MLB Opening Day: Clayton Kershaw, Stephen Strasburg take mound for season's start  —  The full-fledged opening of the baseball season evokes a similar excitement to the start of a long-distance race, where the competitors know they're in for an endurance test but still can't wait to get going.

Paul DePodesta: The Brain Behind the Browns Rebuild  —  Cleveland's crafty chief strategy officer plays coy when pressed on how he plans to help the franchise return to relevancy.  But here are a few clues into the Browns' draft strategy.  Plus items on Adrian Peterson visiting the Pats …

Reds could live or die by rookie pitchers in 2017 … CONNECT  —  The 2017 rotation was looked a lot different in January.  It looked more veteran.  —  Homer Bailey and Anthony DeSclafani were supposed to be healthy, not felled until June with elbow problems.

Here's The 2017 Opening Day Payrolls For All 30 MLB Teams, Total Tops $4 Billion  —  With the 2017 Major League Baseball season getting underway with three games on Sunday, clubs turned in their 25-man rosters, and with it, their Opening Day payrolls.  Based on figures from The Associated Press …

The No. 1 concern of every MLB general manager  —  In my 15 years as a general manager, I was always asked going into a season what my No. 1 concern was.  To answer, I almost always went to talking about my concerns about our players' health or the state of the team's starting rotation.

Rays remain confident in Austin Pruitt despite rough debut  —  ST. PETERSBURG — It's not often a relief pitcher faces three batters, makes his pitches and leaves with the bases loaded.  But that was what happened to Rays RHP Austin Pruitt, who made his major-league debut Sunday in the ninth inning …

Jets expect Muhammad Wilkerson to be 'Mo better in '17 — or else  —  The New York Jets expect to see the 2015 version of Muhammad Wilkerson this season, not the slow-Mo who labored through a pedestrian 2016.  Reputations are riding on it, mainly those of Wilkerson and general manager Mike Maccagnan …

Offseason In Review: Colorado Rockies  —  This is the latest entry in MLBTR's Offseason In Review series.  The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.  —  The Rockies obviously see an opportunity to contend in 2017, and made some hefty commitments over the winter to bolster that possibility.

Bumming out the DBacks  —  Madison Bumgarner is perfect through four innings as the Giants lead the Diamondbacks 1-0.  Bumgarner threw just 40 pitches, 30 for strikes.  Five of the 12 outs came via the strikeout.  Bumgarner also drew a walk in his first plate appearance, and just homered leading off the fourth.

Mets ace Noah Syndergaard ready for Opening Day start  —  Noah Syndergaard vaguely remembers sending the tweet.  He was lying on his couch in his apartment.  Only a few hours had passed since he climbed the mound in the National League wild-card game, delivered perhaps the game of his life . . . and watched the Mets lose.

Murphy confident Packers could host NFL draft  —  PHOENIX - Although Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy said “it's probably a long shot” for Green Bay to host the 2019 NFL draft, he believes the city can provide sufficient accommodations.  —  Murphy said the Resch Center would “make the most sense” to host the draft in Green Bay.

The next chapter: Royals 2017 season preview  —  We're looking at the end of an era.  Several players of the core group responsible for the Royals' rise from despair to euphoria are set for free agency after the 2017 season.  Some are already no longer with the club.

Pitcher Tyler Cravy lashes out after being cut by Brewers  —  The Milwaukee Brewers made their final two pitching cuts of spring training Saturday and to say the least, neither player took it well.  —  Relievers Tyler Cravy and Rob Scahill were told they were being sent to Class AAA Colorado Springs …