JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Outfielder Cameron Maybin has signed a one-year contract with the Miami Marlins, rejoining the team where he played in 2008-10.Maybin gives the young, rebuilding Marlins much-needed experience, along with flexibility because he can play all three outfield positions. He was with the Angels and Astros last year and helped Houston win the World Series.He batted only .228 in 2017 but had 33 steals to rank second in the American League. He joined the Marlins for Wednesday's spring training workout.Maybin, 30, is a .255 career hitter in 11 seasons with six teams. A first-round draft pick by Detroit in 2005, he originally joined the Marlins in the trade that sent Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

PHOENIX (AP) — "Va-mannnn-os!" echoes down from high above the humongous boulders in an area aptly named Echo Canyon."Let's go!"It's Giants pitcher Johnny Cueto shouting as he powers up Camelback Mountain. Far more than just a leisurely hike in the Arizona desert, and hours after his formal day is done at Scottsdale Stadium, this is a bonus workout to boost his fitness and prepare for the grind of another baseball season.In each of his three springs with San Francisco, the exuberant pitcher has picked a rental home near Camelback, on a different side of the idyllic landmark every year to be close to his favorite hiking terrain."I like to be by the mountain and I like to be near the stadium," he explains.As he hits the trail one day last week dressed in all black including a long-sleeve Giants workout shirt, Cueto skips up the initial stairs with his Latin American-influenced Reggaeton music blaring through the large headphones covering his ears. With a hillside of cacti and rocks across... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks sent infielder Brandon Drury to the New York Yankees and received outfielder Steven Souza Jr. from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade Tuesday that included five players plus two to be named later.The deal was announced one day after former Diamondbacks slugger J.D. Martinez agreed to a $110 million, five-year contract with Boston, pending a physical. Arizona has moved quickly to fill that hole in the outfield, signing speedy Jarrod Dyson to a $7.5 million, two-year contract on Monday before trading for Souza.Souza will be the starter at one corner outfield position, with Dyson subbing at all three spots.Drury gives the Yankees a new option at third base or second base, where New York was projected to start a pair of rookies.Top pitching prospect Anthony Banda goes from Arizona to the Rays, who also get minor league second baseman Nick Solak from the Yankees and two players to be named from the Diamondbacks. Minor league right-hander... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks sent infielder Brandon Drury to the New York Yankees and received outfielder Steven Souza Jr. from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade Tuesday that included five players.The deal was announced one day after former Diamondbacks outfielder J.D. Martinez agreed to a $110 million, five-year contract with Boston, pending a physical.Drury gives the Yankees a new option at third base and second base, where New York was projected to start a pair of rookies.Arizona pitching prospect Anthony Banda goes to the Rays, who also get minor league second baseman Nick Solak from the Yankees and two players to be named from the Diamondbacks. Minor league right-hander Taylor Widener goes from New York to Arizona.Drury played mostly second base for Arizona but came through the minors as a third baseman and could fill that spot for the Yankees, who have top prospect Gleyber Torres penciled in at second. Another prospect, Miguel Andujar, was a leading candidate... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have sent infielder Brandon Drury to the New York Yankees and received outfielder Steven Souza Jr. from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade that includes five players.The deal was announced Tuesday, one day after former Diamondbacks outfielder J.D. Martinez agreed to a $110 million, five-year contract with Boston, pending a physical.Drury gives the Yankees a new option at third base or second, where New York was projected to start a pair of rookies.Arizona pitching prospect Anthony Banda goes to the Rays, who also get minor league second baseman Nick Solak from the Yankees. Minor league right-hander Taylor Widener goes from New York to the Diamondbacks.Drury played mostly second base for Arizona but came through the minors as a third baseman and could fill that spot for the Yankees, who have top prospect Gleyber Torres penciled in at second. Another prospect, Miguel Andujar, was a leading candidate at third.Souza helps fill the outfield power void left in the Diamondbacks' lineup by Martinez's departure.Drury hit .267 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs in 135 games with Arizona last season. Souza batted .239 with a career-high 30 home runs and 78 RBIs last year.__More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

