Bryce Harper and Mike Trout together with the Phillies?  Why it isn't such a crazy thought  —  Of all the things that have been said since Bryce Harper signed with the Phillies, 52 words that were uttered by the star right fielder in the midst of his 35-minute news conference …

Cardinals notes: ‘Big target’ Wieters begins bid to be Molina's backup  —  LAKELAND, Fla.  • A few times in his first week with the Cardinals, veteran catcher Matt Wieters has mentioned how he despises being late.  Ask his wife, he has said.  Ask his family, he insisted.

Al Leiter realizes another Mets dream  —  PORT ST. LUCIE — Al Leiter is ditching the Yankees TV booth for a seat within Brodie Van Wagenen's cabinet.  —  Leiter, who suited up for both New York teams during his near two decades in the big leagues, will serve as a baseball operations advisor for the Mets, the team announced on Monday.

Dodgers ace Kershaw could miss opening day start  —  Clayton Kershaw might not be on the mound when the two-time NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers start the season.  —  The lefty ace is working his way back from shoulder soreness that caused him to shut down his spring training.

Clippers knock out Lakers, likely ending their playoff dreams  —  LOS ANGELES — Just over a month ago, LeBron James made a triumphant return against the Clippers - the franchise that's so often played second fiddle in their own town.  —  Monday night, the Clippers paid him back …

Extensions are MLB's new normal.  Are Bryant, other Cubs next?  —  MESA, Ariz. — Has there been a change in strategy around baseball?  What used to be the goal of nearly every player — earning the right to choose which team he plays for — might now be less appealing.

All Hand's on deck!  Indians pitchers, coaches marvel at closer Brad Hand's calm demeanor  —  Cleveland Indians closer Brad Hand has marvelled teammates and coaches alike with his calm demeanor in tough situations.  —  CLEVELAND — Major League Baseball relievers, and more specifically …

Predicting the Cincinnati Reds' roster has gotten fuzzier  —  GOODYEAR, Arizona - Two-and-a-half weeks before spring training started, I took a stab at predicting the Reds' 25-man Opening Day roster.  Three weeks into spring training, I'll take another stab - albeit with no more confidence than I did back in January.

Twins tap All-Star Berrios to start on opening day  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — Jose Berrios will be Minnesota's Opening Day starter, the first such assignment for the 24-year-old right-hander.  —  Twins manager Rocco Baldelli announced the decision to reporters on Monday, a natural honor for the team's only All-Star last season.

Tigers top pick Casey Mize ends his first camp with a flourish  —  Lakeland, Fla. — As first impressions go, it would be hard to top what Casey Mize showed the Tigers in his first big-league camp.  —  “I was just really impressed with how he handled himself,” catcher John Hicks said.

Ben Zobrist leads off as Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs take on the Angels in Tempe  —  Photos of the Cubs at spring training at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz., before the 2019 season.  —  Chicago Tribune  —  Ben Zobrist is back in the leadoff spot Tuesday as the Cubs travel to Tempe Diablo Stadium to take on the Angels.

A.J. Pollock out to prove he can be great for Dodgers, even if he isn't Bryce Harper … A fan favorite for seven years with the Arizona Diamondbacks, A.J. Pollock is adjusting to life behind enemy lines after signing a four-year, $55-million contract in January with the National League West-rival Dodgers.

Projecting win-loss record for all 30 teams now that Bryce has signed  —  With the Phillies' signing of Bryce Harper last week, we can start to turn our full focus on spring training, as the time-honored baseball calendar dictates.  Most of what Scott Boras would call the “steak” of the free-agent market has been served.