BASEBALL ROUNDUP | News and notes

Indians sign final five: Left-hander Cliff Lee, an 18-game winner a year ago, was among the final five players signed to one-year contracts for 2006. Outfielder Grady Sizemore, right-hander Matt Miller, left-hander Jason Stanford and infielder Brandon Phillips also signed, bringing the entire 40-man roster under contract.
Wells rescinds trade request: Boston Red Sox left-hander David Wells rescinded his trade request and said Sunday there was a "99.9 percent" chance he would retire after the upcoming season, his 19th in the majors. Rather than prolong the uncertainty, Wells figured that he could live with the lack of privacy in Boston for one more season and that he and his family could handle being away from their San Diego-area home. Wells told general manager Theo Epstein about his change of heart Saturday. "I just told him, 'Listen, plan on me going north, dude.' I said I want to stay. I said I think it will be fine," Wells said. "He was all smiles and that was that."
Puckett hospitalized after stroke: Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett had a stroke at his Arizona home Sunday and was taken to a hospital for surgery. The 44-year-old Puckett, who led the Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, was taken to a Scottsdale hospital. Ron Shapiro, who was Puckett's agent, said he had been in contact with Puckett's family Sunday but would not confirm his whereabouts.
Baseball signs lease for Nationals: Major League Baseball took a major step Sunday toward resolving an impasse over a home for the Washington Nationals, signing a lease for a new ballpark. One day before the Monday deadline imposed by the District of Columbia Council, baseball signed the lease approved by the Council last month. The lease calls for a ballpark to be built along the Anacostia River, south of the Capitol, with a provision capping the city's spending for the project at $611 million. Baseball, which will not select a new owner for the team until a lease is in place, had expressed concern over the cap, which altered the original 2004 agreement that brought the team from Montreal last season. In particular, baseball was concerned about a scenario in which the team's future owners could be forced to pay cost overruns. The alternatives for baseball would have been to ask for binding arbitration or search for a new city.
Selig not deterred: Baseball commissioner Bud Selig watched one of his biggest projects get off the ground Sunday, and he wasn't about to let the New York Yankees spoil the moment. Selig met with reporters during Team USA's debut, a World Baseball Classic tuneup against a San Francisco Giants split squad. He was asked about a sign that was posted Saturday in the main concourse at the New York Yankees' spring training complex in Tampa, Fla. The sign apologized to fans about the absence of some Yankees stars. They include Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon, who chose to play for the United States in the World Baseball Classic. Bernie Williams is playing for Puerto Rico. "The New York Yankess," the sign stated, misspelling the team's name, "did not vote to support this event. Any comments you have regarding the World Baseball Classic should be directed to the commissioner of Major League Baseball or the Major League Baseball Players Association." The Yankees said the sign would be removed before today's game. Asked if Major League Baseball told the Yankees to remove it, Selig said, "Well, it didn't disappear by itself."
Associated Press
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.