The Minnesota Twins' spring training schedule will include a couple of unusual opponents in March: World Baseball Classic teams from Puerto Rico and the Netherlands.
Those pretournament exhibitions comprise two of the Twins' 19-game home schedule at their Fort Myers, Fla., spring home, the team announced Tuesday. The Twins open spring training with a Feb. 25 night game against the Red Sox at Hammond Stadium, Minnesota's Florida base since 1990. The Twins will face Boston five times, including March 1 and April 2 home games, and the New York Yankees four times, including home games on Feb. 27 and March 20.
The Twins will close their spring schedule on April 4 with a home game against Pittsburgh, then travel to Minneapolis for the final Opening Night in the Metrodome, April 6 against Seattle.
-- Phil Miller
On Page 6D: Twins' spring training schedule in Scorecard.
At least three bid on Cubs: Interest in buying the Chicago Cubs remains healthy despite the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. At least three prospective buyers submitted second-round bids to Tribune Co. for the team by the Thanksgiving deadline, according to sources involved in the sales process.
Chicago real estate investor Hersch Klaff; the Ricketts family, founder of online brokerage TD Ameritrade Holding Corp.; and a group led by Marc Utay, a New York private equity investor, are in the hunt to land one of Baseball's most storied franchises.
Vazquez to Braves? Javier Vazquez is likely headed from the Chicago White Sox to Atlanta in a multiplayer trade. The teams reached a tentative agreement that would send the pitcher to Atlanta, two people familiar with the deal said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been completed.
It was unclear who the Braves would send to Chicago in exchange for Vazquez. The right-hander was 12-16 with a 4.67 earned-run average in 33 starts for the American League Central champions this season, surpassing 200 innings for the eighth time in nine years.
Briefly: The New York Mets said the name Citi Field will remain on their new ballpark, scheduled to open next season. Two New York City councilmen said last week that the ballpark's name should be changed to Citi/Taxpayer Field because the struggling bank is getting help from a government bailout.
Ted Rogers, owner of the Toronto Blue Jays , died at his home on Tuesday. He was 75.
Right-handed reliever Doug Brocail, 41, agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract to remain with Houston.
The San Francisco Giants said demand with determine the price of some tickets. Team President Larry Baer said, for example, fans might spend $25 to see the Giants host a big rival such as the Dodgers in a big August game but might charge only $8 for the same seats for an April game against the Brewers.
