Top News:
Joon Lee / ESPN:
New York Mets' Pete Alonso to issue NFT to aid minor leaguers — New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso is joining in on the sports NFT trend, but with a minor league twist. — Alonso, who is launching his own NFT on Tuesday on Blockparty, is auctioning off the one-of-one digital collectible …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
RELATED:
Associated Press:
New York Yankees 1B Luke Voit going on IL with partial tear in meniscus — TAMPA, Fla. — Major league home run champion Luke Voit needs knee surgery to repair a partial meniscus tear, an injury that opened a New York Yankees roster spot for Jay Bruce on Saturday as a first baseman.
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated and Pinstripe Alley
Justin Toscano / NorthJersey.com:
Talented 2021 NY Mets hope to make a run and win World Series — The Mets are entering a new era. — In November, owner Steve Cohen vowed to make the team a sustainable winner, one that would make fans proud. He brought president Sandy Alderson and, together, they overhauled the roster and parts of the organization.
RELATED:
Tim Healey / Newsday:
Mets to experiment with opener in Saturday's exhibition game — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — For the Mets, their exhibition game Saturday against the Astros will be an experiment. — They are strongly considering using lefthander Joey Lucchesi as their No. 5 starter in place of Carlos Carrasco …
Discussion:
New York Post
David Purdum / ESPN:
Scoring, home runs down in spring training with new balls in play — With the slightly tweaked baseballs in play, scoring and home runs are down in spring training. — Through Sunday, spring training games are averaging 9.4 runs, the lowest-scoring output in the preseason since at least 2015 …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Jesse Rogers / ESPN:
Anthony Rizzo ending contract talks with Chicago Cubs to focus on season — CHICAGO — Longtime Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo will begin the season without a contract with the team beyond 2021, and he is instructing his agents to end negotiations so he can concentrate on baseball.
Discussion:
Cubs News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Sun-Times, MLB Baseball News …, Bleed Cubbie Blue and NBCSports.com
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Major League Baseball relaxing COVID-19 protocols for fully vaccinated players, staff — PHOENIX — Major League Baseball is getting back to normal. Players can now travel with their families. They can go to restaurants. They can play cards and move around on planes and buses.
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated
The Athletic:
Sources: Former No. 1 pick Mark Appel attempting comeback with Phillies — CLEARWATER, Fla. — Three years after he stepped away from baseball as a rare No. 1 pick to have never reached the majors, Mark Appel has been preparing for a comeback. — Appel, 29, will soon report to the Phillies' complex …
Discussion:
Phillies Nation, MLB.com, USA Today, MLB Trade Rumors and The Good Phight
Anthony McCarron / New York Daily News:
Still curious? Catching up with those who brought Sidd Finch to life — The day the famous Sports Illustrated story about the Mets and a phenom pitcher hit newsstands, telephones all over New York and Florida started ringing. In Jay Horwitz's office, a furious sports editor …
Charlie Goldsmith / Cincinnati.com:
Cincinnati Reds GM Nick Krall: ‘Looking like’ Eugenio Suárez will be starting shortstop — GOODYEAR, Arizona - Over the last few days of spring training, as the rest of the National League Central finalizes their Opening Day rosters and their starting lineups, the Cincinnati Reds are still waiting on a few answers.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
ESPN:
MLBPA chief open to talk with MLB about moving All-Star Game out of Georgia following new voting laws — Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark said Friday that he “would look forward” to discussing moving the All-Star Game from Atlanta in the wake …
Discussion:
Bless You Boys, Sports Illustrated and The Boston Globe
Associated Press:
Minnesota Twins coach Mike Bell, brother of Reds manager, dies of cancer at 46 — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Minnesota Twins bench coach Mike Bell, the younger brother of Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell, died Friday of kidney cancer. He was 46. — At the request of Bell's family to take the field …
Discussion:
New York Post