Top News:
Mike Digiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Josh Hamilton meets with MLB officials about a disciplinary issue — Angels left fielder Josh Hamilton is meeting with Major League Baseball officials Wednesday about a disciplinary issue, and the team is bracing for possible penalties. — General Manager Jerry Dipoto confirmed that Hamilton …
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Bill Madden / NY Daily News:
Josh Hamilton meets with MLB after cocaine, alcohol relapse: source
Josh Hamilton meets with MLB after cocaine, alcohol relapse: source
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Eye / CBSSports.com:
Angels' Josh Hamilton admits to relapse involving cocaine
Angels' Josh Hamilton admits to relapse involving cocaine
Discussion:
Globe and Mail and Texas Rangers Blog
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Francisco Rodriguez Agrees To Terms With Unidentified Team — Veteran reliever Francisco Rodriguez has an agreement in place with an as-yet unidentified team, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports on Twitter. While Rodriguez's destination is not yet known, it is not the Marlins …
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports, Brew Crew Ball and The Brewer Nation
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Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
Brewers To Re-Sign Francisco Rodriguez — The Brewers have reached agreement on a two-year, $13MM deal with reliever Francisco Rodriguez. Milwaukee also holds a club option for the 2017 season over the Boras Corporation client. — While the annual breakdown is not yet fully reported …
Discussion:
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Joel Sherman / New York Post:
Steinbrenner talks about futures of Cashman, Girardi and A-Rod — Clockwise from left: Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, general manager Brian Cashman, Alex Rodriguez and manager Joe Girardi — TAMPA — Take the hot seat away. No one is on it for the Yankees. It is only spring training, as owner Hal Steinbrenner sees it.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Sporting News Feed RSS and CBSSports.com
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Joel Sherman / New York Post:
Hal Steinbrenner: ‘Cheap’ shots at Yankees are way off base
Hal Steinbrenner: ‘Cheap’ shots at Yankees are way off base
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Jon Heyman / CBSSports.com:
Sources: Yankees confident they can avoid paying A-Rod milestone bonuses
Sources: Yankees confident they can avoid paying A-Rod milestone bonuses
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors and HardballTalk
Matt Breen / Philly.com:
Let's hit: Jeff Francoeur channels Charlie Manuel — CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jeff Francoeur leaned against the batting cage on Wednesday morning and stood next to Charlie Manuel as another Phillies player took his swings. The former Phillies manager and his newest pupil talked about Manuel's favorite subject: the art of hitting.
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HardballTalk
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Globe and Mail:
Blue Jays lose outfielder Michael Saunders with knee injury — Bad news has struck the Toronto Blue Jays with the news that new leftfielder Michael Saunders suffered a knee injury while shagging flies on Wednesday and will require surgery. — Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos delivered …
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter, Yahoo Sports, MLB Trade Rumors, Lookout Landing and Sporting News Feed RSS
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Slugger brings charm to new clubhouse, confident that Majors' best outfield resides in San Diego — Outfielder Matt Kemp talks about the health of his hips and fresh outlook with the Padres as he prepares for the season with a new team — PEORIA, Ariz. — Spotting a familiar face …
Discussion:
NBCSports.com and ESPN
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Associated Press:
Padres chair: It was time to make changes
Padres chair: It was time to make changes
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball, Yahoo Sports and ESPN
David Murphy / Philly.com:
Slowly, Phillies enter analytics era — CLEARWATER, Fla. - Last week, Pat Gillick sat in the lobby of Bright House Field and said the “A” word. He did not scoff. He did not swear. He did not speak in tongues or smoke at the ears. The question was simple: What role …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and The Good Phight
Keith Law / MLB:
Brady Aiken to be back in draft — Left-hander Brady Aiken, the top prospect in this year's MLB draft class and the first overall pick in 2014, will pitch this spring for the post-graduate team at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, a source told ESPN. The move will make him eligible for this year's draft, which begins Monday, June 8.
Discussion:
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Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Padres prospect a defensive standout, looking to improve at plate — Bud Black discusses Austin Hedges' development and maturity at camp and how the catching prospect can move up in the organization — PEORIA, Ariz. — Austin Hedges is well aware that after two grim offensive seasons in the Texas League …
Susan Slusser / San Francisco Chronicle:
Longtime A's second baseman Mark Ellis retires — Mark Ellis, who spent nine of his 12 major-league seasons with the A's, is retiring. — “It was definitely time,” Ellis told The Chronicle on Wednesday evening. “My kids are getting older and I kind of realized it was time to do something else.”
Discussion:
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Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Arizona Diamondbacks' Yasmany Tomas goes to work at third base — At 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning, Yasmany Tomas emerged from the clubhouse and began to stretch with his teammates on the lawn at Salt River Fields. Under a bright blue sky and atop bright green grass, so began the first …
Discussion:
HardballTalk