Top News:
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Alex Rodriguez continues to earn Joe Girardi's confidence as Yankees' DH — TAMPA — Alex Rodriguez came to camp needing to prove himself to earn — at-bats. He hasn't done enough for Joe Girardi to name him as the everyday designated hitter, but A-Rod has shown his manager something with his first few weeks of at-bats.
Discussion:
CBSSports.com and HardballTalk
RELATED:
New York Post:
Betances: My velocity ‘nowhere near where it should be’ — TAMPA — Delin Betances didn't know his fastball topped out at 94 mph on Tuesday night against the Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field. — All the Yankees' giant right-handed closer candidate understood was that it was short …
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley and HardballTalk
Mike Ozanian / Forbes:
MLB Worth $36 Billion As Team Values Hit Record $1.2 Billion Average — If Major League Baseball traded on a stock exchange it would be worth $36 billion. The average baseball team is now worth $1.2 billion, 48% more than a year ago, the biggest year-over-year increase since we began tracking team values in 1998.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue, The Good Phight, New Jersey Online, Brew Crew Ball and Royals Review
RELATED:
Darren Rovell / MLB:
Forbes: Average MLB team worth $1.2B — The average Major League Baseball team is worth $1.2 billion, up an astounding 48 percent from last year, according to new valuations published by Forbes magazine on Wednesday. — The driver of the growth, as with all major sports leagues …
Discussion:
McCovey Chronicles, DRaysBay and ESPN
Tim Elfrink / Miami New Times:
MLB INVESTIGATING CLAIMS TYING MARLINS PITCHER JARRED COSART TO GAMBLING — UPDATE: Cosart has apparently now responded to the claims; an account claiming to be his new official Twitter says his original account was hacked and DMs were sent to incriminate him in a gambling conspiracy.
Discussion:
MLB, MLB Trade Rumors, NBCSports.com, USA Today, Fish Bytes, New Jersey Online, Fish Tank and The Crawfish Boxes
Yahoo Sports:
Boldest giveaway ever? Astros Triple-A team makes 2017 World Series rings — After three straight 100-loss seasons, the Houston Astros' well-documented rebuilding project reached the point in 2014 where fans were finally starting to get excited about the future.
Discussion:
FanDuel Insider
RELATED:
Scooby Axson / SI.com:
SI cover: 2015 MLB Preview: It's anyone's year
SI cover: 2015 MLB Preview: It's anyone's year
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe and SBNation.com
Jorge L. Ortiz / USA Today:
Unsafe at home: MLB's Venezuelan stars fleeing country — Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Montero, who has made his home in the Phoenix area since 2007, returned this past offseason to Venezuela, where most of his relatives still live. — He lasted there five days.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes and Red Reporter
Mike Petriello / ESPN:
Criticism of O's offseason is unjust — A closer look at their decisions reveals the rhyme to their reason — The return of Manny Machado and addition of Travis Snider is a lot more significant than many realize. — So, could you feel the evident disappointment of Baltimore Orioles fans this winter?
Discussion:
Camden Chat
Associated Press:
Cubs RHP Edwin Jackson Goes to Wrong Spring Training Park — MESA, Ariz. — Edwin Jackson might have had a better day if he never found his way to work. — The Cubs right-hander was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday when he went to the wrong ballpark, then gave up eight runs …
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports
Stephania Bell / MLB:
Dodgers pioneer injury prevention program — The Los Angeles Dodgers will be the first American sports team partnering with an Irish company to develop a computer-based sports injury prevention program that will begin at the minor league level. — Kitman Labs, a sports technology company …
Discussion:
Dodger Insider, ESPN and baseballmusings.com
Associated Press:
Pujols Homers, Trout Triples but Rangers Beat Angels 15-8 — SURPRISE, Ariz. — Albert Pujols homered and Mike Trout hit an RBI triple, but the Texas Rangers tagged Los Angeles Angels closer Huston Street for six runs Tuesday in a 15-8 victory. — Trout, last year's AL MVP …
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Lester may be on pitch count in Cubs' opener — MESA, Ariz. - Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester could be “restricted” on Opening Day as he continues to build his pitch count up after missing a recent spring start due to arm fatigue. Lester didn't pitch Saturday against the Seattle Mariners …
Discussion:
Chicago Tribune, Bleacher Nation and CBSSports.com