The Brewers are not burying their heads in the sand. They realize it will be impossible to replace slugger Prince Fielder, the newly minted Detroit Tiger. And, should Ryan Braun be suspended for 50 games for a reported positive drug test, the void in the middle of the lineup will be greater.

But the Brewers made it clear during their winter fan festival in Milwaukee that nobody is saying "woe is us."

"Don't panic," outfielder Nyjer Morgan advised fans. "Everything is going to be OK. We're all professionals. There's no panic."

With their pitching returning mostly intact and slugger Aramis Ramirez brought in to fill third base as well as some of the production loss with Fielder's exodus, the Brewers still feel they will contend in the NL Central.

"Our team is...

As of Feb. 3, Roy Oswalt remained available in free agency, but the Red Sox probably won't sign another starting pitcher before spring training begins.

"We wouldn't rule out adding a starter, but I think it's unlikely at this point," general manager Ben Cherington said. "We're going to keep looking for ways to improve the team, including the pitching staff, but I wouldn't expect any major changes between now and the report date."

That means the Red Sox will open camp with Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz atop their rotation and two significant question marks behind them. Daniel Bard and Alfredo Aceves will attempt to make the transition from relievers to starters, and injury reclamation projects Vicente Padilla, Aaron Cook and Carlos Silva and holdovers Andrew...

Francisco Cordero knows his role with the Blue Jays.

"I will be the setup guy, I've been that before; I have to treat the eighth inning like the ninth and get us to (Sergio) Santos," the 36-year-old said from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic in a conference call after his signing of a one-year $4.5-million deal was made official.

"They explained to me what my role is going to be, I agreed to it and I'll be more than happy to do it."

Cordero had 37 saves last year with Cincinnati, but doesn't throw as hard as he once did. He does have 327 career saves compared with 31 for Santos, who is 28 and refining his electric stuff. If Santos falters, the Blue Jays know where to turn.

Cordero might have returned to Cincinnati as the closer, but Ryan Madsen failed...

Of all the question marks surrounding the Orioles entering spring training, none looms larger than Brian Roberts.

Once one of the sure things in the organization, the talented leadoff man and second baseman is likely to miss significant time in spring training and may not join the club when it heads north.

The longest-tenured player on the roster, Roberts has been battling headaches since suffering a concussion in May 2011 while sliding head-first. It was Roberts' second concussion in less than a year.

The headaches recurred throughout his rehab process in 2011 and prevented him from participating in organized games.

In fact, Roberts missed the Orioles' winter FanFest last month after doctors told him flying and appearing before a large group may aggravate...

The Tigers have one, maybe two, spots open for competition in the bullpen this spring.

Jose Valverde has the closer's role nailed down, and Joaquin Benoit returns as the primary setup guy in Jim Leyland's seven-man bullpen.

Octavio Dotel was signed to help out in the seventh and eighth innings, with Phil Coke and Daniel Schlereth providing left-handed options. That's five seats filled.

You'd have to presume Collin Balester, brought over from Washington in a trade for Ryan Perry, has the inside track for the sixth spot, or why else would Detroit have given up a hard-thrower such as Perry? Balester is out of options, one of the reasons the Nationals traded him, another factor working in his favor.

Still, Balester needs to show in the spring he can be a reliable...

The Diamondbacks agreed to a one-year, $5.9 million contract with All-Star catcher Miguel Montero to avoid arbitration, but that does not mean the sides are done talking about a multi-year deal.

D-backs general manager Kevin Towers said he hoped to continue discussions this spring on a contract that would lock up Montero for several more years, and Montero said that was fine with him even though the sides did not get particularly close on a long-term agreement during their attempts this winter.

"I would say there is probably more of a gap on dollars versus term, but we've got a lot more time to work that out than we did over the last couple of weeks," Towers said. "It is still something that we want to do.

Despite where the Astros sit relative to the rest of baseball, spots in the rotation will not just be handed out this spring. That was assured when a sixth extremely viable candidate was added to the rotation mix with the signing of veteran workhorse Livan Hernandez.

Hernandez, 36, signed a minor league contract complete with an invitation to major league spring training, where he will have a legitimate shot to make the opening day roster. It would be his 17th season in the major leagues for the 1997 World Series MVP.

