MLB News Blog

Detroit Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski says he has made a contract offer to free agent Johnny Damon. Dombrowski confirmed the offer in a telephone interview with The Associated Press after telling reporters in Lakeland, Fla., that the Tigers were interested in signing the outfielder. The 36-year-old Damon hit .286 with 24 homers for the [...]

A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that first baseman Russell Branyan has reached a preliminary agreement to rejoin the Cleveland Indians. The deal is subject to a physical, the person said Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the contract isn’t final.

Right-hander Aaron Harang isn’t assured of making another opening day start for the Cincinnati Reds. Manager Dusty Baker said Friday that he’s open-minded about who will start the opener. Harang has started the past four, but has struggled to win the past two years, throwing the No. 1 spot open to competition.

Sporting a bucket hat with sunglasses, Ken Griffey Jr. arrived at the Mariners’ spring training complex Friday with the kind of reception reserved for a veteran and clubhouse leader. Griffey embraced manager Don Wakamatsu and general manager Jack Zduriencik, and bellowed greetings to teammates from across the clubhouse.

Infielder Josh Barfield has returned to the San Diego Padres, agreeing to a minor league contract. The 27-year-old, a son of former All-Star outfielder Jesse Barfield, hit .280 with 13 homers and 21 steals for the Padres in 2006. He spent the past three years with Cleveland and was the Indians starter at second base [...]

St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa will stack up his top four starters with those of any team in the major leagues. And he’s not too worried about the fifth spot, either. Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright finished 2-3 in the NL Cy Young voting. Kyle Lohse is one year removed from a 15-win [...]

Major League Baseball has a new message for players and employees this spring training: Keep guns, long knives and explosives out of the clubhouse. Signs have been placed in spring training locker rooms stating “individuals are prohibited from possessing deadly weapons while performing any services for MLB.” The rules apply to employees of the commissioner’s [...]

Chicago Cubs lefty Ted Lilly has no major damage in his sore right knee. Lilly says the knee had been bothering him for a couple of days, so he went to a doctor Thursday to have it checked out. To his relief and that of the Cubs, an MRI showed just some wear and tear, [...]

New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel is thinking about dropping speedy shortstop Jose Reyes from the leadoff spot. Manuel spent almost half of his 40-minute news conference Friday discussing what to do with Reyes, who didn’t play after May 20 last season and wound up having surgery on his right leg in October.

Those perennially youthful Florida Marlins are starting to show a little age. Five members of the Marlins’ talented rookie class of 2006 are back for the start of another spring training, lending a rare sense of continuity to a franchise known for constant roster turnover. The group includes ace Josh Johnson, NL batting champion Hanley [...]