Pitcher Bartolo Colon cut by Rangers, could rejoin them soon
March 24, 2018
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) The Texas Rangers have cut pitcher Bartolo Colon, but the popular 44-year-old could rejoin them soon.
The Rangers released Colon from his minor league contract. The team faced a Saturday deadline to either add the right-hander to their 25-man roster, cut him or pay him $100,000 to stick around for now.
Colon made five starts in spring training and had a 3.00 ERA in 18 innings. He was a combined 7-14 with 6.48 ERA for Atlanta and Minnesota last year.
Colon's contract called for $1.75 million if he pitched for Texas. The Rangers still have the option of renegotiating a new deal with Colon, and have shown interest in keeping him.
******************
Brewers set rotation, Guerra to minors
March 24, 2018
PHOENIX (AP) The Milwaukee Brewers have optioned Junior Guerra, their opening day starter a year ago, to Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Guerra has made five spring starts and is scheduled to pitch Sunday's Cactus League finale against the Chicago White Sox. The 33-year-old right-hander, who had a groin injury in the opener at Cincinnati last year, was hampered all season and finished with a 5.12 ERA in 70 1-3 innings. He has a 3.15 ERA in 20 spring innings.
Manager Craig Counsell said that pitcher Yovani Gallardo also has been told he will not make the team. Gallardo, 32, came up with Milwaukee in 2007 and spent eight years with the Brewers, starting the 2014 opener. He was 5-10 with a 5.72 ERA for Seattle last year.
Chase Anderson goes on opening day on Thursday against the Padres, and Zach Davies was already scheduled to start the Brewers' home opener April 2 against St. Louis.
Counsell said that Jhoulys Chacin and lefty Brent Suter will start the final two games of the opening series in San Diego. The fifth starter will be Brandon Woodruff, but he will work out of the bullpen in San Diego, Counsell said.
Counsell said Woodruff will start in the home series against the Chicago Cubs, who follow the Cardinals to Miller Park.
Outfielders Keon Broxton and Brett Phillips also have been optioned to the minors.
**********************
Yankees' Ellsbury to start season on DL
March 24, 2018
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury will start the regular season on the disabled list because of an oblique injury that sidelined him three weeks.
Ellsbury, who resumed playing Thursday, will remain at the Yankees' spring training complex when the team leaves Florida on Sunday for its final spring training game Monday at Atlanta.
''Get him 40, 50 at-bats,'' Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Saturday.
The Yankees open the regular season Thursday at Toronto.
Ellsbury is projected as a backup outfielder after losing the starting center field job to Aaron Hicks last season.
Ellsbury, 34, is guaranteed $21,142,857 in each of the next three seasons as part of a $153 million, seven-year contract that includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout.
Brett Gardner is the starting left fielder, and Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge will rotate between right field and designated hitter. Stanton also could get time in left when Gardner is rested, especially against left-handed pitchers.
Ellsbury hit .264 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 112 games last season. He was sidelined from May 24 until June 26 after sustaining a concussion against the outfield wall while making a spectacular catch to rob Kansas City's Alcides Escobar.
Also, third baseman Brandon Drury, hit on the left elbow by a pitch Friday, will take batting practice Sunday and has no doubts about being ready for opening day. X-rays on the elbow were negative.
''I was excited to get that news,'' Drury said. ''I couldn't squeeze my hand at the time, it was just numb. I've been hit there before, so I've had that feeling before. So, I had that hope it was going to be good. Anytime you can't squeeze your hand or have that feeling, it's not good but it's better now.''
Drury plans to start wearing an elbow guard.
Notes: LHP Jordan Montgomery, who will start the home opener April 2 against Tampa Bay, will make his final spring training outing Tuesday in a minor league game. ... The Yankees optioned RHP Domingo German to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. German and RHP Luis Cessa will be starters in the minors. ... Cashman said RHP Jonathan Holder made the team as the 13th pitcher. ... OF Clint Frazier (concussion) is doing limited baseball drills.