"He gives us a veteran presence and it gives us flexibility so we don't have to push some young guys into roles if they're not ready for them," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said.

The most obvious young arm is attached the body of Jordan Lyles,...

The Cubs appear ready to head to spring training, but they've tied up a few last-minute details and still are being talked about in the trade and international free-agent markets.

Their biggest order of business was avoiding salary arbitration with ace starting pitcher Matt Garza, agreeing on a one-year deal worth $9.5 million with performance-based incentives.

The Cubs had offered $7.95 million while Garza was seeking $12.5 million. Cooler heads prevailed in the end.

The Cubs also were reported to have agreed to terms with Cuban left-hander Gerardo Concepcion on a multiyear deal worth at least $7 million. Team officials did not comment at week's end.

It appeared a deal was well on its way to being completed, pending a physical exam and the completion of...

As the Yankees continue to move through the marketplace in search of an extra left-handed bat, they are considering whether potential players have had success in New York before.

That's why, in part, hitters such as Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon have appeal. But the Yankees are not ruling out players who have not called the Big Apple home.

Manager Joe Girardi admitted that having some sort of New York background is a help, but was also quick to point out: "When you think about Raul Ibanez, he's had success wherever he's gone, too."

It's unclear whether the Yankees will sign someone to take up the at-bats lost when Jesus Montero, who was set to be the designated hitter, was sent to Seattle in the Michael Pineda trade.

They probably need to add a utility...

The Mets won't know for certain until March whether or not Johan Santana, attempting a comeback from left shoulder surgery, will be ready to go by the start of the regular season.

If he is, Santana will be the clear favorite to pitch Opening Day based on his past successes, including two Cy Young awards and four All-Star seasons.

If not, the assignment probably will fall to R.A. Dickey, the club's most consistent starting pitcher last season.

"I certainly hope that's not the case," Dickey said. "My first reaction would obviously be that I would be honored to do it. But it would be by default, because Johan is our ace."

Though Dickey was only 8-13 in 32 starts last season, he posted a 3.28 ERA in building upon his breakout 2010 campaign.

After battling a...

Pitchers and catchers don't report until later this month, and the Pirates are pretty much set with their everyday lineup.

Yes, seriously.

A team that lost 90 games in 2011, that made precious few waves this offseason, that has a 19-year streak of losing seasons will enter spring training with all but two everyday positions set for 2012. That's according to manager Clint Hurdle, who identified third baseman Pedro Alvarez and left fielder Alex Presley as the exceptions. And even those two will be considered starters unless things change.

"They will get the first shot," Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Either the Pirates have cause to be confident that essentially the same group of players will dramatically improve, or they could be guilty of...

Most of the White Sox players will use the low expectations on the 2012 team as motivation for when spring training starts later this month.

However, veteran Paul Konerko seemed to be the only player that cared more about the reality of the situation, and the fact that the White Sox have digressed since winning the 2005 World Series, especially in the eyes of their fan base.

"I would say it won't matter (what we tell them) until July or into August," Konerko said, when asked if there was anything to even say to White Sox fans at this point. "We've kind of just given back ... you get what you earn and we haven't earned anything with our fans over the last couple of years.

"Truth be told, there was that little glimmer at the end of '08.

From the outside, the Angels are perceived by some to have a surplus of dynamic, young center fielders.

Peter Bourjos has already made his first mark at the major league level, providing Gold Glove-level defense since his promotion to the big leagues in August 2010 and showing progress offensively. Mike Trout, meanwhile, is one of the most heralded prospects in baseball, and he touched the major leagues briefly at age 19 last year.

The combination has occasionally created fodder for trade speculation, usually involving Bourjos being dealt away to clear a spot for Trout between the Angels' veteran outfielders, Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells.

"Not too much," Bourjos said when asked if he pays attention when his name pops up in trade rumors.

For the first time in his four seasons with the organization, relief pitcher Ronald Belisario reported to spring training on time. In fact, the right-hander showed up to camp three weeks early.

Belisario, who missed 2011 while battling visa and legal issues in Venezuela, has already been seen at the Dodgers' spring training facility at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz., beginning workouts to prepare for the season.

Signed to a minor league contract prior to the 2009 season, Belisario showed up late to camp because of visa issues, but impressed the coaching staff well enough to earn a spot on the opening day roster.

