After an enlightening spring training, Mickey Callaway is ready for his first real test as Mets' manager  —  PORT ST. LUCIE — As a veteran in Triple-A, Dave Eiland gave a young Mickey Callaway some important advice: pitch with conviction.  Wednesday night, Eiland will give the Mets …

Column: Players come and go, but Cubs' core appears here to stay awhile  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Back in prehistoric times, the phrase “Kessinger, Beckert, Santo and Banks” rolled off the tongues of young Cubs fans as easily as the Pledge of Allegiance.  —  Not only did shortstop Don Kessinger …

Cardinals face off against familiar faces from Toronto  —  MONTREAL  • With a bullpen still under construction and a rotation reworked because of injury, the Cardinals cannot be sure they're the team they want to be, not yet.  —  They do know the team they could have been.

Source: Diamondbacks, Ketel Marte agree to five-year contract  —  PHOENIX — A person familiar with the deal says the Arizona Diamondbacks and infielder Ketel Marte have agreed to a $24 million, five-year contract.  —  The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the agreement had not been announced.

Clint Frazier back on the field at Tampa; Giancarlo homers in Yankees exhibition win at Atlanta  —  ATLANTA - Over a month since he suffered a concussion, Clint Frazier took on-field batting practice at the Yankees' Tampa, Fla., complex on Monday.  —  “(It's) another hurdle that he got across …

Rays To Release Dan Jennings  —  The Rays will release left-handed reliever Dan Jennings, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.  In doing so, they'll pay one-fourth of Jennings' $2.375MM salary (~$575K), a non-guaranteed arbitration award.  —  The Rays finished slightly below .500 last year …

A look at the 2018 Angels, position by position  —  STARTING ROTATION  —  As has been well-chronicled, the injuries to the Angels' rotation in the past two years have been largely responsible for the team's losing records each of those years.  This year, they began the spring with eight healthy starters …

MLB predictions: Choosing league winners, postseason teams and awards  —  The beginning of the Major League Baseball season brings a new round of predictions.  The Detroit Free Press' Anthony Fenech and George Sipple give their prognostications for the 2018 season.  Wochit  —  CONNECT

Tommy Hunter headed to disabled list with hamstring injury  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies took another hit in the pitching department Monday when they learned that veteran reliever Tommy Hunter would be unable to open the regular season Thursday in Atlanta because of a mild hamstring strain.

Yovani Gallardo released, will receive $483K in termination pay  —  PHOENIX — Yovani Gallardo has been released by the Milwaukee Brewers, who owe the 32-year-old right-hander $483,871 in termination pay rather than his $2 million salary.  —  Milwaukee made the move Monday …

Giants To Designate Jarrett Parker, Select Derek Holland  —  The Giants have designated outfielder Jarrett Parker for assignment, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).  His roster spot was needed for the addition of lefty Derek Holland, who'll make the rotation after signing …

Spring rain threatens to dampen Detroit Tigers Opening Day  —  It's finally spring and time to play ball, but rain could put a damper on Opening Day for the Detroit Tigers.  —  The week will start off sunny and breezy today as temperatures warm up into the low 50s, according to the National Weather Service in White Lake.