By Evan Brunell

JUST WIN, BABY: Zack Greinke spoke about rejecting a trade to the Nationals in favor of the Brewers, turning down an extension that would have been worth over $100 million.

The reason for the deal, Greinke says, has nothing to do with having anything against Washington. In fact, Greinke wouldn't rule out going to the Nationals once he hits free agency, but Milwaukee is where he wanted to be.

"The one thing I couldn’t get over was the fact that, here I was trying to get out of Kansas City because the team wasn’t good," Greinke said. "Not saying [the Nationals] don’t have a chance, but I was trying to get to a team that was looking really good at the moment. And I believe [the Nationals] will be good eventually."

In addition, Greinke cited the fact that Washington would have given up too much of its building blocks that could take the team into contention, including Jordan Zimmermann, Danny Espinosa and others. Milwaukee, meanwhile, coughed up players that weren't crucial to the contending process.

But for now, Greinke is with the Brew Crew and rehabilitating a cracked rib. While everyone involved would prefer Greinke was healthy, the extra time has allowed those in the organization to get to know Greinke. (Washington Post)

STICK TO THE MALL: Tommy Hilfiger came out with some redesigns of iconic sports uniforms with his take on the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Lakers, Montreal Canadiens and New York Yankees. Umm, Tommy... stick with what's gotten you here, 'kay? (San Antonio Express News)

WELCOME TO THE JOB: In Joe Garagiola, Jr.'s first ruling, baseball's new disciplinarian is expected to hand down a ruling on the Cardinals-Nationals fracas from Tuesday in which Livan Hernandez admitted plunking Colby Rasmus on purpose. It's unclear how hard Garagiola will come down, but expect fines at the very least. (Washington Post)

POLE POSITION: “MLB wants to play in Europe and the Netherlands have conquered pole position," says MLB's director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Netherlands are on track to build a baseball stadium for 2014 to host baseball's first European games in Hoofddorp, a 30-minute drive from Amsterdam. Germany (Regensburg) and Italy (Rome) are also in contention. (Mister Baseball) 

"NOW PLAYING CENTER FIELD -- WAIT, WHAT?" Jason Bay took a turn in center field for the Mets on Tuesday, and it could be something you see again. Skipper Terry Collins says Bay could play center in a pinch as he will not allow Carlos Beltran to return to center at any point. (New York Times)

Josh Hamilton v.2: Everyone knows Josh Hamilton's story, but have you heard of Jeff Allison? The Marlins grabbed him with their first-round pick in 2003 after Hamilton was named Baseball America's High School Player of the Year. Two heroin overdoses and an Oxycontin addiction later, Allison seemed on the verge of leaving baseball -- and life. But he's been clean for over four years now and got his first taste of the majors Tuesday. (Miami Herald)

ROTATING LINEUP: Joe Maddon would love to have a set lineup for the Rays, but that's not going to happen. There's too much good information, he says, that comes from within the organization regarding production against certain pitchers and especially this year, Maddon plans to take advantage of it. (MLB.com)

TALKING CONTRACT: Adrian Gonzalez's agent, John Boggs, was in town on Tuesday to talk contract with the Red Sox. Both sides came away optimistic, and -- stop me if you haven't heard this before -- expect an extension to be consummated in April. (Boston Globe)

IZZY'S FINE: One of the more intriguing stories of spring training was Jason Isringhausen's return to the majors with the Mets. An injury appeared to have perhaps changed that, but Isringhausen says the injury won't knock him out for a while and he should still be ready for Opening Day. (New York Post)

STILL NO NO. 5: The Cubs still haven't made any decisions on who the No. 5 starter will be, so Carlos Silva gets another chance to turn his spring training around when he draws the start in Wednesday's spring-training game. (Chicago Tribune)

RIDE THE PONY: A classic restaurant that was the staple of baseball people in Scottsdale, Ariz. for a decade has reopened under new ownership and has drawn rave reviews for ... keeping things exactly the same, which is how patrons of the restaurant like it. (Washington Post)

ORGAN MUSIC: A nice little story on the White Sox's new organist, replacing one who retired after 40 years on the job. (Chicago Tribune)

