WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Bryce Harper is focusing on his immediate future. But don't bother asking him about plans beyond this year."If you guys do talk anything about that, I'll be walking right out the door," he said Monday.Everyone around baseball knows the Washington Nationals slugger could be part of a huge free agent class after the coming season. But if teams are saving money by passing on currently available players in hopes of signing a big star next year, that doesn't sound like the best way to impress Harper."I think if I'm an organization or a team I want the best players on my team," Harper said. "My fans deserve that, the players deserve that."Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Charlie Blackmon and potentially Clayton Kershaw could be free agents next offseason.Some within the industry suggest this market is slow because teams have their eyes on 2019 — pitchers Jake Arrieta and Alex Cobb and third baseman Mike Moustakas are among the players looking for work with spring... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Justin Turner heard about it for weeks. He couldn't get away from talk about the Dodgers' seven-game loss to the Houston Astros in the 2017 World Series.Waiters asked Turner about it when he tried to order a meal. The Los Angeles third baseman even heard about it at a wedding. Of course, the wedding also happened to be in Houston about a week after a 5-1 loss in Game 7.Nevertheless, Turner began to think there was just no escape from the noise. Or the disappointment.Turner remembered that he just wanted the season to continue as he watched the Astros pour onto the field at Dodger Stadium to celebrate their dramatic victory on Nov. 1."I didn't want to stop playing," Turner said. "It's so disappointing. That never really goes away."But the game always resumes. For Turner and his teammates, there was relief in that as they began to play again Monday in their first full-squad practice at Camelback Ranch."Everybody has been talking about the World Series and that's OK,"... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Bryce Harper is focusing on his immediate future. But don't bother asking him about plans beyond this year."If you guys do talk anything about that, I'll be walking right out the door," he said Monday.Everyone around baseball knows the Washington Nationals slugger could be part of a huge free agent class after the coming season. But if teams are saving money by passing on currently available players in hopes of signing a big star next year, that doesn't sound like the best way to impress Harper."I think if I'm an organization or a team I want the best players on my team," Harper said. "My fans deserve that, the players deserve that."Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Charlie Blackmon and potentially Clayton Kershaw could be free agents next offseason. Some within the industry suggest this market is slow because teams have their eyes on 2019 — pitchers Jake Arrieta and Alex Cobb and position players J.D. Martinez and Mike Moustakas are among the players looking... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers entered spring training with five consecutive NL West titles and a major league-high 473 victories in that span.It is not enough for a team that was so close to winning it all in 2017."You can sense the hunger in this clubhouse," said Enrique Hernandez, noting that the majority of the Dodgers' position players arrived days ahead of the required reporting date.The first full-squad workout was set for Monday."We have five straight division titles and pretty much nothing to show for it besides the National League championship. This core of position players has been together for a few years now," he said Sunday."I think it is a cumulative thing that has been growing for years. Getting so close to it last year and seeing the other team celebrate at our home stadium, maybe that's the last bit of fuel that we needed to make that fire burn. We're ready," he said.The Dodgers added old friend Matt Kemp to basically the same position player group that... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — All-Star closer Kenley Jansen likes the way the defending National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers are getting started again — with a very familiar rotation.Even with Yu Darvish already in a different NL blue after his short stint as a midseason acquisition, the Dodgers return five pitchers who made at least 24 starts last season. That quintet combined to start 126 of the 162 regular-season games."Sometimes people say, 'Oh, the Dodgers didn't make no moves.' That's why, because we don't need to make moves," Jansen said. "You see the rotation that we have, it's going to help us tremendously again."Three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and seven-time All-Star Clayton Kershaw had a team-high 27 starts plus five more in the postseason. Rich Hill, Alex Wood and Kenta Maeda each had 25 starts, and Hyun-Jin Ryu 24.Exactly 15 weeks after the Game 7 loss to Houston in the World Series, Dodgers pitchers and catchers held their first spring training workout in Arizona on Wednesday."I'm... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Miami Marlins pitchers and catchers were still gathering in the midday sun to begin the first spring training workout Wednesday when someone asked manager Don Mattingly if he had decided on an opening day starter.After all, the Los Angeles Dodgers already announced Clayton Kershaw will start their opener."I didn't see any Kershaws on our roster," Mattingly said with a laugh.So no, Mattingly doesn't have a No. 1 pitcher yet. And three of the five jobs in the rotation are open, with more than a dozen pitchers having a shot to make the starting staff.Mattingly and his coaches will spend spring training evaluating the candidates, including several prospects acquired in trades during the Marlins' offseason payroll purge.Not among the rotation contenders to begin the season: injury-plagued left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, the Marlins' highest-paid pitcher as he enters the third season of an $80 million, five-year contract. He is not expected to be ready for opening day, but the... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — All-Star closer Kenley Jansen likes the way the defending National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers are getting started again — with a very familiar rotation.Even with Yu Darvish already in a different NL blue after his short stint as a midseason acquisition, the Dodgers return five starters who made at least 24 starts last season. That quintet combined to start 126 of the 162 regular-season games."Sometimes people say, 'Oh, the Dodgers didn't make no moves.' That's why, because we don't need to make moves," Jansen said. "You see the rotation that we have, it's going to help us tremendously again."Three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and seven-time All-Star Clayton Kershaw had a team-high 27 starts plus five more in the postseason. Rich Hill, Alex Wood and Kenta Maeda each had 25 starts, and Hyun-Jin Ryu 24.Exactly 15 weeks after the Game 7 loss to Houston in the World Series, Dodgers pitchers and catchers held their first spring training workout in Arizona on Wednesday."I'm... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — No surprise here: Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says Clayton Kershaw will make his team-record eighth opening-day start, against the visiting San Francisco Giants on March 29.Roberts made the announcement Tuesday when pitchers and catchers reported to spring training with the defending NL champions.Kershaw turns 30 on March 19. He is tied with Don Drysdale and Don Sutton at seven opening-day starts. Kershaw was 18-4 with a 2.31 ERA last year.He wasted a four-run lead and was chased in the fifth inning of a 13-12, 10-inning loss to Houston in Game 5 of the World Series, leaving Los Angeles in a 3-2 World Series deficit. The Astros won in seven games.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

