NY Mets' Johan Santana is turning heads in camp as ace looks to Opening Day  —  Impresses Terry Collins and Cardinals by going six innings  —  Johan Santana wows skipper with six-inning outing on Wednesday and feels he'll start season for Mets April 5.  —  JUPITER, Fla. …

Nats pessimistic Morse will start season  —  Michael Morse has appeared in only three games this spring, all as DH.  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Michael Morse's chances of recovering from a lat injury in time for Opening Day appear to be dwindling after the Nationals left fielder recently underwent …

Chipper Jones To Retire Following 2012 Season  —  Chipper Jones' 19th season in the Major Leagues will also be the final one of his career.  The Braves announced that their 39-year-old third baseman will retire following the 2012 campaign.  —  Larry Wayne ‘Chipper’ Jones has been a fixture …

The Business Of Baseball 2012  —  Click for full photo gallery: Baseball's Most Valuable Teams  —  The National Pastime is flourishing thanks to cable companies' desire for live baseball programming.  —  The average Major League Baseball team rose 16% in value during the past year, to an all-time high of $605 million.

Pirates welcome additional wild card  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — When Major League Baseball added another wild-card team to its playoff format earlier this month, it surely was greeted with a shrug by most Pittsburghers.  —  The words “Pirates” and “playoffs” don't easily mesh anymore.

All signs pointing to roster spot for Conrad  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It is becoming increasingly difficult to envision the Brewers' Opening Day roster without Brooks Conrad, the utility man fighting for a job as a non-roster invitee.  —  Brewers manager Ron Roenicke made clear no decisions are cemented …

Victorino: ‘I will lead the league in triples’  —  With Opening Day just around the corner, media and fans across the country have been busy making their predictions for the 2012 baseball season.  In the latest MLB Fan Cave video (watch it below), some of baseball's biggest stars have made their own prognostications.

Hughes Solid in Start for Yankees  —  PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) — Phil Hughes allowed only three hits — one, a two-run homer by Matt Jocye — in five innings, and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 Wednesday.  —  After walking Carlos Pena to lead off the bottom of the second inning …

Seeking fifth-starter job, Oliver's rhythm off  —  Lefty prospect's control issues continue as he walks five  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — Andy Oliver is too young to be outrunning a reputation.  —  He's also trying to show he's not too young yet to hold down a rotation spot on a team that's expected to win.

Seattle's Hernandez Hit Hard in Final Spring Start  —  PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Felix Hernandez allowed seven earned runs over five innings in his final spring training start and the Seattle Mariners were roughed up by the Chicago White Sox 13-8 Wednesday.  —  King Felix gave up 10 hits in five innings and eight runs overall.

Burnett slated for simulated game Saturday  —  Righty hurls 52-pitch bullpen session, says eye, strength are good  —  BRADENTON, Fla. — A.J. Burnett's accelerating recovery from a facial fracture hit a different gear on Wednesday, when the right-hander made 52 pitches in his third comeback bullpen session …

Britton receives platelet rich plasma therapy  —  SARASOTA, Fla. — Zach Britton received two rounds of platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy on Wednesday, a new and increasingly popular procedure that he hopes will help heal the inflammation in his left shoulder that has plagued him since August.