NEW YORK (AP) — Former Tampa Bay pitcher Steve Geltz and three other minor leaguers have been suspended for drug violations.The penalties were announced Saturday by the commissioner's office.Geltz was banned 100 games after a third positive test for a drug of abuse. The 30-year-old righty was on Philadelphia's Triple-A roster.In 2015, Geltz set a Rays record by retiring 32 straight batters. He last played in the majors in 2016. In four seasons with the Angels and Tampa Bay, he was a combined 2-9 with two saves and a 4.23 ERA in 110 games, all but two in relief.Tampa Bay catcher Nick Ciuffo, on the Triple-A roster, drew a 50-game penalty for a second positive test for a drug of abuse.San Diego Padres pitcher Alex Cunningham was suspended 50 games after testing positive for Amphetamine, a stimulant. He was at Single-A.Pittsburgh second baseman Mitchell Tolman, on the Double-A roster, drew a 50-game suspension after a second positive test for a drug of abuse.There have been 16 players suspended this year under the minor league program and three under the major league program: Houston pitcher Dean Deetz, Washington catcher Raudy Read and Pittsburgh pitcher Nik Turley.

MIAMI (AP) — After all the deals and departures, Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly says he's enthused about the upcoming season.Really, he is."You probably think I'm crazy but I'm really excited about what's going on," Mattingly said Saturday during the team's Fan Fest event at Marlins Park. "I can say it — look you right in the camera, look you right in the eye — I can tell you how excited I am to be here, and what we're doing."This will be his third season guiding the club, and he'll see a radically revamped roster without many stars when spring training begins within a week. Soon after taking over last fall, the new Marlins' ownership, overseen by majority partner Bruce Sherman and CEO Derek Jeter, traded half the club's starting lineup in an attempt to dramatically cut payroll and build an organizational foundation.Gone in exchange for prospects were reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton, who hit 59 home runs, and fellow outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich. They combined for... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Ace Yu Darvish and the Chicago Cubs have reached agreement on a $126 million, six-year contract, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday, bolstering their bid for a second World Series crown in three seasons.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement. The deal was first reported by The Athletic.Darvish's deal came less than a week before the Cubs were set to begin spring training. The 31-year-old right-hander was among the top players available in a slow-moving free agent market this winter.Darvish finished last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, helping them knock out the defending champion Cubs in the playoffs to reach the World Series. The Japanese star is expected to take the rotation spot of Jake Arrieta, who became a free agent after finishing the year in Chicago.The Cubs have reached the NL Championship Series in each of the last three years. In 2016, they won their first World Series... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — There isn't a lot new to the Arizona Diamondbacks this spring, with a couple of notable exceptions.J.D. Martinez won't be in the outfield and the Diamondbacks need a closer.Still, there should be plenty of optimism when the team reports to the Scottsdale, Arizona, training facility, with the entire rotation and pretty much every position player returning from the team that won 93 games, earned the top NL Wild Card spot and beat Colorado in the Wild Card game before being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.The glaring omission from last year's team is Martinez, who probably slugged his way well out of the Diamondbacks' price range with his half-season in Arizona following a trade with Detroit. Martinez is among the many free agents yet to sign a deal.Torey Lovullo, named National League manager of the year for his work in his first season in Arizona, has to determine who his team's closer will be. Fernando Rodney is gone, and an intriguing possibility is for the... [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

PHOENIX (AP) — Pitcher Mike Foltynewicz went to salary arbitration with the Atlanta Braves over a difference of $100,000, the smallest gap in a hearing since 1994.The 26-year-old right-hander asked Gary Kendellen, Mark Burstein and Walt De Treux for a raise from $544,000 to $2.3 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility. The Braves argued for $2.2 million during Friday's hearing.Oakland pitcher Kendall Graveman also went to a hearing, asking James Oldham, Margaret Brogan and Jeanne Wood to lift his salary from $545,000 to $2.6 million instead of the Athletics' $2.36 million offer.Players have a 7-4 record with three decisions pending and nine hearings scheduled for next week. The case involving Cleveland pitcher Trevor Bauer, which was heard Thursday, will not be decided until late next week. That will be after hearings for Baltimore's Kevin Gausman and Toronto's Marcus Stroman, pitchers who also have at least three years of major league service but less than four.Foltynewicz... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The turnaround for Minnesota last year was sharp, with 26 more wins than the miserable 2016 season on a march to the AL wild card game.This year, the Twins are in position to actually measure progress by postseason advancement. The entire starting lineup stayed intact, with five core players age 25 and under, and the bullpen was given a big boost with three free agent additions .For the first time in seven years, the previous appearance in the playoffs, Minnesota is a desired destination."I feel like this team is on the edge of being really good for a while," said left-hander Zach Duke, who joined right-handers Fernando Rodney and Addison Reed as veteran relievers who signed this winter. "Maybe a pitcher or two away, and it's there. It's a very exciting thing."The pitcher or two could still materialize, with Yu Darvish at the top of the list of unsigned logjam of free agents around the game. The Twins, who hold their first official workout for pitchers and catchers on... [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]