The Boston Red Sox plan to print 5,000 copies of their media guide during the last week of February. Their opening-day roster could include several players who won't make the deadline.Perhaps 100 free agents still seek contracts as the start of spring training workouts on Feb. 14 draws near, a group that includes J.D. Martinez, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Jake Arrieta and Yu Darvish.In a historically slow market, players and management are feuding publicly about riches and rules, and teams seemingly are seeking bargains like shoppers awaiting a closeout."Some guys feel like they're worth a little more than maybe what they're being offered," All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen said ahead of his first spring training since Pittsburgh traded him to San Francisco. "It's just all about being fair."As soon as the Houston Astros won their first World Series title last November , attention turned toward 2018 and the start of stretching in Scottsdale, catching in Clearwater and bunting in Bradenton.... [More]

A team-by-team look at the National League West entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catchers, and the full squad:___Los Angeles DodgersManager: Dave Roberts (third season).2017: 104-58, first place, lost to Houston in World Series.Training Town: Glendale, Arizona.Park: Camelback Ranch.First Workout: Feb. 14/19.He's Here: OF Matt Kemp, RHP Tom Koehler.He's Outta Here: 1B Adrian Gonzalez, RHP Yu Darvish, LHP Scott Kazmir, RHP Brandon McCarthy, INF Charlie Culberson, OF Curtis Granderson, 2B Chase Utley, OF Andre Ethier.Going campin': The Dodgers returned to the World Series for the first time since winning it in 1988, only to lose to Houston in seven games. They topped 100 wins while earning a fifth straight NL West title. Clayton Kershaw is one of the elite pitchers in the game, a seven-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner. He begins the season with 144 career victories, 21 shy of Sandy... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Dodgers' bid to win their first World Series in 29 years came up short in a Game 7 loss to Houston. They seek to take the final step to an elusive championship this season with the roster mostly intact and an eye on the future.Certainly, Los Angeles has to be considered the favorite to win a sixth consecutive NL West title.The Dodgers' farm system remains deep and the team has the talent and depth to withstand injuries during a 162-game season. Their $243 million payroll was baseball's biggest last year and they made a move this winter to dump salary in preparation for 2019, when the free agent market will be loaded.___Some things to watch for as the Dodgers open spring training in Glendale, Arizona:NEW LOOKThe Dodgers sent 1B Adrian Gonzalez, pitchers Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy, and utility man Charlie Culberson, along with $4.5 million, to Atlanta for OF Matt Kemp, a former Dodger who could be traded or released. The move freed up a huge amount of salary,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees reached one-year contracts with their remaining six players eligible for arbitration, leaving their projected luxury tax payroll at $177 million — $20 million below the threshold.Shortstop Didi Gregorius agreed at $8.25 million Friday, pitcher Sonny Gray at $6.5 million and setup man Dellin Betances at $5.1 million. Also reaching deals were relievers Adam Warren ($3,315,000) and Chasen Shreve ($825,000), and backup catcher Austin Romine ($1.1 million).New York's luxury tax payroll rose to $149,927,500 for 15 players with agreements, and the projected total is well under the $197 million tax threshold. The projection includes $10 million for the rest of the 40-man roster, $14,044,600 for benefits and a $3 million charge for cash transactions: a $5.5 million payment to Houston as part of the Brian McCann trade, a $500,000 payment to San Diego as part of the Chase Headley deal and a $3 million credit from Miami as part of the Giancarlo Stanton acquisition.Yankees... [More]

