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]

Shohei Ohtani went only one way in his spring training debut for the Los Angeles Angels and got pulled early.The Japanese star pitcher and hitter was scheduled to throw two innings in his start Saturday, but was taken out after giving up two hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings during a 6-5 win over Milwaukee.Angels manager Mike Scioscia didn't put Ohtani in the batting order.The 23-year-old righty struck out two and his fastball reached 97 mph. He allowed one run, on a homer by Keon Broxton. Ohtani threw 31 pitches, 17 for strikes."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.Ohtani has been hitting some long home runs in batting practice."I had a lot of fun out there today and obviously I'm excited to hit and pitch again, and I just want to keep on getting better and have good results from here on out," he said.Scioscia said Ohtani will hit early in the week, as the designated hitter."It was great to see him,"... [More]

Spring training got off to a solemn start as MLB teams wore hats to honor Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were fatally shot nine days ago.Stoneman Douglas baseball coach Todd Fitz-Gerald and his two sons were guests of the Houston Astros for their spring opener against the Washington Nationals. Members of the school's baseball and softball teams were guests of the Marlins and mingled on the field with players, coaches and CEO Derek Jeter.Teams had the option of wearing he caps, which are black with "SD" in block letters, during the games or only during warmups. Both the Astros and Nationals wore them during Friday's games.MLB ordered more than 2,500 of the caps from New Era, league spokesman Steven Arrocho said. Many teams will have players sign them, and they will be auctioned to benefit the victims and families affected by the shooting.Fitz-Gerald said it was a "relief" to get back to the sport he loves and to stop thinking, at least for a moment,... [More]

Spring training got off to a solemn start as MLB teams wore hats to honor Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were fatally shot nine days ago.Stoneman Douglas baseball coach Todd Fitz-Gerald and his two sons were guests of the Houston Astros for their spring opener against the Washington Nationals. Members of the school's baseball and softball teams were guests of the Marlins and mingled on the field with players, coaches and CEO Derek Jeter.Teams had the option of wearing he caps, which are black with "SD" in block letters, during the games or only during warmups. Both the Astros and Nationals wore them during Friday's games.MLB ordered more than 2,500 of the caps from New Era, league spokesman Steven Arrocho said. Many teams will have players sign them, and they will be auctioned to benefit the victims and families affected by the shooting.Fitz-Gerald said it was a "relief" to get back to the sport he loves and to stop thinking, at least for a moment,... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Once he overcame some anxiety, Yonder Alonso started swinging for the fences.And clearing them.Hoping to improve his power statistics, Alonso altered his swing last season and the baseball began to fly. After hitting just 39 home runs in his first seven major league seasons, Alonso connected for 28 in 142 games for Oakland and Seattle.The Indians are counting on his surge to continue.Following first baseman Carlos Santana's departure as a free agent to Philadelphia, the Indians were left with a run-producing void in their lineup and signed the 30-year-old Alonso, who became something of a poster boy for MLB's new elevation trend.Alonso implemented a higher leg kick, used a bigger upper cut and concentrated on hitting the ball harder. And, as it turned out, farther."I tell guys, 'Look at me,'" said Alonso, who made his first All-Star appearance last season while with the Athletics. "I was so scared of change. Then I changed. It worked. I'm still learning that change... [More]

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Jameson Taillon never allowed himself much time to think about his bout with testicular cancer last season.The Pittsburgh pitcher's focus from nearly the moment he received the diagnosis in early May was to return to the mound as quickly as possible. Just five weeks later, he was activated from the disabled list and pitched five scoreless innings to beat the visiting Colorado Rockies."The best-case scenario is that it happened during the season," Taillon said. "I had my teammates for support, and I had a goal of returning to help the team to serve as a distraction."Taillon stayed busy in the offseason. He played golf with teammates Daniel Hudson and A.J. Schugel in Arizona, attended the Florida-Florida State and Central Florida-South Florida college football games with his brother and went Christmas shopping in New York.However, the winter months also gave Taillon time to stop and ponder the good fortune of recovering so quickly after surgery."I'm a different person,... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — When the Baltimore Orioles acquired Tim Beckham from the Tampa Bay Rays last July 31, they hoped that he would be the successor to J.J. Hardy at shortstop.Beckham had an impressive August for the team, hitting .394 with 50 hits in 29 games. His September wasn't as good when he hit .180.After the Orioles decided not to trade Manny Machado, they made a decision that impacted Beckham. They'll move Machado, who could become a free agent after this season from third base to shortstop while putting Beckham at third base.The 28-year-old Beckham, who was the overall first draft pick in 2008, has started just five games at third base in his four-year major league career.Beckham is in the early days of his transition, but after Machado arrived on Saturday, infield coach Bobby Dickerson hit several dozen balls to third. Beckham booted just one of them."I've just been doing drills right now and working on our footwork over at third," Beckham said. "Whatever's going to surprise... [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 third baseman Mike Moustakas are among the players looking for work with spring... [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]

