Top News:
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
MLB, players agree to expanded 2020 playoffs with 16 teams — CHICAGO — The Major League Baseball postseason will be expanded from 10 teams to 16 teams in 2020 once the owners officially ratify the deal before Thursday night's season-opener, according to three high-ranking officials with knowledge of the agreement.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Forbes, Bleed Cubbie Blue and Amazin' Avenue
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Jesse Yomtov / USA Today:
MLB preseason power rankings: Yankees start 2020 season on top — How do you improve on a 103-win season? For the Yankees, the answer was simple: sign one of the best pitchers in a game. — Seeking their long-awaited 28th title, the Yankees signed Gerrit Cole to a record-breaking nine-year …
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Twinkie Town and Royals Review
Michael Shapiro / Sports Illustrated:
Report: Juan Soto Tests Positive for COVID-19, Will Miss Opening Night vs. Yankees — The Nationals will host the Yankees in the 2020 season opener on Thursday night. — Nationals outfielder Juan Soto will miss the season opener against the Yankees on Thursday after testing positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, NBCSports.com, MLB Trade Rumors, Lone Star Ball and Federal Baseball
ESPN:
MLB players' union OKs playoff expansion for 2020, sources say — The Major League Baseball Players Association has agreed to a plan to expand the playoffs to 16 teams for the 2020 season, sources have told ESPN's Marly Rivera. — A playoff expansion still needs the final approval of MLB owners, sources said.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, MLB Baseball News … and NBCSports.com
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
MLB Playoff Field Expands To 16 Teams For 2020 Season — 4:36pm: The league's owners have ratified the agreement, Sherman tweets. Sixteen teams will make the playoffs this season. — 3:27pm: ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the top two teams in each division will qualify for the postseason under this format.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …, Red Reporter, Lone Star Ball and Talking Chop
ESPN:
Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw (back) goes on IL; Dustin May to start vs. Giants — Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was put on the 10-day injured list because of stiffness in his back and will not make his scheduled start in Thursday's Opening Day game against the San Francisco Giants, the team announced.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
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Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Dodgers Place Clayton Kershaw On Injured List, Recall Dustin May — The Dodgers announced that they've placed scheduled Opening Day starter Clayton Kershaw on the injured list and recalled right-hander Dustin May from their alternate training site. The team has termed Kershaw's injury as …
Discussion:
True Blue LA
Stephanie Apstein / Sports Illustrated:
Boston's Blunder: How the Dodgers Landed Mookie Betts for the Next 13 Seasons — The Dodgers signed Mookie Betts to a 12-year, $365 million deal, beginning in 2021, making him the highest-paid player on a World Series contender. — Twenty-one months ago, Mookie Betts shot through the outfield …
Discussion:
True Blue LA, MLB Baseball News … and Over the Monster
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Jeff Passan / ESPN:
Mookie Betts agrees to 12-year, $365 million extension with Dodgers
Discussion:
Los Angeles Dodgers News …, Talking Chop and Surviving Grady
MLB Insiders / ESPN:
Mookie's $365 million extension with Dodgers: What mega deal means for MLB, L.A., Betts and more
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and baseballmusings.com
Steve Adams / MLB Trade Rumors:
Phillies Designate Robert Stock For Assignment, Set Opening Day Roster — The Phillies set their Opening Day roster this morning, announcing within their press release that righty Robert Stock was designated for assignment. The club has selected the contracts of veteran infielder Neil Walker …
Discussion:
The Good Phight and Phillies Nation
Marc Topkin / Tampa Bay Times:
Rays down to final roster decisions after adding reliever Ryan Thompson — With a 30-man roster due at noon Thursday, the final call seems to be whether to carry 16 or 17 pitchers. — ST. PETERSBURG — Rays officials plan to keep talking over the lingering decisions in setting …
Discussion:
DRaysBay and MLB Trade Rumors
Dave Clark / Cincinnati.com:
Matt Harvey, Kansas City Royals near deal, per reports — Matt Harvey, who has pitched in the big leagues for the New York Mets, the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Angels, is close to a deal with the Kansas City Royals, according to multiple reports. — Harvey, 31, signed a minor-league deal with the Oakland A's last August.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News …
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Andrew Marchand / New York Post:
Sneak peek: Fox to use virtual fans for MLB broadcasts — Fox will utilize virtual fans for its MLB game broadcasts beginning Saturday. — The use of augmented reality is designed to make viewers feel as if telecasts are as normal as possible, despite the ongoing pandemic that has left ballparks empty.
Discussion:
MLB Baseball News … and Sports Illustrated
Alex Pavlovic / MLB Baseball News, Scores …:
Giants' 2020 MLB Opening Day roster: 16 pitchers, plenty of newcomers — By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's — There were a lot of newcomers and a few big surprises when the Giants announced their 30-man opening day roster on Thursday morning.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, NBCSports.com and McCovey Chronicles
Scott Pianowski / MLB Baseball News, Scores …:
Funky fantasy baseball predictions for a strange 2020 MLB season — By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's — a predictions piece is the easiest and breeziest piece of the preseason. We all have ideas, opinions, dreams, takes — even some bad taeks. You open up a word file, and the thing writes itself.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and McCovey Chronicles