PHOENIX (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio says his team has the roster to end the franchise's seven-year postseason drought without having to make another move.The Brewers exceeded expectations last year after finishing a game short of the playoffs — significantly accelerating the rebuilding plan put in place by general manager David Stearns and approved by Attanasio.With outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich joining the team for their first full-squad workouts with Milwaukee, hopes are high in camp that meaningful games will be played again in October."There's a lot of talent in that clubhouse," Attanasio said on Tuesday at the Brewers' spring training complex. "That's the most talent we've had since 2011.""We think this group right here, right now, can make the playoffs," he added.Known earlier during an ownership tenure that started in 2005 for being too aggressive at times on deals that turned sour, Attanasio has trusted in Stearns.The additions of Cain and Yelich... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy isn't sure his surgically repaired right knee will be ready in time for opening day.Murphy underwent an operation to repair cartilage shortly after last season, a procedure than included micro-fracture surgery."I'm excited about the progress," he said. "The work has been good."When the knee began bothering him in August, Murphy attributed the issues to normal late-season aches and pains.That changed during the NL Division Series against the Chicago Cubs when his knee buckled once while he was swinging and another time when he fielded a practice grounder between innings."I was like, this may be a little bit more significant than I thought," said Murphy, who can become a free agent after this season.Doctors told him recovery time would be four to six months, and the 32-year-old Murphy already has full range of motion in his knee. Now he's working on strengthening the knee.Murphy ran on the treadmill Tuesday at... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Managers or coaches must make a pitching change if they head to the mound for the seventh time in a game under baseball's new pace of play rules.Commissioner Rob Manfred and executive Joe Torre explained some of the parameters Tuesday, one day after MLB imposed stricter limits on mound visits in an effort to speed up games."I don't see pace of games issues as harsh or not harsh," Manfred said during his annual visit to the Cactus League. "I see them as a fan friendly issue."Torre noted that umpires will keep players from proceeding to see the pitcher if six mound visits have already occurred."From our perspective it's important to go back to, first, principles. On pace of game, I think the first and most important principle is that pace of game is a fan issue," Manfred said. "Our research tells us that it's a fan issue, our broadcast partners tell us that it's a fan issue, and the independent research that our broadcast partners do confirm with that, that it's a fan... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have finalized their low-risk contract with right-hander Anibal Sanchez, securing another experienced candidate for their rotation.For the Twins, he's another option in a situation with few of them proven. For Sanchez, it's a late-career chance to potentially get back on track as a reliable starting pitcher and rediscover that winning feeling after some recent rough seasons with the Detroit Tigers."I can see the opportunity here, too. They are a really good group of players," said Sanchez, who signed the one-year, non-guaranteed deal on Tuesday before throwing his first bullpen session with the team.He agreed to terms last week for $2.5 million this season, according to multiple reports, if he makes the major league roster out of spring training. Additional money is available through incentives.After leading the American League with a 2.57 ERA in 2013, Sanchez struggled through the next three seasons for the Tigers while dealing with injuries... [More]

