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]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The first man to bat against San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner Sunday hit a wind-aided opposite field home run. Bumgarner was overpowering after that in his spring training debut against the Chicago Cubs, even if he was lacking some sharpness.The 2014 World Series MVP got all five outs with strikeouts and allowed two earned runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings in the Cubs' 12-10 win over the Giants. He left the game with two runners on base and both scored, inflating his final line."Felt good physically, that's really all I'm looking for," Bumgarner said after his outing. "Every time I tried to get on game speed, I just missed. I was just a touch off of that, which is to be expected I guess, this time of year. Stuff felt fine, besides that, just command. Stuff was a little off. Getting that dialed in, that's why we're here."Bumgarner shook off Ian Happ's solo shot on a full count and struck out the side in the first inning. In between strikeouts he gave up... [More]

The Minnesota Twins have powered up their lineup.Free agent slugger Logan Morrison and the Twins reached agreement on a $65 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]

A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that free agent slugger Logan Morrison and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to terms on a one-year, $6.5 million contract.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity on Sunday, because the deal was subject to a physical exam and not yet finalized by the team. The Twins have an option for 2019 that can also automatically vest and make it a two-year contract. Morrison had a career-high 38 home runs and 85 RBIs for the Tampa Bay Rays last season.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, he's on track to be the primary designated hitter for a team that earned an AL wild-card spot last season.

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Gabe Kapler figured why wait? Aaron Nola will be his first opening-day starter as Philadelphia Phillies manager."Barring anything crazy happening, he's our guy. He is the man," Kapler said after Nola pitched two innings in his spring-training debut Sunday, an 8-3 loss to the New York Yankees.Still, the 24-year-old right-hander wouldn't mind deferring to a more accomplished option should the Phillies sign one of the big-name free agents still available, such as Jake Arrieta or Lance Lynn."It would definitely be good to get another veteran," Nola said before Kapler's postgame announcement. "It's always good to have veterans on your team, because for us younger guys it's good to learn from them, because they've been in our shoes before."Nola is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, not far from NOLA — New Orleans, as it happens. He's the ace of a young rotation that also could include Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez, Nick Pivetta and Ben Lively. Kapler said the decision on his... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Max Scherzer joked about the home run he surrendered — a sure sign that while baseball is back on the diamond, it's still early in spring training.Dansby Swanson sent a fastball from Scherzer over the left field wall, keeping it inside the foul pole for the lone blemish against the Washington ace in a 9-3 win over Atlanta on Sunday.In the clubhouse not long afterward, teammate Shawn Kelley pointed his phone at the ultra-competitive Scherzer, mimicking reporters with their voice recorders. Kelley playfully barbed his teammate, asking what went wrong on the homer."That's great," Scherzer said, laughing. "Get them out of the way."In his first outing of the spring, Scherzer quickly dispatched six of the seven batters he faced, striking out three of them.He sped through two innings, needing only 23 pitches, 17 of them strikes."For a first outing, you really have no adrenaline in a spring start for your first one out," Scherzer said. "I was able to at least put a... [More]

