Broxton projected to close, but front office also seeking other veteran relievers  —  9/4/14: Making his Brewers debut, Jonathan Broxton gets Xavier Scruggs to go down swinging  —  MILWAUKEE — After the Brewers finalized a one-year pact with free-agent reliever Neal Cotts on Friday …

Time to make DH universal  —  New commissioner Rob Manfred will hear, and already has heard, plenty of suggestions on how to increase offense, and he has thrown out a few ideas himself.  —  And while Manfred probably doesn't have the backing of the National League, the old standby is always there: make the designated hitter universal.

Foul Territory Blog  —  Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar continues to be pleased with his recovery from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss last season.  —  He's throwing from 75 feet this week and hopes to move to 90 feet the following week if he's feeling good.  So far, so good.

First baseman optimistic club can exceed expectations in 2015  —  Freddie Freeman discusses the changes to the Braves' roster in the offseason and looking forward to playing in 2015  —  ATLANTA — Given the close bond that Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward …

COLORADO ROCKIES / MLB  —  The Denver Post  —  Atlanta Braves pitcher David Hale works in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 25 in Atlanta.  Hale went 4-5 with a 3.30 ERA last season with the Braves.  (John Bazemore, The Associated Press)

As spring training nears, Rays hope to tweak roster  —  For most of the past three months, the Rays roster has been under massive renovation, with 15 players dropped from the 40-man roster and a half-dozen potentially key pieces brought in.  —  2 Months Ago 2 Months Ago 1 Month Ago

5 most improved teams this winter  —  MLB.com's Jim Duquette looks at some of the most improved teams heading into Spring Training for the 2015 season  —  James Shields is the only big-name free agent still out there, and even he is probably not enough to turn the tide of an entire offseason.

Yankees skipper Joe Girardi claims ‘good’ relationship with Alex Rodriguez  —  Girardi: ‘Alex and I have kept in touch through all of this, so our relationship is good.  My job is to get him ready.’  —  As the relationship between disgraced slugger Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees continues …

Rays Sign Ronald Belisario To Minor League Deal  —  The Rays have signed free agent reliever Ronald Belisario to a minor league deal, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter).  Belisario was recently tied to the Blue Jays, although their reported deal fell through yesterday.

U.S. Treasury letter should clear way for signing with MLB club  —  Richard Justice talks with MLB Tonight about the possibility that Cuban slugger Yoan Moncada could be cleared to communicate with MLB clubs  —  David Hastings, the agent for Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada …

Mets' Triple-A pitching coach happy to bounce back after open-heart surgery last spring  —  Mets Triple-A pitching coach Frank Viola discusses Noah Syndergaard's potential for 2015 and other strong pitching in the Mets' farm system  —  NEW YORK — It was a Saturday morning last spring …

Minor League Transactions: Jan. 23-29  —  The White Sox sign an infamous player from out of the past, while the Yankees try their luck with a reclamation project in the vein of Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia.  —  Official minor league transactions, conveyed to Baseball America by Major League Baseball, for the period Jan. 23-29.