PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Just a few hours after Jacob deGrom threw his first practice pitch of spring training, the NL Cy Young Award winner let everyone know the score.He hasn't received a long-term contract offer from the New York Mets and isn't sure he will before opening day."I honestly have no clue. There hasn't really been many talks," deGrom said Thursday. "But that can change in one phone call. I just don't really know."The 30-year-old deGrom is set to make $17 million this season and is under club control through 2020. If he doesn't get a new deal this spring, however, he didn't rule out limiting his 2019 workload to protect his personal future.It's an idea that was floated by his agent, Jeff Berry of CAA, in a recent memo to major leaguers during a second consecutive slow free-agent market. If teams are so hesitant to sign accomplished veterans because they come with wear and tear, maybe players should take measures themselves to assure they stay fresh."I think that's going... [More]

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays offer a simple response to critics of the team's creative use of openers to fill out their pitching rotation.It works.And, they plan to do it again this season, when they expect to contend for a playoff berth after winning more games in 2018 than any major league club that didn't make the postseason."At the end of the day, our motives are to win games and put our players in the best position that we believe possible to help us accomplish that. ... That will continue to be our guide," senior vice president of baseball operations and general manager Erik Neander said."We're going to do what we feel is best for our organization and our players," Neander added. "If that leads to winning games, that makes everybody happy."The Rays are coming off a turnaround season in which they won 90 games, in part because of the successful use of relievers to open games on days manager Kevin Cash elected to not begin with a traditional starter.An opener generally... [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — For nearly three years, Johnny Cueto pitched with a stabbing pain in his right elbow. He won 18 games for San Francisco in 2016 and started the All-Star game that year dealing with the discomfort.How he did so, Cueto isn't sure. And the animated right-hander can now envision how great it will be once he's back on the mound and pain-free following Tommy John reconstructive surgery."It was a lot for me to deal with. It was almost three years with pain in the elbow, and strong pain," said Cueto, who turns 33 on Friday. "It's not easy. Last year I started well, but it's a mental pain, it's a pain that felt like someone stuck a knife in my elbow and stabbed it over and over again. It was unbearable and I don't know how I was able to pitch and block the pain."Cueto arrived in Arizona a couple of days behind the Giants pitchers and catchers because of personal reasons and had his physical Thursday. He is scheduled to throw next week for the first time since his August... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have locked up a pair of young position players for the long term by agreeing to five-year contracts with right fielder Max Kepler and shortstop Jorge Polanco, according to two people with direct knowledge of the deals.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had yet to announce the contracts, which were reached on Thursday as pitchers and catchers went through their first workout in Fort Myers, Florida. The Twins scheduled a news conference for Friday.Kepler's contract is worth $35 million and includes a $10 million club option for 2024 with a $1 million buyout. Polanco's deal, which is valued at $25.75 million, has a 2024 option that could become guaranteed as well as a 2025 club option.Kepler, who turned 26 on Sunday, had agreed last month to a $3,125,000 salary for 2019 in his first year of arbitration eligibility. Entering his fourth full season as a regular in the lineup, Kepler won the team's defensive... [More]

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. has one goal during his second spring training with the San Diego Padres — make the team.The Padres might not bring him up right away, but there's a good chance the son of former big leaguer Fernando Tatis will make his major league debut at some point this season for rebuilding San Diego.Fans certainly are eager to see the 20-year-old shortstop light up Petco Park with his flashy style of play.His approach?"Same thing as always, come play baseball and do what I know how to do and keep having fun as always," he said.But Tatis, the No. 2 prospect overall in all of baseball, knows it's a little different this year."There's a reality now. There's a chance it might happen. I'm just working hard for it," he said.While his goal is to make the team, Tatis knows that "always in this game you've got to get better, learn, keep learning from these guys, ask a lot of questions from the guys with experience, and bring the show."Tatis can certainly do that, even... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Injured shortstop Francisco Lindor arrived at the Cleveland Indians spring training complex Thursday, exactly six weeks before their season opener.The three-time All-Star strained his right calf while working out recently in Florida. The team said last week the injury would keep one of baseball's best all-around players out seven to nine weeks. He won't be on the field for the start of camp.Manager Terry Francona said that he's "betting on the under" of that timetable because the 25-year-old shortstop is in good shape and works hard.Francona said there are no plans to slide third baseman Carlos Santana to shortstop, even though he has played 109 games at that position. Among the options are Yu Chang, Mike Freeman and Max Moroff.Lindor avoided salary arbitration last month by agreeing to a $10.55 million contract for 2019.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. has one goal during his second spring training with the San Diego Padres — make the team.The Padres might not bring him up right away, but there's a good chance the son of former big leaguer Fernando Tatis will make his major league debut at some point this season for rebuilding San Diego.Fans certainly are eager to see the 20-year-old shortstop light up Petco Park with his flashy style of play.His approach?"Same thing as always, come play baseball and do what I know how to do and keep having fun as always," he said.But Tatis, the No. 2 prospect overall in all of baseball, knows it's a little different this year."There's a reality now. There's a chance it might happen. I'm just working hard for it," he said.While his goal is to make the team, Tatis knows that "always in this game you've got to get better, learn, keep learning from these guys, ask a lot of questions from the guys with experience, and bring the show."Tatis can certainly do that, even... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Two more aces are expressing concern about how major league teams are playing their cards.Washington right-hander Max Scherzer said Thursday there are too many teams trying not to win, and all the rebuilding "poisons the game." Houston star Justin Verlander, a former teammate of Scherzer with Detroit, thinks the current economic approach pursued by some teams will continue to drive away fans."If you're constantly just going into this win-loss cycle that MLB is pushing you create bandwagon fans and that's not the type of fans that you want to create," Scherzer said. "You want to create fans that are following teams year in and year out. It's up to the fans, honestly, to demand that from the league."More than 50 free agents are still looking for homes as spring training ramps up in Florida and Arizona. Sluggers Bryce Harper and Manny Machado top the list, but 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel, super utilityman Marwin Gonzalez and closer Craig Kimbrel... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Mookie Betts won a World Series in October, became a first-time dad nine days later, earned his first AL MVP award and was part of a team that won a professional bowling event.What can the 26-year-old do for an encore with the Boston Red Sox?"He can do whatever he wants in sports," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "He can golf. He can shoot the basketball and he won a tournament in bowling. He can do it all. He's just gifted.""Yeah, it's been fun. It's been a great year," Betts said Thursday. "It's a new year now, so you have to look at in hindsight and smile about, know what's going on now and take care of things and view things that way."He hit a major league-leading .346 with 32 homers and 80 RBIs last year. Betts likely will be dropped a slot to second in the batting order behind Andrew Benintendi.Betts was a part of a Red Sox team that won a club-record 108 games and Boston's fourth World Series title in 15 season. During the offseason, girlfriend Brianna Hammonds... [More]