***********************
Cards closer Gregerson on DL to open '18
March 24, 2018
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) St. Louis closer Luke Gregerson will begin the season on the disabled list with a hamstring strain, manager Mike Matheny said on Saturday.
Gregerson injured the hamstring during conditioning drills. He hasn't pitched in a Grapefruit League game since Tuesday, when he struck out two in an inning. There is no announced timetable for his return.
''Hamstrings are so difficult to predict,'' Matheny said.
The Cardinals signed Gregerson during the offseason to be their closer. He saved 31 games for Houston in 2015 and 15 more the following season.
Gregerson worked three perfect innings this spring for the Cardinals.
''He's frustrated, too,'' Matheny said. ''He's had a long career and been a guy that's been durable.''
Earlier this spring, Gregerson missed time because of oblique tightness. Matheny said he didn't believe the two issues were related.
''He bounced back pretty quick which is hopefully an indicator of how quickly he's able to bounce back from injury,'' Matheny said.
Without Gregerson, Matheny intends to select his closer on a game-by-game basis based on matchups. Righties Dominic Leone and Bud Norris, along with lefty Tyler Lyons, figure to be in the mix.
St. Louis acquired Leone in the offseason trade that sent Randal Grichuk to Toronto.
Entering Saturday's game against the New York Mets, Leone allowed only one run while striking out 11 in eight appearances this spring.
''He's got swing-and-miss stuff,'' Matheny said. ''The cutter in particular plays extremely well for me in the fact that it is a four-seam cutter. It's not something that you see or expect to move like it does. We're always looking for a guy with a pitch that may be different than what other people have.''
Lyons came through the St. Louis organization as a starter before moving to the bullpen. He appeared in 50 games for St. Louis last season. Entering Saturday, Lyons allowed three runs this spring.
The Cardinals signed Norris as a free agent after the start of camp. Primarily a starter throughout his career, Norris saved 19 games for the Angels last season.
St. Louis began the spring by stretching out Norris so he could potentially start or pitch in long relief, but moved him to the bullpen for the final two weeks.
''He's got good stuff,'' Matheny said.
*******************
Mets' Wright is baseball's lone captain
March 24, 2018
MESA, Ariz. (AP) Anthony Rizzo is a three-time All-Star and the 2017 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, baseball's biggest honor for sportsmanship and community involvement. Jon Lester is a three-time World Series champion, and Jason Heyward organized the most important meeting in franchise history.
Plenty of leaders with the Chicago Cubs. No captain.
One of the most revered titles in sports is hanging by a thread in baseball, which treats its history with hallowed tones in almost every case, but doesn't seem the slightest bit concerned about the absence of the iconic C on the front of its uniforms. New York Mets third baseman David Wright is the majors' only captain on the eve of the season, and it's unclear if he will ever play again.
''Leadership is a taken role and people want to follow you just based on how you are, how you treat them, how well you listen, how well you interact daily, how much you really are into them as opposed to yourself,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, ''and that becomes obvious. Leadership is taken, man. It's hard to just place that out there.''
The 35-year-old Wright was named the fourth captain in Mets history in 2013, joining Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and John Franco. He made the last of his seven NL All-Star teams that same year before he was hampered by a series of injuries. He hasn't appeared in a major league game since 2016.
Wright declared right away that he wouldn't wear the C on the front of his jersey, so that special touch has been missing from baseball for a couple years.
''I'm not sure if there's a benefit to having a title and I've never been one to like come in here and say you have to listen to me because I'm the captain,'' Wright said. ''I would hope that if I have something to say that somebody would listen to me because of, you know, because of what I've hopefully displayed in the clubhouse and be considered kind of a leader in here.''
But Wright made no attempt to hide the significance of the title to him.
''I'll say it again, that to this day it's probably the biggest honor away from the field of my career,'' he said.
