MLB RUMORS AND NEWS

MLB Trade Rumors "The Blue Jays have signed veteran left-hander Johan Santana to a minor league contract with an invitation to their big league Spring Training camp, according to a team press release. " February 26

CSN New England "The Red Sox continue to closely monitor the Cole Hamels situation with the Philadelphia Phillies, but, according to an industry source, "there's no sense of urgency'' to get a deal done soon for the lefty starter. The Red Sox have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Hamels since last..." February 26

CSN Philly "Jonathan Papelbon had just finished running sprints at Phillies camp when he heard that the Milwaukee Brewers had filled their vacant closer’s role by re-signing Francisco Rodriguez to a two-year, $13 million deal. Papelbon, who has not hidden his desire to pitch for a winner, had been on the..." February 26

USA Today "Roy Silver, one of Josh Hamilton's closest friends and a mentor in his struggles with addiction, says the best thing for the Los Angeles Angels outfielder is to retire from baseball. Silver last spoke with Hamilton around Christmas and feared something was amiss. Since then, based on..." February 26

New York Post "The Yankees have much to worry about these days. One of their biggest concerns has to be the championship commitment from Red Sox ownership. Not only in dollars spent, but in mindset as well. Larry Lucchino, one of those Red Sox owners, recently got banged up in a motorcycle accident in..." February 26

Sporting News "Can there be a vote of confidence in spring training? Because the Yankees' principal owner delivered what sounded like one Wednesday. Steinbrenner told the New York Post's Joel Sherman that general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi aren't in danger — yet — of losing their jobs after..." February 26

Hardball Talk "Earlier this week Mike Lupica — I know, whatever — said that he was convinced that the Steinbrenner family was going to sell the Yankees and chalked up the team’s failure to sign Max Scherzer as evidence of that. The idea: no more big albatross contracts so as to make the team a more desirable..." February 26

ESPN New York "A Matt Harvey Day is coming soon! Mets officials tentatively have scheduled Harvey to face the Detroit Tigers in the first home Grapefruit League game on March 6, a source told ESPNNewYork.com. The event would mark Harvey's first game action since Aug. 24, 2013. He underwent Tommy John surgery..." February 26

Providence Journal "The Red Sox lineup might not lean as much to the right as expected. Manager John Farrell said Thursday that Shane Victorino is likely to resume switch-hitting in 2015. Victorino had abandoned the practice in early August of 2013 because of the discomfort he felt swinging from the left side of the..." February 26

CSN Baltimore "Chris Davis got back on the field for the Orioles on Wednesday, and it was an excellent feeling. “I don’t think it was nerve wracking. It was almost kind of relieving just to kind of be out there and be with everybody, to be on the field, to be a part of team activities,” Davis said. “I..." February 26

CBSSports.com "On Wednesday, our Jon Heyman heard Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton suffered a relapse in his recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. He admitted the relapse to MLB and was in New York for a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday. Clearly, priority number one here is Hamilton's health. He will..." February 26

Hardball Talk "Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday afternoon that Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton had been summoned to New York City to meet with Major League Baseball officials concerning a “disciplinary issue.” There was immediate speculation from various corners of the internet that..." February 26

ESPN Boston "Once the best of friends, David Ortiz has not spoken with Alex Rodriguez since Rodriguez’s lawyer appeared to indirectly implicate Ortiz as a PED user in a radio interview. Ortiz said their friendship has not survived that controversy. “No, dude,’’ he said Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t..." February 26

San Francisco Chronicle "Mark Ellis, who spent nine of his 12 major-league seasons with the A’s, is retiring. “It was definitely time,” Ellis told The Chronicle on Wednesday evening. “My kids are getting older and I kind of realized it was time to do something else.” Ellis retires with a .991 fielding percentage,..." February 26

CSN Philly "Ryan Howard has yet to speak with reporters at Phillies camp, but it’s clear from watching him in workouts for a couple of days that he has gotten himself into pretty good shape. Howard’s improved physical condition — he looks trim and firm — stands out in baserunning and fielding drills. Gone..." February 26

Hardball Talk "Josh Hamilton is already facing a 2-3 month recovery timetable following shoulder surgery and now Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Angels outfielder “is meeting with Major League Baseball officials Wednesday about a disciplinary issue and the team is bracing for possible..." February 25

CBSSports.com "The Yankees have long been presumed to be on the hook for up to $30 million in home run milestone bonuses to their disgraced superstar, Alex Rodriguez, and they still may be. But thanks to the wording in the marketing agreement, and maybe also the ability to put Rodriguez under oath in a potential..." February 25

ESPN Boston "Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz launched a vivid and occasionally hilarious rant against baseball's new pace of play rules, especially the one that stipulates a batter keep one foot in the box at all times [with some exceptions]. "Is that new?'' Ortiz asked about the foot-in-box rule. "It..." February 25

