San Francisco Giants announce they will not have fans in attendance this season  —  Now that the 2020 MLB season is finally expected to start in less than a month, things are starting to take shape.  —  While some teams expect to have fans in attendance, others are going to play in front …

The Obscenely Late, Obscenely Early ZiPS Projected Standings  —  It seems like years ago at this point, but the last time we posted preliminary projections a month before the start of a baseball season, it went, well, you know, not great!  Now comes our second attempt at preliminary standings projections …

Aaron Judge could be ready for opener, along with other injured Yankees  —  When spring training restarts toward the end of next week, the Yankees will be better off than they were in mid-March, when all big-league camps were shuttered because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  —  At least from a physical standpoint.

Texas Rangers Manager Chris Woodward Announces Lance Lynn as Opening Day Starter  —  In his first Zoom call with local reporters since baseball officially returned, Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward didn't wait very long to grab everyone's attention.  —  The line of questioning concluded …

Arizona Diamondbacks sign top pick Bryce Jarvis  —  The Diamondbacks have finalized a contract with top pick Bryce Jarvis, signing the right-hander out of Duke to a deal that includes a $2.65 million signing bonus.  Jarvis has passed his physical exam.  —  The bonus is considerably less …

Mariners To Sign Emerson Hancock  —  The Mariners have agreed to terms with No. 6 overall pick Emerson Hancock, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter).  The University of Georgia righty will receive a $5.7MM signing bonus that closely aligns with his $5,742,900 slot value.

MLB predictions: Who will thrive, struggle in 60-game season?  —  With the final hurdles cleared for a 2020 MLB season, the likes of which we've never seen before, we asked ESPN's baseball writers, reporters and editors for their best guesses as to what we'll witness during this abbreviated campaign.

Giants president Farhan Zaidi denounces Scottsdale city council member  —  Major League Baseball's three-month transaction freeze is poised to thaw on Friday.  So before Giants president and noted waiver-wire aficionado Farhan Zaidi got totally distracted by the return of player movement, I thought I'd call him and ask a question.

4 things to look forward to in Mets' 60-game sprint  —  We've all done the math.  With the way the impending MLB schedule is expected to work, the Mets will play 40 games against their National League East opponents in the Braves, Nationals, Phillies and Marlins.

Cubs Sign Three Draft Picks  —  The Cubs announced Thursday that they've signed three of their five picks from the 2020 amateur draft: left-hander Burl Carraway (second-round), left-hander Luke Little (fourth) and right-hander Koen Moreno (fifth).  Chicago announced early this week …

New MLB Operations Manual Offers Glimpse Into Negotiations for 2020 Season  —  During the negotiations for the 2020 season, the health and safety plans developed from a 67-page draft to the 101-page MLB Operations Manual.  What changed?  —  MLB's return to play will rely on one document …

Lane Kiffin, Mike Leach join group from Ole Miss, Mississippi State to lobby for change to state flag  —  Football coaches Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach were part of a contingent from Ole Miss and Mississippi State addressing the state legislature Thursday and lobbying for the Confederate emblem to be removed from the Mississippi flag.

Quick Hits: Exhibition Games, 60-Man, Scouting, D-backs, Dodgers, Twins  —  There has been some question as to whether the second version of spring training will include any games, but that's no longer the case.  Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Major League Baseball …