Ray Rice issues statement thanking Baltimore, apologizing for domestic-violence incident  —  As the one-year anniversary of his high-profile domestic-violence incident approaches this weekend, former Ravens star running back Ray Rice issued a statement Friday morning to The Baltimore Sun.

Belleville grad/MLB umpire Cuzzi promoted  —  Belleville native Phil Cuzzi, who has been a full time, Major League Baseball Umpire for 16 years, has been promoted to the second man in his crew rotation, starting this upcoming season.  —  Cuzzi will work on the usual four-man crew …

Gallardo, Ludwick prominent veterans acquired after club's tough 2014 season  —  Yovani Gallardo was durable and made the adjustments necessary to remain effective in 2014 and he could be due for another solid season  —  ARLINGTON — When a team loses 95 games, there are bound to be new faces in Spring Training the next season.

James Shields' agent on contract negotiations: We didn't overreach  —  FOX Sports  —  James Shields' agent says his client ‘has been one of the best pitchers in the game for eight years,’ so when it comes to his contract negotiation, 'I don't understand what “overreached” means.'

Players Avoiding Arbitration: Thursday  —  As of Thursday morning, there were just 14 players with unsettled arbitration cases (per MLBTR's Arb Tracker).  While some of the remaining cases figure to end in an arbitration hearing, there will still be a few more settlements to avoid that outcome.

Is scrutiny of Taveras patch proper?  —  Cardinals' memorial raises questions about how teams honor the deceased  —  Oscar Taveras was over the legal limit when he and his girlfriend were killed in a car accident.  —  Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training camps …

Phillies continue to have trouble dealing Papelbon  —  FOX Sports  —  Trading Jonathan Papelbon continues to be a problem for the Phillies.  —  To illustrate the difficulty that the Phillies are experiencing in trying to trade Jonathan Papelbon, consider a recent turn in their discussions with the Brewers.

As Scott Walker mulls White House bid, questions linger over college exit  —  (Family Photo/For The Washington Post)  —  MILWAUKEE — Scott Walker was gone.  Dropped out.  And in the spring of his senior year.  —  In 1990, that news stunned his friends at Marquette University.

Astros Discussing Minors Deal With Joe Thatcher  —  The Astros are interested in Joe Thatcher and a source tells Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) that he believes Houston will sign the veteran left-hander to a minor league contract.  Another source says no deal is done …

Pioneering Toronto Star baseball writer Alison Gordon dead at 72  —  Gordon, who covered the Blue Jays for the Star from 1979 to 1984, was Major League Baseball's first female beat writer.  —  Alison Gordon, shown here in 2001, was the Toronto Star's Blue Jays' beat writer from 1979-84.

Shae Simmons Undergoes Tommy John Surgery  —  The Braves have announced that right-hander Shae Simmons underwent Tommy John surgery today and will miss the 2015 season as he rehabs from the procedure.  —  Simmons, 24, surfaced with the Braves in late May and enjoyed a very strong run through …

Royals Finalizing Two-Year Deal With Kelvin Herrera  —  6:10pm: Herrera will earn $1.6MM in 2015 and $2.55MM in 2016, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman tweets.  Herrera has also passed his physical, Heyman notes, so it's seemingly just a matter of time before the contract becomes official.

Matt Harvey: A-Rod's return is ‘exciting, good for baseball’  —  PORT ST. LUCIE - Matt Harvey is busy forging his comeback from Tommy John surgery, but he is keeping an eye on the Alex Rodriguez saga with the Yankees.  He offered words of support to Rodriguez, who apologized to Yankees brass on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

Mariners To Sign Rickie Weeks  —  FEB. 12: Weeks can also earn up to $2MM worth of incentives on his deal with Seattle, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter).  —  FEB. 11: The Mariners and second baseman Rickie Weeks are in agreement on a one-year, $2MM Major League deal …