As teams started spring training workouts across Florida and Arizona, the players' association had a Kansas City Royals scout escorted out of the union's opening training session for unsigned free agents.About 15 players attended the first day of workouts Wednesday at the union's camp in Bradenton, Florida. Media was barred from the IMG Academy. The scout was told he was not welcome but could set up a session with an individual player at the player's discretion, several people familiar with the situation said. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.More than 90 players remain without agreements among the 166 who exercised their free-agency rights last November, the most sluggish market since the final offseason of collusion in 1987-88.Union head Tony Clark, who attended the session, said approximately15 more players are likely to arrive at the free-agent camp this week while the remainder of unsigned players seeking jobs work out at their regular... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Buoyed by optimism that just about everyone is back from a 93-win team, pitchers and catchers began spring training workouts for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.Little was revealed, though, over the matter of whether the Diamondbacks truly have a shot at re-signing slugger J.D. Martinez.A reporter astutely pointed out to manager Torey Lovullo that, in the clubhouse, there are vacant lockers between Nos .27 and 30. Martinez wears No. 28.There was a lot of laughter from reporters and a pause from the manager."You guy pay attention," Lovullo finally said. "Yeah, I think 28 and 29 are numbers that are available."But Lovullo had nothing to say about any progress in convincing Martinez to re-sign."Said it many times," he said. "J.D. was a huge part of our ball club. I know there are 30 teams he's available to. I'll leave it at that. I don't know anything else. I just know he was a main reason why we performed the way we did last season down the stretch."Conventional... [More]

Justin Verlander is looking forward to a full season with the Houston Astros, while the New York Mets are hoping for a healthier year for their starting staff.The New York Yankees? Well, this season may not be about their pitchers and catchers, but they can still send some pretty impressive arms to the mound.In many ways, Wednesday was the first real day of spring training, with over 20 teams scheduled for their first workouts with pitchers and catchers. The Astros, Mets and Yankees were among that group, and so were the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. In both Florida and Arizona, some of the game's biggest stars were back on the field."I'm excited to be here for the whole season," Verlander said. "I'm excited to be here for spring training and to be part of this whole thing from start to finish."Verlander reached the summit last year but missed much of the journey. He was traded to Houston at the end of August and became a key part of the Astros' run to the World... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Coming off a 67-win season, the Chicago White Sox have high expectations."It's a good group of young men, and we're looking forward to seeing how it plays itself out," manager Rick Renteria said Wednesday as pitchers and catchers reported on a cloudy, drizzly day.Winning and postseason contention could be a year or two away, but Renteria promises his team is aiming high."You can't approach any season in any professional sport with anything other than making sure your process is what it's supposed to be, getting the outcomes you're hoping to get and connecting the talent with their ability to execute," Renteria said. "We're going to shoot high and we'll see where it falls."General manager Rick Hahn dealt pitchers Chris Sale, David Robertson and Jose Quintana, plus position players Todd Frazier and Melky Cabrera.Some of the acquired players arrived late last season, such as second baseman Yoan Moncada and pitcher Lucas Giolito, and are expected to contribute from opening... [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]

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle says it's time for the team to move on as it begins spring training about four weeks after trading away star outfielder Andrew McCutchen and ace pitcher Gerrit Cole."It's an opportunity for a new era of Pirates baseball," Hurdle said after the team's two-hour opening workout on Wednesday. "That's no disrespect. They're gone. It's a new era. There were men who came before Gerrit and Andrew who also did significant things. Honor the past, own the present. We have an opportunity to create our own future."Four days apart in early January, Cole was traded to the Houston Astros and McCutchen was dealt to the San Francisco Giants. General manager Neal Huntington said his plan is to retool the roster instead of blowing it up entirely.Several of the players the Pirates got in those deals will have chances to play right away.Colin Moran, who hit 18 home runs last year in Triple-A, likely will be the Pirates' opening day third baseman.... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — The Reds opened camp on Wednesday with one unclaimed spot in the rotation, a major improvement over last year. The question is whether their three veteran starters can make it to opening day without any setbacks.Cincinnati is counting on Anthony DeSclafani, Homer Bailey and left-hander Brandon Finnegan to stay healthy for a change, anchoring a rotation that has little experience beyond those three. Luis Castillo impressed as a rookie and is expected to get the fourth spot, leaving one open to competition."The good thing is that it's not open tryouts," manager Bryan Price said. "But it's not a get-your-arm-ready-for-the-season spring training, either."DeSclafani, Bailey and Finnegan are in camp and appear to be fully recovered from injuries that limited them to a combined 22 starts.DeSclafani missed the entire season with a sore elbow, a year after being limited to 20 starts because of a strained left oblique. Bailey had elbow surgery before the start of spring training... [More]