HOUSTON (AP) — The celebration is over for the Houston Astros after winning their first World Series last season.They don't want to think or talk about 2017. And they certainly aren't dwelling on their big win.The Astros believe the only way to build on their success is by winning again in 2018."These guys are not satisfied with what happened and they want to ... take a great team and make it legendary," general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "We're a great team, with great accomplishments. We're not legendary yet. And I think they all desire to be legendary."That sentiment was on display on Wednesday when the team's marketing department unveiled the theme for the season of: "Never Settle," words that will adorn their website, Twitter account and ballpark."The plan that Jim Crane had in 2011 when he hired me and bought this team was to get the Astros relevant as soon as possible and then win multiple championships," Luhnow said of the Astros' owner. "So we're on our way to our goal. We certainly... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Outfielder Daniel Nava has finalized a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates and will report to major league spring training.Now 34, Nava batted .301 with eight doubles, four homers and 21 RBIs in 80 games for Philadelphia last year. He has a .266 average with 29 homers and 206 RBIs for Boston (2010-15), Tampa Bay (2015), the Los Angeles Angels (2016), Kansas City (2016) and the Phillies.Nava's deal was announced Friday.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The offseason Royals fans have been dreading for years has come and gone, and now a team that could bear little resemblance to its championship past is ready to report to spring training in Arizona.Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas could be playing elsewhere. Lorenzo Cain is already headed to camp with Milwaukee. The only core member that reached free agency who will be back is shortstop Alcides Escobar, who agreed to one-year contract with Kansas City with nothing else materialized.One thing the Royals aren't going to do: tank.General manager Dayton Moore insisted they will not regress to their 100-loss past, even if Hosmer and Moustakas also sign with other teams. He's confident that a relatively weak farm system can replace those big names, and that the Royals will at least be competitive by opening day."If anybody thinks we're going to settle for mediocrity," Moore said, "or allow our players to be overmatched on a consistent basis, not put a competitive team on... [More]

The Boston Red Sox plan to print 5,000 copies of their media guide during the last week of February. Their opening-day roster could include several players who won't make the deadline.Perhaps 100 free agents still seek contracts as the start of spring training workouts on Feb. 14 draws near, a group that includes J.D. Martinez, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Jake Arrieta and Yu Darvish.In a historically slow market, players and management are feuding publicly about riches and rules, and teams seemingly are seeking bargains like shoppers awaiting a closeout."Some guys feel like they're worth a little more than maybe what they're being offered," All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen said ahead of his first spring training since Pittsburgh traded him to San Francisco. "It's just all about being fair."As soon as the Houston Astros won their first World Series title last November , attention turned toward 2018 and the start of stretching in Scottsdale, catching in Clearwater and bunting in Bradenton.... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Pitcher Mike Foltynewicz went to salary arbitration with the Atlanta Braves over a difference of $100,000, the smallest gap in a hearing since 1994.The 26-year-old right-hander asked Gary Kendellen, Mark Burstein and Walt De Treux for a raise from $544,000 to $2.3 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility. The Braves argued for $2.2 million during Friday's hearing.Foltynewicz was selected by Houston with the 19th overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft and was dealt in January 2015 as part of the trade that sent Evan Gattis to the Astros. He was 10-13 with a 4.79 ERA last year in a career-high 28 starts and one relief appearance. He is 23-25 with a 4.87 ERA in parts of four major league seasons.The previous case involving a gap that small was when New York Yankees first baseman Kevin Maas was awarded a raise from $225,000 to $425,000 rather than his $490,000 request.Players have a 7-4 record with two awaiting decisions and 10 scheduled to be heard. The case involving Cleveland pitcher Trevor Bauer, which was heard Thursday, will not be decided until late next week.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — There's a new manager in the dugout and a new slugger in the lineup.After reaching Game 7 of the AL Championship Series, the Yankees are back in the familiar position of a favorite. Aaron Boone, a rookie manager who succeeded Joe Girardi, has no grace period heading into his first spring training."Hopefully, I think in short order I'll be able to earn that respect, that they'll be able to look at me, trust in me, know that I have their interest at heart, but know that hopefully I know what the heck I'm talking about," Boone said.In baseball's biggest offseason move, the Yankees acquired major league home run leader Giancarlo Stanton from the payroll-paring Miami Marlins for All-Star second baseman Starlin Castro and a pair of prospects. Stanton, who hit 59 home runs, joins Aaron Judge, voted AL Rookie of the Year after hitting 52."We're excited to get better together and use our talents together because we're very similar," Stanton said. "And we're going to learn from each... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — With Khris Davis slugging in the middle of a young lineup, the Oakland Athletics realize they still have much ground to overcome in a division featuring the World Series champion Houston Astros.And that's fine with this group, which is counting on using the momentum from a strong September finish going into spring and a new season.Last month, Davis received a $10.5 million, one-year contract, more than doubling his salary after he beat the team in arbitration last winter.He hit a career-best 43 home runs in 2017, connecting on the season's final day to surpass the season high he set the previous year for Oakland. The 30-year-old is the only A's player aside from Jimmie Foxx from 1932-34 with consecutive 40-homer seasons.The A's won 17 of their final 24 games after trading more stars in favor of the youth movement."I'm glad we had the success that we did at the end of the year because we talked about it the last day going into this next season, 'Remember what's happening... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — As general manager Jerry Dipoto accurately explained, the Seattle Mariners are a team stuck in the middle.They're not in the position of rebuilding. They have enough talent and enough veterans — with big contracts — to be competitive. But they're not among the elite of the American League, including the Houston Astros in their own division.So as the Mariners head to spring training next week, they'll do so in a very awkward position. Their everyday lineup is already established. Their pitching — led by lefty James Paxton — could be strong if key players perform up to expectations. Seattle very well could be in contention for a playoff spot in the American League and possibly end the longest playoff drought in baseball.But no one believes Seattle is in position to compete with the superpowers of the league."What gets me in an urgent position every day is understanding where our roster is, how to build this group into a playoff scenario, and let them do what they do," Dipoto... [More]