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Texas Rangers are famished for success after a down 2017.After winning back-to-back AL West championships, the Rangers went from winning 97 games in 2016 to a 78-84 record last season and finishing 23 games behind the Houston Astros."Hungry dogs run faster," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said Tuesday, the first day of the club's full-squad workout. "That may be a T-shirt."Pitchers, by design, did not throw batting practice for the initial day with position players on the field.Shortstop Elvis Andrus was unable to make it through the first day, leaving early with back spasms. Left-hander Matt Moore, who had been slowed by a tender right knee, was cleared to participate in pitcher's fielding practice. Left-hander Martin Perez, who suffered a broken right arm in a December incident with a bull on his Venezuelan ranch, is improving."He's throwing only," assistant general manager Jayce Tingler said. "He's progressing, just more precautionary. He's right on pace."The... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — When last seen, Lance McCullers plunked four Los Angeles Dodgers during the first three innings of Game 7 of the World Series.On Tuesday, a few hours before his first live bullpen session of the spring with the Houston Astros, the game within a game between pitcher and hitter was still much on his mind.With baseball imposing new pace of play rules — one of which limits mound visits to six per game — McCullers took a moment during his workout to tweet:"You think I want to break rhythm and tempo during a game to talk about signs behind my glove? No, It's a necessary reaction to an issue we, as pitchers and catcher, are facing. I guess enforcing the integrity by hitting batters is better than an extra 4 minutes to discuss signs."Brush-back pitches have long been a pitcher's remedy against sign stealing, as have mound visits by the catcher to change sign sequences."Do you think that I call (catcher Brian) McCann out to the mound to ask how his day's going? I know... [More]

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels are trying to fill a hole at second base that's dragged down their offense the past couple of years.Enter Ian Kinsler.Kinsler is part of a revamped Angels' infield that will include Zack Cozart, an All-Star last year in Cincinnati, at third base while usual designated hitter Albert Pujols is expected to get more time in the field at first base.The Angels' second base position has been one of the least productive in baseball the past two years.In 2016, the Angels went with Johnny Giavotella and Cliff Pennington; the pair combined for a minus-1.6 WAR, among the worst in baseball.In 2017, the Angels went with slick-fielding Danny Espinosa at second. But he hit just .162 in 77 games and had 91 strikeouts in 228 at-bats. They also tried Pennington and Kaleb Cowart.The position produced such miniscule combined numbers as a .206 average, 14 homers and a .274 OBP. They acquired veteran Brandon Phillips late to try to push them to a wild-card spot but fell... [More]

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Nicholas Castellanos went into his fifth major league season as an established third baseman. He came out of it as the Detroit Tigers' right fielder."Because of all the trades and the way the team was going, and building for the future and acquiring other infielders, it's kind of the way it worked," he said Tuesday. "I'll do whatever they need me to do. Right now they've asked me to go out there and catch flyballs so that's what I'm doing."Castellanos was most of the way through his fourth season as Detroit's third baseman when the Tigers made a series of moves that prompted his shift."People came up to me and talked about it, but I also brought it up myself just because I saw how everything was happening," he said. "If you work, what happens if your boss was like: 'Hey, we need you to go over here; that's going to benefit the company.' Same thing."Some players might be hesitant to make such a drastic change in the middle of their careers."He's not in the middle of... [More]

