Sons of a gun

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Now it's not only Gary Matthews Jr. and Jerry Hairston Jr. but David Bell, a third son of a major leaguer, who's been tied to Internet sales of anti-aging and performance-enhancing drugs. Bell reportedly received shipments of HCG, which stands for human chorionic gonadotropin (Bell said he has a prescription for an undisclosed medical condition). Yet, it's quite a coincidence that all three names to come out are sons of former major leaguers who played before the steroid era.

Whole new ballgame

It was reported in this space on Monday that Angels people were going over Matthews' new $50 million contract to see if it provides them any protection in case this investigation doesn't come out too good for Matthews. One GM of another team said this has taught him to include clauses to protect his franchise if a case like this comes up again, as it surely will.

Around the camps

• Not everyone thinks the Royals paid too much for Gil Meche. Alex Rodriguez likes the move, and not because he likes to see fellow players do well. You see A-Rod has always been a Meche man, to the point where he advised the Yankees to try to trade for him at every trade deadline since he's come to New York. "I love Gil Meche," Rodriguez says of his former Mariners teammate. "But I always had him as a secret."

• David Wright's claim that he would switch positions for A-Rod is typical Wright, sincere and unselfish. Of course, there's no chance that Mets owner Fred Wilpon would reverse course six years after pulling the plug on the team's A-Rod pursuit. Besides, Mets officials refer to Wright as "our Jeter."

One difference, though: Jeter didn't give up his position for A-Rod.

• Phillies GM Pat Gillick is a slick operator, but anyone who thinks he can turn Jon Lieber into Alex Rios isn't thinking clearly. Lieber is an overpaid No. 4 starter right now, while Rios is a talented young hitter. To get Rios, Gillick presumably would have to part with one of his top young pitchers. Gillick also told me he'd love to bolster the bullpen. One way to do that would be to acquire Rios, then send Aaron Rowand to San Diego for Scott Linebrink, who's led the league in trade rumors over the last year. Rowand and Mike Cameron would give the Padres the best defensive outfield in baseball and provide centerfield insurance should Cameron leave as a free agent after this year.

• Brian Roberts is closing in on a two-year extension for around $12 million with the Orioles. "Hopefully," Roberts said when asked Tuesday whether it would be done within a day or two. In writing about Roberts' negotiations, Jorge Arangure of the Washington Post notes that all the Orioles cornerstone players are signed through exactly 2009: Miguel Tejada, Jay Gibbons, Melvin Mora, Aubrey Huff, Ramon Hernandez, Eric Bedard, Danys Baez, Cory Bradford and Jamie Walker. That implies the Orioles are actually planning nowadays.

• One scout tabbed Toronto's Adam Lind as a hitter to watch.

• Roy Halladay is the last guy the defending AL champion Tigers want to see Opening Day. Not counting Ivan Rodriguez, Tigers hitters are 14-for-96 vs. Halladay. Pudge is 10-for-18 with two home runs and two doubles.

• Michael Young got his $80 million deal from Texas, but many folks see his infield mate Mark Teixeira, a Maryland native, eventually ending up in Baltimore.