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies infielder Will Middlebrooks broke his leg during a collision with teammate Andrew Pullin during a spring training game.Phillies manager Gave Kapler said Sunday that Middlebrooks broke his left fibula. Kapler said additional tests were needed to determine whether Middlebrooks also had ankle damage."Really tough time for me, but it will pass," Middlebrooks tweeted. "I can't wait to get back on the field with this squad."Middlebrooks was playing third base during Saturday's exhibition against Baltimore and went back into left field attempting to catch DJ Stewart's popup when his ankle tangled underneath Pullin as the ball fell for a single. Middlebrooks was removed from the field on a cart.The 29-year-old is a veteran of five major league seasons with Boston (2012-14), San Diego (2015), Milwaukee (2016) and Texas (2017). He hit .211 in 22 games and 38 at-bats for the Rangers last year, when he spent most of the season at Triple-A Round Rock.Middlebrooks agreed in December to a minor league contract with the Phillies and would get a $1.2 million, one-year deal if added to the 40-man major league roster. He is married to Jenny Dell, a sideline reporter for CBS Sports who covered the Red Sox for NESN.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — A.J. Hinch was attempting to answer a question about what he likes best about George Springer when the Houston Astros manager was drowned out by a faraway but exuberant bellow.The sound was the World Series MVP who was excitedly interacting with his teammates, illustrating what Hinch was about to say: Springer's top quality is the spirit and the energy he brings to the Astros."You walk in the clubhouse and he's the same every day," Hinch said. "He's got a bright personality. I mean, I can hear him right now. You know when he's in the building. He's got an infectious personality that rubs off on a lot of guys. Everybody likes him, everybody feeds off of him."And Springer shares that affinity for his teammates and raved about the bond they've built."The guys in here are all close," he said. "We all have fun together. We all enjoy being around each other. We're all like a family, and who doesn't like to be around family."As much as Springer sparks the team with his personality,... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — For 10 seasons, Adam Jones has been the backbone of the Baltimore Orioles.The 32-year-old center fielder has the fourth-most hits in team history, has made five All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves.Now in the final season of a six-year, $85.5 million contract, Jones wonders where his future lies."That's up to the front office. Business is business," Jones said.In his decade with the Orioles, Jones has performed brilliantly — on and off the field. He has seven straight seasons with more than 25 home runs and had six seasons of more than 80 RBIs. He's been the most visible and accessible player the team has and been extraordinarily active in community affairs.While Baltimore has been in the postseason three times in Jones' career, he's yet to play in a World Series, and that bothers him.With Jones, star shortstop Manny Machado and relievers Brad Brach and Zach Britton free agents after this season, he could go elsewhere."This is my career. This is not the fans' career,... [More]

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — There's some living history in the San Diego Padres' clubhouse this spring.Chris Young is back with the Padres and trying to earn a spot on the staff, whether it's in the rotation or in the bullpen."Archaic, maybe, but I don't know about historic," the 38-year-old said with a laugh.Actually, he is historic. Young is the last Padres pitcher to win a playoff game. On Oct. 7, 2006, the 6-foot-10 right-hander threw 6 2-3 scoreless innings of four-hit ball in the Padres' 3-1 victory at St. Louis in Game 3 of their NL Division Series."I don't know if that's known throughout the clubhouse," Young said. "We'll see who figures it out."That's how long it's been since the Padres won a playoff game.The guy who got the save that day, Trevor Hoffman, is going into the Hall of Fame this summer. The Padres' catcher in that game, Mike Piazza, went into the Hall of Fame in 2016. The left fielder, Dave Roberts, is going into his third season as manager of the rival Los Angeles Dodgers... [More]

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — There's some living history in the San Diego Padres' clubhouse this spring.Chris Young is back with the Padres and trying to earn a spot on the staff, whether it's in the rotation or in the bullpen."Archaic, maybe, but I don't know about historic," the 38-year-old said with a laugh.Actually, he is historic. Young is the last Padres pitcher to win a playoff game. On Oct. 7, 2006, the 6-foot-10 right-hander threw 6 2-3 scoreless innings of four-hit ball in the Padres' 3-1 victory at St. Louis in Game 3 of their NL division series."I don't know if that's known throughout the clubhouse," Young said. "We'll see who figures it out."That's how long it's been since the Padres won a playoff game.The guy who got the save that day, Trevor Hoffman, is going into the Hall of Fame this summer. The Padres' catcher in that game, Mike Piazza, went into the Hall of Fame in 2016. The left fielder, Dave Roberts, is going into his third season as manager of the rival Los Angeles Dodgers... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Free agent reliever Matt Belisle has agreed to a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians and would get a $1.5 million, one-year deal if added to the 40-man big league roster.The 37-year-old right-hander would be able to earn an additional $1.75 million in performance bonuses based on games as part of the agreement announced Sunday: $100,000 for 20, $150,000 for 25 and each additional five through 55, and $200,000 apiece for 60, 65 and 70.Belisle was 2-2 with a 4.03 ERA and in 62 appearances for Minnesota last year, converting nine of 11 save chances after Brandon Kintzler was traded. The Indians have at least one open spot in their bullpen after Bryan Shaw and Joe Smith became free agents and left.Belisle is 51-57 with 14 saves and a 4.19 ERA in 660 appearances over 14 major league seasons. Belisle began his career with Atlanta and also has pitched for Cincinnati and Colorado. He led the NL with 80 appearances for the Rockies in 2012.The Indians also claimed righty reliever Ben Taylor off waivers from Boston. Right-hander Cody Anderson was put on the 60-day disabled list to make room.The 25-year-old Taylor made his major league debut last season, going 0-1 with one save and a 5.19 ERA in 14 games for Boston. He missed almost all of June with elbow inflammation and missed most of August with a side strain.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Five years after claiming the Yankees were trying to run him out of baseball, Alex Rodriguez is remaining with New York as a revered elder statesman.New York said Sunday that A-Rod will be a special adviser."I think he has a lot to offer," new Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Hopefully it's an opportunity for him to impact our team. I think everyone understands just how smart of a baseball mind he is and his ability I think to communicate that sometimes is really something he's special at, especially with the younger guys."When Rodriguez retired in August 2016 during a season-long slump, he agreed to serve as an adviser and instructor for the remainder of his $275 million, 10-year contract. Rodriguez spent a few days each year working with prospects, and when that deal expired at the end of last season he spoke with owner Hal Steinbrenner about remaining in some role.Nick Swisher also was added as a special adviser, joining Reggie Jackson and Hideki Matsui.Jackson says... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Free agent reliever Matt Belisle has agreed to a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians and would get a $1.5 million, one-year deal if added to the 40-man big league roster.The 37-year-old right-hander would be able to earn an additional $1.75 million in performance bonuses based on games as part of the agreement announced Sunday: $100,000 for 20, $150,000 for 25 and each additional five through 55, and $200,000 apiece for 60, 65 and 70.Belisle was 2-2 with a 4.03 ERA and in 62 appearances for Minnesota last year, converting nine of 11 save chances after Brandon Kintzler was traded. The Indians have at least one open spot in their bullpen after Bryan Shaw and Joe Smith became free agents and left.Belisle is 51-57 with 14 saves and a 4.19 ERA in 660 appearances over 14 major league seasons. Belisle began his career with Atlanta and also has pitched for Cincinnati and Colorado. He led the NL with 80 appearances for the Rockies in 2012.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies infielder Will Middlebrooks broke his leg during a collision with teammate Andrew Pullin during a spring training game.Phillies manager Gave Kapler said Sunday that Middlebrooks broke his left fibula. Kapler said additional tests were needed to determine whether Middlebrooks also had ankle damage.Middlebrooks was playing third base during Saturday's exhibition against Baltimore and went back into left field attempting to catch DJ Stewart's popup when his ankle tangled underneath Pullin as the ball fell for a single. Middlebrooks was removed from the field on a cart.The 29-year-old is a veteran of five major league seasons with Boston (2012-14), San Diego (2015), Milwaukee (2016) and Texas (2017). He hit .211 in 22 games and 38 at-bats for the Rangers last year, when he spent most of the season at Triple-A Round Rock.Middlebrooks agreed in December to a minor league contract with the Phillies and would get a $1.2 million, one-year deal if added to the 40-man major league roster. He is married to Jenny Dell, a sideline reporter for CBS Sports who covered the Red Sox for NESN.