Astros at Twins prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for April 3  —  Its Thursday, April 3 and the Astros (2-4) are in Minnesota to open a series against the Twins (2-4).  —  Hunter Brown is slated to take the mound for Houston against Joe Ryan for Minnesota.

Padres Sign Jackson Merrill To Nine-Year Extension  —  The Padres announced that they have signed star outfielder Jackson Merrill to a nine-year contract extension that runs through 2034 with a club option for 2035.  Reportedly, it guarantees the star $135MM.

Iván Herrera becomes first Cardinals catcher with three-homer game in win over Angels  —  When Iván Herrera was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Panama, he was excited to join an organization that featured one of his idols, Yadier Molina.

Athletics trade speedy outfielder Esteury Ruiz to Dodgers for minor league pitcher  —  WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics traded talented base-stealer and outfielder Esteury Ruiz to the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday for minor league right-hander Carlos Duran.

Ketel Marte agrees to new six-year, $116.5 million contract with Diamondbacks  —  NEW YORK — Second baseman Ketel Marte and the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed Wednesday to a six-year, $116.5 million contract, becoming among the first players to negotiate a lower salary for 2027 ahead of a possible work stoppage.

MLB's average salary tops $5 million for first time  —  NEW YORK — Major League Baseball's average salary broke the $5 million barrier on opening day for the first time, according to a study by The Associated Press.  —  The New York Mets, with Juan Soto's record $61.9 million pay …

Kristian Campbell agrees to 8-year, $60 million deal with Red Sox  —  BALTIMORE — Kristian Campbell agreed to an eight-year, $60 million contract with the Boston Red Sox less than a week after his major league debut.  —  He gets a $2 million signing bonus, half payable within 60 days …