Fed up Pirates fans want Bob Nutting to sell team after trades  —  PITTSBURGH — Some Pittsburgh Pirates fans are signing a petition to express their frustration following the team's decision to trade star outfielder Andrew McCutchen to the San Francisco Giants.  —  EDITOR'S PICKS

Are the Detroit Tigers the worst team in MLB?  Bleacher Report says yes  —  We're about a month away from a new era of Detroit Tigers baseball.  —  That's right, pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Lakeland, Fla. on Feb. 13, and the team's first full-squad workout is Feb. 19.

Are the Cubs gearing up for a run at Bryce Harper?  —  CHICAGO — He was there, though only in spirit.  —  Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper was omnipresent at the recently completed Chicago Cubs fan convention simply because there's growing sentiment that he could be on the team after he hits free agency in November.

Phillies' Jerad Eickhoff, healthy and smarter, resets after disappointing 2017 season  —  After Jerad Eickhoff was humbled last summer, he would stand in front of a locker in Georgia or California and proclaim he could handle it because of his mental toughness.

Agent: Christian Yelich ‘needs to get on with his career’  —  Christian Yelich's relationship with the Miami Marlins is “irretrievably broken,” and it would be in the best interests of both the outfielder and the organization if the Marlins trade him before the start of spring training, his agent told ESPN on Tuesday.

Here's why baseball's economic system might be broken  —  Never did Tony Clark utter the word.  He didn't have to.  Every question he asked, every implication he made, dripped with its presence.  Early last week, as top officials from Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association met …

Braves Acquire Shane Carle  —  The Braves announced that they've acquired right-hander Shane Carle from the Pirates in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.  Pittsburgh had designated the 26-year-old Carle for assignment over the weekend in order to clear space …

Calhoun No. 1 in latest rankings, but this teen is proud to be considered Rangers' top prospect  —  Lost on Tuesday in Jon Daniels' not-so-upbeat assessment of the Texas Rangers' chances in 2018 was the Baseball America unveiling of the organization's top 10 prospects, and center fielder Leody Taveras actually wasn't ranked No. 1.

Gerrit Cole welcomes chance to pitch alongside Justin Verlander  —  HOUSTON — Gerrit Cole is joining a rotation filled with aces.  —  “I was just tremendously excited,” Cole said Wednesday, four days after the Houston Astros acquired him from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Jay Bruce has ‘unfinished business’ in return to Mets  —  NEW YORK — Jay Bruce says he has “unfinished business” with the New York Mets.  —  Bruce was back at Citi Field on Wednesday, a day after finalizing a $39 million, three-year deal to bring his big bat back to Queens.

Cubs re-sign LHP Brian Duensing to two-year, $7M deal  —  Free-agent pitcher Brian Duensing has agreed to re-sign with the Chicago Cubs with the two sides coming to terms on a two-year, $7 Million deal, a source confirmed to ESPN's Jesse Rogers.  —  The deal, first reported by FanRag Sports …