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — All-Star pitcher Trevor Bauer thought the Cleveland Indians had presented a better overall case against him in their latest salary arbitration hearing, until the last 10 minutes in a rebuttal by Major League Baseball labor relations staff he viewed as "character assassination" against him."That kind of put a black mark on what I thought was a really well-argued case on both sides," Bauer said Thursday, a day after beating the Indians in arbitration for the second year in a row. "There's no room for that. ... Let's just stick to the numbers. Let the numbers decide."A day after Wednesday's hearing in Florida, Bauer was awarded $13 million by the three-person panel over the Indians' $11 million offer. Bauer who won't be eligible until free agency until after the 2020 season, said he never plans to sign more than a one-year contract. The pitcher said the process hasn't soured his feelings about the team."No, I understand it," Bauer said. "I look at it as a very intellectual... [More]

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels right-hander Matt Harvey will be sidelined for at least a week as a precaution because of a glute strain he felt during agility drills. He said he expects to be ready by opening day."It's nothing to be alarmed about," Harvey said Thursday. "It's unfortunate it's this early and with a new team and I have to miss a little time. I'll pick up right where I left off."Harvey signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Angels in December and is looking to bounce back after last season. He went 7-9 with a 4.94 ERA in 32 games (28 starts) with the Mets and Reds last year.Angels manager Brad Ausmus said he expected the 29-year-old Harvey to miss a minimum of a week and a half."You can recover from a week and a half," Ausmus said. "It depends on how he feels when we reevaluate him and how he feels and how quickly he can get back on the mound and what he's done in the interim. He can recover from that."Harvey said he felt some tightness in his left hip during... [More]

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Ivan Nova didn't expect to be traded last offseason. But now that he's with the Chicago White Sox, he knows where he fits into the team's plans — to make 30 starts and be a mentor, if needed."If I've got to approach somebody, I'll do it my way," Nova said Wednesday at White Sox camp."I'm not a type of guy that's going to step up in front of everybody and say something. I don't like to get involved in anyone's personal space. But if I've got to say something to someone, I'm going to grab them aside and do it that way," he said.Nova's way on the mound has been throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters. The 32-year-old right-hander was acquired from Pittsburgh after going 9-9 with a 4.19 ERA in 29 starts last season for the Pirates. The White Sox gave up a prospect and some international slot money to get a pitcher they hope can fill the veteran starter role that James Shields held the last few years."It's a good thing that teams out there still want you," Nova said.... [More]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Adam Ottavino has a bagel on his back, supplanting Derek Jeter in one small area of New York Yankees history.The newly signed relief pitcher was playing catch at Steinbrenner Field during Thursday's opening workout of spring training, a white No. 0 on his dark blue practice jersey with the interlocking "NY" on the front. When he gets into a game, he will become the first player in the team's history to wear the number.Jeter was thought to be the last player with a single-digit uniform on the Yankees, and his No. 2 was retired in 2017.A Brooklyn native, Ottavino is wearing the number he used at Berkeley Carroll High School and for the past six seasons with the Colorado Rockies."I don't want to do anything to upset people, but I had to be myself and didn't know what the organization would think," Ottavino said. "So I said the ball is in your court. For me it's just a number. Something I'm comfortable with."New York has retired Nos. 1 (Billy Martin), 3 (Babe Ruth), 4 (Lou... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — The first noticeable change for the Minnesota Twins under new manager Rocco Baldelli came on the first day of workouts for pitchers and catchers.There was simply less standing around between drills by the players on the field."The goal is to have it individualized for the guys so they can get done what they need to get done and just focus on getting that work done and do the best job that we can doing it," Baldelli said on Thursday. "It worked cleanly, and I think everyone's feeling pretty good right now."The Twins, who hold their first full-squad workout on Monday, began with a team meeting at 9:15 a.m. inside the clubhouse at Hammond Stadium and were finished less than three hours later.The time-saving reshuffle from past routines came from third-year bench coach Derek Shelton, who arranged the pitchers into three workout groups. Each of them was named after one of Minnesota's other pro sports teams, the NHL's Wild, the NFL's Vikings and the NBA's Wolves. Each... [More]

