SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Johnny Cueto's offseason included time tending to cows, chickens and goats on his 500-acre ranch back home in the Dominican Republic. And it included a decision to stay with the San Francisco Giants rather than opt out of his contract and give up $89 million in guaranteed money to become a free agent again.The 31-year-old right-hander missed 1½ months last season with blister-like tenderness in his fingers and a forearm strain, and finished 8-8 with a 4.52 ERA in 25 starts. That was a huge drop from 2016, when he went 18-5 with a 2.79 ERA in his first season after signing a $130 million, six-year deal with San Francisco."I never told them anything. They were just thinking that I was going to stay," Cueto said, "and I stayed because I like the team."San Francisco is coming off a 98-loss season in which both Cueto and ace Madison Bumgarner were hurt, the latter missing three months following a dirt-bike accident. Bumgarner is known to do hard labor on his horse ranch... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Madison Bumgarner has been back on a bike, though it's hardly his first choice for fun. He rode a horse a handful of times this offseason.More than anything, Bumgarner is looking for a bounce-back season after the most forgettable one yet for the ace of the San Francisco Giants."I always worked hard but I spent a little bit more time getting myself in shape and getting stronger," he said in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of spring training. "I'm trying to be on the safer side, I guess. I definitely toned it down a little bit on my extracurricular activities."The 2014 World Series MVP missed nearly three months after a dirt bike accident April 20 during an off day in Colorado. It was an embarrassment, yet the left-hander took ownership of his mistake from Day 1.Bumgarner is focused on baseball, with Giants pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training Tuesday and set for their first workout Wednesday at Scottsdale Stadium. Riding doesn't interest... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Veteran left-hander Derek Holland has signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants.Holland could compete for a job out of spring training with a rotation that has three set starters in Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. There are two spots up for grabs, and manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that Ty Blach and Chris Stratton are the leading candidates to fill out those positions.Blach went 8-12 in his first full major league season and emerged as a strong fill-in for Bumgarner when the 2014 World Series MVP missed nearly three months after an April 20 dirt bike accident in Colorado.The 31-year-old Holland pitched his first eight seasons for Texas, then went 7-14 with a 6.20 ERA in 29 outings and 26 starts last year for the White Sox.San Francisco's pitchers and catchers report to Scottsdale, Arizona, on Tuesday, with their first workout Wednesday.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

A team-by-team look at the National League West 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:___Los Angeles DodgersManager: Dave Roberts (third season).2017: 104-58, first place, lost to Houston in World Series.Training Town: Glendale, Arizona.Park: Camelback Ranch.First Workout: Feb. 14/19.He's Here: OF Matt Kemp, RHP Tom Koehler.He's Outta Here: 1B Adrian Gonzalez, RHP Yu Darvish, LHP Scott Kazmir, RHP Brandon McCarthy, INF Charlie Culberson, OF Curtis Granderson, 2B Chase Utley, OF Andre Ethier.Going campin': The Dodgers returned to the World Series for the first time since winning it in 1988, only to lose to Houston in seven games. They topped 100 wins while earning a fifth straight NL West title. Clayton Kershaw is one of the elite pitchers in the game, a seven-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner. He begins the season with 144 career victories, 21 shy of Sandy... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bruce Bochy's first glimpse at his overhauled roster gives him hope the Giants will feature a lineup much like the ones of several seasons ago — back when his club was capturing World Series championships every other year.He will be managing a new outfield. Well, with Hunter Pence moving from left to right to make room for Andrew McCutchen. And a new third baseman in Evan Longoria. And that's not to mention all the reliable returners such as Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford, aces Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto, and closer Mark Melancon eager to have a bounce-back year.Bochy is confident he has the roster, depth and talent to rebound right away."We feel like we can play with anybody," he said.Longoria isn't sugar-coating anything as the Giants try to rebound from a 64-98 season and overtake the World Series runner-up Los Angeles Dodgers, who have won the past five NL West crowns."It's tough to win only 64 games, it really is. That's a tough year," Longoria said.... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Andrew McCutchen figures San Francisco's AT&T Park outfield is so big, playing right field will make him feel like a center fielder all over again.Running catches, ricochets off the wall, tricky bounces and all.And if he can save his legs a little bit from the action in center, he might just steal a few more bases.The Giants acquired the popular McCutchen from Pittsburgh on Monday, and he will be their new starting right fielder. Manager Bruce Bochy quickly spoke to incumbent Hunter Pence about making the move from right to left."I'm looking forward to right field, that's one place people can't pick on me saying my defensive metrics are so bad," McCutchen said during a conference call Tuesday. "I'm looking forward to being able to play right field. I know there's a lot of room out there to run. It's definitely going to be a reminder almost like playing center. I've gotten to see Hunter Pence patrol out there quite a bit so I'll be able to pick his brain quite a... [More]

LHP Madison Bumgarner will not pitch again this season, manager Bruce Bochy said. "With all that has happened this year, the rehab, I said that's enough," Bochy said. "This makes a lot of sense to me." Bumgarner is 4-9 with a 3.32 ERA in 17 starts, a season that was disrupted when he missed eight weeks with a shoulder injury suffered in a dirt bike accident in late April. Bumgarner will finish on a high note. He gave up one run in 7 1/3 innings of a 2-1 victory at the Dodgers last Saturday. Bumgarner had another quality start the outing before that, giving up two runs in seven innings in a 2-0 loss to Arizona.