CHICAGO (AP) — The White Sox go to spring training with a long line of promising prospects and a belief that better days are coming.The question is: How soon?For now, there sure is plenty of optimism for a team with five straight losing seasons. A big reason is the young players on the roster and in the pipeline."There's an excitement that you should have because it's real," manager Rick Renteria said. "I'm excited, he's excited, everybody's excited. We just have to have patience and make sure that we do it the right way so that when they get there they really give you the best that they can give you."Chicago finished fourth in the AL Central at 67-95 last season. Only three teams had a worse record.But there's been mounting optimism ever since the White Sox went all-in on rebuilding following the 2016 season. The big trades sending former ace Chris Sale to Boston and outfielder Adam Eaton to Washington at the winter meetings that year kicked the process into gear. Those deals brought back... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — There might come a time in the next few weeks when the Baltimore Orioles finally add a proven veteran to their stunningly thin starting rotation."There are some pitchers available, and I'm confident we'll be able to sign some between now and when we open (the regular season)," executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said recently.Until then, manager Buck Showalter can only hope to find some quality arms among a massive array of hurlers ready to show their stuff at spring training in Sarasota, Florida."We've got 35 pitchers coming to camp, more than any in the history of the Orioles," Showalter noted. "We're staying focused on the people who are here right now, trying to see if certain people can go to another level. We've got plenty of resources to do more than compete."That's the company line, although it's hard to perceive the Orioles as a contender in the AL East coming off a last-place finish and with a rotation that currently lists only Dylan Bundy... [More]

A team-by-team look at the American League East 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:___Boston Red SoxManager: Alex Cora (first season).2017: 93-69, first place, lost to Houston in ALDS.Training Town: Fort Myers, Florida.Park: JetBlue Park.First Workout: Feb. 14/19.He's Here: Manager Alex Cora.He's Outta Here: Manager John Farrell, RHP Doug Fister, INF Eduardo Nunez, OF Chris Young, RHP Addison Reed, OF Rajai Davis, LHP Henry Owens, LHP Fernando Abad, RHP Blaine Boyer.Going campin': The Red Sox won 93 games for the second straight season and claimed the franchise's first back-to-back AL East titles. But Farrell was fired after they failed to advance in the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. They are virtually the same team as last year; boss Dave Dombrowski said he was looking for a bat with power and still might add one of the free agents remaining on the market, including... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Even if Manny Machado doesn't switch teams this season, he almost certainly will be changing his position in the infield.Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Saturday that Machado will move from third base to shortstop this spring, and shortstop Tim Beckham will be shifted to third.The shuffle will become permanent unless something goes wrong — or Machado gets traded to another club."There could be some adjustments if we don't like the feel of it, but that's where we're going to head into it," Showalter said at FanFest, an annual offseason event designed to promote interest in the club.Machado and second baseman Jonathan Schoop did not attend.Machado becomes a free agent after this year and is sure to demand a huge contract. The Orioles have entertained trade offers for the 25-year-old, who's been an All-Star in three of his six seasons with Baltimore.Dan Duquette, vice president of baseball operations for the Orioles, has to decide whether to deal Machado sometime... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Manny Machado will start at shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles this season — if he isn't traded.Machado becomes a free agent after this year and is sure to demand a huge contract. The Orioles have entertained trade offers for the 25-year-old, who's been an All-Star in half of his six seasons with Baltimore.But Dan Duquette, vice president of baseball operations for the Orioles, said Saturday that he expects Machado to be part of the team in 2018.A two-time Gold Glove winner at third base, Machado will move to shortstop in 2018, manager Buck Showalter said at FanFest, an annual offseason event designed to promote interest in the club.Following the retirement of shortstop J.J. Hardy, Showalter believes the Orioles will be better defensively if the slick-fielding Machado plays in the middle of the infield.Tim Beckham, who came to the team in July and took over as the starting shortstop, will move to third base.Machado did not attend FanFest.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

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]

NEW YORK (AP) — The hot corner figures to be sizzling Friday when players and team swap proposed salaries in arbitration.Toronto's Josh Donaldson, Baltimore's Manny Machado, Washington's Anthony Rendon and the Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant were among the more than 170 players headed to the exchange. But most are likely to reach agreement Friday, the busiest day of the offseason.Machado and Donaldson can become free agents after this season and are expected to command one-year deals approaching or exceeding $20 million. A three-time All-Star, the 25-year-old Machado hit. 259 with 33 homers and 95 RBIs last year, when he made $11.5 million. He has been mentioned in persistent trade rumors.Donaldson, 32, is a three-time All-Star and the 2015 AL MVP. He rebounded from an injury-slowed 2016 to hit .270 last season with 33 homers and 78 RBIs. Donaldson earned $17 million last year in the final season of a $28.65 million, two-year deal.Rendon set career bests with a .301 average, 25 homers and 100... [More]

3B Manny Machado returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing one game with an undisclosed illness, going 1-for-4 with his 33rd homer. Machado still wasn't feeling 100 percent, but was well enough to play. "I talked to him earlier and said, 'I'm going to make two lineups out. Let me know,' manager Buck Showalter said. "He thought he might get to feeling a little better as the day wore on. And I'm not so sure he did a whole lot. So, it's another example. We've got guys who post up. I hope everybody appreciates it."

3B Manny Machado was out of the lineup Wednesday with an undisclosed illness. The timeline for his return is uncertain. "It's something that we've been dealing with for two weeks," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He's pretty sick, so that's what that's about." Machado is batting .264 with 32 homers and 92 RBIs.

3B Manny Machado, who hit a 470-foot home run in his first game of the season at Yankee Stadium on April 28, is hitless in his last 18 at-bats. He grounded out in his first at-bat, fouled out in his second at-bat and flied out in his last at-bat.

3B Manny Machado was 0-for-3 Friday, making him 5-for-29 on Baltimore's road trip. Machado's frustration was evident as he nearly was ejected by plate umpire Paul Emmel for arguing strike three in the first inning and then slammed the bat against his leg while popping out in his third at-bat.