With Machado at third, Kinsler can focus on second for Pads  —  PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) With Manny Machado now officially the Padres' third baseman, Ian Kinsler can focus on playing second base for San Diego.  —  Kinsler, fresh off a World Series title with the Boston Red Sox …

MLB players are ready to ‘burn the whole system down.’ Here's what they want to avoid a strike.  —  For 25 years, labor peace has prevailed in Major League Baseball, players and ownership alike getting rich in the years after an eight-month work stoppage canceled the 1994 World Series and imperiled the '95 season.

Column: Brewers know they can't stop Cubs fans from invading Miller Park: 'It's a very easy trip'  —  Cubs fans usually are in the majority for games against the Brewers at Miller Park in Milwaukee.  (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)  —  Chicago Tribune  —  The Brewers recently held …

Cardinals' Shreve adjusting his approach to work more inside  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • A pitch that Christian Yelich put well beyond the wall this past August offered Cardinals lefty Chasen Shreve all the example he needed to explain an area of focus this spring.

Twins To Sign Marwin Gonzalez  —  11:48am: The two sides have agreed to a two-year contract worth $21MM, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter).  —  11:45am: The Twins have agreed to a contract with free-agent infielder/outfielder Marwin Gonzalez, reports Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (via Twitter).

New York Yankees face Boston Red Sox to open their Grapefruit League slate  —  TAMPA, Fla. - Opening day of the Grapefruit League season begins on Saturday, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone is taking a few bold-name players on the long bus ride to Fort Myers.

MLB 2019: Sleepers and players set to break out this season  —  Every baseball season produces its share of unexpected success stories - players who may not have had much fanfare entering spring training, but who take the playing time they're given and make the most of it.

Exclusive: Nats owner Mark Lerner says they haven't heard from Bryce Harper and Scott Boras in months  —  The Washington Nationals are officially moving on from Bryce Harper.  —  “Nothing's certainly changed on our end,” owner Mark Lerner told NBC Sports Washington's Todd Dybas Friday.  “We've moved on.

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw taking step back from throwing  —  GLENDALE, Ariz. — Clayton Kershaw, fresh off a $93 million extension, is taking a step back from his normal throwing progression after seemingly feeling displeased with his recent work off the mound.

Clark: Machado's deal doesn't mean system is working  —  TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Players' union head Tony Clark says Adam Wainwright's comments about a possible strike were in line with widespread concern he hears from his members about a free-agent market they claim has become dysfunctional.

Arizona Diamondbacks' lineup faces obstacles with Paul Goldschmidt gone  —  The Diamondbacks enter spring training dogged by a question that, while not exactly unique to their existence, is one they are not usually forced to grapple with at this time of year.  It is a question of scoring runs.

The first spring training game of the year got rained out  —  The spring training season started with a splash.  Just not the kind fans hoped for.  —  In the first major league exhibition game of the year, the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics were rained out Thursday in Mesa …

Cleon Jones, other 1969 Mets lobby for Gil Hodges to make Baseball Hall of Fame  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —Now that 50 years has passed, former Mets left fielder Cleon Jones is ready to let the world in on a little secret.  —  The Mets were playing Houston in the second game …

Mets' Brandon Nimmo optimistic he'll return soon, but no timeline on Jed Lowrie  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —The Mets will be without Jed Lowrie and Brandon Nimmo as Grapefruit League games being Saturday against Atlanta.  —  An MRI on Lowrie's left knee revealed no significant damage …

Regular-season pitch clocks this year are a real possibility  —  Major League Baseball will implement a 20-second pitch clock for spring training games, and sources told ESPN that adding it for this regular season is a real possibility.  —  MLB announced the parameters for the clock …

Detroit Tigers exhibition: What we saw from Kyle Funkhouser, Dawel Lugo  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers 13, Southeastern University 2 at Joker Marchant Stadium.  —  The only thing that mattered Friday afternoon: Nobody was injured.  —  Top prospect Casey Mize made his exhibition debut, throwing two innings.

Braves bringing Camargo, Culberson on first spring trip  —  The Braves won't be carrying many of their regular position players to Port St. Lucie for Saturday's Grapefruit League opener against the Mets and subsequent game against the Astros, a standard occurrence for spring training road games.