A variety of factors have contributed to the decline of captains. Many of the captains across sports spend most of their careers with a single team, but that has become a rarity in baseball. There also are no real responsibilities for the title.
Hockey captains serve as the team's liaison to the officials. NFL captains participate in the pregame coin toss. NBA captains also have specific responsibilities, but baseball barely mentions the word in its rulebook.
''There's no, like, formal meeting,'' Washington ace Max Scherzer said. ''It's not like football where you go out there and shake the other team's hands and you need captains to go do that. Baseball doesn't have that. So maybe that's why you don't see it. There's no coin toss.''
But the list of baseball captains still includes some of the biggest names in the history of the sport. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson and Derek Jeter are on the list of 11 Yankees captains. Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider with the Dodgers. Jimmie Foxx and Carl Yastrzemski for the Boston Red Sox. Willie Stargell, Barry Larkin and other Hall of Famers.
Jeter thought he did something wrong when then-Yankees owner George Steinbrenner called to make him captain in 2003.
''The boss, Mr. Steinbrenner usually only called if you were in trouble during the season,'' Jeter said. ''He called me, we were in Cincinnati, and said he wanted to name me the captain. It was a welcome phone call.''
The list of baseball captains underscores not only the special players to hold the title, but also the unique situations that led to their leadership position.
Rizzo, Lester and Heyward, who got the Cubs together during a key moment in Game 7 of their World Series win in 2016, could each serve as captain. But identifying one leader in Chicago's clubhouse at the possible expense of its other respected veterans likely would hurt the team more than help it. There are similar situations in several other clubhouses across the sport.
''Having a team captain could conceivably in some ways change the relationship between the manager and the coaches and the rest of the team,'' Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said.
''So, again, it's all about the people. It's not that it's a good idea or a bad idea, it's all about the people. It's not just the guy you're considering for that position but also everybody around him, your own players, the manager, the coaching staff. You really have to think of it in those terms.''
March 24, 2018
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) The Texas Rangers have cut pitcher Bartolo Colon, but the popular 44-year-old could rejoin them soon.
The Rangers released Colon from his minor league contract. The team faced a Saturday deadline to either add the right-hander to their 25-man roster, cut him or pay him $100,000 to stick around for now.
Colon made five starts in spring training and had a 3.00 ERA in 18 innings. He was a combined 7-14 with 6.48 ERA for Atlanta and Minnesota last year.
Colon's contract called for $1.75 million if he pitched for Texas. The Rangers still have the option of renegotiating a new deal with Colon, and have shown interest in keeping him.
******************
Brewers set rotation, Guerra to minors
March 24, 2018
PHOENIX (AP) The Milwaukee Brewers have optioned Junior Guerra, their opening day starter a year ago, to Triple-A Colorado Springs.
Guerra has made five spring starts and is scheduled to pitch Sunday's Cactus League finale against the Chicago White Sox. The 33-year-old right-hander, who had a groin injury in the opener at Cincinnati last year, was hampered all season and finished with a 5.12 ERA in 70 1-3 innings. He has a 3.15 ERA in 20 spring innings.
Manager Craig Counsell said that pitcher Yovani Gallardo also has been told he will not make the team. Gallardo, 32, came up with Milwaukee in 2007 and spent eight years with the Brewers, starting the 2014 opener. He was 5-10 with a 5.72 ERA for Seattle last year.
Chase Anderson goes on opening day on Thursday against the Padres, and Zach Davies was already scheduled to start the Brewers' home opener April 2 against St. Louis.
Counsell said that Jhoulys Chacin and lefty Brent Suter will start the final two games of the opening series in San Diego. The fifth starter will be Brandon Woodruff, but he will work out of the bullpen in San Diego, Counsell said.
Counsell said Woodruff will start in the home series against the Chicago Cubs, who follow the Cardinals to Miller Park.
Outfielders Keon Broxton and Brett Phillips also have been optioned to the minors.
