Top News:
Gabe Lacques / USA Today:
Is ‘bullpenning’ MLB's best path to 27 outs - or a gateway to ‘mediocrity’? — Finding the best path to 27 outs is perhaps baseball's most evolving and enduring puzzle. Yet in many quarters, a permanent solution appears at hand. — “Some form of bullpenning,” Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto …
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Jorge L. Ortiz / USA Today:
Revived Gerrit Cole enjoying fresh slate with Houston Astros — SportsPulse: The Houston Astros looked primed to repeat as World Series champs. Recent history suggests otherwise. USA TODAY Sports — CONNECT — WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — When agent Scott Boras met with Gerrit Cole for lunch recently …
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
Tom Schad / USA Today:
Ex-pitcher Greg Reynolds, who broke hand punching naked LSD attacker, wins over $2 million — Former MLB pitcher Greg Reynolds believes his baseball career was cut short after he punched a naked man on LSD who was trying to break into his home in 2015. — On Monday, a California jury agreed …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Mercury News
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Shohei Ohtani, Angels undaunted by rocky spring: 'He's going to wow us,' says Mike Trout
Shohei Ohtani, Angels undaunted by rocky spring: 'He's going to wow us,' says Mike Trout
Discussion:
Bleacher Report
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Carpenter, Ozuna homer back-to-back in 13-6 Cards win — JUPITER, Fla. • Matt Carpenter and Marcell Ozuna, who will bat third and fourth this season for the Cardinals, hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning Wednesday. By that time, the Cardinals already were well ahead …
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals bringing back ‘biggest arm in camp’ for Grapefruit debut — JUPITER, Fla. • The Cardinals expected everything about Jordan Hicks' spring training to be quick — his fastball, his rise, his athleticism — everything except for his exit. — The pitcher who manager Mike Matheny referred …
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Kelly ready to prove his point in Memphis — • Carson Kelly, who rarely dodges a media request, was reported to have nothing to say late Sunday afternoon after being told he was being sent to Class AAA Memphis after a three-for-30 spring. — “I didn't want to go crazy,” …
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards notebook: Waino dominates Mets (minor leaguers); Reyes raring to go
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
No closer is no problem so far for Cardinals
Matt Ehalt / Daily Record:
Mets' Jacob deGrom and Michael Conforto spend off day preparing for season — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — As most of their teammates enjoyed a day off Wednesday, Jacob deGrom and Michael Conforto played in a minors game at First Data Field in front of a crowd of roughly 150 players, executives and media members.
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Matt Ehalt / Daily Record:
Mets facing St. Louis Cardinals three times before season-opening series — The recent trend has been for the Mets to start the season with a division foe, but they will instead face the Cardinals next Thursday when the season opens. — While that pairing is certainly an intriguing matchup …
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Jose M. Romero / Associated Press:
Brewers — including Hank as The Beast — re-enact ‘The Sandlot’ in video — Even before the start of the season, the Milwaukee Brewers have their first hit. — Milwaukee released a 2-minute, 35-second video celebrating the 25th anniversary of the movie “The Sandlot” last weekend …
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball
Associated Press:
Rays' catchers using wristbands amid rotation experiment — PORT CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Major League Baseball made game-calling more difficult for catchers this winter when it changed the rules governing mound visits. For backstops with the Tampa Bay Rays, things got even trickier …
Susan Slusser / San Francisco Chronicle:
A's shut down A.J. Puk with biceps issue — PHOENIX - A.J. Puk, the prized prospect projected to be in the A's rotation at some point this season, has been shut down with biceps soreness, according to a source. — Puk received an MRI and there is no indication that the left-hander …
Discussion:
Mercury News and MLB Trade Rumors
Rob Longley / Toronto Sun:
Seung Hwan Oh gets work visa, to make Blue Jays debut — DUNEDIN — With the red tape out of the way, Seung Hwan Oh is finally ready to make his Blue Jays debut on Wednesday afternoon. — Actually, the South Korean right-hander has been ready for a couple of weeks, but without a work visa …
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Alex Butler / UPI:
Russell Martin makes great catch, gets smacked in face by pole
Russell Martin makes great catch, gets smacked in face by pole
Discussion:
The Comeback, The Good Phight and USA Today
Pete Caldera / Daily Record:
Jacoby Ellsbury is trying to be optimistic about his active return to the Yankees — TAMPA, Fla. - Jacoby Ellsbury hasn't conceded going on the 10-day disabled list to start the season, though that's where the Yankees are leaning. — Sidelined most of spring training due to a strained right oblique …
Thomas Boswell / Chicago Tribune:
Commentary: After bold, bland and cool, the Nationals' new manager says let's have fun — The Washington Post — The Washington Nationals have had a brash, audacious manger, Davey Johnson, who said, “World Series or Bust.” They tried a bland middle-manager, Matt Williams, who pasted sampler slogans on the wall.
Mike Berardino / Twin Cities:
Source: Twins place Kennys Vargas on waivers — FORT MYERS, Fla. -Unable to find a suitable trade offer for Kennys Vargas, the Twins' have placed the switch-hitting slugger on waivers, according to a person with direct knowledge. — Designated for release or assignment on March 16, Vargas' 48-hour waiver period started on Tuesday.
Discussion:
DRaysBay and MLB Trade Rumors
Eduardo A. Encina / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Orioles, right-hander Alex Cobb agree to four-year deal — SARASOTA, Fla. — With fewer than 10 days to go until Opening Day, the Orioles are nearing their biggest upgrade of the offseason: a deal with former Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Alex Cobb, according to an industry source.
Discussion:
Baltimore Sun
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David SchoenfieldESPN Senior / ESPN:
Alex Cobb fills a hole as Orioles try to keep up in AL East
Clark Spencer / miamiherald:
Jose Fernandez's death put into motion a series of events that still impact Marlins today — JUPITER — The death of pitching ace Jose Fernandez in 2016 triggered a series of costly roster decisions that the Marlins' new owners are having to contend with now. — There is no shortage of ‘what ifs’ with how it all played out.
Discussion:
NBCSports.com and MLB Baseball News …
Hunter Atkins / Houston Chronicle:
Astros' opponents feel like they have a license to steal — WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Jay Bruce seized his opportunity to get away with thievery Monday. Bruce - the Mets' 6-3, 225-pound right fielder, who had one steal last season - usually would not try to take second base …
Discussion:
Federal Baseball
Chelsea Janes / Washington Post:
Where is Nationals reliever Koda Glover? … WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — As the final days of spring training slide by, and necessary decisions about bullpen personnel slide nearer, Koda Glover remains momentarily irrelevant. Once considered the Nationals' future closer, more recently considered …
Discussion:
Federal Baseball