Cashman: ‘Nothing baffling’ about Jeter talks  —  Tweet  —  According to the Yankees, there hasn't been anything confusing about contract negotiations with Derek Jeter and his agent, Casey Close.  —  Close described the Yankees' negotiating strategy on Sunday as “baffling” …

Source: Detroit, Martinez near 4-year deal  —  FOX Sports  —  The first major free agent is about to fall.  —  Catcher Victor Martinez is close to signing with the Tigers, a source confirms.  —  Ignacio Serrano, a reporter for Venezuela's El Nacional, reported that Martinez will receive a four-year, $50 million contract.

Mets made right managerial choice  —  Collins' inner fire was evident early in his baseball career  —  It was a bitterly cold April night in Waterbury, Conn., in 1973 and the farm director of the Los Angeles Dodgers was bundled up behind home plate as he watched his team's club …

Q&A: Larry Walker on NL MVP Joey Votto  —  Larry Walker, the first Canadian to win the NL MVP award in 1997, was 2010 winner Joey Votto's hitting coach at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.  'The talent was there, says Walker.  (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)  —  Larry Walker didn't have an answer.

Sports Agent's Loans to Poor Players Pose Concerns  —  The company of Scott Boras, baseball's pre-eminent agent, provided tens of thousands of dollars in loans and payments to the families of poor Dominican teenage prospects, according to people with ties to Mr. Boras, raising questions …

Towers: Nothing new on Upton trade front  —  D-backs listening to offers but no move is imminent  —  PHOENIX — All was quiet Monday on the Justin Upton trade front.  —  “Nothing new to report there,” said D-backs general manager Kevin Towers.  —  Towers created quite a stir last week …

Do great young players tend not to improve as they get older?  —  Warning: To the regulars on this site who are sabermetricians in their own right, this post is obvious.  You can ignore it if you like.  You DON'T need to tell us how obvious it is.  There are many readers, lurkers …

Reds To Sign Dontrelle Willis  —  The Reds have agreed to sign Dontrelle Willis to a minor league deal, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.  Still just 28, Willis has gone from rookie phenom to ace to trade chip to bust to reclamation project in his eight-year MLB career.

New Dodgers coach Davey Lopes already has his first special project: Matt Kemp  —  Lopes, the former Dodgers second baseman who will coach first base for the team, is friends with Dave Stewart, his former teammate and now Kemp's agent.  Both men are confident Lopes will communicate well with Kemp …