LHP Madison Bumgarner allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings of a 2-1 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, ending a personal four-game losing streak. Bumgarner continues to deal with a lack of run support, however, entering the game supported by an average of 2.8 runs per game, the second fewest of any major league pitcher with at least 100 innings pitched.

LHP Madison Bumgarner allowed the seventh home run in his last four games, a two-run shot to Arizona Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt, in Saturday's 2-0 loss. The first-inning runs were the only two Bumgarner allowed in seven innings. He also gave up two doubles to Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke. Bumgarner had allowed only six previous doubles to pitchers in his career.

LHP Madison Bumgarner will seek to snap a mini-slump when he starts Saturday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has been uncharacteristically bombed for 11 runs and 15 hits, including four home runs, in 11 innings in his last two starts. Bumgarner is 9-9 with a 2.58 ERA in 29 games, including 28 starts, against the Diamondbacks in his career. He has never beaten RHP Zack Greinke in four head-to-heads, going 0-3, but he does have two home runs in nine career plate appearances against his rival.

LHP Madison Bumgarner (3-8, 3.55 ERA) gave up a season-high six runs and 10 hits, struck out four and walked one in five innings Sunday in his first career matchup with the White Sox. He has allowed 11 runs in his last 11 innings. He also is 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA in two interleague starts this season. Manager Bruce Bochy said he considered having Bumgarner be the designated hitter. He has hit .187 with 17 home runs in his career.

LHP Madison Bumgarner allowed a career-worst-tying three home runs in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals. The three-homer game was the sixth of his career. Bumgarner got a small measure of revenge at the plate, belting his third homer of the season. He now has three or more homers in four straight seasons, a major league first since Red Sox and Tigers RHP Earl Wilson accomplished the feat in five straight seasons from 1964-68.

LHP Madison Bumgarner is expected to return from an illness and start Sunday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. Bumgarner had to be scratched from his last scheduled start Thursday after developing flu-like symptoms. He is 3-4 with a 3.97 ERA in seven career starts against the Cardinals.

LHP Madison Bumgarner (illness) likely will start Sunday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals, Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced Friday night. Bumgarner was scratched from a scheduled start Thursday because of flu-like symptoms. He was healthy enough to take batting practice before Friday's game and, barring a setback Saturday, is expected to be ready to pitch Sunday.

LHP Madison Bumgarner (illness) was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday night against the St. Louis Cardinals. Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced before the game that the earliest Bumgarner might start again is in the series finale Sunday. The staff ace missed three months earlier this season following a dirt-bike accident in Colorado.

LHP Madison Bumgarner gave up two solo homers in seven innings of his first start at Chase Field since opening day, when he hit two homers and struck out a season-high 11 while getting a no-decision. He has given up homers to Pollock in both games at Chase this season, both on fastballs up. "The pitch to Pollock, I guess he has gotten real good at hitting high fastballs over the last year or two, because that's two of them that he's hit off me in basically the same spot," Bumgarner said. "There are not too many guys who hit those pitches."

LHP Madison Bumgarner was denied a third consecutive win Sunday when the Giants' bullpen couldn't hold a 2-1 lead in a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Bumgarner had given the Giants the lead with a fifth-inning single. He was pulled after throwing 111 pitches in six innings, during which he limited the Phillies to one run on four hits.

LHP Madison Bumgarner will be in search of a third consecutive win when he closes a four-game series Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies. The former World Series Most Valuable Player has gone 3-2 with a 2.98 ERA in seven starts since returning from the separated shoulder that resulted from a dirt-bike accident in April. Bumgarner has gone 4-3 with a 3.60 ERA in nine career starts against the Phillies.

LHP Madison Bumgarner (3-5), a four-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion who is having an uncharacteristically disappointing season, beat the Marlins on Tuesday, allowing four runs in six innings. He also had an RBI single. The Giants are now 3-8 in Bumgarner's starts this season, including 1-5 on the road.

LHP Madison Bumgarner has allowed just four runs in his last four starts after missing most of the previous three months with a shoulder injury. He was lifted after seven innings and 92 pitches on Wednesday, but he said he had more pitches in reserve, if necessary. "I feel normal," Bumgarner said. "I'm throwing the ball really well. I'll throw as many pitches as they'll let me. They've got to be smart about it, but I'm feeling good. It's the mindset of being healthy in arm strength and the mindset of making pitches again."