ESPN Spring Training Blog

BIG UNIT IMPRESSES IN AUDITION: (6:30 p.m. ET)
Randy Johnson called it an audition. The 44-year-old left-hander, who six months ago underwent his second back surgery in less than a year, threw off the mound Sunday. He pitched in front of manager Bob Melvin for the first time since his final, unsuccessful outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers last June.

"He came out throwing bullets the first pitch he threw," Melvin said. "As I've discussed before, the arm's not the issue here. I haven't talked to him since he finished, but I think he's probably pretty pleased with the way it went."

Johnson was satisfied with the outing, too.

"I'll just do what I'm doing," he said. "I continue to make progress. I'll throw again on Thursday, take three days off and play catch and do all my workouts, and gradually get in to the other little things I'm not doing now. ... The most important thing for me right now is to get on the mound."

-- The Associated Press

BAKER RISES TO ROLE AS TWINS' OPENING-DAY STARTER: (6:14 p.m. ET)
For the first time in a decade, most people outside of Minnesota will have probably never heard of the pitcher the Twins send to the mound on opening day. Scott Baker suddenly has found himself at the front of the line, and it's a bit surprising to him, too.

Last year, he was cut with a week left in camp and spent the first six weeks of the season in Triple-A.

He was high on Minnesota's list before, until he was battered for 17 homers and a 6.37 ERA over 16 starts and 83-plus innings in 2006. Baker needed a full year to regain the faith of the Twins. Consistently keeping his fastball low in the strike zone has been an important part of Baker's process, but a better mental approach has had a greater impact, he said.

"It's very easy to get caught up in a lot of the logistics of the game and try to be so stat-oriented," Baker said. "Really, all you're in control of is doing your absolute best. That's what I tried to get back to. I put in every amount of preparation I could and then allowed myself to go out there and have a good time. It was definitely a turning point."

-- The Associated Press

M'S RHODES READY FOR COMEBACK: (6:10 p.m. ET)
Arthur Rhodes could have called it a career, but his arm and mind wouldn't let him.

Not even having Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow and sitting out all of 2007 convinced the Seattle reliever to hang it up. If anything, the 38-year-old left-hander is more determined than ever to get back on the mound.

"I was frustrated last year," Rhodes said. "I had a good spring training but I just came up hurt. I just told myself in the offseason, 'Hey, you've got a new arm now, a new elbow. Just go out there and show them you can still pitch.' "

The Mariners want Rhodes to take it easy this spring, but they've had a hard time containing him. Eric O'Flaherty and Ryan Rowland-Smith are the front-runners for left-handed setup role. Both have been impressive during the first week of camp. While manager John McLaren has been equally impressed with Rhodes' recovery from the offseason surgery, he isn't sure the team can carry three lefty relievers on its 25-man roster.

-- The Associated Press

FUENTES NOT BUSY LICKING WOUNDS: (6:01 p.m. ET)
Brian Fuentes would rather be a $6.5 million closer than a $5 million setup man. He's not going to gripe about not getting his wishes, though.

"I'm happy to have a job. There's a lot of guys right now that don't have jobs," said the three-time All-Star, who lost his role as Colorado's closer last summer but rebounded as an eighth-inning specialist to help lead the Rockies to their first NL pennant.

The left-hander, who made $3,535,000 last season, lost his arbitration case on Friday. He said it was difficult sitting in on the hearing but that he wasn't going to let that affect him on the mound.

Fuentes will again serve as Manny Corpas' setup man and said he'll approach things the same way no matter which inning is his.

"My job is to come in and get guys out," he said. "So, whatever role they plan on using me in is totally up to them. I'm their pawn, so let me know what you want me to do and I'll do it."

-- The Associated Press

SORIANO AN EARLY ARRIVAL TO CAMP: (5:55 p.m. ET)
Alfonso Soriano reported to Chicago Cubs camp Sunday, a day ahead of the reporting date for position players. Soriano was the center of attention a year ago because he had just signed a $136 million, eight-year contract to leave the Washington Nationals for the Cubs, the team's biggest free-agent splash ever.

