NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets has easily won the National League Cy Young Award, and Blake Snell of the Tampa Bay Rays has edged out two past winners for the American League prize.DeGrom won just 10 games, the fewest ever by a Cy Young-winning starter. He got 29 first-place votes and 207 points in voting announced Wednesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Washington's Max Scherzer got the other first-place vote and finished second while seeking a third straight Cy Young and fourth overall.Snell narrowly beat Justin Verlander and Corey Kluber for his first AL Cy Young after leading the majors with 21 victories.In his first season after chopping off his distinctive long hair, deGrom cut down hitters from start to finish despite little help from teammates. He had a 1.70 ERA, the lowest in the NL since Zack Greinke's 1.66 mark in 2015. Yet the 30-year-old right-hander went 10-9, eclipsing the low bar among starters set by Seattle's Felix Hernandez when he... [More]

Yes, the baseball draft can feel like a bit of a crapshoot, but it does help to be picking near the top.This year's draft took place Monday night, with the Detroit Tigers selecting Auburn right-hander Casey Mize with the top pick . San Francisco followed by picking Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart. It could be a while before either of those players makes an impact in the majors, but if the past two decades are any indication, the top two picks are as likely as anybody to provide major value.From 1998-2017, the 20 players picked No. 1 overall have been worth a total of 313.5 wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference.com. That's more value than any other slot in the first round. The 20 players drafted at No. 2 have been worth 261.3 WAR, which is the second-most value.After the top two picks, the draft has been more hit-or-miss. For example, the No. 7 pick (222.4 WAR) has yielded significantly more value than the No. 4 pick (82.1). That's not to say that a team should rather pick... [More]

Oakland A's pitcher Barry Zito announced his retirement from major league baseball on Monday.

Oakland A's pitcher Barry Zito announced his retirement from major league baseball on Monday. Zito returned this season to make three appearances with the team after taking 2014 off, allowing eight runs in seven innings pitched, and the American League Cy Young Award winner in 2002 will call it a career having logged a 4.04 earned-run average and 165 wins over 15 seasons. "I’m retiring today from baseball, but I’ll never be too far away from the game that made me who I am." Zito wrote in an article on the Player's Tribune website. "I am beyond thankful to be at peace with walking away, thanks in large part to my year of renewal in Nashville with the Sounds. My return to Oakland last month was a 'cherry on top' moment in my life that my family and I will never forget. I will no doubt be in the stands on both sides of the Bay in years to come."

Zito lasted four innings in Wednesday's start against the Angels, giving up two runs on four hits and four walks while striking out two.

Hey, it's an improvement over Saturday's start against the Giants -- he lasted two more innings and gave up two fewer runs while recording his first strikeouts of the year. This will likely wrap up the 37-year-old's 2015 campaign, a season in which he pitched exactly seven innings in the majors after 24 games (22 starts) of mediocre work in Triple-A.

Zito will start Wednesday's game in place of Sonny Gray (hip), the Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher reports.

Zito will reportedly be permitted to throw as many as 70 pitches, depending on how the game goes, after he made an abbreviated start Saturday. He represents a particularly low-upside fantasy option on the road against the Angels.

Oakland Athletics pitcher Barry Zito will start Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels in place of Sonny Gray, who will miss the start due to a hip injury, according to the Orange County Register.

Oakland Athletics pitcher Barry Zito will start Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels in place of Sonny Gray, who will miss the start due to a hip injury, according to the Orange County Register. Zito will reportedly be limited to 70 pitches after making an abbreviated start last Saturday.

Manager Bob Melvin said after Saturday's game that Zito could pitch again this season, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Oakland fans were treated to a Zito-Tim Hudson matchup Saturday, though neither pitcher fared well, with Zito giving up four runs on six hits and a walk in just two innings. It may very well have been Zito's final career start, but the A's aren't shutting the door on the 37-year-old making another appearance at some point during the final week. Zito gave up two runs in an inning out of the bullpen last Sunday in his first appearance with the big club this season.

Zito will start Saturday's game against the Giants, the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports.

