Mariners Close To Deal With Willie Bloomquist  —  11:44am: Bloomquist's deal is expected to be a two-year pact in the $5-6MM range, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter).  —  10:49am: The Mariners are nearing a deal with free agent utility player Willie Bloomquist …

Yanks make offer to Hiroki Kuroda  —  NEW YORK — The Yankees have extended an offer to starter Hiroki Kuroda in an attempt to entice the right-hander to pitch one more season in the Bronx instead of retiring or returning to Japan to play, a source with knowledge of the discussions told ESPNNewYork.com.

Nationals get Doug Fister in trade  —  The Washington Nationals acquired pitcher Doug Fister in a Monday night trade with the Detroit Tigers  —  In exchange, the Nationals sent infielder Steve Lombardozzi, left-hander Ian Krol and minor league lefty Robbie Ray to the Tigers.

Navarro signing means Arencibia all but gone  —  TORONTO - J.P. Arencibia's time with the Toronto Blue Jays is on the verge of running out.  —  Three sources told sportsnet.ca that general manager Alex Anthopoulos will non-tender the 27-year-old ahead of Monday's midnight deadline if a trade partner doesn't emerge.

Cubs face question at second as tender deadline nears  —  Chicago assesses value of Barney's glove with second baseman arbitration eligible  —  CHICAGO — Do the Cubs keep a solid defender like Darwin Barney at second base or look for another option?  —  That's one of the decisions …

Pirates mourn passing of 24-year-old outfielder  —  Chambers died in sleep over weekend; spent five seasons in organization  —  Minor League outfielder Evan Chambers passed away in his sleep over the weekend, leaving the Pirates organization in mourning on Monday over the loss of a talented player and beloved teammate.

Rockies owner Dick Monfort provides detailed look at team's budget, financial structure  —  ARTICLE COMMENTS  —  Is your comment not appearing on the article?  Read this.  —  Note: Our article pages automatically refresh every ten minutes.  We cannot change this.

Royals face decisions before Monday's deadline for tendering contracts  —  Money talks.  Money always talks.  But it raises its voice Monday around Major League Baseball as clubs confront an 11 p.m. deadline Central time for offering contracts to all players under their control.

Chasing A-Rod  —  The struggle between Major League Baseball and one of its greatest hitters over steroids is total war—fought with six-figure payoffs in the tanning salons and strip malls of South Florida.  —  I first met Alex Rodriguez at the Delano, the chic South Beach hotel in his hometown of Miami.

Nomar Garciaparra joins Dodgers broadcasting crew  —  Nomar Garciaparra, who attended Bellflower-St. John Bosco High School and played three seasons for the Dodgers, has been hired as a commentator for the Dodgers' new regional sports network SportsNet LA. (Steven Senne / Associated Press / March 10, 2010)

Brewers debating whether to tender offer to Francisco  —  Penciled into rotation, Estrada will receive contract before Monday night's deadline  —  MILWAUKEE — By Monday's end, Juan Francisco will either be a free agent or on track to get a nice raise in arbitration.