Cards notebook: Redbirds work on improving defense  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • Ozzie Smith, perhaps the best defender in Cardinals history, watched with interest Monday as the club's pitchers went through some bunt defense plays.  —  “The little plays are very important,” the 13-time Gold Glover said.

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 …

NY Mets ace Jacob deGrom draws criticism from Yankees' Luis Severino  —  Jacob deGrom discusses his contract talks with the Mets  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Jacob deGrom isn't concerned with Luis Severino's analysis of how he should handle himself in his contract negotiations.

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.

Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. targets Kendrys Morales as mentor  —  DUNEDIN, Fla. — As he headed to his first big league camp with the Toronto Blue Jays, touted phenom Vladimir Guerrero Jr. asked his famous father whether he had any words of wisdom for him.

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.”

How Patrick Corbin won the winter  —  Until Bryce Harper and Manny Machado find homes, it's difficult to say which team won the offseason.  Impossible, even.  As for the player who won the winter, well that's a no-brainer.  —  When Patrick Corbin signed with the Washington Nationals …

Mike Trout mum on contract, but feels Angels are poised to ‘make a push’  —  Angels center fielder Mike Trout takes a knee during a spring training practice session in Tempe, Ariz., on Monday.  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)  —  A few hours before the Angels assembled Monday morning …

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.

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.

Rajai Davis signs minors deal with Mets, but sees opportunity in majors  —  Brodie Van Wagenen on the Mets' depth  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Rajai Davis didn't hold back in describing his 2018 season.  —  “It was a bad year,” Davis said Monday.  “I had a bad year, so I worked all offseason …

Bryce Harper is the biggest story at Phillies camp, but he's not a Phillie or in camp  —  The Washington Post  —  On the night before the Philadelphia Phillies' first full-squad workout of spring training, as he was still batting around in his head what his message to the assembled players would be, Gabe Kapler's phone kept buzzing.

Updates from White Sox spring training: How does Yolmer Sanchez feel about a move back to second base?  —  Photos of the White Sox at spring training at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz., before the 2019 season.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  White Sox manager Rick Renteria dropped this nugget at White Sox camp Monday.

Some insight into Woodward's first speech to full squad, and how Rangers received it  —  As always this time of year, Surprise Stadium has turned into the home of the Oregon State Beavers, the defending national champions who have opened their season here for many years running.

Healthy Socrates Brito looking to win bench spot with Diamondbacks  —  Socrates Brito enters spring training as a player to watch for the Diamondbacks in large part because he is out of minor-league options, meaning he'd have to be exposed to waivers if he doesn't make the Opening Day roster.

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.

Cubs' Kris Bryant says ‘St. Louis is so boring’ comment was ‘taken totally out of context’  —  Kris Bryant said he was “caught off-guard” by the backlash regarding his comments about St. Louis “being so boring,” but added his comments in January were taken out of context.