It will be a throwback outing, with Zito facing off against former teammate Tim Hudson. Manager Bob Melvin said Zito could maybe get up to 50 pitches Saturday, so he won't be a great option for fantasy owners chasing strikeouts and/or wins.

Zito made his season debut on Sunday, allowing two earned runs in his one inning of work.

The A's have indicated that Zito will only pitch out of the bullpen and while the team says he was called up to help the bullpen, it is pretty clear that they are giving the fans and Zito one last hurrah. Zito does not figure to have any fantasy value over the final two weeks.

Zito will only pitch in relief for the A's, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Zito's contract was selected from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday, but the veteran hurler will only be used out of the bullpen as the season comes to a close. The 37-year-old, who is expected to retire at season's end, has not been stretched out as a starter, but he could be used in long relief.

Zito's contract was selected from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday.

Despite saying previously that they weren't going to call him up, Zito returns to Oakland. The 37-year-old is having a solid year in Triple-A, holding a 3.46 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 138.0 innings. He could make a start against his former teammate Tim Hudson in his final start. It is expected that Zito will retire after the season ends, though there has been no official announcement. He replaces Jesse Chavez on the active roster, who went on the 60-day DL to make room for Zito.

Zito was placed on the 7-day DL at Triple-A Nashville with a shoulder injury, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The injury is described as minor and Zito could return to start Saturday against El Paso.

Zito was assigned to Triple-A Sacramento.

Zito accepted his assignment to the minors and will likely join the Triple-A rotation. Zito had a 5.03 ERA with a 13:5 K:BB ratio in 19.2 innings this spring.

Zito was fantastic in relief in Friday's spring game, striking out five in three innings while allowing no walks or hits.

Zito still figures to be on the outside looking in regarding the A's rotation battle, but is certainly showing something to the A's and possibly to other teams that may need pitching help. He has now thrown seven scoreless innings in his last two outings and his spring ERA now sits at 3.09 over 11.2 innings.

Zito will start the A's Cactus League game on Thursday, reports Jane Lee of MLB.com.

Zito is attempting a comeback after taking 2014 off from baseball. The A's have a couple of rotation spots open and Zito has been mentioned as one of several candidates for one of them, but would likely have to show the team a lot in spring to win one of the spots. Zito pitched for the Giants in 2013, posting a 5.74 ERA over 133.1 innings.

Zito will sign a minor league deal with the A's and come to spring training, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Zito last pitched in 2013 with the Giants, posting an ugly 5.74 ERA over 133.1 innings. He took a year off of baseball and while he is likely a long shot to make the A's major league roster, A's fans will certainly enjoy getting to see him in Mesa this spring donning the green and gold again.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that Barry Zito plans to take some time off but is not retiring.

It appears that Zito, 35, doesn't plan to pitch this season, but he has no plans right now to hang up his cleats. Zito finished out his Giants' career with a whimper last season, posting a 5.74 ERA across 133 1/3 innings. That said, he'll still be young enough next winter that some team will give him a shot if he wants to continue his career.

Barry Zito's $18 million option was declined by the Giants.

It was a foregone conclusion, as Zito took out an ad in a San Francisco newspaper after the season thanking fans for his years with the team. The Giants will instead pay a $7 million buyout. Zito was 5-11 with a 5.74 ERA in 133 1/3 innings this season. The 35-year-old hasn't been an effective pitcher for a while, so it will be interesting to see what kind of interest he generates on the open market.

Barry Zito yielded two runs -- one earned -- on four hits over five innings in Wednesday's win against the Dodgers.

Zito struck out only one and didn't walk a batter. The southpaw was shuffled in and out of the rotation this season; he finished 5-11 with a 5.75 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. San Francisco is just days away from shedding Zito's much-maligned 7-year, $126 million contract. Zito will be pitching elsewhere next season. Giants fans won't lament his change of address.

Barry Zito will make another start this season.

It will likely come over the weekend against the Padres. Zito has been shuffled in and out of the rotation this season, posting a 5.91 ERA and 1.74 WHIP over 128 innings. He should be avoided for streaming purposes.