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani emerged from the clubhouse and tipped his cap to the swarm of Japanese countrymen capturing his every move, cameras clicking a mile a minute.He offered that signature smile, something Angels manager Mike Scioscia noticed right away and appreciates as much as his new two-way star's tremendous, "extraordinary" baseball talent.As a small group of Japanese fans cheered and waved their flag, Ohtani walked to a back field at Tempe Diablo Stadium and got to work with the rest of the pitchers and catchers on a dreary Day 1 of spring training Wednesday. His supporters all-out sprinted up the bleachers and around left field to get there for another glimpse.It quickly became far less glamorous for the down-to-earth Japanese phenomenon. As in, pretending to throw a ball before hustling to cover first base for a pitcher fielding practice drill — in the rain. He later took some cuts.Ohtani said it was a shorter day than he's used to back home."Baseball-wise on the field... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Charlie Blackmon was historically good as a leadoff hitter last season. So good that the Colorado Rockies might try to move that production into a more productive spot in the lineup.As spring training opened, the Rockies already have talked to Blackmon about the possibility of hitting in the middle of the order this season as they attempt to fill the hole left by the apparent loss of mainstay Carlos Gonzalez, who remains a free agent but does not appear to be in the team's plans."I think Charlie is the type of player who can hit a lot of different places in the lineup," manager Bud Black said."If it makes sense to hit him somewhere else besides first, we are really going to look at it. When we start games on (February) 23rd, you might see him hit third. You might see him hit different spots. Don't be surprised if that happens in spring training and we'll see what that looks like."The 31-year-old center fielder has spent almost all of his last four full seasons hitting... [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]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Pitcher Bud Norris and the St. Louis Cardinals finalized a $3 million, one-year contract on Wednesday as the team started spring training workouts.The 32-year-old right-hander led the Los Angeles Angels with 19 saves in 23 chances last season. He went 2-6 with a 4.23 ERA in three starts and 57 relief appearances, striking out 74 in 62 innings.He is 68-84 with a 4.49 ERA over nine major league seasons, making 188 starts and 103 relief appearances with Houston (2009-13), Baltimore (2013-15), San Diego (2015), Atlanta (2016), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2016) and the Angels.He can earn additional performance bonuses. To clear a roster spot, right-hander Rowan Wick was designated for assignment.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Amid the long tossing, sprinting and bullpen sessions that comprised Houston's first spring workout, the Astros also informally dedicated time to a balancing act.Never in the Astros' previous 55 seasons did they begin spring working toward winning a World Series championship while trying to store the previous season's title in the bat rack."I don't want to hang out and talk about last year forever — maybe off the field or away from work, talking to fans," slugger Evan Gattis said Wednesday. "It's incredible what we did as a whole for the city. Like I said, I still can't believe it. All that being said, you can't win the 2017 World Series in 2018."The Astros clinched their first World Series title a little more than three months ago, but manager A. J. Hinch is already growing tired of answering title-related questions."It's nice and we need to celebrate it forever," Hinch said. "That's why we're going to hang a flag. That's why we're going to give rings. This... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge took batting practice for the first time since left shoulder surgery and said he is on track to play on opening day.Judge hit a rookie record 52 home runs last year and was a unanimous pick for AL Rookie of the Year. He said the shoulder started to bother him around the All-Star break but he did not have any injections of painkiller. He refuses to attribute a lengthy slump to the injury.He is a centerpiece of the Baby Bombers' batting order along with catcher Gary Sanchez, a lineup boosted by the acquisition of major league home run champion Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins. New manager Aaron Boone plans to have Stanton and Judge — both right fielders — work out in left, and anticipates using the designated hitter spot to rotate players."Being around Stanton so far, he's ready for New York, he's ready to be here," Judge said. "He's going to fit right in with this team. It's going to be a fun thing we've got here."Because he is coming... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles began spring training on Wednesday with 35 pitchers and much uncertainty. Since last season ended, Baltimore shed four of its starters from the 2017 rotation: right-handers Jeremy Hellickson, Ubaldo Jimenez and Chris Tillman and left-hander Wade Miley.Who'll replace them and slot in behind right-handers Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman in 2018 is a mystery.Manager Buck Showalter said that eight pitchers could work in Grapefruit League games as starters. They include Bundy, Gausman, right-handers Miguel Castro, Hunter Harvey, Mike Wright and Gabriel Ynoa. Two Rule 5 draftees left-hander Nestor Cortes and right-hander Jose Mesa are also under consideration.Harvey, who was Baltimore's top draft pick in 2013, but had Tommy John surgery in 2016, won't start the season in the major leagues, though he could pitch for the Orioles later in the season.Castro was impressive in long relief last year and got a start on the next-to-last day of the 2017 season.Wright,... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — On the first day of spring training for the Minnesota Twins, it was difficult to watch the drills on the field without thinking about the potential starting pitchers who weren't there.Twins pitchers and catchers held their first official workout on Wednesday, but there's room for more."It's not hard to see, even if you're not trying, that we have a need, rotation-wise, where we will have to fill some spots," manager Paul Molitor said.The Twins in 2017 became the first team in major league history to reach the postseason after losing 100 or more games the year before. Molitor is the AL Manager of the Year award holder, entering his fourth season. There's a strong nucleus of drafted-and-developed players who are entering their peak years.The glaring omission, however, is a front-line starting pitcher or two to lead a rotation that was improved last season but still ranked just 19th in MLB with a collective 4.73 ERA. The tenuous depth was thinned further when Ervin... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — The Chicago Cubs, boosted by the addition of Yu Darvish, are certainly well armed as they start spring training. The result, they hope, is a drive toward a second crown in three years."The expectation for this group is to win the World Series," center fielder Albert Almora Jr. said "We know the group in here can do it. We expect nothing but that."The Cubs have made three straight extended postseason runs, with 2015 and 2017 ending in losses in the NL Championship Series.The relatively young core of productive position players, led by Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, returns intact.Now, Darvish slides into an already strong pitching rotation that includes Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana and newcomer Tyler Chatwood."You could feel the confidence," manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday after the Cubs' first workout for pitchers and catchers.Darvish totally rounds out the starting rotation, Maddon said."Listen, it was going to be really good, anyway," he said."When you... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Spring training has arrived for the Milwaukee Brewers.Pitchers and catchers have reported to the team's spring complex in Phoenix, with the first workouts scheduled for Thursday.There are spots up for grabs in the starting rotation after Zach Davies, Chase Anderson and free agent signee Jhoulys Chacin. Right-hander Jimmy Nelson is out for at least the first couple months of the regular season as he recovers from partially torn labrum and strained rotator cuff.Left-hander Brent Suter, along with righties Junior Guerra and Brandon Woodruff are among the returnees who are candidates for the two spots open to start the year. Yovani Gallardo, who returned to the team this offseason, is also in the mix.Milwaukee could also add another starter via trade or free agency.The first full-team workout is Tuesday.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Catcher Chris Stewart has agreed to $575,000, one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves.The 35-year-old hit .183 in 51 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. He is a seven-year major league veteran.Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos announced the roster addition after the Braves' first spring training workout for pitchers and catchers."This is a depth move, an insurance move," general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Wednesday before the first spring training workoutStewart will back up catchers Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki."He's on a big league, non-guaranteed deal," Anthopoulos said. "We'll see how he looks in camp. If something happens in the next six weeks, it gives us another option."___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Brandon McCarthy figures his slider needs some work this spring. The last one he threw didn't end up where he expected."I gave up a game-winning home run in the World Series on it," McCarthy said Wednesday before his first organized spring workout with the Atlanta Braves. "So I really want to get back to work on it. I need the time and the reps to really get it under control and be effective with it."George Springer hit a two-run homer off McCarthy's slider in the 11th inning of Game 2 of the World Series, a game the Houston Astros won 7-6 at Dodger Stadium. It was the last game the 34-year-old right-hander pitched for Los Angeles Dodgers, who threw him into a five-player trade with the Braves for Matt Kemp."The way things ended last year is really a letdown, but it was still great to go through the whole experience. It's something you'd like to get past as the season goes along," said McCarthy, who will be pitching for his seventh major league team."There's a little... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Chicago White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia won his salary arbitration case against the team and will get a raise to $6.7 million instead of the club's $5.85 million offer.Arbitrators Phillip LaPorte, Steven Wolf and John Kagel made the decision Wednesday, a day after hearing arguments.Garcia was a first-time All-Star last year, when he was second in the AL batting race and set career bests with a .330 average, 18 homers and 80 RBIs. He made $3 million.Minnesota pitcher Kyle Gibson went to a hearing and asked Robert Herzog, Elizabeth Neumeier and Gary Kendellen for $4.55 million, $250,000 more than the Twins' offer. The 30-year-old right-hander was 12-10 with a 5.07 ERA last year, when he earned $2.9 million.Players lead 8-6 with decisions to be announced Thursday for Gibson and fellow pitchers Collin McHugh, Marcus Stroman, Jake Odorizzi and Trevor Bauer. Three more hearings are scheduled for this week, and 22 decisions would be the most since players won 14 of 24 cases in 1990.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball