Phillies wanted Michael Taylor to play winter ball in Obregon, Mexico.  He had never seen anything quite like it.  —  “Animals on the field.  Like chickens and stuff like that.  People having barbecues in the stands.

Rockies' success starts at home  —  Tracy Ringolsby is a Hall of Fame baseball writer.  He is in his 34th year covering Major League Baseball, is a co-founder of Baseball America, and appears on pre- and postgame shows for Colorado Rockies games on FSN Rocky Mountain.

Rangers release shortstop Greene  —  Veteran infielder dealing with social anxiety disorder  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Rangers have voided the contract of infielder Khalil Greene, who is dealing with personal issues regarding social anxiety disorder and did not report to camp.

Even Bay cold on Day 1  —  Just because you're Canadian, Jason Bay noted, it doesn't mean you don't get cold.  Bay was among those a tad uncomfortable as the Mets completed a team meeting Thursday morning and stepped out to 48-degree temperatures and a strong wind for the Mets' first full-squad workout.

Scioscia: Players deal with distractions  —  TEMPE, Ariz. — Angels general manager Tony Reagins and manager Mike Scioscia say it's not their place to become involved in players' personal financial matters.  —  The issue came up Thursday when ESPN.com reported that Rodney Fernandez …

Candid Cameron: Mike banters with the fans  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — He's a breath of fresh air down here.  —  New Red Sox outfielder Mike Cameron took some time out to chat with fans in Fort Myers today about his number, playing center field, Manny Ramirez, and more.

Call them the Jason Heyward Nets  —  Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - When manager Bobby Cox said that the Braves will probably install nets to protect cars from Jason Heyward's prodigious batting-practice home runs, reporters thought he was kidding.  —  He was not kidding.  —  “I'm serious,” Cox said Thursday at Champion Stadium.

Anthopoulos eyes international talent  —  Jays' general manager expands on his long-term vision  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. — Alex Anthopoulos stepped out of the batting tunnel at the Bobby Mattick Training Center on Thursday morning, wearing a sweater under a light jacket with his hands firmly in his pockets.