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani didn't quite dazzle in his spring pitching debut with the Los Angeles Angels.Maybe things will change when he swings the bat for the first time in a Cactus League game.The star two-way player from Japan had mixed results in his first big league mound appearance Saturday, when he allowed a home run and didn't make it through his scheduled two innings in a 6-5 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers.The 23-year-old right-hander threw some nice pitches, including a fastball clocked at 97 mph, and a curveball that came across at 69 mph.But he also struggled with his fastball command in allowing two runs, one earned, and two hits in 1 1-3 innings. Keon Broxton tagged him for a home run leading off the second inning."Besides the results, I mean, I had a lot of fun out there, so I think it went all well," Ohtani said through a translator.He struck out two and walked one. He threw 31 pitches, 17 for strikes.Ohtani didn't hit — he wasn't in manager Mike Scioscia's... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Former All-Star outfielder Michael Saunders has ended his two-day stay with Pittsburgh, instead seeking a better chance to play with the Kansas City Royals.Saunders arrived at the Royals' camp on Saturday after signing a minor league contract. He will receive $1.5 million if he is put on the big league roster and could earn another $500,000 in performance bonuses.The Pirates had signed Saunders to a minor league contract Wednesday and he reported to their spring training complex in Bradenton, Florida. When Pittsburgh acquired outfielder Corey Dickerson in a trade with Tampa Bay on Thursday, Saunders was given his release to pursue other opportunities. The Royals promptly picked up the 31-year-old.Saunders hit a combined .202 last season with the Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies, and Toronto released him after the season. He is a career .232 hitter in 775 major league games over nine seasons, the first six with Seattle.The Kansas City outfield remains in a state... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Brad Peacock went into spring training last year with the Houston Astros worried he wouldn't make the team.After the best season of his career, the right-hander's spot with the club is now secure. Even so, he's maintained the same mindset he had when his career was on the line."I still want to keep that edge on me," he said.Out of options after four unimpressive seasons in Houston, things didn't look good for Peacock this time a year ago. But his solid spring, coupled with some injuries, gave him one more chance to prove himself with the Astros.He more than took advantage of the situation, winning 13 games after getting just 11 wins combined in his first five major league seasons. His 3.00 ERA and 161 strikeouts were also the best of his career, and he appeared in a career-high 34 games.Peacock opened the season as a reliever, but took a spot in the rotation when injuries began to pile up in May. He won eight games from June 4-Aug. 4 to steady Houston's pitching... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Comfortably installed as a closer for the first spring in his career, Washington Nationals lefty Sean Doolittle is taking advantage of role security to expand his pitching arsenal.During the early weeks of spring, Doolittle, with the help of new pitching coach Derek Lilliquist, is experiencing encouraging results from the slider he's been cultivating."It's sill in the research and development phase, but I'm excited about it," Doolittle said. "I've had some really good days working with Lilliquist on it."Of hurlers who threw more than 20 pitches last season, only four pitchers relied on their fastball more than Doolittle, throwing the four-seamer 87.7 percent of the time, according to FanGraphs.The 31-year-old Doolittle actually increased the use of his change-up last season and toyed with a slider that he threw only 5.2 percent of the time. He's always been inconsistent with the slider."I had (a feel for) it for a few weeks or months maybe at different points in my... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Nearly two full weeks into spring training, dozens of accomplished free agents around the major leagues are still unsigned.There's a new rule limiting visits to the mound, too, creating at least some early confusion about how to keep track.So while their collective bargaining agreement runs through four more seasons, players have been expressing more frustration with owners lately than usual during an offseason marked by increased tension between the sides."The goal of collective bargaining is not labor peace. It's a fair and equitable deal. Fifteen months in, we're seeing things that we've never seen before, and that raises concerns," union leader Tony Clark said. "We'll have to figure out in the near term and in the longer term how those concerns can be addressed, because invariably if they are affecting the industry adversely, everybody should have that concern."Clark began his annual tour of camps on Saturday with Boston. Clark said after the meeting in the Red... [More]