Top News:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Dominican Republic and its fans electrify World Baseball Classic — SANTO DOMINGO NORTH - That's what this was, the capital of the Dominican Republic relocated to Miami, the closest major city in the United States. — The crowd of 37,446 - the largest for baseball in the five-year history …
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Tracy Ringolsby / Baseball America:
Love Of Country Drives Adrian Beltre To Play In WBC
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Jorge L. Ortiz / USA Today:
USA avoids upset with walkoff win over Colombia in World Baseball Classic
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish and Camden Chat
Wayne Graczyk / Baseball America:
Cuba Beats Australia To Adavance - 2017 World Baseball Classic
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports, Talking Chop, Federal Baseball, Beyond the Box Score, Purple Row and Brew Crew Ball
Manny Randhawa / MLB.com:
Italy slugs early, stuns Mexico late with 5-run 9th
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports, Lookout Landing, NESN.com, Talking Chop, FanGraphs Baseball, Amazin' Avenue and True Blue LA
Jon Heyman / FanRag Sports:
Nationals place Derek Norris on waivers — Derek Norris, who lost his starting catching job with the Washington Nationals due to the late signing of Matt Wieters, has been placed on waivers by Washington. — There is no likelihood anyone would claim him and take his $4.2-million salary at this stage …
Discussion:
DRaysBay, MLB Trade Rumors, District on Deck, Federal Baseball and MLB Daily Dish
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Connor Byrne / MLB Trade Rumors:
Salvador Perez Suffers Left Knee Injury — SUNDAY: In a best-case scenario, Perez will be able to return in a week, general manager Dayton Moore told Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). The Royals will have more information after Perez undergoes a second MRI on Monday, though manager Ned Yost is optimistic.
Discussion:
Kansas City Star, Yahoo Sports, ESPN and NESN.com
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Rafael Montero, once Mets' top starting pitching prospect, could find himself in long relief — LAKELAND, Fla. — Rafael Montero sat at his locker in the Mets spring training clubhouse texting and checking social media on his phone last week. Just to his left, in front of their row of lockers …
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Zach Buchanan / Cincinnati.com:
Anthony DeSclafani's elbow soreness returns, likely to start on DL — GOODYEAR, Ariz. — After his bullpen session Friday, Cincinnati Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani felt a recurrence of the elbow soreness that forced him to miss a week earlier in spring and is again shut down from throwing.
Discussion:
FanRag Sports, MLB Trade Rumors, Red Reporter and Redleg Nation
Stephen J. Nesbitt / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates' Jung Ho Kang placed on restricted list as he awaits visa — BRADENTON, Fla. — The probability third baseman Jung Ho Kang will play for the Pirates on opening day continues to plummet. On Friday, a week after receiving a suspended sentence for his third DUI in South Korea, Kang was placed on the major league restricted list.
Discussion:
Sporting News, Pirates Breakdown, Baseball Think Factory, Bucs Dugout, baseballmusings.com and Yahoo Sports
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Tyler Thornburg endures rough adjustment to Sox' shoulder program — FORT MYERS — Chris Sale is as good as advertised, as he displayed in dominating fashion yesterday. — But what happened to Tyler Thornburg, the new right-hander from Milwaukee who was slated to be the second-most dominating …
Discussion:
Over the Monster, MLB Trade Rumors and Al's Ramblings
Connor Byrne / MLB Trade Rumors:
Phillies, Mariners Swap Joey Curletta, Pat Venditte — The Phillies have traded outfielder Joey Curletta to the Mariners for ambidextrous reliever Pat Venditte, per an announcement from Philadelphia. — This is the second trade since last August involving the 31-year-old Venditte …
Discussion:
Baseball America, The Good Phight and Yahoo Sports
David Pinto / baseballmusings.com:
Team Offense, Toronto Blue Jays — The 2017 series on team offense continues with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays finished fifth in the American League and ninth in the majors in 2016 with 4.69 runs scored per game. — I am using RotoChamp as a source of default lineups.
Discussion:
DRaysBay, Bluebird Banter and Yahoo Sports
Mark Polishuk / MLB Trade Rumors:
Ian Desmond Suffers Left Hand Fracture — Rockies first baseman Ian Desmond suffered a fracture in his left hand, the club announced to reporters (including MLB.com's Thomas Harding). Desmond was hit by a pitch from the Reds' Rookie Davis during the fourth inning of today's Spring Training contest between …
Discussion:
Yahoo Sports
Matt Breen / Philly.com:
Phillies' Vince Velasquez: 'Me and umpires just don't get along' — DUNEDIN, Fla. - Vince Velasquez, unhappy with another close pitch that was called a ball, covered his mouth and coughed. Always a fierce competitor, the Phillies righthander thought he had twice struck out Kevin Pillar …
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
Mary Kay Cabot / Plain Dealer:
Browns shopping Brock Osweiler and a 5th for a 3rd and will cut him if they can't trade him — CLEVELAND, Ohio — For all of those who wonder what Hue Jackson, noted quarterback whisperer, will get out of his new $16 million quarterback Brock Osweiler, the answer is nothing.
Discussion:
Pro Football Rumors, ProFootballTalk and FanRag Sports
