Tanaka?  Paxton?  Happ?  Keuchel?!  Handicapping the Yankees' Opening Day starter  —  TAMPA, Fla. — All winter, it was practically a foregone conclusion who'd be starting Opening Day for the New York Yankees.  —  Then, about 15 minutes prior to Tuesday's spring training game against the Braves …

Giants' Farhan Zaidi still pursuing outfielders  —  SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — With Bryce Harper in another division and on another coast, the Giants' contingency plan for their outfield is materializing, albeit slowly.  —  “With the kind of investment and duration in a guy like Harper …

Marlins offer challenge during Justin Verlander's third spring start for Astros  —  JUPITER, Fla. — With two men aboard in the fourth inning, A.J. Hinch stepped from behind the batting screen where he watched Justin Verlander work.  The manager stepped toward the mound and prepared to pull his ace.

Armed with advice from Brock and Furcal, Wong aims for more bunts and steals  —  JUPITER, Fla.  • Former shortstop Rafael Furcal, a member of the 2011 Cardinals' World Series championship club, dressed out for a Cardinals workout before a recent home exhibition game …

Padres hit five homers in victory over Rangers  —  Manny Machado, right, and Ian Kinsler, left, walk off the field after playing in a spring training game.  (Ross D. Franklin / AP)  —  Score: Padres 11, Rangers 8  —  Batter's box: It was against a pitcher who has thrown five innings above Double-A …

Wait, Rafael Palmeiro has been honored with his own statue?  'I feel I've made it'  —  Rafael Palmeiro fell off the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot five years ago.  He's essentially an outcast from Major League Baseball.  The organizations where he put together the bulk of a stellar career …

Cincinnati Reds pitchers hit around in 11-3 spring training loss to Seattle Mariners  —  GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Reds pitchers allowed 13 hits, five walks and two homers in an 11-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday at Goodyear Ballpark.  —  Lefty reliever Brandon Finnegan walked …

Arizona Diamondbacks balancing heavy reliever workloads with light springs  —  The second half of last season spiraled out of control for Archie Bradley, and the Diamondbacks reliever has his theories as to what went wrong.  There are some possibilities he views as more likely than others …

The HBP King: Cincinnati Reds infielder Derek Dietrich skilled at getting hit by pitches  —  GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Throughout the last three seasons, no Major Leaguer was hit by more pitches than new Reds infielder Derek Dietrich.  —  It's not a category that most hitters want to be associated with …

Detroit Tigers' Drew VerHagen getting checked out, battling ‘dead arm’  —  LAKELAND, Fla. — After nearly two weeks of spring training action, the Detroit Tigers finally have an injury concern on their hands - and some paranoia to boot.  —  Drew VerHagen, the right-handed reliever who is counted …

Cleveland Indians beat D-Backs on wild pitch and good pitching, 4-3  —  CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Indians' offense squeezed a lot out of a little Thursday against the Diamondbacks in Scottsdale, Ariz. The pitching, meanwhile, didn't have to squeeze that hard.  —  After Trevor Bauer allowed …

Donaldson set for exhibition debut with Braves  —  KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Josh Donaldson plans to play in his first spring training game for the Atlanta Braves on Friday night against Philadelphia.  —  After being slowed by injuries for two seasons, the 33-year-old third baseman signed a $23 million …

‘Adapt or die’: MLB staffs have new look as coaches go from lab to dugout  —  Wes Johnson did not run from the labels.  —  Weirdo.  Iconoclast.  Voodoo coach.  —  Johnson heard some variation of them all over the past decade, when he first set up shop as the pitching coach …

Terry Francona: Cleveland Indians want ‘to see the best’ of Hanley Ramirez  —  Manager Terry Francona and the Cleveland Indians want ‘to see the best’ of Hanley Ramirez in spring training.  —  CLEVELAND — When the Cleveland Indians traded away designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion …

From water boy to MVP: Mookie Betts is amazing at everything  —  FORT MYERS, Fla. — My ESPN colleague Tim Kurkjian likes to say that baseball players are the best athletes in the world — or at least the most underrated.  I agree.  Of course, Tim and I are baseball fans and absolutely biased in this regard, but we are also right.