Capsules of American League Central teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Cleveland Indians2017: 102-60, first place, lost to Yankees in ALDS.Manager: Terry Francona (sixth season).He's Here: 1B-DH Yonder Alonso, LF Rajai Davis, RHP Alexi Ogando.He's Outta Here: 1B Carlos Santana, OF Jay Bruce, RHP Bryan Shaw, RHP Joe Smith, OF Austin Jackson, LHP Boone Logan.Projected Lineup: SS Francisco Lindor (.273, 33 HRs, 89 RBIs, 44 2Bs, 15 SBs, 10 errors), 2B Jason Kipnis (.232, 12 HRs, 35 RBIs in 90 games), 3B Jose Ramirez (.318, 29, 83, AL-leading 56 2Bs), DH Edwin Encarnacion (.258, 38, 107), 1B Yonder Alonso (.266, career-high 28 HRs, 67 RBIs with Athletics and Mariners), RF Lonnie Chisenhall (.288, 12, 53 in 82 games), C Roberto Perez (.207, 8, 38, club went 44-22 in his starts) or Yan Gomes (.232, 14, 56), CF Bradley Zimmer (.241, 8, 39, 18 SBs, 0 errors), LF Michael Brantley (.299, 9, 52 in 90 games) or Rajai Davis (.235, 5, 20, 29 SBs with Oakland and Boston).Rotation: RH Corey Kluber... [More]

Capsules of American League East teams, listed in order of finish last year:___Boston Red Sox2017: 93-69, first place, lost to Houston in ALDS.Manager: Alex Cora (first season).He's Here: DH J.D. Martinez.He's Outta Here: Manager John Farrell, RHP Doug Fister, OF Chris Young, RHP Addison Reed, OF Rajai Davis, LHP Henry Owens, LHP Fernando Abad.Projected Lineup: RF Mookie Betts (.264, 24 HRs, 102 RBIs), LF Andrew Benintendi (.271, 20, 90), 1B Hanley Ramirez (.242, 23, 62) or Mitch Moreland (.246, 22, 79), DH J.D. Martinez (.303, 45, 104 with Tigers and Diamondbacks), 3B Rafael Devers (.284, 10, 30 in 58 games), SS Xander Bogaerts (.273, 10, 62), CF Jackie Bradley Jr. (.245, 17, 63), C Christian Vazquez (.290, 5, 32) or Sandy Leon (.225, 7, 39), 2B Eduardo Nunez (.313, 12, 58, 24 SBs with Giants and Red Sox) or Dustin Pedroia (.293, 7, 62, .369 OBP in 105 games, expected to be out until late May following knee surgery).Rotation: LH Chris Sale (17-8, 2.90 ERA, MLB-best 308 Ks, MLB-high 214... [More]

The Baltimore Orioles figured Alex Cobb would be a fine fit.Cobb stayed in the division he knew best, finalizing a $57 million, four-year contract on Wednesday."They used the AL East and the success I've had in it to their advantage," the 30-year-old right-hander said. "They kept challenging me with it and I love the challenge of pitching in this division and they know that over the times we talked. They did a really good job of making me feel like this is where I need to be."Cobb had spent his entire six-season big league career with Tampa Bay and was the last top starting pitcher available in a slow-moving free agent market.Cobb joined Andrew Cashner and Chris Tillman, who were signed last month, in a revamped rotation that includes holdovers Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman.The Orioles are coming off a last-place finish and 75-87 record.Cobb was 12-10 with a 3.66 ERA in 29 starts last season. He pitched 179 1/3 innings in his first full year back after missing nearly two seasons because... [More]

The Baltimore Orioles figured Alex Cobb would be a fine fit.Cobb stayed in the division he knew best, finalizing a $57 million, four-year contract on Wednesday."They used the AL East and the success I've had in it to their advantage," the 30-year-old right-hander said. "They kept challenging me with it and I love the challenge of pitching in this division and they know that over the times we talked. They did a really good job of making me feel like this is where I need to be."Cobb had spent his entire six-season big league career with Tampa Bay and was the last top starting pitcher available in a slow-moving free agent market.Cobb joined Andrew Cashner and Chris Tillman, who were signed last month, in a revamped rotation that includes holdovers Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman.The Orioles are coming off a last-place finish and 75-87 record.Cobb was 12-10 with a 3.66 ERA in 29 starts last season. He pitched 179 1/3 innings in his first full year back after missing nearly two seasons because... [More]

