WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — As important as setting his pitching rotation, Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez will begin to determine his catching platoon when Grapefruit League games begin on Saturday.
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — There were times in Mike Minor's return to a starting role last season that the left-hander got frustrated when the Texas Rangers were being cautious with him.
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — For a franchise that has been a perennial loser, Victor Victor Mesa sounds like a winner.
MESA, Ariz. (AP) — The spring training season started with a splash. Just not the kind fans hoped for.
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Longtime Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo has died after collapsing at the Red Sox's spring training ballpark. He was 62.
Perez played every position but catcher for Milwaukee a year ago. Spangenberg, who signed with the Brewers in January, played multiple positions for the Padres last season.
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Former Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard has joined ESPN as an analyst on "Baseball Tonight."
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — If Ronald Acuna Jr. is dropped down in the Atlanta Braves' batter order, Ender Inciarte and Ozzie Albies could be the top candidates to lead off.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — The Cleveland Indians and two-time All-Star reliever Tyler Clippard have agreed to a minor league contract.
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Players' union head Tony Clark is guarding against drawing any conclusions about the free-agent market based on Manny Machado's contract and says Adam Wainwright's recent comments about a possible strike were in line with the level of concern he hears from the pitcher's colleagues.
NEW YORK (AP) — The baseball players' union is urging the sport's exclusive cap supplier to keep open its plant in Derby, New York, and not move production to a non-unionized facility in Florida.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers will honor pitching great Don Newcombe by adding a commemorative No. 36 patch to their uniforms this season.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Former All-Pros Chris Gardocki, John Abraham and Dexter Coakley and ex-Major League reliever Roberto Hernandez are among seven people selected to be enshrined in the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The sluggish free-agent market the last two years has not scared Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado, who could be among the prizes in the next pool.
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Third baseman Trevor Plouffe has agreed to a minor league contract to remain with the Philadelphia Phillies.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Josh Donaldson is talking about all the things he did during his workout program, and it's pretty much everything you expect until he gets to the middle of the list. "Some toe exercises," Donaldson said. Wait. Toe exercises? "Everything starts from the bottom, the ground, right?" Donaldson said Thursday at Braves spring training. I suppose it does, when he puts it that ...
SAN DIEGO - Let's start with curses, which have a colorful niche in baseball history. These days, the baseball world gives curses no credence due to the Cubs and Red Sox finally winning a World Series. No one gnashes teeth over a billy goat's exile from a tavern, or that Babe Ruth was traded. Or, in this little slice of the baseball universe, that the Padres failed to pour holy water on home ...
MESA, Ariz. - Joe Maddon's quest to communicate with his millennial players was off to a fine start less than two weeks into Cubs camp. "Very groovy," Maddon said after Wednesday's workout. I think Maddon meant "on fleek," though I didn't have my baby boomer-to-millennial translation guide handy. Either way, Maddon is diving headfirst into his new reality - speaking the millennials' language - ...
SURPRISE, Ariz. - Royals pitcher Ian Kennedy and left fielder Alex Gordon aren't ready to sit back in rocking chairs and have nostalgic conversations that included phrases like "we were something weren't we." They each feel like they can still be premier players, and the Royals certainly need more out of them than moral support and words of wisdom. Kennedy, 34, and Gordon, 35, are the elder ...
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies are standing at the front door of being all in, and they have the 11-letter password: B-R-Y-C-E-H-A-R-P-E-R. Sign the 26-year-old, free-agent outfielder, and listen for the phones in the ticket office to start ringing. That is exactly how managing partner John Middleton, team president Andy MacPhail, and general manager Matt Klentak should be viewing their ...
