Brewers out, but Blue Jays would interest Papelbon more  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — Jonathan Papelbon had just finished running sprints at Phillies camp when he heard that the Milwaukee Brewers had filled their vacant closer's role by re-signing Francisco Rodriguez to a two-year, $13 million deal.

Daniel Murphy: 'As of now, I'm a Met'  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Second baseman Daniel Murphy, the lone All-Star for the New York Mets in 2014, likely is headed for free agency next offseason.  —  Murphy indicated Thursday that he was open to in-season extension talks between the club …

Cardinals' Wainwright has abdominal strain  —  JUPITER, Fla. — Adam Wainwright has been diagnosed with an abdominal strain but the St. Louis ace could be available to pitch the Cardinals' opener at Wrigley Field on April 5.  —  Wainwright strained the muscle on Monday while putting a 45-pound weight back on a rack.

Let's hit: Jeff Francoeur channels Charlie Manuel  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jeff Francoeur leaned against the batting cage on Wednesday morning and stood next to Charlie Manuel as another Phillies player took his swings.  The former Phillies manager and his newest pupil talked about Manuel's favorite subject: the art of hitting.

Josh Hamilton meets with MLB after cocaine, alcohol relapse: source  —  Josh Hamilton, the slugging outfielder who seemed destined for baseball stardom but has been repeatedly sidelined due to substance abuse, was summoned to New York to meet with MLB officials Wednesday about a disciplinary issue.

Steinbrenner talks about futures of Cashman, Girardi and A-Rod  —  Clockwise from left: Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, general manager Brian Cashman, Alex Rodriguez and manager Joe Girardi  —  TAMPA — Take the hot seat away.  No one is on it for the Yankees.  It is only spring training, as owner Hal Steinbrenner sees it.

A deep dive from Ike Davis on his NY Mets' downfall, health, hope for the future, the thing that still leaves “dirty taste”  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The phenom part is easy.  You're born talented, become a first-round pick, and ascend to the big leagues, all without having to think much.

Blue Jays Sign Johan Santana To Minors Deal  —  The Blue Jays have signed veteran left-hander Johan Santana to a minor league contract with an invitation to their big league Spring Training camp, according to a team press release.  Santana is represented by Peter Greenberg of the Legacy Agency.

‘I Jumped Up, Reached for the Ball ... and My Life Changed Forever’  —  By Brandon Bostick  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Sometimes I wake up in the morning and it's the first thing on my mind.  There are nights when I dwell on it before falling asleep.  Sometimes the thought creeps up on me when I'm lifting weights …

Brady Aiken to be back in draft  —  Left-hander Brady Aiken, the top prospect in this year's MLB draft class and the first overall pick in 2014, will pitch this spring for the post-graduate team at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, a source told ESPN.  The move will make him eligible for this year's draft, which begins Monday, June 8.