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — For a few years now, the lowly San Diego Padres have preached about "the process" of their deep rebuild via the draft and signing international players after their win-now attempt with pricey veterans failed so spectacularly in 2015.That process now includes 28-year-old first baseman Eric Hosmer and his potential $144 million contract, a testament to the strength of the Padres' farm system and the willingness of ownership to spend money.Owners Peter Seidler and Ron Fowler consider the signing a "significant moment" in Padres history."Speaking for Ron and myself, when you have to sign a check like that you better have a smile on your face, and we do," Seidler said Tuesday after Hosmer was introduced at a news conference.The draft and player development will remain core principles, "but to get a player and person like Eric Hosmer is a big piece of where we are and what we want to do," Seidler said.Hosmer has been asked to play a leadership role with the Padres after his... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — The Boston Red Sox didn't commit $110 million for J.D. Martinez to be a part-timer.When he lands in the middle of the order, some of the everyday hitters will have to get used to fewer at-bats each week. New manager Alex Cora must navigate the complexities of lineup construction and defensive arrangements while watching for streaks and slumps and maintaining a harmonious and engaged clubhouse.Ah, what good problems to have. The Red Sox were more than ready for the arrival of Martinez and his 45 home runs in 119 games last season, no matter the minor complications of making room for him."He's definitely a force," first baseman Mitch Moreland said, "and it's good to have him on our side."After reaching a long-awaited five-year agreement with Martinez on Monday afternoon, the Red Sox took the field on Tuesday morning under picturesque blue skies with the temperature surging into the high 80s. The atmosphere at the beginning of spring training is always sunny, of course,... [More]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — While the rebuilding Miami Marlins must rely heavily on unproven youngsters this season, they'll count on their oldest player to get the final out.Sidewinding 38-year-old Brad Ziegler is part of a patchwork cast for Miami under new CEO Derek Jeter. Ziegler doesn't really fit the closer's role, because he lacks an in-your-face fastball — or personality."I don't feed off adrenalin, even on the mound," Ziegler said. "I'm not looking for the fist pump. I've built my game around being calm on the mound, and when there's chaos around me, still being able to make that pitch and get a double play to get out of the inning. I love that they have the confidence in me to do that."Ziegler has 95 career saves, including 10 last year, but he also had a 4.73 ERA in 2017, allowing 57 hits in 47 innings. Those aren't the stats of a successful closer, but Ziegler will begin this season at the back end of the bullpen partly because of his age.He no longer possesses the durability to warm... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Throughout 2017, Ben Zobrist felt the strain of the previous two years.The lengthened seasons after two World Series runs, the much-discussed carry-over for a franchise that waited 108 years for a championship and a balky wrist took their toll.The result was a career-low .232 batting average and only 12 home runs and 50 RBIs, quite a dip from the previous season when he wound up as World Series MVP for the Chicago Cubs. The year before that, helped the Kansas City Royals win the crown."I can tell you this, the hunger is back for this team and we're excited to get back at it and prove to the league that we're the best team again," he said.Zobrist knows his role is changing a bit as he enters the season as manager Joe Maddon's plug-and-play piece as a super utility player.He will be 37 in May and is surrounded in the clubhouse by young talent heading toward its prime. Zobrist will still get plenty of playing time, even at first base, but knows his days of 150-plus games... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have traded outfielder Bryce Brentz to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash.The teams made the deal Tuesday.Brentz played a total of 34 games for Boston in 2014 and 2016, hitting .287 with one home run and nine RBIs. He spent all of last season at Triple-A Pawtucket, hitting 31 homers with 85 RBIs.The 29-year-old Brentz won the Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby last July, and has 127 career homers in the minors.Pittsburgh put right-handed pitcher Nick Burdi on the 60-day disabled list to make roster room for Brentz.

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Eric Hosmer has joined the San Diego Padres, and will wear a jersey number to honor late Kansas City teammate Yordano Ventura.Hosmer and the Padres completed their $144 million, eight-year contract Monday night. The first baseman joined the team hours after it held its first full-squad workout of spring training.Hosmer will wear No. 30 in honor of Ventura, a pitcher who died in an auto accident in the Dominican Republic last year. Hosmer asked Padres third base coach Glenn Hoffman for the number."It really meant a lot to me, and 'Hoff' was more than open to letting me carry on the number," Hosmer said Tuesday. "And like I told him, I'll wear it with pride each and every day."Hosmer has been asked to play a leadership role with the Padres after his experience in Kansas City, where he won a World Series with the Royals in 2015. He said he looks forward to that role having seen the many young players the organization is developing in the major and minor leagues."It was... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Francisco Lindor changed his hair color. He can't shake the sting from October.Even months after Cleveland's unexpected loss to the New York Yankees in the AL playoffs, the Indians All-Star shortstop is anguished by a season that seemed headed toward a World Series title."I still can't get it out of my head," Lindor said Monday following the club's first full-squad workout. "It's like the girlfriend you break up with. You never get over it. You turn the page but you remember she was there."Now, the Indians begin anew, intent on accomplishing more than they did in 2017, when they won the AL Central, reeled off a league-record 22 straight wins and led 2-0 in the division series before crumbling."When you don't win, that's what you remember the most," Lindor said. "To me, last year was fun. We had a great year, but to me it wasn't a successful season."The 24-year-old Lindor arrived at camp with his hair dyed platinum grey, a look that prompted heads to turn and triggered... [More]