REMEMBERING STEVE OLIN AND TIM CREWS: Tuesday was the 18th anniversary of the tragedy that took the lives of Indians pitchers Steve Olin and Tim Crews. A look back... (Cleveland Plain-Dealer)

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RESURRECTIONS: Carlos Beltran is making some progress on his rehab program, as he ran the bases Wednesday. "That's a huge sign, because he told me when he starts running the bases he'll be close to playing. So that was a big sign for me," manager Terry Collins said (ESPN New York ). The five-time All-Star hasn’t played a full season since 2008, but at age 33, it’s not out of the question to return to form for at least a year or two. He played last September, but was shut down the last week when his bothersome knee flared up.

Disclaimer alert: he hasn't pitched in a game since June 13, 2009, he's 38 years old and it's awfully early in camp. Still, Jason Isringhausen is impressing Mets brass thus far. Armed with a new changeup, Izzy has been good enough to draw the word "outstanding," from Collins. (New York Times )

Elsewhere, Brandon Webb is still on a long road back himself. He threw "60 to 65 pitches off flat ground" Thursday. He'll throw again Friday and if there are no setbacks, the Rangers will put him on the mound either Sunday or Monday (ESPN Dallas ). The right-hander, who finished in the top two of Cy Young voting three consecutive seasons before falling injured, hasn't thrown a pitch in the majors since April 6, 2009. Webb, 31, is a complete wild card this season for the defending AL champs.

And though it isn't near as long a road back as Webb, Jake Peavy of the White Sox is feeling very optimistic, though he's careful not to get too far ahead of himself. "I'm far ahead of where I thought I would be at this point," Peavy told MLB.com . "But I can't push it and I've got to be cautious." In fact, the White Sox’s potential ace might be on track to start April 6, if everything goes as well as it possibly could. The 29 year old went 7-6 with a 4.63 ERA in 17 starts in 2010, last pitching July 6. He underwent season-ending surgery to repair a detached muscle in his pitching arm.

ABDOMINAL ANNOYANCE: Franklin Gutierrez was forced to fly back to Seattle to visit with some doctors about an ongoing stomach issue Thursday. The center fielder has suffered severe stomach pains on occasion since late last season, to the point that he couldn't eat well and his play was affected. It could help explain some of his offensive woes, as Gutierrez went .212/.253/.304 in his last 75 games at the plate. He did tell reporters last week his issue was gone, but it has apparently resurfaced and he'll likely need to get on some sort of medication to alleviate the pains. (Seattle Times )

SLIM CC: After dropping 25 pounds this offseason, CC Sabathia says he can already tell the difference when it comes to his stamina. "In years past, I would get a little gassed in my bullpens once I got 30, 40 pitches in, but I felt pretty good," he told the New York Times . "I was able to keep my mechanics together and work on stuff that I need to work on." If this carries over the regular season, watch out. The big fella has averaged 240 innings a season since 2007, averaging just a tick above seven innings per start. And he has more stamina?

On a lighter note, he noted the toughest tests for him during the season are road trips to Kansas City (BBQ) and Chicago (deep-dish pizza). Amen, CC.

BREWER BARGAIN: As Ryan Braun watches peers cash in with what some consider ludicrous contracts, one might wonder if he feels like his eight-year, $45 million contract -- of which he has five years remaining -- is short-changing him. The reality is that with the numbers Braun puts up, factoring in his age (27) and durability (at least 151 games in each of his three full seasons), the contract is an absolute steal for Milwaukee. To Braun's credit, he's not griping. He's only thinking about the playoffs, he says. As for the money thing, he told MLB.com: "I get it, but it's a non-issue. I pay attention to what goes on around the game, obviously, but I'm happy for all of those guys. I agreed to a deal three years ago that goes five [more] years, and I'm excited and honored to be here." (MLB.com )