LHP Clayton Kershaw, who tied for the major league lead with 18 wins and led the NL with a 2.31 ERA, is vying for his fourth NL Cy Young Award. His competitors are Nationals RHPs Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.

LHP Clayton Kershaw came on in relief in the third inning marking just his fifth relief appearance in 24 postseason games. Counting the regular season, Kershaw has pitched in relief just seven times in 318 games. He gave up two hits but no runs over four innings.

Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw struck out 11 batters in Game 1 on Tuesday, the fifth time he has reached double digits in strikeouts in a playoff game during his career. He was one strikeout shy of his single-game playoff record. The 11 strikeouts are fifth most for a pitcher in a World Series debut.

LHP Clayton Kershaw allowed just one run on three hits over six innings to earn his sixth postseason victory. The victory moved Kershaw into a tie with Burt Hooton for the most postseason victories in franchise history. Before Thursday's stellar showing, Kershaw already held the Dodgers' postseason records for starts, innings pitched, strikeouts and losses. Kershaw may be in line to start Game 1 of the World Series against either the New York Yankees or Houston Astros.

LHP Clayton Kershaw saw his night come to an end after five innings in Game 1 of the NLCS, throwing 87 pitches in the process. He gave up two runs on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts. It was actually his third postseason start in the last two years that lasted only five innings. Two of those have come against the Cubs, including the deciding game in the NLCS last year.

CLEVELAND -- Yan Gomes' single in the bottom of the 13th inning lifted the Cleveland Indians to a wild 9-8 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Friday.Austin Jackson led off the bottom of the 13th by drawing a walk from Dellin Betances (0-1), and then stealing second base. Gomes then worked the count to 3-2, and hit a hard chopper down the third base line that eluded diving third baseman Ronald Torreyes. The ball rolled down the left field line as Jackson raced home with the winning run.Josh Tomlin (1-0), the last of eight Cleveland pitchers, pitched two scoreless innings to get the win.Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam off Chad Green in the sixth and Jay Bruce hit a game-tying homer off David Robertson in the eighth as the Indians rallied from an 8-3 deficit.Gary Sanchez, Aaron Hicks and Greg Bird homered for the Yankees before Lindor and Bruce forced extra innings.Cleveland ace Corey Kluber allowed six runs in 2 2/3 innings. New York's... [More]

LHP Clayton Kershaw got the victory in the Dodgers' 9-5 win over the Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the NLDS Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw gave up just five hits in 6 1/3 innings, but four of the hits were solo home runs. CF A.J. Pollock homered in the third inning and RF J.D. Martinez homered in the sixth. But when SS Ketel Marte and C Jeff Mathis each connected off Kershaw in the seventh, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts came out with the hook. "I felt fine, it just wasn't coming out as good as I would have liked it to that last inning," Kershaw said. "They hit some good pitches, no, not really, I just didn't have much left. When you give up hits, you hope maybe one or two stay in the ballpark but tonight it didn't seem like that was going to happen. Obviously a frustrating way to end it but thankfully we had a big lead." The four homers were the most by a Dodgers pitcher in franchise history in a postseason game.

There may not be two American League players who differ more standing side-by-side than the Houston Astros' Jose Altuve and the New York Yankees' Aaron Judge.Altuve is a diminutive 5-foot-6. Judge is a giant at 6-7. But when it comes to the AL Most Valuable Player Award, the difference could be measured in angstroms.The members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America are sending in their votes right now for all of the major 2017 awards. There are some that will be, or should be, unanimous picks.How do you not give Judge the AL Rookie of the Year? Same goes in the National League for Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both were by far at the top of their classes when all was said and done.Below is our take on the deserving winners in each race. AL MVP isn't the only white-knuckler. In the AL, the Cy Young Award race between Boston's Chris Sale and Cleveland's Corey Kluber is tight, too. In the National League, the MVP, Cy Young and Manager of the Year are all worthy of great... [More]