The biggest issue facing the Cubs' left fielder is his health. Last August, a severely strained right quadriceps put him on the disabled list for the first time in his career, and he missed three weeks. Early in the season, a strained left hamstring put him on the shelf for five games.

"I've run [at] 75 percent, so I think my legs are good," he said. "We'll see now how I feel."

Even with the injuries, Soriano hit .299 with 33 home runs and 70 RBIs in 2007. Can he get healthy enough for another 40-40 season, like the one he had two years ago?

"I don't know yet," he said. "We have to see in maybe a couple weeks, see how I feel in my legs. If I feel good, 100 percent, I can start running again."

-- Associated Press

PEDRO HAS 'EXCELLENT' SESSION FROM MOUND: (4:59 p.m. ET)
Pedro Martinez wasn't planning on throwing off a mound Sunday, but he felt so good throwing off flat ground, he changed his mind. He threw "very, very well," he said after throwing from the mound.

Martinez said his arm felt so good, when asked if he could throw again Monday, he said, "I can do whatever they want."

Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson was equally impressed, calling Martinez' throwing session "excellent." Then he smiled and said "I think he might make our team."

-- Tim Kurkjian, ESPN The Magazine

GORDON'S NEW STRONG-ARM TACTICS: (3:30 p.m. ET)
If Tom Gordon's current gig as the Phillies' primary set-up man for Brad Lidge doesn't work out, maybe he can help the Eagles as a backup quarterback.

Gordon says his personal trainer put him on a new conditioning program this winter to strengthen his shoulder and elbow, and he can already tell the difference -- by how far he can throw a football.

"It was incredible to me that, within a month of doing it, I was able to get up to throwing the football 40 yards," Gordon said Sunday. "I haven't been able to do that since 2004, my first year in New York. And by the end [of the winter], I got up to 60-65 yards on the fly. Knowing I could do that, it gives me real peace of mind coming into this season."

Gordon said the frustration of not being able to stay healthy over the last two years inspired him to try something different this winter.

"The last two years, I was up, down, up, down, with my elbow and my shoulder," he said. "I felt like I'd been through surgery, and I hadn't. So I'll tell you what. That gave me an idea of what I didn't want to feel like, going into this season."

-- Jayson Stark, ESPN.com

PRIOR FEELING FINE AFTER FIRST WORKOUT OF SPRING: (3:06 p.m. ET)
So far, so good for Mark Prior. The right-hander, who had shoulder surgery last season, didn't feel any pain during his first workout with the San Diego Padres on Saturday.

Prior, who hasn't pitched in the majors since Aug. 10, 2006, threw 31 pitches.

"It felt good," Prior told The Associated Press. "I felt pretty comfortable on the mound. I was able to focus more on some spots than mechanics and arm."

Prior isn't expected to return until mid-May at the earliest.

KENDRICK GETS PUNKED, PHILLIE-STYLE: (1:00 p.m. ET)
Starter Kyle Kendrick traded to the Yomiuri Giants for Kobayashi Iwamura? A prank pulled right from the Phillies' archives.

The club created an official-looking document on its letterhead to help convince Kendrick, 23, that he was bound for Japan (granted, major leaguers cannot be traded to Japan, but Kendrick signed the papers in triplicate, according to the Phildelphia Inquirer). Flight info: 7:05 a.m. Sunday, Delta connection in Atlanta, then more than 14 hours in the air to Tokyo. "I don't know what to think right now," a stunned Kendrick told reporters inside the clubhouse in Clearwater, Fla.

Those in on the ruse included assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr.; manager Charlie Manuel; pitcher Brett Myers;, Kendrick's agent, Joe Urbon; and Frank Coppenbarger, the Phillies' director of team travel and clubhouse service. The Inquirer said the chat with Kendrick took place in Manuel's office, with the manager and Myers miked by Comcast.

"They got me," Kendrick said. "I thought it was a done deal. I thought it really happened. Gosh, good thing it didn't." Phillies broadcaster Larry Andersen once pulled the same prank on former pitcher Wayne Gomes, the Inquirer said.

TIGERS GIVE MANTEI SHOT AT ROSTER SPOT (12:04 p.m. ET)
Another closer-on-the-comeback-trail story: Matt Mantei's first official bullpen session of spring training came Saturday in Lakeland, Fla., with the Tigers. He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2005.