IRON MAN? The ever-polarizing A.J. Pierzynski wants to catch every game this season. Yes, all 162. There's no need to get into the realism of that one, what with his career high in games being 140, his offensive skills deteriorating and his age hitting 34. Plus, there's nothing wrong with wanting to play every game. More guys should want that. The juice in this article is the always-hilarious Ozzie Guillen, who once said he hates his catcher only a little less than the competition. This time around, he again said Pierzynski annoys him and that "sometimes I wish he wouldn’t even come to the ballpark." It should be noted, Guillen was laughing, thus, saying everything tongue-in-cheek. (MLB.com )

UNDER BYRD'S WING: It's always sad when veteran players have an ego too big to take a younger player under their wing. A football example comes to mind: you know, something with a guy wearing number four and a team that just won the Super Bowl. Anyway, I digress. We're talking about baseball. And Marlon Byrd of the Cubs has been working with top Cubs prospect Brett Jackson this spring. They're both center fielders, and Byrd's even embracing the inevitable for the sake of the franchise. "Last year, he really didn't know me," Byrd told MLB.com . "Now I say things and he understands that it's to help him. I even have to sit him down and say, 'I've got to help you to get ready because if you're going to move me to right field, you have to be ready. If not, I'm capable of playing at 34, 35 years old.' He got a kick out of that. He laughed."

RESTORING POWER IN THE BAY: ESPN’s SweetSpot blog takes a look at Jason Bay, specifically his power. Or, if we’re talking about 2010, a lack thereof. Four times in Bay’s career he went yard at least 30 times in a season. After signing a big contract with the Mets, he did so just six times in 401 plate appearances in 2010. There were health problems and an adjustment to a new, cavernous park, but the output was still horrifying, as Bay slugged just .402 (his career slugging percentage is .508). Bay said he believes 30 home runs this season is "reasonable," and points to David Wright -- whose home run total jumped from 10 to 29 in his second season with Citi Field as a home.

BOSTON RED STALKS: Remember how Carl Crawford was creeped out about the Red Sox virtually tailing him over the winter before inking him to a colossal contract? Johnny Damon, part of the group replacing Crawford in Tampa Bay and former Red Sox outfielder, isn't surprised. He even offered up an example of when it had happened in the past. "I know Boston had followed guys before like Mo Vaughn especially; they wanted to see what he was doing all the time. The Boston fans, they follow you around too to see what you’re doing, it seems like they’re everywhere. But when a team's investing $142 million they probably have a right to know every little bit of your history," he told the St. Petersburgh Times . Interesting. Damon wasn’t anywhere close to Boston when Vaughn departed via free agency, but he could very well be correct. And if he is, the Red Sox did their homework well. Check out Vaughn’s stats by year -- right when he departed Boston, his regression began.

-- Matt Snyder

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Terry Collins revealed his batting order to ESPN Sunday, with the first six spots etched in stone.

The skipper also promised that there would not be significant adjustments on a day-to-day basis.

That means, for a large percentage of Mets games, the lineup will kick off with:

SS Jose Reyes
CF/RF Angel Pagan
3B David Wright
RF/CF Carlos Beltran
LF Jason Bay
1B Ike Davis

There's two more spots up for grabs, but those will change depending on who wins the second base and catcher's roles. Josh Thole is expected to pair with Ronny Paulino behind the dish and the batting order could change depends on who starts. Paulino would make sense in the No. 7 spot against left-handers, for example, given his prowess against them.

The second-base job is less clear, with Luis Castillo, Ruben Tejada, Luis Hernandez, Brad Emaus and Daniel Murphy all battling for playing time. Murphy appears the heavy favorite and would likely bat seventh against right-handers with Thole eighth.

-- Evan Brunell

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It's a long way to fall going from a key piece of a three-way trade involving Manny Ramirez and Jason Bay to being released by the worst team in baseball. But Brandon Moss will get a fresh start with the Phillies.

Moss, a now-27-year-old outfielder, was considered a top prospect when he came to Pittsburgh from Boston in a 2008 midseason blockbuster. But he lost his starting job in 2009 and played just 17 games at the major-league level in 2010, the team making it clear he was not part of their rebuilding plans. He batted .154 last season and has a .238 average in 244 career major-league games.