Adrian Beltre goes into his 21st major league season still seeking a World Series title. The offseason for the Texas Rangers likely would have gone much differently if the third baseman and 3,000-hit club member was their general manager."He probably would have made some different moves this winter. I think he would have addressed some different things," said Jon Daniels, the actual GM. "I respect that, but I don't feel any different from how I did at the end of (last season). We're going to go into spring training with a chance."Even in the AL West that is home to the World Series champion Houston Astros and now Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher-outfielder from Japan coveted by the Rangers before he signed instead with the Los Angeles Angels."I believe we're in a good place to allow guys, young guys, to continue to grow," fourth-year manager Jeff Banister said. "We brought in some players that we feel like really have an opportunity to help us."There will be no expensive reunion with Yu Darvish,... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Ron Gardenhire sized up his new team's future in a way Detroit fans can surely appreciate."Rebuild is normally saved for automobiles," the new Tigers manager said recently. "I understand it. We're trying to do some things here, from the minor league system, all the way through, the way we go about it."On the way to 98 losses last year, Detroit traded Justin Verlander, Justin Upton and J.D. Martinez, fully committing to a rebuilding process that could be painful, at least in the short term. The Tigers come into 2018 with low expectations — the bill has come due after years of win-now aggressiveness.Detroit's expensive roster was not performing and the farm system wasn't good enough. So the Tigers began the difficult task of sending some of their biggest names elsewhere. Miguel Cabrera is the lone star still around, and he's coming off the worst season of his career. His big contract may keep him in Detroit for a while.The Tigers still have Victor Martinez, as well, and right-hander... [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]

TORONTO (AP) — The Blue Jays figure a healthy Aaron Sanchez can lead them back into the playoffs.Sanchez was an All-Star in 2016, when the right-hander went 15-2 with an American League-leading 3.00 ERA. But blisters on the middle finger of his pitching hand caused four stints on the disabled list. He went 1-3 with a 4.25 ERA and didn't pitch after July 19.Sanchez resumed throwing in early December and is confident his finger has healed"I'll have to maintain it like I have in years past, but no more of the disaster that it had last year," he said.Toronto used a club-record 14 starters last season en route to a 76-86 record and fourth-place finish in the AL East. Only Marcus Stroman and Marco Estrada made 30 starts, and the fill-ins weren't enough to make a playoff run.Some things to watch ahead of Blue Jays spring training in Florida:NEW LOOK: Outfielders Randal Grichuk and Curtis Granderson and infielders Aledmys Diaz and Yangervis Solarte are Toronto's primary offseason additions. Grichuk... [More]