Phillies continue to have trouble dealing Papelbon  —  FOX Sports  —  Trading Jonathan Papelbon continues to be a problem for the Phillies.  —  To illustrate the difficulty that the Phillies are experiencing in trying to trade Jonathan Papelbon, consider a recent turn in their discussions with the Brewers.

Is scrutiny of Taveras patch proper?  —  Cardinals' memorial raises questions about how teams honor the deceased  —  Oscar Taveras was over the legal limit when he and his girlfriend were killed in a car accident.  —  Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training camps …

Matt Harvey: A-Rod's return is ‘exciting, good for baseball’  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Matt Harvey is busy forging his comeback from Tommy John surgery, but he is keeping an eye on the Alex Rodriguez saga with the Yankees.  He offered words of support to Rodriguez, who apologized to Yankees brass on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: Thursday  —  As of Thursday morning, there were just 14 players with unsettled arbitration cases (per MLBTR's Arb Tracker).  While some of the remaining cases figure to end in an arbitration hearing, there will still be a few more settlements to avoid that outcome.

James Shields' agent on contract negotiations: We didn't overreach  —  FOX Sports  —  James Shields' agent says his client ‘has been one of the best pitchers in the game for eight years,’ so when it comes to his contract negotiation, 'I don't understand what “overreached” means.'

As Scott Walker mulls White House bid, questions linger over college exit  —  (Family Photo/For The Washington Post)  —  MILWAUKEE — Scott Walker was gone.  Dropped out.  And in the spring of his senior year.  —  In 1990, that news stunned his friends at Marquette University.

Shae Simmons Undergoes Tommy John Surgery  —  The Braves have announced that right-hander Shae Simmons underwent Tommy John surgery today and will miss the 2015 season as he rehabs from the procedure.  —  Simmons, 24, surfaced with the Braves in late May and enjoyed a very strong run through …

Mariners To Sign Rickie Weeks  —  FEB. 12: Weeks can also earn up to $2MM worth of incentives on his deal with Seattle, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter).  —  FEB. 11: The Mariners and second baseman Rickie Weeks are in agreement on a one-year, $2MM Major League deal …

Royals Finalizing Two-Year Deal With Kelvin Herrera  —  The Royals are finalizing a two-year contract with right-handed setup man Kelvin Herrera, reports Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter).  The contract will pay the arbitration-eligible relief ace $4.15MM.

Yanks take high school righty DeCarr in third round  —  The Yankees select right-handed pitcher Austin DeCarr with the 91st pick of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft  —  The Yankees dipped into Red Sox country for their second selection in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft …

Pitcher becomes second Ray to strike out four in one frame  —  5/10/13: Will Venable strikes out but reaches on a wild pitch and later scores on a balk in the midst of Alex Cobb's four-strikeout inning  —  ST. PETERSBURG — One of the stranger frames of the Rays' season took place …

Governor Rick Scott Announces the Nationals and the Astros Will Keep Spring Training in Florida  —  Governor Rick Scott today announced that the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros, whose leases come up for renewal next year, have chosen to stay in Florida.