Major League Baseball News and Rumors
Twins' Mauer expects to catch more this seasonJoe Mauer has always steadfastly believed that his value is highest and his impact greatest when his smooth swing is in the lineup on offense and he's crouching behind the plate on defense. |
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Rhett Bollinger, MLB.com Twins slugger Justin Morneau, who appeared in 134 games in 2012 after a pair of injury-laden seasons, is feeling the healthiest he has in a while, but he's being cautious with his optimism as Spring Training approaches. |
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Twins general manager Terry Ryan, speaking at the annual media luncheon on Friday at Target Field, said the club might not be done making moves before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Feb. 10. |
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Joe Frisaro, MLB.com The Marlins have agreed to terms with Chad Qualls on a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training, according to the Miami Herald. |
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Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig certainly won't be calling Chris Sale any time soon, probably never, to use him as part of a celebrity endorsement deal. The slender left-hander, coming off a Cy Young-caliber effort in his first year as a starter, gained … |
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Matt Lindstrom made his first official appearance as part of the team during SoxFest on Friday after agreeing to terms on a one-year, $2.3 million deal with a $4 million club option or $500,000 buyout for 2014. |
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Gordon Edes, ESPN.com The determination of Boston Red Sox outfielder Ryan Kalish to return to the big leagues has sustained another major setback with news that the outfielder needs surgery on his right shoulder. |
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Scott Merkin, MLB.com The first question for general manager Rick Hahn during Friday night's Town Hall Meeting at the Palmer House Hilton to start SoxFest dealt with the free-agent departure of organization icon A.J. Pierzynski. That question certainly was to be expected. It… |
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Associated Press, ESPN.com The Seattle Mariners have started to address one concern before to spring training by signing catcher Ronny Paulino to a minor league deal with an invite to the major league camp. |
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Scott Merkin, MLB.com Speaking at SoxFest, Paul Konerko said he is more concerned about Chicago's upcoming season than the fact that he has only one year left on his contract. |
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Infielder Joaquin Arias has agreed to a one-year, $925,000 contract with the San Francisco Giants to avoid salary arbitration. |
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Thomas Harding, MLB.com Kyle Parker, having a more conventional winding road to the big time than fellow quarterback and Rockies draftee Russell Wilson, hopes to eventually make the same impact in the Major Leagues as a corner outfielder with Colorado. |
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Andrew Marchand, ESPN.com New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said there is "a chance" that Alex Rodriguez's hip surgery could keep him out for the entire season. |
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Cash Kruth, MLB.com On Friday at SoxFest, the White Sox were presented with the 2012 Steve Patterson Award for their Volunteer Corps Program, which has brought together more than 5,500 fans, players, coaches, and club executives to assist underserved Chicago neighborhoods … |
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Evan Drellich, MLB.com The Blue Jays and their Class A Northwest League affiliate, the Vancouver Canadians, have re-upped their player-development contract through 2016. |
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Chris Haft, MLB.com An encounter before Game 4 of the National League Championship Series gave Giants manager Bruce Bochy an enduring final memory of Stan Musial, who died Jan. 19. |
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Teddy Cahill, MLB.com Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has been hard at work during the offseason, working out five days a week with several of his teammates at a local gym and hitting three times a week with second baseman Dan Uggla. |
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Anthony DiComo, MLB.com This week's rumor centered around Michael Bourn, the game's top-ranked free-agent outfielder. The Mets have reportedly discussed petitioning Major League Baseball to allow them to keep their 11th overall Draft pick if they sign Bourn, who would normally… |
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Jason Beck, MLB.com Phil Coke spent October thriving without a set role in the Tigers bullpen. It only figured he'd be doing the same on the team's Winter Caravan. |
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Corey Brock, MLB.com Former Cy Young Award winner Randy Jones will join the Padres during Spring Training as a special instructor around March 1, which is when the Minor League players report to the team's Spring Training facility in Peoria, Ariz. |
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Mark Bowman, MLB.com Some of the excitement surrounding Thursday's acquisition of Justin Upton was tempered by the reality that the beloved Martin Prado would no longer be gracing the Braves' clubhouse with his presence on a daily basis. |
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN.com Wrigleyville rooftop owners unveiled a proposal Friday calling for the use of their buildings for advertising sold by the Chicago Cubs in exchange for continued unimpeded views of Wrigley Field. |
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Associated Press, ESPN.com The Royals claimed catcher George Kottaras off waivers from the Oakland Athletics on Friday and designated infielder Tony Abreu for assignment. |
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Richard Justice, MLB.com Baseball's owners succeeded in getting some cost certainty in their First-Year Player Draft budgets. They were happy about this. Meanwhile, players got the number of free agents requiring Draft pick compensation reduced. They were happy about that. Now,… |
