SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Wade Davis has again entered spring training as the Colorado Rockies' closer after a rough 2019 season.Davis lost his ninth-inning role in the final two months last year, when he finished 1-6 with 15 saves and an 8.65 ERA in the least effective effort of an 11-year career. “It sucks when you're not doing well at anything, anything in life,” Davis said. “The biggest thing is to move past it. That's when you learn and grow. You work harder. You prepare and you are at ease with what happened and your struggles. That's why I feel good about where I'm at now, despite whatever.”Scott Oberg took over as closer and pitched well before a blood clot in his right shoulder forced him to miss the final six weeks of the season and required offseason surgery, though he is healthy this spring and will join Davis in the back end of the bullpen.“I think in a perfect world, Wade is our closer and Scotty pitches in front of him in some capacity, whether it is an inning or one-plus... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The San Francisco Giants are putting up zeroes.They believe they are doing something rarely seen: using uniform numbers 0 and 00 in the same year.When San Francisco added speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton with a minor league deal earlier this month, equipment manager Brad Grems called Major League Baseball to make sure there's a difference between the two because new first base coach Antoan Richardson already had claimed 00.“He's good with stuff like that,” shortstop Brandon Crawford said Monday of Grems' due diligence.San Francisco has 72 players in camp. Given that the Giants have 11 retired numbers with their long list of Hall of Famers and there are 13 coaches and a pair of bullpen catchers also in uniform under new manager Gabe Kapler, Hamilton's other choices were 96 or 98. He opted for 0.The Giants already have made history by hiring baseball's first female coach on a big league staff — Alyssa Nakken is wearing No. 92. Longtime equipment manager and current... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The San Francisco Giants are putting up zeroes.They believe they might be doing something rarely seen: using uniform numbers 0 and 00 in the same year.When San Francisco added speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton with a minor league deal earlier this month, equipment manager Brad Grems called the league to make sure there's a difference between the two — because new first base coach Antoan Richardson aleady had claimed 00.“He's good with stuff like that,” shortstop Brandon Crawford said Monday of Grems' due diligence.Given the Giants have 11 retired numbers with their long list of Hall of Famers and 13 coaches and a pair of bullpen catchers in uniform under new manager Gabe Kapler, Hamilton's other choices were 96 or 98. San Francisco has 72 players in camp.Already having made history with the hiring of baseball's first female coach on a big league staff — Alyssa Nakken is wearing No. 92 — longtime equipment manager and current senior adviser Mike Murphy can't remember... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Elvis Andrus has a few aging distinctions going into his 12th major league season. The only player left in the Texas Rangers clubhouse to wear that uniform in a World Series, the 31-year-old shortstop is the club's longest-tenured player by five years and expected to be the oldest regular starting shortstop in the majors.“I still believe I'm a rookie," Andrus said Monday, when the Rangers had their first full-squad workout. “I never want to feel comfortable. I always want to feel that somebody is going to take my job, and that's the mentality and that's the reality of the game." Andrus hit .275 last season — matching his career average through 1,623 regular-season games. He was hitting .361 through the season's first month and was at .309 by the end of June, then batted .240 over the final 74 games of the season while Texas skidded to its third straight losing season since AL West titles in 2015 and 2016. Second-year manager Chris Woodward said the Rangers “were pretty... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Elvis Andrus has a few aging distinctions going into his 12th major league season. The only player left in the Texas Rangers clubhouse to wear that uniform in a World Series, the 31-year-old shortstop is the club's longest-tenured player by five years and expected to be the oldest regular starting shortstop in the majors.“I still believe I'm a rookie," Andrus said Monday, when the Rangers had their first full-squad workout. “I never want to feel comfortable. I always want to feel that somebody is going to take my job, and that's the mentality and that's the reality of the game." Andrus hit .275 last season — matching his career average through 1,623 regular-season games. He was hitting .361 through the season's first month and was at .309 by the end of June, then batted .240 over the final 74 games of the season while Texas skidded to its third straight losing season since AL West titles in 2015 and 2016. Second-year manager Chris Woodward said the Rangers “were pretty... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Elvis Andrus has a few aging distinctions going into his 12th major league season. The only player left in the Texas Rangers clubhouse to wear that uniform in a World Series, the 31-year-old shortstop is the club's longest-tenured player by five years and expected to be the oldest regular starting shortstop in the majors.“I still believe I'm a rookie," Andrus said Monday, when the Rangers had their first full-squad workout. “I never want to feel comfortable. I always want to feel that somebody is going to take my job, and that's the mentality and that's the reality of the game." Andrus hit .275 last season — matching his career average through 1,623 regular-season games. He was hitting .361 through the season's first month and was at .309 by the end of June, then batted .240 over the final 74 games of the season while Texas skidded to its third straight losing season since AL West titles in 2015 and 2016. Second-year manager Chris Woodward said the Rangers “were pretty... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Players who have won a World Series -- and those who have come up short -- seethed Monday at Commissioner Rob Manfred's reference to the sport's championship trophy as merely a "piece of metal," saying that comment reflected a disconnect between baseball's boss and those who produce the product on the field."It bothered me, man. I hated it. It made him sound really out of touch," said reliever Sean Doolittle, a member of the 2019 title-winning Washington Nationals. "That's the holy grail of our sport. That's what we show up for in the beginning of February, thinking about and working towards."Added Doolittle: "I just can't believe how out of touch that is. You're the commissioner of our game. You're the steward of this game. That's a really special thing. It's an iconic symbol of our game. Please don't say that, even off-hand, even tongue-in-cheek." As with so many things being talked about around the majors as spring training gets started, this all stems from... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts isn't convinced bringing in more high-priced free agents during the offseason would have boosted Chicago."Just because you spent a lot of money doesn't mean you're going to win. We've seen that in our own organization our last couple of years," Ricketts said Monday. "The fact is, it's not about how much you spend, it's about where you spend it and getting the right guys on board."Star third baseman Kris Bryant said last weekend the Cubs have the financial ability to keep their All-Star core together "if they want to."“Where we place our resources is a baseball decision,” Ricketts said, referring to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer.Ricketts insisted the $208 million luxury tax threshold isn't holding the Cubs back."Those aren't defining the decisions in the front office, but they are always a consideration in the front office," Ricketts said, adding later, "We had the highest baseball budget in the (National)... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Backup infielder Aledmys Díaz went to arbitration Monday with the Houston Astros, who offered the same $2 million salary he earned last year.Díaz asked arbitrators Mark Burstein, Stephen Raymond, Gary Kendellen for a raise to $2.6 million.Acquired from Toronto in November 2018, Díaz hit .271 for the AL champions with nine homers and 40 RBIs in 247 plate appearances over 69 games. He was 0 for 9 with a walk in the postseason.A decision is expected Wednesday.Teams are 6-1 against players this year, beating Boston pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson, Minnesota pitcher José Berríos, Milwaukee closer Josh Hader, Atlanta reliever Shane Greene and Colorado catcher Tony Wolters.Dodgers reliever Pedro Báez is the lone winning player so far.A decision is expected Wednesday for Miami first baseman Jesús Aguilar, whose hearing was Friday. Aguilar asked for a raise from $637,500 to $2,575,000 and the Marlins argued for $2,325,000.Four players remain scheduled for hearings this week: Philadelphia catcher J.T. Realmuto and reliever Héctor Neris, Arizona reliever Archie Bradley and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Brian Goodwin.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — Ryan Braun spent much of his first morning at spring training looking for equipment.The Milwaukee Brewers' veteran outfielder is expecting to get significant time at first base this season after the team added Avisaíl García to a mix that already included Braun, Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain and Ben Gamel.First, he'll need a glove."I'm not sure if my first baseman's glove is still here," Braun joked Monday as Brewers position players reported to camp. "I'll have to dust it off and get it ready for action again."Milwaukee tried a similar move two years ago after acquiring Cain and Yelich during a splashy offseason. Braun spent much of camp getting work at his new position and handled it well enough to get the starting job on opening day that season. The experiment was short-lived; not because of anything Braun did — or didn't — do at the position. Instead, the emergence of Jesús Aguilar into an All-Star left little need for Braun's right-handed bat to share time at the position.Now,... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Players who have won a World Series -- and those who have come up short -- seethed Monday at Commissioner Rob Manfred's reference to the sport's championship trophy as merely a "piece of metal," saying that comment reflected a disconnect between baseball's boss and those who produce the product on the field."It bothered me, man. I hated it. It made him sound really out of touch," said reliever Sean Doolittle, a member of the 2019 title-winning Washington Nationals. "That's the holy grail of our sport. That's what we show up for in the beginning of February, thinking about and working towards."Added Doolittle: "I just can't believe how out of touch that is. You're the commissioner of our game. You're the steward of this game. That's a really special thing. It's an iconic symbol of our game. Please don't say that, even off-hand, even tongue-in-cheek." As with so many things being talked about around the majors as spring training gets started, this all stems from... [More]

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno acknowledges he scrapped the proposed trade that would have landed Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling from the Dodgers.Moreno also says the Angels can make an even bigger trade for an elite starting pitcher if they get a chance this season.Moreno covered many topics in his annual informal conversation with reporters on the training fields outside Tempe Diablo Stadium. He is excited about the potential impact of $245 million third baseman Anthony Rendon and optimistic about his pitching staff's ability to improve after a poor season.Moreno also is eager to move on from the scuttled trade that would have sent infielder Luis Rengifo and a prospect to the Dodgers for Pederson and Stripling earlier in the month.Both veterans likely would have played immediately for the Angels, but Moreno called off the talks around the deal while the Dodgers' blockbuster deal with Boston was delayed for several days.“It wasn't all impatience,” Moreno said.... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Javier Báez wants his Chicago Cubs to be better prepared this season. The two-time All-Star said Sunday at spring training that he and the Cubs were lacking last year when it came to their pregame routines and work ethic.“We had a lot of optional things, not mandatory, and everyone kind of sat back on that — including me. I wasn’t really going out there and preparing for the game. I was getting ready during the game, which is not good,” Báez said. “But this year, I think before the games, everybody should be out there as a team, stretch as a team, be together as a team so we can play together.”Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein said last week he could think of only two times in 18 years of running major league clubs that he felt “basic organizational standards for work, preparation and behavior” were not being met.He didn’t point specifically at the 2019 Cubs, but after manager Joe Maddon’s departure, many are reading between the lines.New skipper David... [More]

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Mike Trout thinks the Houston Astros should pay more dearly for their cheating ways.The Los Angeles Angels' three-time AL MVP ripped the Astros and questioned the discipline handed out by Major League Baseball on Monday after he reported to spring training. Trout joined the chorus of prominent big leaguers angry about Houston's rampant sign stealing on its way to the 2017 World Series title and beyond.“It’s sad for baseball,” he said. "It’s tough. They cheated. I don’t agree with the punishments, the players not getting anything. It was a player-driven thing. It sucks, too, because guys' careers have been affected. A lot of people lost jobs. It was tough.“Me going up to the plate knowing what was coming? It would be fun up there. A lot of guys lost respect for some of the guys.”Trout said a few members of the Astros reached out to him during the offseason to explain their side, but Trout didn't sound impressed.“You don’t know what helped them or what not,” he said. “But... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The San Francisco Giants are putting up zeroes.They believe they might be doing something rarely seen: using uniform numbers 0 and 00 in the same year.When San Francisco added speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton with a minor league deal earlier this month, equipment manager Brad Grems called the league to make sure there's a difference between the two — because new first base coach Antoan Richardson aleady had claimed 00.“He's good with stuff like that,” shortstop Brandon Crawford said Monday of Grems' due diligence.Given the Giants have 11 retired numbers with their long list of Hall of Famers and 13 coaches and a pair of bullpen catchers in uniform under new manager Gabe Kapler, Hamilton's other choices were 96 or 98. San Francisco has 72 players in camp.Already having made history with the hiring of baseball's first female coach on a big league staff — Alyssa Nakken is wearing No. 92 — longtime equipment manager and current senior adviser Mike Murphy can't remember... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts isn't convinced bringing in more high-priced free agents during the offseason would have boosted Chicago."Just because you spent a lot of money doesn't mean you're going to win. We've seen that in our own organization our last couple of years," Ricketts said Monday. "The fact is, it's not about how much you spend, it's about where you spend it and getting the right guys on board."Star third baseman Kris Bryant said last weekend the Cubs have the financial ability to keep their All-Star core together "if they want to."“Where we place our resources is a baseball decision,” Ricketts said, referring to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer.Ricketts insisted the $208 million luxury tax threshold isn't holding the Cubs back."Those aren't defining the decisions in the front office, but they are always a consideration in the front office," Ricketts said, adding later, "We had the highest baseball budget in the (National)... [More]

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Andrew McCutchen can speak firsthand about modern medical advancements.He tore his ACL last year — and it wasn't the first time."I had an ACL injury when I was in high school, so to kind of compare the two, as far as the process goes and the rehab, it's a lot quicker," the Philadelphia outfielder said Monday. "You're doing things a lot faster maybe than you did 16, 17 years ago. At the same time, I'm not 16 and rehabbing. I'm 33 now.”McCutchen played only 59 games last year before going down with a torn ACL in early June. The Phillies finished 81-81, a disappointment in their first season after signing Bryce Harper. Philadelphia replaced manager Gabe Kapler with Joe Girardi and added Zack Wheeler to its rotation. If he can stay healthy, McCutchen could give the team a lift as well.The Phillies held their first workout with the full squad Monday. McCutchen said he plans to be ready for opening day.“I'm doing everything. I don't have any limitations. It's just about... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Yoenis Céspedes arrived at spring training and was as silent as his bat has been for most of the past two seasons. The New York Mets outfielder stepped back toward his locker as the media approached before the team's first full-squad workout on Monday and said, “Not today, not tomorrow, not at all this year” when asked if he would talk. A two-time All-Star, Céspedes said he felt no obligation to speak with the media. “Because I don’t want to,” he explained.Asked whether he would speak to his fans, he replied: “To my fans, maybe."Céspedes turned his back to media, spritzed cologne on and forcefully put the bottle down in his locker. Céspedes hit and ran but did not break with the outfielders as the horn sounded for the fielders to break into two groups when the Mets took the field for the first time in spring training. Against reliever Michael Wacha in batting practice, Céspedes turned on a curve and drove it just left of the foul pole in left field — with home-run... [More]

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Miguel Cabrera acknowledged Monday that he has something to prove after a disappointing season. But the Detroit Tigers slugger is definitely done tinkering with his swing."I don't want to change my swing anymore," Cabrera said before the Tigers' first full-squad workout of the spring. “I just want to be natural. The last three years I've been changing my swing a lot to feel comfortable at home plate.”Hobbled by a sore right knee, Cabrera tried making several adjustments to get through the 2019 season. In 136 games, he hit .282 with 12 home runs and 59 RBIs — all well below his career standards.Manager Ron Gardenhire said a big part of the lack of production was Cabrera's weight, which drifted well over his official playing weight of 249 pounds.Cabrera was noticeably trimmer upon showing up for his 13th Tigers spring, and he said the knee feels "pretty good.""Last year I was heavy," he said. "I think I lost a lot of weight from last year to this year. I tried to eat... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — On the day position players reported to camp, the Washington Nationals finally got around to putting up a sign on the ivy-covered wall near the entrance to their spring training facility with a curly "W," a rendering of the Capitol dome and, most significantly, the proclamation "2019 WORLD CHAMPIONS.""Now we are happy to come back," slugger Juan Soto said, "and show the people we can do it again."And two of the reasons the Nationals did what they did last season -- and, more significantly, figure repeating is a realistic goal to pursue this season -- also showed up Monday: Soto and an enthusiastic cabbage race.Say what?Yes, the daily schedule posted in the clubhouse proclaimed this "National Cabbage Day," alongside a separate piece of paper listing the rosters for two teams of 20 pitchers and catchers each, one captained by Max Scherzer, the other by Stephen Strasburg. At precisely 9:30 a.m., clubhouse and equipment manager Mike Wallace strode outside carrying... [More]