**********************
Yankees' Ellsbury to start season on DL
March 24, 2018
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury will start the regular season on the disabled list because of an oblique injury that sidelined him three weeks.
Ellsbury, who resumed playing Thursday, will remain at the Yankees' spring training complex when the team leaves Florida on Sunday for its final spring training game Monday at Atlanta.
''Get him 40, 50 at-bats,'' Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Saturday.
The Yankees open the regular season Thursday at Toronto.
Ellsbury is projected as a backup outfielder after losing the starting center field job to Aaron Hicks last season.
Ellsbury, 34, is guaranteed $21,142,857 in each of the next three seasons as part of a $153 million, seven-year contract that includes a $21 million team option for 2021 with a $5 million buyout.
Brett Gardner is the starting left fielder, and Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge will rotate between right field and designated hitter. Stanton also could get time in left when Gardner is rested, especially against left-handed pitchers.
Ellsbury hit .264 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 112 games last season. He was sidelined from May 24 until June 26 after sustaining a concussion against the outfield wall while making a spectacular catch to rob Kansas City's Alcides Escobar.
Also, third baseman Brandon Drury, hit on the left elbow by a pitch Friday, will take batting practice Sunday and has no doubts about being ready for opening day. X-rays on the elbow were negative.
''I was excited to get that news,'' Drury said. ''I couldn't squeeze my hand at the time, it was just numb. I've been hit there before, so I've had that feeling before. So, I had that hope it was going to be good. Anytime you can't squeeze your hand or have that feeling, it's not good but it's better now.''
Drury plans to start wearing an elbow guard.
Notes: LHP Jordan Montgomery, who will start the home opener April 2 against Tampa Bay, will make his final spring training outing Tuesday in a minor league game. ... The Yankees optioned RHP Domingo German to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. German and RHP Luis Cessa will be starters in the minors. ... Cashman said RHP Jonathan Holder made the team as the 13th pitcher. ... OF Clint Frazier (concussion) is doing limited baseball drills.
***********************
Cards closer Gregerson on DL to open '18
March 24, 2018
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) St. Louis closer Luke Gregerson will begin the season on the disabled list with a hamstring strain, manager Mike Matheny said on Saturday.
Gregerson injured the hamstring during conditioning drills. He hasn't pitched in a Grapefruit League game since Tuesday, when he struck out two in an inning. There is no announced timetable for his return.
''Hamstrings are so difficult to predict,'' Matheny said.
The Cardinals signed Gregerson during the offseason to be their closer. He saved 31 games for Houston in 2015 and 15 more the following season.
Gregerson worked three perfect innings this spring for the Cardinals.
''He's frustrated, too,'' Matheny said. ''He's had a long career and been a guy that's been durable.''
Earlier this spring, Gregerson missed time because of oblique tightness. Matheny said he didn't believe the two issues were related.
''He bounced back pretty quick which is hopefully an indicator of how quickly he's able to bounce back from injury,'' Matheny said.
Without Gregerson, Matheny intends to select his closer on a game-by-game basis based on matchups. Righties Dominic Leone and Bud Norris, along with lefty Tyler Lyons, figure to be in the mix.
St. Louis acquired Leone in the offseason trade that sent Randal Grichuk to Toronto.
Entering Saturday's game against the New York Mets, Leone allowed only one run while striking out 11 in eight appearances this spring.
''He's got swing-and-miss stuff,'' Matheny said. ''The cutter in particular plays extremely well for me in the fact that it is a four-seam cutter. It's not something that you see or expect to move like it does. We're always looking for a guy with a pitch that may be different than what other people have.''
Lyons came through the St. Louis organization as a starter before moving to the bullpen. He appeared in 50 games for St. Louis last season. Entering Saturday, Lyons allowed three runs this spring.
The Cardinals signed Norris as a free agent after the start of camp. Primarily a starter throughout his career, Norris saved 19 games for the Angels last season.
St. Louis began the spring by stretching out Norris so he could potentially start or pitch in long relief, but moved him to the bullpen for the final two weeks.
''He's got good stuff,'' Matheny said.
*******************
Mets' Wright is baseball's lone captain
March 24, 2018
MESA, Ariz. (AP) Anthony Rizzo is a three-time All-Star and the 2017 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, baseball's biggest honor for sportsmanship and community involvement. Jon Lester is a three-time World Series champion, and Jason Heyward organized the most important meeting in franchise history.
Plenty of leaders with the Chicago Cubs. No captain.
One of the most revered titles in sports is hanging by a thread in baseball, which treats its history with hallowed tones in almost every case, but doesn't seem the slightest bit concerned about the absence of the iconic C on the front of its uniforms. New York Mets third baseman David Wright is the majors' only captain on the eve of the season, and it's unclear if he will ever play again.
''Leadership is a taken role and people want to follow you just based on how you are, how you treat them, how well you listen, how well you interact daily, how much you really are into them as opposed to yourself,'' Cubs manager Joe Maddon said, ''and that becomes obvious. Leadership is taken, man. It's hard to just place that out there.''
The 35-year-old Wright was named the fourth captain in Mets history in 2013, joining Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and John Franco. He made the last of his seven NL All-Star teams that same year before he was hampered by a series of injuries. He hasn't appeared in a major league game since 2016.
Wright declared right away that he wouldn't wear the C on the front of his jersey, so that special touch has been missing from baseball for a couple years.
''I'm not sure if there's a benefit to having a title and I've never been one to like come in here and say you have to listen to me because I'm the captain,'' Wright said. ''I would hope that if I have something to say that somebody would listen to me because of, you know, because of what I've hopefully displayed in the clubhouse and be considered kind of a leader in here.''
But Wright made no attempt to hide the significance of the title to him.
''I'll say it again, that to this day it's probably the biggest honor away from the field of my career,'' he said.
A variety of factors have contributed to the decline of captains. Many of the captains across sports spend most of their careers with a single team, but that has become a rarity in baseball. There also are no real responsibilities for the title.
Hockey captains serve as the team's liaison to the officials. NFL captains participate in the pregame coin toss. NBA captains also have specific responsibilities, but baseball barely mentions the word in its rulebook.
''There's no, like, formal meeting,'' Washington ace Max Scherzer said. ''It's not like football where you go out there and shake the other team's hands and you need captains to go do that. Baseball doesn't have that. So maybe that's why you don't see it. There's no coin toss.''
But the list of baseball captains still includes some of the biggest names in the history of the sport. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson and Derek Jeter are on the list of 11 Yankees captains. Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider with the Dodgers. Jimmie Foxx and Carl Yastrzemski for the Boston Red Sox. Willie Stargell, Barry Larkin and other Hall of Famers.
Jeter thought he did something wrong when then-Yankees owner George Steinbrenner called to make him captain in 2003.
''The boss, Mr. Steinbrenner usually only called if you were in trouble during the season,'' Jeter said. ''He called me, we were in Cincinnati, and said he wanted to name me the captain. It was a welcome phone call.''
The list of baseball captains underscores not only the special players to hold the title, but also the unique situations that led to their leadership position.
Rizzo, Lester and Heyward, who got the Cubs together during a key moment in Game 7 of their World Series win in 2016, could each serve as captain. But identifying one leader in Chicago's clubhouse at the possible expense of its other respected veterans likely would hurt the team more than help it. There are similar situations in several other clubhouses across the sport.
''Having a team captain could conceivably in some ways change the relationship between the manager and the coaches and the rest of the team,'' Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said.
''So, again, it's all about the people. It's not that it's a good idea or a bad idea, it's all about the people. It's not just the guy you're considering for that position but also everybody around him, your own players, the manager, the coaching staff. You really have to think of it in those terms.''
