Noah Syndergaard ready to listen if NY Mets want to make a deal  —  Brodie Van Wagenen on the Mets' depth  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — If the New York Mets want to talk, Noah Syndergaard will listen.  —  Syndergaard, 26, is one of the sport's top young pitchers and under contract through 2021.

Giancarlo Stanton talks about growing comfort in AL, playing games that matter  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Now that he's playing in the Bronx, the stretch between May and October has a much different significance to Giancarlo Stanton.  It's one he's incredibly thankful for, too.

Why didn't Cubs throw money at big free agents?  'We don't have any more'  —  MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs' apology tour continued Monday when chairman Tom Ricketts talked to the team about the embarrassment brought on by his father's racist emails being publicly exposed, vowing that the team will become lovable once again.

Clark: Some teams make little effort to justify ticket costs  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Players' union head Tony Clark took the extraordinary step of saying baseball fans should question whether it makes sense to purchase tickets for some teams, responding to Commissioner Rob Manfred's assertion …

Red Sox owner John Henry says spending more tends to helps teams win  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. - In apparent contradiction to his own commissioner, Boston Red Sox owner John Henry said Monday that, while there is not a perfect correlation between a bigger payroll and winning, “spending more money helps.”

Baseball notebook: Source says Moustakas, Brewers nearing a deal  —  Source: Moustakas, Brewers nearing a deal  —  Mike Moustakas and the Brewers are nearing a deal that would keep the third baseman in Milwaukee for a guarantee of $10 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

Kris Bryant happy to clear the air with Yadier Molina over comments about St. Louis  —  MESA, Ari.  — Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant said he's more than happy to clear the air with Yadier Molina after offseason comments made by Bryant about the city of St. Louis raised the ire of the Cardinals' All-Star catcher.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy will retire after the 2019 season  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Bruce Bochy, who managed the Giants to three World Series championships in a career that is destined to land him in the Hall of Fame, announced Monday that he will retire after the 2019 season, his 13th with the club and 25th as a big-league manager.

'There's no more excuses.' Four core Rangers players are ready to grow up in 2019  —  These are perilous times for the Texas Rangers, who are trying to produce young talent that can lift the franchise back to where it was the last time it went through a rebuilding phase.

Monday in Cards camp: Cecil has trouble throwing strikes, but he was sick  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • Lefthander Brett Cecil was the first Cardinals' pitcher to face hitters Monday.  He didn't throw many strikes, perhaps two out of 15 or so pitches in his stint, but he became ill while he was warming …

Padres make big offer to free agent Manny Machado  —  MESA, Ariz. — Manny Machado, one of the biggest prizes on the free agent market, has finally received a contract proposal that may suit his demands.  —  The San Diego Padres submitted an eight-year offer to Machado worth between $240 million …

Jorge Posada: Joining Derek Jeter with Marlins is ‘Perfect timing’  —  JUPITER, Fla. — A black cap with the Miami Marlins' new neon logo sat atop Jorge Posada's graying hair Monday, a jarring sight for fans who recall he spent his entire playing career with the New York Yankees.

Reds' Joey Votto tries to rebound from subpar season  —  GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Joey Votto has spent the offseason trying to make sure he doesn't have another subpar season.  —  The Cincinnati Reds star led the National League in on-base percentage last year but hit just 12 homers …