He was removed from the Pirates' 40-man roster recently, making him a free agent. The Phillies announced Friday they had signed him as a minor-league free agent with an invitation to spring training.

-- David Andriesen

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Yankees catcher Jorge Posada was unavailable for Wednesday's game against the Orioles, reporting symptoms consistent with a concussion after being shaken up by a foul tip on Tuesday. Manager Joe Girardi told reporters after the game that Posada saw a neurologist.

It's been a rough year in baseball for concussions, which have no set timeline for recovery. The Twins are likely to be without Justin Morneau and the Mets without Jason Bay for the season after lingering symptoms. Hopefully for Yankees fans this won't turn into a major issue.

UPDATE: The Yankees sent an email to reporters updating his status: "Tests performed this afternoon by a neurology specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital were negative. Physicians have cleared Posada for competitive play and he is listed as day-to-day." Sounds like good news.

-- David Andriesen

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Oliver Perez's 25-game streak of games without an appearance ended Monday in Atlanta.

It was the longest such streak in the majors this season, according to Elias Sports Bureau, and it didn't take two pitches to remind Jerry Manuel why he hasn't called on the lefty more often as Brian McCann put Perez's second pitch deep into the right field seats.

In fairness, it was the only hit he gave up (along with two walks) in his inning of work. Perez's ERA now stands at 6.75.

The Mets new general manager will have to decide what to do about Perez after the season. He's owed $12 million for next season and that's a lot of money just to eat on a single player, but a roster spot for someone you're not going to use could end up costing much more than $12 million.

Of course, whoever that new GM is (and there's nothing definitely about Minaya yet, but if the writing isn't not he wall, Fred Wilpon certainly has the cap of the pen off as he sits in his stall deciding what to write) may be handcuffed with some of the worst contracts in baseball. The team will owe Carlos Beltran $18.5 million next season, Francisco Rodriguez is owed $11.5 million (plus has an option for 2012) and Jason Bay is singed through 2013 for nearly $60 million. The team also has to decide on Jose Reyes' $11 million option, though it's unlikely they'd decline it.

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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Mets outfielder Jason Bay, out more than a month with a concussion, was cleared Friday to resume physical activity after being symptom-free for two days.

Bay showed up at Citi Field and said he'll begin by riding a stationary bike. If he continues to be symptom-free -- migraine headaches have been his main problem -- he'll get to increase his execrcise level.
Bay thinks he can play again this season, even if it's only for the last few games.

"I expect to,” Bay told reporters. “But at the same time, I'm not foolish to know that I haven't done anything in a month and there's a certain rigor of programs you need to go through. I'm also fighting not just getting back into shape, but also making sure my head doesn't hurt either. You're going against two things. I fully expect to and I want to. I also understand we have time constraints, as well."

Bay was injured hitting the wall at Dodger Stadium, and played in the next two days before being shut down with the concussion symptoms. Some have been critical of the Mets for not catching the concussion sooner, but Bay said they had no reason to.

“Ultimately, everybody goes off what I say," he said. "That night I felt like I ran to a wall, obviously. And the next day, honestly, I was sore body-wise, but I didn't feel anything. It's kind of hard to try to fault anybody when you don't say anything and when you have nothing wrong. ... Not one of the symptoms presented itself."

-- David Andriesen

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Mets manager Jerry Manuel told reporters this afternoon that he does not expect outfielder Jason Bay, out since July 23 with a concussion, to return this season.

Bay, who sustained the injury when he hit the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium, began running on Sunday but has not resumed baseball activities.

Teams are extremely cautious when it comes to concussions, which have no predictable timetable for recovery. The Cardinals on Thursday announced that catcher Jason LaRue, who sustained a concussion in a fight last week, would not return this season. Twins star first baseman Justin Morneau has been out since July 7 with a concussion, and while he started taking batting practice this week, there's no word on when or if he will return this season.

UPDATE: Apparently Manuel changed his mind during Friday's game, because afterward he told reporters Bay is showing progress and he wouldn't rule out a return this season. To sum up the day: Jerry Manuel is not a doctor.

-- David Andriesen

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