Jacoby Ellsbury's deal is among the worst Yankees contracts ever  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Jacoby Ellsbury's turn in pinstripes has turned to farce, with another injury — a bout of plantar fasciitis this time — delaying his entry to Yankees camp until sometime in March.

Detroit Tigers spring training: Who are these fresh-faced pitchers?  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — The first thing you noticed when walking into the Detroit Tigers' clubhouse at Joker Marchant Stadium on Wednesday was a sign displaying the team's intentions to win the World Series

McGee's coaching duties are different this season  —  • Fan favorite Willie McGee has returned for his second year as a Cardinals coach.  McGee said he very much enjoyed the first year, but he will have adjusted duties this season.  —  In 2018, McGee was something of a hybrid coach …

The Mets are hoping Jason Vargas can bounce back in 2019, recapture All-Star form  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Jason Vargas doesn't have to worry about his job security.  —  Despite Vargas' rough 2018 season and the acquisition of several young starters the team likes, Vargas' spot in the rotation …

Gabe Kapler 2.0: More boundaries and more pressure for Phillies manager  —  It is way too late to say the honeymoon is over because that ended before Gabe Kapler managed his first game in Philadelphia.  By the time he got to Citizens Bank Park following the Phillies' season-opening road trip …

Brewers trying to keep rival Cubs fans out of Miller Park again  —  The Milwaukee Brewers have made it clear: They would prefer the least amount of Chicago Cubs fans to fill Miller Park as possible.  —  In a statement released Wednesday, the Brewers announced presale tickets for their 10 home dates …

Bauer, Cole, Wood win in arbitration  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Trevor Bauer, Gerrit Cole and Alex Wood won their salary arbitration cases Wednesday, giving players a 6-3 advantage over teams to ensure a winning record in consecutive years for the first time since 1989-90.

Manny Machado already has a seat waiting for him in White Sox clubhouse  —  Manny Machado has been a free agent longer than he was a Dodger.  —  Now that you've gasped over that quivering bit — brought to you by The Ringer's Zack Kram — at least applaud one team in the hunt for keeping …

Angels' Shohei Ohtani has no regrets about delaying Tommy John surgery last year  —  Ohtani learned he needed surgery in early September, but didn't have it done until Oct. 1  —  TEMPE, Ariz. — As Shohei Ohtani prepares to miss the start of this season, he said he has no regrets about playing the end of last season.

Twins, Jorge Polanco finalizing seven-year extension  —  Shortstop Jorge Polanco and the Minnesota Twins are finalizing a contract extension that will cover seven years and guarantee around $25 million, a league source with knowledge of the deal told ESPN on Thursday.

Yu Darvish admits to feeling pressure with Cubs last year  —  MESA, Ariz. — Saying he's in a better place both mentally and physically this spring, Chicago Cubs righty Yu Darvish is looking to rebound after a season to forget in 2018.  Poor performance gave way to an elbow injury last season, but he says that's all behind him now.

Youth might be served with 2019 Rangers, but back of bullpen is full of 30-somethings  —  A misconception that potentially is bogging down the Texas Rangers' win-loss predictions by various baseball sources and at various sports books is that they are going to be young.

Chicago Cubs, Sinclair to launch sports network in 2020  —  CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs and Sinclair Broadcast Group are launching a regional sports network in 2020 that will be the team's exclusive TV home.  —  The Cubs said Wednesday the Marquee Sports Network will carry live game broadcasts and pregame and postgame coverage.

Service time perk is part of Daniel Descalso's 2-year deal with the Cubs  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Infielder Daniel Descalso is grateful to sign a contract with the Cubs in the midst of a free-agent market that has been extremely slow to develop.  —  And as an added perk …

Angels' Matt Harvey says he'll be better teammate, player going forward  —  TEMPE, Ariz. — There was a time, not long ago, when Matt Harvey was the premier pitcher in all of baseball, headlining a young Mets rotation that also featured Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.