White Sox GM Ken Williams said Saturday that he doesn't believe the team needs to sign any more high-priced free agents. "We have learned some tough lessons ... throwing as much talent against the wall is not necessarily the answer," Williams said. "Things have to fit in place. Players have to complement one another, and they have to be in that clubhouse pulling for the same goal."

Jason Giambi is excited to watch Oakland's young hitters swing the bat, while also helping the A's pitchers learn some tricks of the trade. "Definitely," Giambi said. "No doubt about it. I love to watch guys hit, period. I do it all the time in the dugout. And when you do that so much, you can pick up a lot of information about guys and their approach, what they do or don't handle really well in certain counts and situations. "Joba used to pick my brain like that a lot, and I was happy to help him out -- just like I tried to with the young kids the first time I was with the A's."

Shortstop Hanley Ramirez believes in the direction of the Marlins even though the team parted ways with a number of key players this offseason. "They know what they're doing," Ramirez told LasMayores.com, MLB.com's Spanish Web site. "It's a franchise that has won two World Series. It's a good front office, and the team they've built will be strong."

Lisa Guerrero of the Los Angeles Times spoke with an unnamed player that agreed with Joe Torre's accusations in "The Yankee Years" that Alex Rodriguez "is a jerk." "Look, Alex is a jerk. Torre's insights are probably 100% accurate about how his teammates feel about him, but there's no reason to air that dirty laundry in a book," the player told Guerrero.

More nuggets are beginning to reveal themselves from Joe Torre's upcoming book, "The Yankee Years." The former manager believes that Mariano Rivera is to blame for the team's collapse against the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS. Torre, and co-author Tom Verducci, suggest it all turned on Rivera's misguided attempts to pick pinch-runner Dave Roberts off first near the end of Game 4 in Boston. Roberts, who came in to pinch run, was thought to be stiff and chill. But after Rivera repeatedly threw over to first base, "something unintended and important had happened ... Roberts' was now warm and his legs were loose. Rivera had done him a favor." Roberts would score the winning run and help Boston force a Game 5 in a series that the Red Sox would win with four straight victories.

The Rays have reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with veteran left-hander Brian Shouse. The deal is pending a physical exam, which he is expected to take towards the end of next week. Shouse, 40, pitched in 69 games for the Brewers last season.

White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye has once again heard his name pop up in trade rumors, but the veteran has been unfazed by the hot stove talk. "I've heard it more from my agent or my sister or my mom or my dad, calling me and telling me I was traded," said Dye on Friday. "I just told them that I didn't get a phone call. "Once I know, you'll know. To be honest, I've been having fun with other things."

Free-agent pitcher Pedro Martinez claims that he has generated interest from numerous clubs this offseason, but nothing from the Mets as of yet. "I've received various formal offers from various clubs who have a lot of interest in me," though he didn't identify them. He said his priorities were "my comfort and [maintaining] my health," Martinez said. Martinez has said that he'd prefer to return to the Mets.

The Tigers have seven healthy pitchers, and General Manager Dave Dombrowski says that there are "possibilities" for trades. Detroit has Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Armando Galarraga, Edwin Jackson, Nate Robertson, Dontrelle Willis, and Zach Miner under contract.

The Cubs have agreed to a one-year deal worth $725,000 with free-agent catcher Paul Bako. Bako played for the Cubs back 2003-04, but spent last season with the Reds. He could earn $300,000 in performance bonuses based on games started.