Top News:
Associated Press:
Rays prospect Brent Honeywell to have Tommy John surgery — PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Brent Honeywell, the top pitching prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays, has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm and will have Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for the entire season. — EDITOR'S PICKS
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Marc Topkin / Tampa Bay Times:
Rays Journal: Duffy not just playing but playing well, Faria struggles, more — FORT MYERS - Just playing on back-to-back days was significant for Rays 3B Matt Duffy. — Playing well has made the start of spring training even better. — “Really liked the way Duffy has continued to play …
Marc Topkin / Tampa Bay Times:
Inside the Rays' plan to prove the tanking truthers wrong — PORT CHARLOTTE - The Rays know tanking. — “We tanked in 2006 and '07, if you want to call it that,” principal owner Stuart Sternberg said. “We were the original tankers. Or tankees. It seems to be all the fad now.”
Tom Jones / Tampa Bay Times:
The truth about the Tampa Bay Rays' reset
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
As a sign of the times, Cardinals shifting signals, breaking habits — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. • As the first inning of his first spring start went sideways this afternoon for Carlos Martinez, the Cardinals starter hit one batter, walked two batters, needed 31 pitches to get three outs …
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Spring recap: Cubs 6, Rangers 1 — Chicago Tribune — After fouling a pitch off his foot, Anthony Rizzo smacked a two-run, opposite-field home run in the fourth inning and Willson Contreras followed with a solo shot to lead the Cubs to a 6-1 victory Saturday over the Rangers before 14,821 fans at Sloan Park.
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Jerry CrasnickESPN Senior / ESPN:
Shohei Ohtani gives up two runs in Angels' debut — TEMPE, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani's spring training pitching debut is one that he'll file under “learning curve.” — Ohtani took the mound with plenty of hype and a “B” lineup in the field behind him in Saturday's game between the Los Angeles Angels and Milwaukee Brewers.
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Jorge L. Ortiz / USA Today:
Angels' Shohei Ohtani has mixed spring training debut as a pitcher — SportsPulse: The Houston Astros looked primed to repeat as World Series champs. Recent history suggests otherwise. USA TODAY Sports — CONNECT — TEMPE, Ariz. -Shohei Ohtani's much-anticipated spring debut Saturday featured …
Kyle Downing / MLB Trade Rumors:
Reds Sign Oliver Perez To Minor-League Deal — 11:17am: Sheldon tweets that Perez will earn $1.25MM if he makes the MLB roster, and has $500K available performance bonuses. He'll be able to opt out of the contract at the end of camp if he isn't added to the roster by then.
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MLB Baseball News …
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Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Dominic Smith shows up early and gets first spring action for Mets — PORT ST. LUCIE - Dominic Smith arrived at First Data Field “somewhere around six o'clock,” on Saturday. The rookie, who had been benched for being tardy on Friday, was back in the lineup Saturday, ready to put …
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John Harper / New York Daily News:
Zack Wheeler could fit the Chad Green mold in Mets bullpen — PORT ST. LUCIE — Jeurys Familia, 16 pounds lighter than last year, was pounding away on the stationary bike Friday night at the local LA Fitness when he spotted me and waved me over. — “You see (Zack) Wheeler today?” he asked.
Steve Buffery / Toronto Sun:
Blue Jays reliever Mayza hoping 2018 lives up to '17 — DUNEDIN — Blue Jays relief pitcher Tim Mayza had a year for the ages in 2017. — He moved out of his parents' house. He got engaged to his university sweetheart Darian. And his sister, Deanna, started playing professional basketball in Europe.
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Steve Buffery / Toronto Sun:
Alford anxious to prove his worth in the bigs
Evan Drellich / NBCSports.com:
Source: Martinez's immediate readiness to play not in question; medical experts involved — FORT MYERS, Fla. — J.D. Martinez and the Red Sox are indeed sorting through a medical matter, but one that a baseball source with knowledge of the situation said would not have any effect on Martinez in the immediate future.
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MLB Baseball News …
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Jon Heyman / FanRag Sports:
Despite holdup Sox still expect to finalize Martinez deal
Despite holdup Sox still expect to finalize Martinez deal
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NBCSports.com, MLB Trade Rumors and NESN.com
Associated Press:
Kevin Siegrist agrees to minor league deal with Pirates — BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Left-hander Kevin Siegrist agreed to a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates and will report to big league spring training. — The 28-year-old was 1-1 with one save and a 4.81 ERA in 46 games …
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ESPN:
Phillies 3B Will Middlebrooks leaves game after collision — Veteran infielder Will Middlebrooks, who signed a minor-league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies last month, left Saturday's spring training game with what appeared to be an injury to his left ankle or leg.
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs take flier on former first-round pitcher Danny Hultzen — Chicago Tribune — The Cubs agreed to terms with left-hander Danny Hultzen, the second overall pick in the 2011 draft who hasn't pitched since 2016 after undergoing his second major arm surgery.
Mike Mazzeo / New York Daily News:
Brandon Drury plunked in the hand in his spring debut with Yankees — BRADENTON, Fla. - Brandon Drury had an eventful spring debut as a Yankee, which included a scare. — Drury, the team's third-base acquisition from Arizona, lined a single in his first at-bat, but was hit in the left hand during his second.
John Fay / Cincinnati.com:
Rockies 11, Reds 4 — GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Colorado Rockies pounded the Reds 11-4 Saturday before a gathering of 2,936 at Goodyear Ballpark. — The game in three paragraphs: —Right-hander Michael Lorenzen was solid in his return to starting. He went two innings, allowing one run on two hits.
Bob McManaman / Arizona Republic:
Arizona Diamondbacks spring training - 2018 … It's a good thing the folks from Rawlings stopped by Salt River Fields the other day to measure many of the Arizona Diamondbacks position players for new baseball gloves. — Chris Owings is going to need three different styles and sizes, thank you very much.
Matt Ehalt / Daily Record:
Mets legend Mike Piazza visits camp, doesn't rule out owning MLB team in future — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — For now, Mike Piazza has no ambitions to join Derek Jeter in the ranks of former MLB legends owning an MLB team. The Hall of Famer currently has his hands full as a majority owner of AC Reggiana …