Zack Greinke: ‘Wish every park was neutral’ so humidor not needed  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Zack Greinke is beginning his third season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and this time he will be throwing home games with baseballs that have been stored in a humidor.

Cardinals notebook: Leone may ease Bowman's load  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • Matt Bowman was the most-often employed Cardinals reliever with men on base last year, entering with 50 men on base and allowing just 15 to score, or 30 percent.  —  With the acquisition last month …

Lowdown: Straight Cash-ner  —  Follow @Rotoworld_BB and @Crawford_Milb on Twitter.  —  The trickle down effect has begun.  Or so we hope.  —  Just about a week after the Cubs brought in Yu Darvish, we saw two free-agent hurlers put their name to paper on Thursday with Andrew Cashner signing …

Mets reach two-year deal with lefthander Jason Vargas  —  PORT ST. LUCIE — Looking for insurance on their often-injured rotation, the Mets have agreed to terms with Jason Vargas, a team source confirmed.  —  The two-year deal with an option for 2020 with the 35-year-old lefty …

Indians taking ‘long view’ with Danny Salazar's shoulder recovery  —  GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Indians pitcher Danny Salazar is unlikely to be ready for the start of the regular season, another early blow to the team following the death of manager Terry Francona's father.

Colon confident, but can he crack Rangers' rotation?  —  SURPRISE, ARIZ.  —  Far be it for most media members to say anything snarky about Bartolo Colon's physical stature, but, alas, the hypocrisy of most knows no bounds.  —  Suffice it to say, he's not built like the normal baseball player.

MLB stock watch: From superteams to enemies of Boras, here's where all 30 teams stand  —  Baseball has sprung in the warmer regions of our land, even while those of us in the north continue to face days of snow, fog and bitterness.  For eons, writers have written about how the onset …

Garcia gets $10 million for one year from Toronto  —  Lefthander Jaime Garcia and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract that includes a 2019 team option.  —  Garcia gets $8 million this year as part of the deal announced Thursday and Toronto has a $10 million option with a $2 million buyout.

Dodgers confident Koehler will help fill bullpen void  —  GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Los Angeles Dodgers are confident the free-agent acquisition of Tom Koehler will help fill a bullpen void left by Brandon Morrow's jump to the Chicago Cubs.  —  For Koehler, it's a move that represents a transition …

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred: Pace of play rule changes will take effect this month  —  St. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Commissioner Rob Manfred emphatically said Thursday that there will be rule changes to improve the pace of play before the start of spring training games, whether he receives the union's approval or not.

Column: Guessing game begins for Cubs leadoff man with no obvious choice in sight  —  Chicago Tribune  —  In the grand scheme of things, the endless debate over who will lead off for the Cubs this season is meaningless.  —  But because Joe Maddon's lineup machinations always are part …

A breakdown of Yu Darvish's 6 pitches — their effectiveness and usage  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Justin Grimm can validate Yu Darvish's wide array of pitches.  —  “I'm sure he has eight but only throws six,” said Grimm, who became reunited with Darvish with the Cubs after playing with him in 2012-13 with Rangers.

Next Slide  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — Ron Gardenhire's office at Joker Marchant Stadium is beginning to feel like home.  On the second day of spring training, a number of papers hung on a previously blank bulletin board.  On his desk, notes were scattered around.  His cigar humidor was on its way.

Freddie Freeman reports to Braves camp, fit and clear-eyed  —  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Freddie Freeman's left wrist is completely healed, his eyes have been surgically corrected, and the Braves slugger is ready to do big things and hopes the team is, too.  —  Freeman arrived at spring training Friday …

Catching: Manny Piña will try to build on his breakout 2017 season  —  Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell has to set a roster for the regular season and sees spring training as a critical time to evaluate players.  The process begins today.  Milwaukee Brewers video  —  CONNECT

Noah Syndergaard misses old coach, but new guy is ‘amazing’  —  PORT ST. LUCIE — Noah Syndergaard lobbied for the incumbent pitching coach to return to the Mets last offseason, but quickly has come to respect the new one.  —  As Dan Warthen was nearing the conclusion of his tenure with the Mets in October …