Alex Rodriguez says he'll retire after 2017 season  —  Alex Rodriguez plans on retiring at the end of the 2017 season after playing out his contract with the New York Yankees, the designated hitter told ESPN on Wednesday.  —  “I won't play after next year,” Rodriguez told ESPN on Wednesday.

Baseball's Most Valuable Teams  —  In baseball, the pecking order of team values has more to do with what goes on outside the ballpark than the number of fans that come through the turnstiles, buy beer or rent a party suite at the game.  —  The New York Yankees, worth at least $3.4 billion …

President Obama: Jose Abreu's separation from son 'can't be the kind of policies we want to promote'  —  The Tampa Bay Rays and Cuban national team played an exhibition game at the Estadio Latinoamericano in Havana on March 22, 2016.  U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban president Raul Castro attended.

Legendary baseball announcer Joe Garagiola Sr. dies at age 90  —  Joe Garagiola, who turned a modest major league catching career into a 57-year run as a popular broadcaster in the sports world and beyond, died Wednesday.  He was 90.  —  The Arizona Diamondbacks announced his death …

Los Angeles Rams will be featured on HBO's ‘Hard Knocks’  —  Rams running back Todd Gurley, last season's offensive rookie of the year, is the kind of talent to which the Rams want to draw attention on “Hard Knocks.”  —  The Los Angeles Rams are ready for their close-up.

Orioles Sign Zach Phillips, Designate Chris Jones  —  The Orioles have signed lefty Zach Phillips to a one-year deal, announced the team.  To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, they designated southpaw Chris Jones for assignment.  MLBTR has learned that Phillips received a Major League deal worth $510K.

Dodgers OF Andre Ethier out 10-14 weeks after fracturing right tibia  —  GLENDALE, Ariz. — Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier will be out 10 to 14 weeks after fracturing his right tibia.  —  Ethier, the projected starter in left field this year, was injured after fouling a ball off …

Matt Carpenter was good as contact hitter, but he's great as power hitter  —  Only three players saw their power numbers jump more last year than St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter.  Two of those were breakout kids — Bryce Harper and Nolan Arenado — and one was a comeback veteran (Mark Teixeira).

Gray was the third overall pick in the 2013 draft  —  The Denver Post  —  Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray throws during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Scottsdale, Ariz., Tuesday, March 22, 2016.  (Jeff Chiu, The Associated Press)

Delayed in Cuba, Rays eventually made it home around 5 a.m.  —  The Rays' historic trip to Cuba lasted a little bit longer than they had planned, as a series of delays, including a mechanical issue with one of their chartered planes, delayed their arrival in Tampa until about 5 a.m.

Yankees' Starlin Castro says Noah Syndergaard is Mets pitcher he'd least like to face  —  TAMPA — Matt Harvey will be the Mets' Opening Day starter and some argue that Jacob deGrom should have the title of staff ace.  —  New Yankee second baseman Starlin Castro has another take.