The 34-year-old Mantei, a former closer with the Marlins and Diamondbacks, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session every other day, culminating with a live BP session. Then what? It's wait and see at this point.

Mantei has undergone elbow ligament reconstruction and bone spur surgeries and, while trying to catch on with the Red Sox in '05, injured his left ankle and needed season-ending surgery.

"Matt impresses everybody all the time," manager Jim Leyland said. "He's got a great arm. He's been blessed with a great arm. Health has always been his issue."

LOPEZ WILL HAVE TO EARN HIS KEEP WITH NATS (11:48 a.m. ET)
Felipe Lopez will be using camp to try and wedge his way into the Nationals' middle infield. Shortstop Cristian Guzman, second baseman Ronnie Belliard and Lopez will be vying for two spots.

According to The Washington Post, Guzman and Belliard would be the starters if the season opened this week. But Nationals manager Manny Acta considers Lopez "probably the most talented of the three" and will give him every chance of winning a job. Lopez can play second and short.

"Everybody knows the talent he has, and everybody has seen what he is capable of doing," Acta said, according to The Post. "If Felipe shows that he's back to his old self, I'll make the best decision for our ballclub."

Lopez, 27, had an abominable 2007 -- .245, nine homers and 50 RBIs -- which, you'd think, allowed the Nats to win their arbitration case last week. Lopez will be paid $4.9 million this season, $300,000 less than what he sought.

ROLLINS DID, BUT CAN BELTRAN AND METS BACK IT UP? (8:59 a.m. ET)
Center fielder Carlos Beltran reported to camp three days early Saturday and revealed he probably won't be ready to play when spring training games start because he's still rehabbing from Oct. 3 surgery on both knees.

That hardly put him in a sour mood, though. An upbeat Beltran spoke excitedly about new ace Johan Santana and had a right-back-at-you message for Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

"Let me tell you this: Without Santana, we felt as a team that we have a chance to win in our division. With him now, I have no doubt that we're going to win in our division," Beltran said. "So this year, to Jimmy Rollins -- we are the team to beat!"

Of course, it was Rollins who boasted last offseason that his Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East, even though the Mets had run away with the 2006 division title. He backed up his words, too, leading Philly's late-season surge past the fading Mets for its first division championship in 14 years.

On the strength of outstanding numbers (and perhaps his clairvoyant prediction), Rollins won the NL MVP award. Does Beltran plan to duplicate that feat, too? "I don't know about that," he said. "We'll find out."
-- The Associated Press

GET THAT MAN A CONTRACT (8:47 a.m. ET)
The cloud that is his contract status was very much hovering over third baseman Joe Crede at his first workout Saturday. White Sox GM Kenny Williams and Crede spoke about it, too.

"I was told point blank [by Crede's agent, Scott Boras] that he was going to be taken into free agency and there was no interest in that discussion," Williams said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "So that's where we left it and we haven't revisited it."

Crede said he'll listen to offers from the Sox but will defer any negotiations to Boras. Crede, who played in only 47 games last year after undergoing back surgery, is signed for the coming season at $5.1 million.

"I just look at it as a business," Crede said, according to the Tribune. "Whatever happens, happens. You deal with it."

CHIPPER'S OVER-UNDER: 150 GAMES (8:41 a.m. ET)
Entering his 14th season with the Braves, you'd think Chipper Jones might want to ease off the gas just a bit. Forget it. The switch-hitting future Hall of Famer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution his goal is to play 150 games this season.

Jones, who turns 36 in April, hit a career-best .337 in 2007 (with 29 home runs, 102 RBIs and a career-high 42 doubles), but he had two stays on the DL that limited him to 134 games. Between 1996 and 2003, Jones played in no fewer than 153 games.

"... There's only one area I'm thinking about this year, and that's games played," he told the AJC. "I've got to stay in the lineup."

The third baseman has a career .307 average and is 14 homers shy of 400. He'll have the luxury of hitting behind fellow switch hitter Mark Teixeira for a full season; after being acquired from Texas last July, Teixeira hit .317 with 17 homers and 56 RBIs in 55 games.