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4:45 PM ET, February 17, 2019

Ballbug

 Top News: 
Coley Harvey / ESPN:
Aaron Judge fully healthy entering Yankees' spring training  —  TAMPA, Fla. — With his once-broken wrist fully healed, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is reporting to spring training camp this week in peak physical condition, according to manager Aaron Boone.
RELATED:
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Aaron Boone is teasing Aaron Judge batting leadoff again  —  TAMPA — With the Yankees position players set to report to camp on Monday morning, and the team's first full-squad workout set for Tuesday, it is time for Aaron Boone to begin mulling over some creative ideas for this season.
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:   Aaron Boone once ‘smack-talked’ CC Sabathia long before they were Yankees
Pete Caldera / Daily Record:   After Luis Severino's deal, are Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez next for long-term contracts?
George A. King III / New York Post:
Severino agreed to new Yankees deal before things could get ugly
Discussion: MLB Trade Rumors
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Pena returns to Cardinals to back up Molina, but there's a catch  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • Bumped from the roster to make room for a prospect the Cardinals wanted to protect, Francisco Pena found himself this winter back where he started, which is to say looking for a job where he might not be starting at all.
RELATED:
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:   Cardinals will go ‘live’ on Monday
Rick Hummel / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:   Cardinals notebook: DeWitt is open to rule change conversations
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:   Cardinals sharpen swings, meet new coach in visit to Carpenter's Frozen Rope Ranch
Associated Press:   Cardinals expect Marcell Ozuna to be ready Opening Day
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Tigers' Nicholas Castellanos, won't sweat trade rumors, at spring training  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — After spending his offseason in trade rumors, working out in his garage and stating his preference to be traded by the start of spring training, Nicholas Castellanos returned to Tiger Town on Sunday morning …
RELATED:
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Casey Mize thriving at Detroit Tigers camp with ‘big league mentality’  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — Casey Mize wants to clarify something.  —  He has heard the narrative building around Tiger Town, the Detroit Tigers' spring training home, about how he's the first one at the complex every morning.
Evan Woodbery / MLive.com:
Nicholas Castellanos is still a Tiger. How does he feel about that?
Discussion: MLB Trade Rumors
Bobby Nightengale / Cincinnati.com:
Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto says he's ‘proud’ of Bryce Harper and Manny Machado for standing ground with contracts  —  GOODYEAR, Ariz. - With Bryce Harper and Manny Machado available on the free agent market as players report to spring training complexes this weekend …
RELATED:
Buster Olney / ESPN:   If Bryce or Manny go to Philly, they'd better get dirty
Mark Fischer / New York Daily News:
Bryce Harper is close to signing, someone says for 1,000th time
Associated Press:
Madison Bumgarner says he was joking over opener refusal  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Madison Bumgarner was joking when he told manager Bruce Bochy he absolutely refuses to pitch behind an opener.  —  It won't happen anyway.  —  San Francisco's ace lefty is hardly a likely candidate …
RELATED:
Andy McCullough / Los Angeles Times:
Farhan Zaidi is reshaping Giants' future to resemble recent past
Discussion: MLB Trade Rumors
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:   'It's an honor': Veteran lefty Cole Hamels is taking his new leadership role seriously
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Diamondbacks closer Greg Holland, after being unsigned last offseason, has new take on free agency  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Diamondbacks closer Greg Holland closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and allows those unpleasant memories to slowly trickle back into his thoughts.  —  Bryce Harper is still unsigned.
RELATED:
Gabriel Burns / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:   Freddie Freeman talks Braves roster, expectations, MLB's stalled marketplace
Teddy Greenstein / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox-Dodgers deal for outfielder Joc Pederson still possible, sources say  —  Photos of the White Sox at spring training at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz., before the 2019 season.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Remember those reports from mid-January about the White Sox and Dodgers discussing …
RELATED:
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:   White Sox hope Ivan Nova can steady a young pitching rotation
Chris Boghossian / Chicago Tribune:   If Manny Machado signs with the White Sox, he instantly would become Chicago's best player, according to these rankings
Ryan Divish / The Charlotte Observer:
At age 45, Ichiro prepares for a trip home to Japan with Mariners  —  At a distance, he looked like just like anyone else in a Mariners' uniform in the Saturday afternoon sunshine.  —  In fact, he moved better than the average player, running a little bit harder and faster than most.
RELATED:
Associated Press:   Ichiro Suzuki back in Mariners camp at 45 with chance to play at home
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs spring training updates: More muscular Javier Baez homers after team has mental skills meeting  —  Photos of the Cubs at spring training at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz., before the 2019 season.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Here are updates from Cubs spring training Sunday.
Matt Ehalt / Daily Record:
Mets have to keep pitcher Kyle Dowdy on roster or return him to Indians  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — On the morning of the Rule 5 Draft, Kyle Dowdy and a few other pitchers who were eligible for selection were training together.  —  When one of Dowdy's friends told him he had just been selected by the Mets …
Discussion: NorthJersey.com
Jeff Wilson / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
‘Getting the opportunity to put on a Texas uniform, that says a lot growing up a Rangers fan’  —  For those wondering, Chris Martin was a freshman at Arlington High School when Hunter Pence was a senior, and Adam Moore transferred to UT-Arlington two years after Pence was selected in the 2004 draft.
 
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 More News: 
Brian T. Smith / Houston Chronicle:
Michael Brantley deepens an already loaded Astros lineup
Discussion: Houston Chronicle
Jorge Castillo / Los Angeles Times:
Corey Seager and Dodgers cautiously optimistic he'll be ready for opening day
Discussion: DodgerBlue.com
Rob Longley / Toronto Sun:
Stroman lashes out at contract situation, trade speculation and overall state of the Blue Jays
Ed ‘RockDaMullet’ Santos dies / Associated Press:
Short-handed Long Beach can't hold off UC Davis down the stretch
 Earlier Picks: 
Dave Clark / Cincinnati.com:
Jameson Taillon named Pittsburgh Pirates' Opening Day starter vs. Cincinnati Reds at GABP
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Yankees' Brian Cashman stands up to Jacoby Ellsbury critics
Bradford Doolittle / ESPN:
Does CC Sabathia have a Hall of Fame future?
Tom Haudricourt / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Notes: Healthy again, Brewers right-hander Zach Davies puts frustrating 2018 behind him
Discussion: MLB Trade Rumors
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Luis Severino is glad he never heard ‘bad’ Yankees trash talk
 

 
From WeSmirch:

TMZ.com:
Kanye West Suspect in Battery Report After Man Allegedly Grabs at His Wife

David Browne / Rolling Stone:
Dickey Betts, Allman Brothers Band Singer-Guitarist, Dead at 80

Suzy Exposito / Elle:
Dua Lipa: 'If It's Not Fun, I Don't Want It'

 
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