The first base position has traditionally been loaded with talent and a primary source of power for fantasy players. With overall HR totals increasing for four straight seasons, and perceived depth at the position, some fantasy managers may put off selecting a first baseman until the later rounds of their drafts. That used to be a good strategy but in 2018 it may expose you to risk.There's quality talent at the position in the later rounds, but if you wait too long, you might end up with a first baseman better qualified to be your corner infielder.If you want to roster one of the top bats at the position, grab your first baseman by the fifth round of a 12 team rotisserie league. Here's what you can expect with regards to the first base position in National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC) drafts:Paul Goldschmidt is a mid to late first round pick. No, the humidor will not be his kryptonite. He'll still hit approximately 30 HRs. He is one of the few first basemen who can steal 20 plus... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have acquired outfielder Jake Cave from the New York Yankees for right-hander Luis Gil in a swap of minor leaguers.To make room for Cave on the 40-man roster, the Twins designated first baseman Kennys Vargas for assignment. Vargas was originally signed by the Twins in 2009 and played parts of four seasons with Minnesota, hitting .252 with 35 home runs and 116 RBI in 236 career games.Vargas became expendable after Minnesota signed free agent first baseman Logan Morrison earlier tis year.Cave split the 2017 season between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, hitting .305 with 20 homers and 56 RBIs. He was designated for assignment Monday when the Yankees signed free agent infielder Neil Walker.Gil was signed by the Twins in February 2015 and made 14 starts for the Dominican Summer League Twins last season.

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — The unusually slow free-agent market took Lance Lynn's wait to find a team through the winter and well into spring training.The offer he settled on from the Minnesota Twins also came with the expectation of pennant race and perhaps postseason pitching."I wanted to go somewhere where they had a chance to win no matter what," Lynn said on Tuesday at his introductory news conference. "It seemed like the perfect fit, and I look forward to doing what I have to do, which is take the ball when it is my turn."Lynn agreed to a $12 million, one-year contract that includes bonuses of $1 million each for 170 and 180 innings. He was given a turn right away and struck out five batters in three hitless innings of an exhibition against Baltimore. He walked one."Other than that, everything went about as smooth as it possibly could," Lynn said. "Get ready for the next and kind of keep the buildup for opening day."Twins manager Paul Molitor said Lynn will make another start on Sunday."We're... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — The unusually slow free-agent market took Lance Lynn's wait to find a team through the winter and well into spring training.The offer he settled on from the Minnesota Twins also came with the expectation of pennant race and perhaps postseason pitching."I wanted to go somewhere where they had a chance to win no matter what," Lynn said on Tuesday at his introductory news conference. "It seemed like the perfect fit, and I look forward to doing what I have to do, which is take the ball when it is my turn."Lynn agreed to a $12 million, one-year contract that includes bonuses of $1 million each for 170 and 180 innings. He was given a turn right away and struck out five batters in three hitless innings of an exhibition against Baltimore. He walked just one.The Twins are banking on more performances like that when the wins and losses actually count, stretched out over a full game."When you talk about a competitor and the makeup every time he takes the mound, this is somebody... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Patiently monitoring baseball's slow-moving market, the Minnesota Twins made several significant improvements to the team that made a surprise run last season to the AL wild card game.Right-hander Lance Lynn became the latest addition when the Twins finalized a $12 million, one-year contract on Monday, another low-risk move to strengthen a pitching staff that ranked 19th in the major leagues last year with a 4.59 ERA."I think there was at least, my take on it, a real interest of the player to make this a marriage and I think that helped our cause," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.Lynn, who joined his new teammates on the field for an afternoon workout in Fort Myers, will be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday before taking the mound for an exhibition against Baltimore.Molitor thinks there's a chance that Lynn could be ready to pitch the first time through the regular-season rotation."I told him this is different circumstances, if you're not ready to throw 100 pitches... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Patiently monitoring baseball's slow-moving market, the Minnesota Twins made several significant improvements to the team that made a surprise run last season to the AL wild card game.Right-hander Lance Lynn became the latest addition when the Twins finalized a $12 million, one-year contract on Monday, another low-risk move to strengthen a pitching staff that ranked 19th in the major leagues last year with a 4.59 ERA."I think there was at least, my take on it, a real interest of the player to make this a marriage and I think that helped our cause," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.Lynn, who joined his new teammates on the field for an afternoon workout in Fort Myers, will be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday before taking the mound for an exhibition against Baltimore.Molitor thinks there's a chance that Lynn could be ready to pitch the first time through the regular-season rotation."I told him this is different circumstances, if you're not ready to throw 100 pitches... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — By patiently monitoring baseball's slow-moving market this winter, the Minnesota Twins have made several significant improvements to the team that made a surprise run last season to the AL wild card game.The Twins finalized a $12 million, one-year contract on Monday with right-hander Lance Lynn, another low-risk move toward strengthening their pitching staff that ranked 19th in the major leagues in 2017 with a 4.59 ERA.Lynn, who joined his new teammates on the field for an afternoon workout in Fort Myers, Florida, will be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday before taking the mound for an exhibition against Baltimore.After missing the 2016 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Lynn went 11-8 with a 3.43 ERA in 33 starts for St. Louis in 2017 last year. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Lynn was an All-Star in 2012, his first full season in the majors. He was the 39th overall draft pick in 2008 by the Cardinals out of Mississippi.With the Twins, Lynn will join fellow... [More]