Belisario put up a 2.04 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 71 innings, a key cog in the bullpen as the Dodgers won 95 games and advanced to the NLCS for the...

Marlins' president David Samson said he expects right-hander Juan Carlos Oviedo, formerly known as Leo Nunez, to join the team some time during spring training.

But Samson was less certain about Oviedo's chances of opening the season with the team. Oviedo is on the restricted list while he works out immigration issues in the Dominican Republic.

Oviedo was placed on the restricted list in September, right before he admitted to using a fake name, Leo Nunez.

"I hope that things get cleared up and we'd love to have him in camp and getting ready for the season," Samson said Feb. 2.

But Oviedo could face disciplinary action from Major League Baseball because "there was an acknowledged violation of the law" by him, Samson said.

"If you ask me will he be at...

The Nationals made a good move by signing right-handed starting pitcher Edwin Jackson to a one-year deal on Thursday. Now, they have the kind of problem that general managers simply smile about—they've got too much starting pitching.

Jackson went 12-9 last year with a 3.79 ERA in 32 games (31 starts with White Sox and then Cardinals) and helped St. Louis rally to get to the playoffs and win the World Series.

He joins an already crowded rotation in Washington.

Gio Gonzalez (16-12, 3.12 with the A's), Stephen Strasburg (1-1, 1.50), Jordan Zimmermann (8-11, 3.18), Chien Ming-Wang (4-3, 4.04) and John Lannan (10-13, 3.70) already were there.

In addition, Ross Detwiler is waiting.

That's why this move would seem to signal that the Nationals will make...

Outfielder Josh Willingham readily acknowledges that right field is not exactly in his comfort zone. But the offseason acquisition is confident he'll figure it out.

Although he has started only 33 games in right, he has played hundreds in left.

"Hopefully this spring I'll just get a lot of reps out there and get comfortable," Willingham said. "That's the goal. Playing on the opposite end of the field, it's different, the way the balls come off the bat, so it'll just take a little bit of time to get used to."

Willingham, 32, signed a three-year, $21 million deal this winter to replace Michael Cuddyer, whose primary position was right field, though he wound up playing a lot of first base the fill in for oft-injured Justin Morneau the last few seasons.

So far,...

Players have been coming into the clubhouse at Turner Field for the last month, at least, but Jan. 30 marked the first official day of the traditional early throwing program.

It's voluntary and open also to the organization's minor-leaguers, who are always amazed that pitching coach Roger McDowell spends as much time with them as with the established pitchers.

Because right-handed prospects Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado attract so much attention, it's easy to forget that right-hander Brandon Beachy and left-hander Mike Minor are young pitchers, too.

As are left-hander Jonny Venters, right-hander Craig Kimbrel and even, for that matter, right-handers Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson.

"It's going to take some patience and some bumps in the road," McDowell...

Once again, Josh Hamilton has lost one of his daily battles for sobriety.

On Feb. 3, Hamilton confirmed reports that he was drinking in a Dallas bar earlier in the week. He also said he had deceived teammate Ian Kinsler, who had joined him to keep him company.

Hamilton, who also had a slipup in January 2009, said he was in Dallas to attend to a family issue. He went out by himself for dinner and ordered a drink, then called Kinsler to join him. He said he did not drink in front of Kinsler, and Kinsler was unaware Hamilton had been drinking. Hamilton said Kinsler took him back to where he was staying and asked him if he needed to be accompanied upstairs. Hamilton said he told Kinsler he was fine, but when Kinsler left, he snuck back to the bar.

"When I talk about being...

The Rays feel pretty good about the moves they've made thus far during the offseason, upgrading offensively at designated hitter and first base, adding depth to their bullpen and improving behind the plate.

They did so by signing five free agents—first baseman 1B Carlos Pena, designated hitter Luke Scott, infielder Jeff Keppinger, catcher Jose Molina and reliever Fernando Rodney—for more than $18-million.

They also made two small trades, adding right-handers Burke Badenhop and Josh Lueke.

So what's left to do?

Even with the addition of Molina, the 36-year-old veteran of 12 seasons, the Rays seem shorthanded, at least experience-wise, behind the plate, which could lead them back into the market.

After declining Kelly Shoppach's option and...