Top News:
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
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 …
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Yu Darvish likes his fit on Cubs across the board — Chicago Tribune — From an assimilation standpoint, spring training couldn't have gone any better for prized Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish. — “This team went beyond my expectations in every factor,” the free-agent signee said Monday night …
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Theo Epstein likes way Cubs have come together but knows pitfalls lie ahead — Chicago Tribune — Spring training has run almost too smoothly for Cubs President Theo Epstein with one exhibition game remaining. — “There are always issues,” Epstein said to a press gaggle of mostly Boston media.
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
In Montreal, Carpenter continues to see how his throws translate to third — MONTREAL • Several hours before first pitch in baseball's return this year to Quebec and the turf of Stade Olympique, Kolten Wong and some of the others Cardinals filed out to the field, an extra pair of shoes in their hands.
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter
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Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
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.
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Scoreless in Montreal: Jays Stroman whistles through Cardinals lineup — MONTREAL • As scripted, the Cardinals got a leadoff single and had their OBP assembly revving to action in the first inning. — They've had nothing sense. — Blue Jays righthander Marcus Stroman …
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Wacha works on giving hitters more to ponder — • As much as anything he did Monday night against Toronto in his final fine-tune before the regular season, Michael Wacha revealed how he felt about the onrushing season with something he said later that night at Olympic Stadium. — It was just four words.
Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
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 …
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Kristie Ackert / New York Daily News:
Matt Harvey says the Mets will ‘shock a lot of people’ this season — After a quiet spring training working on his mechanics and watching this team develop under a new manager, Matt Harvey was ready to make a bold prediction. Coming off a disastrous 2017, on the final day of spring training …
Jill Painter Lopez / Associated Press:
Ohtani gets a hit, Angels beat Dodgers in Freeway exhibition — Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Enrique Hernandez, left, tags out Albert Pujols at second as Pujols tried to stretch a single into a double during the first inning of a preseason baseball game Monday, March 26, 2018, in Los Angeles.
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Jeff Fletcher / Inland Valley Daily Bulletin:
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 …
Discussion:
Whittier Daily News, Orange County Register, MLB Baseball News … and Halos Heaven
Associated Press:
Pujols, Shoemaker lead Angels to 4-1 win over Dodgers — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Albert Pujols hit a three-run double to lead the Los Angeles Angels over the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 Monday night in the second game of the exhibition Freeway Series. — Pujols cleared the bases against Rich Hill during a four-run third inning.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
Anthony Fenech / Detroit Free Press:
Detroit Tigers spring training confirms expectation for losing season — 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
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Toronto Sun:
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.
Discussion:
AZ Snake Pit
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Richard Morin / Arizona Republic:
Arizona Diamondbacks spring training - 2018 … Deven Marrero isn't from Arizona, but he's at home in the Valley. — Acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, the newest Diamondbacks infielder can't wait to satisfy his Oregano's pizookie fix. And he might even squeeze in a trip to In-N-Out.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Over the Monster and MLB Daily Dish
Bob McManaman / Arizona Republic:
2001 Arizona Diamondbacks: Where are they now? … Though they failed to make the playoffs in 2003, the Diamondbacks were fortunate to stay in the wild-card race into September. That they did it without the help of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling made it that much more impressive.
Connor Byrne / MLB Trade Rumors:
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 …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Al's Ramblings
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Matt Ehalt / Daily Record:
Matt Harvey: Mets going to shock a lot of people — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The bravado is back. — Matt Harvey interrupted an otherwise sleepy final day of Mets camp by declaring the Mets are poised to make pundits look silly this upcoming season. — “Sky's the limit.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
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Pete Caldera / Daily Record:
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 …
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Andrew Bucholtz / The Comeback:
Giancarlo Stanton crushes a deep home run against the Braves, and makes it all look easy
Discussion:
FanRag Sports and Talking Chop
Associated Press:
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 …
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Bob Brookover / Philly.com:
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.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
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Arizona Republic:
Pitchers — RHP Zack Greinke — Scout's take: “They need him to be what he was last year. I saw him on the backfields throwing 84-86 mph, mostly 85, and I would say I'd have the same feeling as last year where I'm a little concerned. But you kind of have to trust his track record and give him the benefit of the doubt.
Jeff Todd / MLB Trade Rumors:
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 …
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, McCovey Chronicles and MLB Baseball News …
Kevin Baxter / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Curacao is an island unto itself when it comes to producing big-league ballplayers — WILLEMSTAD, Curacao — A cruise ship rises into view just beyond the left-field foul line of Curacao's largest ballpark, and a row of tall, thin palm trees provide little shade to keep the diamond's rocky dirt infield from baking in the midday sun.
Joshua Koch / Associated Press:
Tucker hits slam in 1st Minute Maid AB as Astros top Brewers — HOUSTON (AP) — Kyle Tucker gave Houston Astros fans a nice peak into the future a few days before the World Series champions formally begin their title defense. — The prized prospect hit a grand slam in his first-ever at-bat …
