Tim Tebow to be assigned to Columbia Fireflies, Mets' low-A affiliate  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — Tim Tebow's baseball odyssey will continue in South Carolina with the Columbia Fireflies, the Mets' low Class-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League, where he will play every day as he attempts …

With WBC On The Line, Tanner Roark Ready For Biggest Start Of His Career  —  LOS ANGELES—Tanner Roark has made a career of exceeding expectations.  —  The righthander was a 25th-round pick in the 2008 draft and didn't make his major league debut until he was 26 years old.

Jays finalizing extension with manager John Gibbons  —  The Toronto Blue Jays and manager John Gibbons are finalizing a multi-year extension and expect to have a deal in place by opening day, sources tell FanRag Sports.  This comes just a week after a March 15 report from Rob Longley …

White Sox sign shortstop Tim Anderson to six-year, $25 million contract  —  The Chicago White Sox signed shortstop Tim Anderson to a six-year, $25 million contract extension Tuesday morning, a high-ranking executive with direct knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports.

Red Sox Still Looking To Acquire Starting Pitching Depth  —  Manager John Farrell says the Red Sox have been and continue to be trying to acquire starting pitching depth, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald writes.  The Red Sox are dealing with injuries to starters David Price and Drew Pomeranz.

Michael Pineda has short-lived outing as questions still hover over Yankees rotation  —  TAMPA — CC Sabathia said recently that he thinks the Yankees' rotation is going to surprise some people this season.  —  Forgive us for being skeptical.  —  Sure, Masahiro Tanaka has been brilliant this spring …

Brady Anderson's role with Orioles a topic of debate  —  His title is vice president of baseball operations.  The Orioles list him No. 2 on their front-office depth chart, just under executive VP Dan Duquette.  But to Brady Anderson, a role that typically equates to assistant general manager is not enough.

Will Smith To Receive Second Opinion After MRI Shows Ligament Concern  —  Giants reliever Will Smith did not get the news he hoped for after undergoing an MRI last night.  GM Bobby Evans told reporters that the scan showed possible ligament damage that will require a second opinion …

Rangers Open To Mid-Season Contract Talks With Yu Darvish  —  The Rangers are open to holding contract negotiations with star righty Yu Darvish during the upcoming season, GM Jon Daniels said in an appearance on 1310 The Ticket (as MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports).

Why Kevin Kiermaier makes his $66.1 million deal worth it for the Rays  —  PORT CHARLOTTE — The obstacles, biases and long odds Kevin Kiermaier overcame in rising from 31st-round draft pick to the reward of a six-year, $53.5-million deal will be forever considered a testament to hard work, determination and drive.

Chargers' Keenan Allen expects to be ready for the start of training camp in July  —  Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen celebrates after scoring against the Rams in the second half on Nov. 23, 2014, in San Diego.  (Denis Poroy / Associated Press)  —  There's a better than average chance …