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Ian Browne, MLB.com For anyone who followed the Red Sox closely from 2004-11, Terry Francona's new book is not only a must read, but it is a fascinating and entertaining look into the daily life on Yawkey Way during that memorable time period. |
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Joe Frisaro, MLB.com The Marlins have offered former NFL quarterback Pat White a Minor League contract. |
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Teddy Cahill, MLB.com Braves right-hander Kris Medlen announced Friday he has decided to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic, citing the impending birth of his first child. |
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Lynn Zinser, nytimes.com The Washington Nationals are picking a fifth president to join the Presidents' Race. Who should it be? |
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Wallace Matthews, ESPN.com The New York Yankees came to terms with David Robertson on a one-year contract worth $3.1 million, according to a team source. |
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Sarah D. Morris, MLB.com The D-backs rushed Justin Upton to the big leagues at 19 and were never satisfied with his development before trading him to the Braves this week. |
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Mark Sheldon, MLB.com Billy Hamilton has yet to steal a base in the Majors, or even have a plate appearance. But it doesn’t matter on the Reds Caravan, where Hamilton is a featured attraction on the Western leg. |
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Jordan Bastian, MLB.com Andrew Miller has already made his mark on the baseball side of the Indians organization. The ballclub is now asking him to use his skills on the business side. |
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Adam McCalvy, MLB.com Brewers first baseman Corey Hart is expected to be sidelined four months after undergoing right knee surgery on Friday morning. Dr. William Raasch, the team’s head physician, repaired a small tear to Hart’s meniscus and debrided the knee joint… |
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Greg Johns, MLB.com Mariners fans interested in looking at the new fence construction under way at Safeco Field as well as the chance to see many of the players who'll be on the field in 2013 can get a sneak peek this weekend at the 15th annual FanFest. |
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The Phillies won five straight NL East titles from 2007-11 but fell to .500 last year. They got Young this winter but not better and their report card reflects that, writes Jay Jaffe. |
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Cash Kruth, MLB.com The 2013 Under Armour All-America Baseball Game, powered by Baseball Factory, is scheduled to return to Wrigley Field for the sixth consecutive year this summer. The game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT on Aug. 24 and will air live on MLB Network. |
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Barry Petchesky, deadspin.com We've aired our grievances with the very concept of public financing for sports stadiums, especially the sweetheart deal Jeffrey Loria got for Marlins Park, where the team had to cover less than 20 percent of the cost. But even if you're not philosophic… |
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Bill Ladson, MLB.com The Nationals are planning on raising ticket prices in 2013 after a successful '12 campaign and an upcoming season with a lot of expectations, but the team is also giving loyal fans a chance to avoid the increase. |
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Rhett Bollinger, MLB.com The Twins Hall of Fame is adding two members in 2013, as former closer Eddie Guardado and former director of public relations Tom Mee have been elected. |
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Dom Cosentino, deadspin.com That's according to Ken Rosenthal, whose MLB sources told him the injury would keep the right-hander out for six to eight weeks. Then again, it might be much longer. Consider: Pavano is 37, he hasn't pitched since June 1 because of shoulder trouble, and… |
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Bernie Pleskoff, MLB.com I first saw Braves catching prospect Christian Bethancourt in the 2011 Arizona Fall League, a month after he turned 20 years old. He was easily one of the best and most exciting players I scouted that fall, on both sides of the ball. |
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Bill Chastain, MLB.com Since reaching the World Series in 2008, the Rays have remained a contender and not once has the fan base had to endure the dreaded disclaimer of professional sports that the team is rebuilding. |
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T.R. Sullivan, MLB.com The Rangers' Triple-A Round Rock and Double-A Frisco affiliates will play an exhibition game on April 2 at Frisco's Dr Pepper Ballpark. |
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Joe Frisaro, MLB.com For Steve Cishek, just playing in the big leagues is a tremendous honor. To represent his county, he says, is a dream come true. |
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Mark Townsend, yahoo.com Now that the NBA’s New Orleans franchise has officially changed its name from the Hornets to Pelicans — effective at the beginning of the 2013-14 season — and unveiled its new logo, we’ll have to see if the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Carolina … |
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Mark Townsend, yahoo.com The Chicago White Sox went retro during Sunday home games in 2012, donning the red pinstripe uniforms that franchise greats like Dick Allen and Bill Melton wore proudly in the early 1970s. Not surprisingly, the throwback theme went over big with fans — … |
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David Brown, yahoo.com When the Justin Upton trade went through Thursday and he landed with the Atlanta Braves and his brother B.J. Upton, it got me thinking about puns with Upton. This was the best I could come up with: Mashing the Uptons with "Uptown Saturday Night,&qu… |
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Bill Chastain, MLB.com Luke Scott and Kyle Farnsworth appear headed back to the Rays for the 2013 season. Neither deal is expected to be finalized until next week. |
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David Brown, yahoo.com The Washington Nationals got everyone excited Thursday by releasing this communique on Twitter: The rumors are true – there will be a #5thPresident racing in 2013! But who will it be? Find out at #NatsFest! — Washington Nationals (@Nationals) January … |