Now that Ichiro Suzuki is back with the Seattle Mariners, he hopes to stick around a while."I think everybody hears that I want to play until I'm 50," he said through a translator. "But I want to make sure everybody understands that I always say at least 50."The 44-year-old outfielder rejoined his former team Wednesday with a $750,000, one-year contract."Even in the offseason when I would go back to Japan, I always came back to Seattle. This was my home ... has always been my home," he said. "Somewhere deep inside, I wanted to return and wear this uniform again."Suzuki was the AL MVP and Rookie of the Year with Seattle in 2001. He was traded to the New York Yankees during the 2012 season and spent three years in Miami.Suzuki has a .312 career average and 3,080 hits, not including the 1,278 hits he totaled in Japan. He played 136 games last year for the Marlins and hit .255 with a .318 on-base percentage.Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said discussions about Suzuki's return intensified... [More]

Now that Ichiro Suzuki is back with the Seattle Mariners, he hopes to stick around a while."I think everybody hears that I want to play until I'm 50," he said through a translator. "But I want to make sure everybody understands that I always say at least 50."The 44-year-old outfielder rejoined his former team Wednesday with a $750,000, one-year contract."Even in the offseason when I would go back to Japan, I always came back to Seattle. This was my home ... has always been my home," he said. "Somewhere deep inside, I wanted to return and wear this uniform again."Suzuki was the AL MVP and Rookie of the Year with Seattle in 2001. He was traded to the New York Yankees during the 2012 season and spent three years in Miami.Suzuki has a .312 career average and 3,080 hits, not including the 1,278 hits he totaled in Japan. He played 136 games last year for the Marlins and hit .255 with a .318 on-base percentage.Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said discussions about Suzuki's return intensified... [More]

Now that Ichiro Suzuki is back with the Seattle Mariners, he hopes to stick around a while."I think everybody hears that I want to play until I'm 50," he said through a translator. "But I want to make sure everybody understands that I always say at least 50."The 44-year-old outfielder rejoined his former team Wednesday with a $750,000, one-year contract."Even in the offseason when I would go back to Japan, I always came back to Seattle. This was my home ... has always been my home," he said. "Somewhere deep inside, I wanted to return and wear this uniform again."Suzuki was the AL MVP and Rookie of the Year with Seattle in 2001. He was traded to the New York Yankees during the 2012 season and spent three years in Miami.Suzuki has a .312 career average and 3,080 hits, not including the 1,278 hits he totaled in Japan. He played 136 games last year for the Marlins and hit .255 with a .318 on-base percentage.Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said discussions about Suzuki's return intensified... [More]

