Top News:
Jeff Pearlman / Wall Street Journal:
The One Met Their Fans Most Loved to Hate — This spring in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Mets loyalists are engaged in a tug of war over which player—the recently released Luis Castillo or the likely soon-to-be-released Oliver Perez—is the most loathed in team history.
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue, Mike Silva's …, SNY Why Guys, BBTF's Baseball Primer …, Patrick Flood and The 'Ropolitans
RELATED:
Adam Rubin / ESPN:
Mets release Oliver Perez — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Three days after the New York Mets informed second baseman Luis Castillo he was being released, left-hander Oliver Perez received the same fate Monday morning. — Team officials informed Perez he was being let go despite being owed $12 million in the final year of his deal.
Discussion:
USA Today, Amazin' Avenue, Faith and Fear in Flushing, Kranepool Society and MLB
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
The Mets cut Oliver Perez — The Mets officially announced that they've cut Oliver Perez. — In January, during a video for SNY.TV, I said: … Thankfully, this all came true. The team was right to bring him in and they were right to let him try out.
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus, baseballmusings.com and New York Times
David Waldstein / Bats:
Mets Release Oliver Perez — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Mets finally consummated the inevitable Monday morning when they released the ineffective but highly paid left-handed pitcher Oliver Perez. — The end came with all the surprise of a sunset. Perez walked into the Mets' clubhouse shortly …
Discussion:
SBNation.com and Amazin' Avenue
Todd Zolecki / MLB.com:
Castillo, Phillies agree to Minor League deal
Discussion:
Philliesflow.com, Bleacher Report and The Zo Zone
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
La Russa and Riggleman feud, dugouts clear — JUPITER, Fla. — Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman and St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa were at the epicenter of a dugout-clearing brouhaha Monday at Roger Dean Stadium. — Cardinals reliever Miguel Batista hit Ian Desmond …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Cincinnati Reds
Colin Dunlap / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates release Atkins; Olsen could start year on DL — BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pirates this morning granted an unconditional release to infielder Garrett Atkins, signed by the club as a minor league free agent in the offseason. — Atkins hit .129 (4 for 31) this spring with 11 strikeouts in 17 games.
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Jenifer Langosch / By Gosh, It's Langosch:
Atkins released; Thomas, Nieve reassigned — Infielder Garrett Atkins has been unconditionally released by the Pirates, thereby ending his chances to make the team as a backup corner infielder. Atkins was apparently given the news on Sunday and was not in the clubhouse on Monday morning for comment.
Discussion:
Where Have You Gone …
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
Jason Isringhausen pitches way into competition with Bobby Parnell for Mets' 8th-inning setup role — PORT ST. LUCIE - Jason Isringhausen knows that one pitch can alter a career, or ruin a comeback attempt, so the three-time Tommy John survivor went straight to the doctor about a week ago after feeling a pop in his elbow.
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, NorthJersey.com, Tedquarters, MetsBlog.com, HardballTalk and Mets Merized Online
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Harper sprains ankle in intrasquad game — JUPITER, Fla. — Outfielder Bryce Harper sprained his left ankle during a Nationals Minor League intrasquad game at the Washington Nationals Training Complex on Monday morning. — According to an eyewitness, William Yoder, Harper hit a groundball …
RELATED:
Justin Bopp / Beyond the Box Score:
The Jeter/Giambi Play | Oct 13, 2001 | “The Flip” — ESPN tells the tale well: … You've no doubt read or perhaps heard some of the thousands of words uttered about this improbable play, but now you can see just how absurd the entire sequence was. As a saber site, we can roll our eyes …
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Grapefruit Game 27: Red Sox at Phillies — Pitching: RHP Roy Halladay, LHP J.C. Romero, RHP Ryan Madson, RHP David Herndon, RHP Scott Mathieson. — Game time: 1:05 p.m. — Location: Bright House Field, Clearwater — TV/Radio: ESPN — Notes: The Sox have lost four straight and five of their last six. ...
Discussion:
Sox #1 Fan dot com
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
Johnny Cueto has shoulder inflammation; will be shut down for 7-10 days — Johnny Cueto left his start Saturday after just one inning because he was suffering from biceps stiffness. The Reds flew Cueto to Cincinnati yesterday for an arm exam this morning with team doctors.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and SBNation.com
Rob Iracane / Yahoo! Sports:
He's hip: A-Rod finds fountain of youth in hot spring — Just two years after a torn labrum in his hip threatened to sideline Alex Rodriguez — for more than half of the 2009 season, the New York Yankees slugger has recovered enough of his powerful potency to turn heads with towering home runs …
Discussion:
New Jersey Online and baseballmusings.com
Fox Sports:
Twins' staff losing ground in AL Central — DUNEDIN, FLA. — The Minnesota Twins have won six division titles in Ron Gardenhire's nine seasons as manager. In that span, no team in the majors has more. — Gardenhire is perhaps the best manager in baseball. He has Joe Mauer (as long as he's healthy).
NY Daily News:
Mets owners fire back at trustee trying to recover money for Madoff victims in motion to dismiss — Lawyers for the owners of the Mets have obtained two sworn depositions that they say severely undercut the claims in the $1 billion lawsuit that Irving Picard, the court-appointed trustee recovering money …
Discussion:
New York Times and MetsBlog.com
RELATED:
Adam Rubin / ESPN:
Mets owners say lawsuit ‘work of fiction’
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue and Yahoo! Sports
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
McDonald leaves game with jammed thumb — CLEARWATER, Fla. — Red Sox outfielder Darnell McDonald left Monday's game against the Phillies with a jammed right thumb. — McDonald, who started in left field and hit in the No. 7 spot, lined out to second base in his first at-bat in the top …
Discussion:
Boston Globe