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Brad Ausmus will absolutely get in on the action during his first spring training as Angels manager. He has already caught a couple of bullpens and plans to jump right into more drills along the way to help his players prepare for a fresh season."I get involved pretty good," he said. "You might see me standing at a position with a glove on, covering a base or taking groundballs. That will happen."Ausmus got back behind the plate to catch throwing sessions by Trevor Cahill and Matt Harvey at the Tempe Diablo Stadium complex."It's something I like to do. I did it in Detroit," Ausmus said. "My frame of reference catching all those years was seeing a pitcher from that angle. It's easier for me to see something in the delivery or the movement of the pitch from that as opposed to from the side or behind."So, how'd they look?"Good. Think I'd tell you otherwise?" he said with a smile.Cahill figured Ausmus could still catch, then the right-hander let it rip to his manager with... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two people with direct knowledge of the deals tell The Associated Press that the Minnesota Twins have agreed to five-year contracts with right fielder Max Kepler and shortstop Jorge Polanco.The people spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the team had yet to announce the deals, which were reached on Thursday as pitchers and catchers went through their first workout in Fort Myers, Florida. The Twins scheduled a news conference for Friday.Kepler's contract is worth $35 million and includes a $10 million club option for 2024 with a $1 million buyout. Polanco's deal is valued at $25.75 million and has a 2024 option that could become guaranteed as well as a 2025 club option.___More AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — All-Star pitcher Trevor Bauer thought the Cleveland Indians had presented a better overall case against him in their latest salary arbitration hearing, until the last 10 minutes he viewed as "character assassination" against him."That kind of put a black mark on what I thought was a really well-argued case on both sides," Bauer said Thursday, a day after beating the Indians in arbitration for the second year in a row. "There's no room for that. ... Let's just stick to the numbers. Let he numbers decide."At the hearing Wednesday in Florida, Bauer was awarded $13 million by the three-person panel over the Indians' $11 million offer. Bauer who won't be eligible until free agency until after the 2020 season, said he never plans to sign more than a one-year contract. The pitcher said the process hasn't soured his feelings about the team."No, I understand it," Bauer said. "I look at it as a very intellectual pursuit. It's very intellectual and not very emotional. They actually... [More]

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels right-hander Matt Harvey will be sidelined about 10 days because of a glute strain he felt during agility drills.Harvey signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Angels in December, looking to bounce back after last season. He went 7-9 with a 4.94 ERA in 32 games (28 starts) with the Mets and Reds last year.Angels manager Brad Ausmus said Thursday that Harvey would miss a minimum of a week and a half."You can recover from a week and a half," Ausmus said. "It depends on how he feels when we reevaluate him and how he feels and how quickly he can get back on the mound and what he's done in the interim. He can recover from that."___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Nola hopes to win titles with the Philadelphia Phillies, and a $45 million, four-year contract will give him a chance."This is pretty surreal and special for me," the pitcher said Thursday, a day after agreeing to the deal. "I love it here. I love the city of Philadelphia. I want to be a part of this organization — a winning organization."His contract includes a 2023 club option that could make the deal worth $56.75 million over five years."I don't play specifically for the money," he said as parents and teammates watched at a news conference. "I play for the love of game and I play for my teammates. They know that. I'm here to win and maximize my potential as much as I can."The 25-year-old right hander is 41-28 in four seasons, including 17-6 last year with a 2.37 ERA and 0.975 WHIP. He finished third in the NL Cy Young Award voting behind Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer."There really is nobody that's more deserving of this than Aaron," general manager Matt... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Jerry Blevins didn't know many of his new Oakland Athletics teammates yet the left-handed reliever said he has felt right at home returning to the team with which he broke into the big leagues back in 2007.The 35-year-old Blevins rejoined Oakland when he signed a minor league contract earlier this month. The A's have a talented bullpen but right now Ryan Buchter is the only left-handed option currently on the 40-man roster."I've always had a soft spot for Blev," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "He was a guy I had to send up and down for a while, which is difficult to do, and he's made a nice career for himself. He has a really good understanding of what he needs to do and is impactful in the clubhouse, too. He's a smart guy and gets it. It's nice to have as many of those guys in your clubhouse as you can have."Blevins has pitched the last four seasons with the Mets but he's kept an eye on his former team."It's like your first love kind of thing," Blevins said. "You always... [More]