Martino: Castillo woes run skin deep  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Luis Castillo batted .302 in 2009, and played through injuries while many of his Mets teammates spent their summer on the disabled list.  He was proud of this, and was stunned on Opening Day last year, when Citi Field fans booed him during introductions.

Desmond could factor into Nats' leadoff mix  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The way Nationals manager Jim Riggleman explained it, Ian Desmond's ascension to the leadoff spot on Thursday was a matter of need, not a case of foreshadowing.  After all, neither Nyjer Morgan nor Roger Bernadina …

Joe Torre will return to the Bronx, make an appearance at Yankees Old-Timers' Day this season  —  TAMPA - Joe Torre is headed back to the Bronx.  —  No, the man who led the Yankees to four World Series titles isn't planning a return to managing, but he revealed Thursday that he will attend …

McGee might find some save opportunities  —  TAMPA, Fla. — When it was clear the Rays would develop lefty Jake McGee as a reliever this spring, he said he wanted to close.  Manager Joe Maddon doesn't think that would be such a bad idea, even if he's not quite ready to hand the job to the 24-year-old.

Notes from spring training  —  • The Rockies are beginning to look like they might have decent rotation depth — perhaps even enough to trade right-hander Aaron Cook once he is healthy.  —  Start with right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, lefty Jorge De La Rosa and righties Jason Hammel and Jhoulys Chacin — a formidable front four.

Still crazy after all these years  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — An alert reader (thanks, Jonathan) passed along this interview Paul Simon did with Vanity Fair.  —  The interviewer was Michael Hogan and the topic turned to baseball at one point.  —  MH: Are you one of those Yankees fans who feels …

Numbers Down in SEC After Changes to Aluminum Bats  —  Offensive numbers have plummeted on baseball diamonds around the Southeastern Conference.  —  The change to metal bats has reduced the once-gaudy deluge of hits and cut out the “cheap” homers that were synonymous with college baseball.

Looking at Pitches Through the Batter's Eyes  —  Believe it or not, most of our writers didn't enter the world sporting an @baseballprospectus.com address; with a few exceptions, they started out somewhere else.  In an effort to up your reading pleasure while tipping our caps …

Is Matt Dominguez the Answer?  —  Despite the fact that he's never played above AA ball, Matt Dominguez is the favorite to open the season as the starting third baseman for the Florida Marlins.  Typically, a prospect that claims a starting job at such a young age is regarded as one of the strongest prospects in all of baseball.

3UP: Contraction, Hughes, A-Rod  —  1. I presented what I call my Michael Corleone theory to a person involved in baseball labor and I expected this person to laugh in sorrow for me and move on to the next subject.  Shockingly, he told me that the theory - not associated with Michael Corleone's name - has actually been discussed.

Contract expiring, but Wilson wants to stay  —  PEORIA, Ariz. — Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson is ready to begin the season without a contract beyond this year.  —  That means Wilson can file for free agency after the season, although he still wants to stay in Texas.

Ivan Nova's New Toy  —  Slider!  (AP Photo)  —  It's only Spring Training, but we were treated to a pitching gem last night.  Ivan Nova, the youngest member of the fourth/fifth starter's competition, threw six hitless innings against the Orioles, allowing only two baserunners (one hit-by-pitch, one error).

Red Sox set rotation behind Lester  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Red Sox have set their rotation behind Jon Lester.  Here's how it will line up:  —  April 8: New York: Lackey  —  April 9 New York: Buchholz  —  April 10 New York: Beckett  —  and so on ...