"I'm not even going to talk about that," Zack Greinke said about a potential contract extension. "Sorry. I get annoyed when other people talk about it, and I already did earlier. It's the same stuff. Nothing has changed."

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is only 19, but talk to manager Davey Johnson about his left-handed-hitting slugger and he talks as if Harper is ready to play in the big leagues now.

The Angels may have committed $240 million to a man who plays the position he once excelled at, but Kendrys Morales understands. Albert Pujols will make everybody better.

It arguably was Dick Allen's arrival in 1972 and ensuing MVP season that helped restore the White Sox to prominence, via a second-place finish in the AL West, an 87-67 record and almost 1.2 million in attendance, and silence talk about a possible relocation out of Chicago.

Ryan Howard took swings in the batting cage, fielded ground balls, and jogged lightly around the diamond on Monday at Bright House Field. He is recovering from left Achilles surgery, which is expected to cost him at least the first month of the 2012 season.

D-backs shortstop Stephen Drew took ground balls on Monday for the first time since sustaining an injury that led to season-ending ankle surgery in July.

Reds right fielder Jay Bruce was among the early arrivals to Spring Training on Monday. Bruce, who was listed at 225 pounds last season, arrived noticeably trimmer.

As Braves players evaluated last year's late-season collapse, they were not distracted by a controversy involving beer and fried chicken. They were simply bewildered by the fact that they had gone from one of the game's most successful teams to one of its worst as soon as the calendar turned from August to September.

Don't look for Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks to get much of a tan during Spring Training. Pretty much all of the Red Sox reliever's activities will be indoors.

When the 2011 season ended, all Trey McNutt was focused on was getting healthy. But in mid-October, the right-hander was surprised to learn he was being mentioned as the player to be named in compensation for Theo Epstein, who was rumored to be leaving the Red Sox to take over the Cubs as president of baseball operations.

Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish has met Angels first baseman Albert Pujols. Darvish has been working out in Los Angeles the past week and apparently ran into Pujols at a gym.

Cole Hamels said a couple of things on Monday that should ease the minds of Phillies fans: He has no deadline to reach an agreement on a contract extension, and he also wants to stay in Philadelphia.

The Yankees reached agreement with Raul Ibanez on a one-year, $1.1 million contract on Monday, securing the left-handed designated-hitter option they had coveted.

Prince Fielder said he never got to hit on the fields here when he was a kid and his father, Cecil, was a Tiger. Now he knows how it feels.

As the Red Sox look for a fresh start this spring, they can take heart in the fact that one of the old reliables, Kevin Youkilis, is ready to resume his place in the heart of the batting order.

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said that left fielder Ryan Braun remains upbeat amid his long appeal of a drug suspension, and is planning to be in camp for the team's first full-squad workout on Saturday.

Joe Maddon likes the new role assumed by his team, but the Rays' manager does understand the dangers of lofty expectations. However, understanding the dangers of high expectations does not translate to shying away from the higher profile.