Hal Steinbrenner wants to see Yankees' payroll shrink from $210 million to $189M by 2014  —  Bombers paid $13.9M in luxury taxes in 2011 and $18M in 2010  —  Hal Steinbrenner says Monday that the Yankees don't need to carry a $220 million payroll as long as the team does a good job in developing players.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Jason Varitek has officially announced his retirement, bringing to an end a beloved 15-year career with the Boston Red Sox.  —  Varitek made the announcement on Thursday night at the team's spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla. Many of his teammates, his parents …

Johan Santana takes another step, throwing live batting practice  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - On his languid walk to the gate in center field Thursday morning, accompanied by teammate Bobby Parnell, Johan Santana took a series of small steps.  The stroll mirrored the way Santana has tried …

Inside the Phillies: Who needs sabermetrics?  —  Phillies evaluate players the old-fashioned way.

Jason Aldean works out with Braves  —  KISSIMMEE, FLA. (AP)  —  Jason Aldean circled the bases, touched home plate and collapsed next to the batting cage, pulling his cap over his face.  —  “After lunch, let's come back and do it again,” Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez joked.

Can Dodgers' Kershaw win 300 games?  —  SURPRISE, ARIZ.  —  The 2002 Braves were the most recent team with the rarest of attributes — two eventual 300-game winners on the same pitching staff: Greg Maddux, who reached the milestone two years later, and Tom Glavine, who followed in 2007.

Hard-throwing Hembree has bright future  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Accomplished pitchers are both born and made.  Remember that as you follow the career journey of Heath Hembree, who appears inevitably bound for San Francisco.  —  Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing a little more than 200 pounds …

Cards sign Molina to five-year, $75M extension  —  JUPITER, Fla. — The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract with four-time Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina.  —  The team announced the details Thursday.  The contract begins next year and will keep Molina in St. Louis through the 2017 season.

Indians OF Grady Sizemore to miss 8-12 weeks  —  CLEVELAND - Grady Sizemore will start the season in a familiar spot - on the disabled list.  —  The oft-injured Cleveland Indians outfielder is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks with a back injury, the latest medical setback for a three …

Drew feeling better but not ready to play  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — D-backs shortstop Stephen Drew is back to intermittent baseball activities, but he's nowhere near the point in his recovery from a shattered right ankle that he's ready to play, he told MLB.com on Thursday.

Looks like a one-year contract for Buster Posey  —  I just had a brief chat with Buster Posey's agent, Jeff Berry, who told me he has not heard from the Giants about a 2012 contract for Buster Posey, and both sides have indicated to me they are not expecting discussions about a multiyear deal.

Pirates' pitcher A.J. Burnett to undergo surgery for orbital fracture … PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett will undergo surgery on Friday to repair a fractured right orbital bone.  —  The right-hander injured himself on Wednesday at the team's spring training facilities in Bradenton …

Victorino looking forward to a new deal  —  Veteran center fielder hoping for five-year contract with Phils  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — Shane Victorino walked across Mike Schmidt Field on Thursday morning at Carpenter Complex, turning his head occasionally to chirp at Cole Hamels, who had just finished running on another field.

No hard deadline for MLB expanded playoffs  —  Negotiators for baseball players and owners say there is no set deadline for an agreement to expand the playoffs to 10 teams this season.  —  The sides have said for weeks a deal is likely.  When players and owners signed their agreement …