The Minnesota Twins were all about upgrading their pitching this winter, giving both their bullpen and their rotation with a series of acquisitions.With the market moving slowly, though, there were position players still available for sensible investments.That included Logan Morrison and his 38 home runs.Morrison and the Twins finalized a $6.5 million, one-year contract Wednesday, a deal that includes a $5.5 million salary this year and an $8 million club option for 2019 with a $1 million buyout."In the free agent market, you are trying to buy wins. You are trying to buy production," Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said. "Ultimately we felt we could buy it at a reasonable cost on the bat side."Morrison could earn $1.5 million in performance bonuses this year: $500,000 each for 450, 500 and 550 plate appearances. The 2019 option price would increase to $8.5 million if he has 500 plate appearances this year and would go up to $9 million with a $1.5 million buyout if he has 550.... [More]

The Minnesota Twins were all about upgrading their pitching this winter, giving both their bullpen and their rotation with a series of acquisitions.With the market moving slowly, though, there were position players still available for sensible investments.That included Logan Morrison and his 38 home runs.Morrison and the Twins finalized a $6.5 million, one-year contract Wednesday, a deal that includes a $5.5 million salary this year and an $8 million club option for 2018 with a $1 million buyout. The option would become guaranteed if he reaches 600 plate appearances this season."In the free agent market, you are trying to buy wins. You are trying to buy production," Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said. "Ultimately we felt we could buy it at a reasonable cost on the bat side."Morrison agreed to terms last weekend subject to a successful physical and was introduced during a news conference at Twins spring training headquarters in Fort Myers, Florida. The 30-year-old drove in 85... [More]

The Minnesota Twins and designated hitter Logan Morrison finalized a $6.5 million, one-year contract that includes a 2019 club option that can become guaranteed.The deal was announced Wednesday, three days after the two sides agreed to terms. Morrison, who has spent the majority of his major league career as a first baseman and also played the corner outfield positions, hit 38 home runs in 2017 for Tampa Bay.The 30-year-old drove in 85 runs for the Rays last season and posted a career-best .868 on-base-plus-slugging percentage that was higher than any Twins player.___For more AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

The Minnesota Twins have powered up their lineup.Free agent slugger Logan Morrison and the Twins reached agreement on a $6.5 million, one-year deal, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract was subject to a physical.Morrison had a career-high 38 home runs and 85 RBIs for the Tampa Bay Rays last season, mostly as a first baseman.The 30-year-old Morrison has also played the corner outfield spots. With Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler in left field and right field and Joe Mauer at first base, Morrison is likely to be the primary designated hitter for a team that earned an AL wild-card spot last season.AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUES:NATIONALS 9, BRAVES 3Max Scherzer allowed one run, on a homer by Dansby Swanson, in two innings and struck out three for Washington. Bryce Harper went 0 for 3 in his first spring game. Matt Wieters homered for the Nationals.Scott Kazmir walked two in one... [More]

The Minnesota Twins have powered up their lineup.Free agent slugger Logan Morrison and the Twins reached agreement on a $6.5 million, one-year deal, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract was subject to a physical.Morrison had a career-high 38 home runs and 85 RBIs for the Tampa Bay Rays last season, mostly as a first baseman.The 30-year-old Morrison has also played the corner outfield spots. With Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler in left field and right field and Joe Mauer at first base, Morrison is likely to be the primary designated hitter for a team that earned an AL wild-card spot last season.AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUES:NATIONALS 9, BRAVES 3Max Scherzer allowed one run, on a homer by Dansby Swanson, in two innings and struck out three for Washington. Bryce Harper went 0 for 3 in his first spring game. Matt Wieters homered for the Nationals.Scott Kazmir walked two in one... [More]

The Minnesota Twins are adding some pop to their playoff team from last year, landing free agent slugger Logan Morrison for the lineup.Morrison and the Twins have agreed to a $6.5 million, one-year contract, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the agreement was subject to a physical and had not been finalized.The Twins would have an option for 2019 that could vest automatically, making it a two-year deal.Either way, their patience in a slow-moving market this winter has the Twins on the cusp of scoring Morrison, who's coming off a career-high 38 home runs and 85 RBIs for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017.Morrison was drafted by the Marlins and debuted in 2010. He was traded to Seattle prior to the 2014 season, then dealt to the Rays two years later.Morrison played in a career-most 149 games last season and posted an .868 OPS, which would have been tops on the Twins. He broke in as a corner outfielder... [More]