USA Today "Outfielder Nick Markakis had some pointed words for the Baltimore Orioles, telling USA TODAY Sports, "Don't believe a word they say," regarding his offseason departure. Markakis, 31, signed a four-year, $44 million contract with the Atlanta Braves in early December, shortly after negotiations..." February 25

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "Ryan Braun expects to be "one of the best players in the league" again in 2015, assuming his right thumb remains healthy. That's a big "if," of course, considering the Brewers' rightfielder has been plagued by the thumb issue for nearly two seasons. Braun had a cryotherapy procedure performed..." February 25

Pittsburgh Tribune Review "When Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signed his $325 million contract in the offseason, it shook the financial landscape of baseball. The aftershocks will be felt in the Pirates front office when the club eventually decides whether to approach Andrew McCutchen about an..." February 25

New York Post "Few things in life are more frustrating than being unable to get even with somebody who wronged you. Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz knows the feeling all too well after his iPhone was hacked last October, and explicit photos of his wife, Lindsay Clubine, went viral on the Internet. “Lindsay..." February 25

Bleacher Report "At 30,000 feet, the seat belt signs were not illuminated, and the drink carts rolled freely up and down the aisle. The salsa music played on, and nobody could see the turbulence ahead during the heyday of the Sammy Sosa era with the Chicago Cubs. Charter flight after charter flight in 2003,..." February 25

ESPN New York "He probably won't be playing much third base, but the possibility remains that Alex Rodriguez, banished to the purgatory of right-handed DH, may yet find some playing time at first base. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Tuesday he "anticipated" discussing the position shift with A-Rod after..." February 25

ESPN.com "New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is now gluten free, sugar free and dairy free, which he hopes will keep him injury free. Teixeira's belief in his new diet and renewed weightlifting program makes him believe that he can stay fully healthy for the first time since 2011. If he does,..." February 25

Philly.com "After throwing off the mound with the rest of the Phillies projected starting rotation on Thursday, the first day of official workouts in Clearwater, Cliff Lee did not join Cole Hamels, Aaron Harang and company when they were back on the bumps Saturday. The Phillies are being cautious with Lee,..." February 25

MLB.com "Reds right-hander Homer Bailey is continuing to make solid progress with his rehabilitation from surgery and could be working off a mound soon. Bailey, who had surgery Sept. 5 to repair a torn flexor mass tendon near his right elbow, came to camp slightly behind from where he would have been..." February 25

CBSSports.com "New Nationals second baseman Yunel Escobar met on reporting day Wednesday with manager Matt Williams and general manager Mike Rizzo, and Escobar, after initially having strong misgivings about his move from shortstop, now is all aboard with the plan to make him a second baseman, and even seems..." February 25

Hardball Talk "There has been increasing sentiment around baseball that something should be done about the use of smokeless tobacco by ballplayers. At one point Bud Selig claimed he’d propose a ban on it across all of baseball. While that hasn’t happened, the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement did outlaw..." February 25

ESPN Boston "Boston Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino, who has repeatedly mocked the New York Yankees for their spending, on Wednesday rejected a suggestion that his team has become "Yankee-like" in how it operates. Since August, the Red Sox have spent over $300 million in new player acquisitions, assuming that..." February 25

Newark Star-Ledger "The Phillies have made their desire to rebuild no secret over the winter, and the ultimate move towards achieving that end would be to trade left-handed ace Cole Hamels. However, after trade talks between the Phillies, San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox stalled in recent weeks, Cliff Lee would..." February 25

Courier-Post "It is no secret the Phillies are entertaining the option of trading their No. 1 starting pitcher Cole Hamels. General manger Ruben Amaro Jr. isn't willing to give him away for peanuts and rightfully so. There has been a perception from outside the organization that the Phillies are asking too..." February 25

ESPN Boston "Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington, asked whether the team has discussed David Ortiz's future beyond this season with him, said that "David knows he's going to be a Red Sox [player] as long as he wants to be a Red Sox [player]." Ortiz will turn 40 in 267 days. Only 10 position players in..." February 25

New York Daily News "Alex Rodriguez cited his strong relationships with many people in the Yankees clubhouse when he said he had no need to address the team as a whole. But what about the 18 or so players he’s never played with? When A-Rod reports to Steinbrenner Field with the rest of the position players on..." February 25

CSN Chicago "The Cubs have sold minority ownership shares to six investors, closing a deal that helps finance the Wrigley Field renovations. The investors recently bought into the Ricketts family’s holding company, according to a source familiar with the deal, after receiving approval from Major League..." February 25

New York Post "They hugged. They talked. They hit in the same group. They fielded ground balls together. And when Chase Headley and Alex Rodriguez were done with a workout at the minor league complex Tuesday that made for a nice photo opportunity nothing had changed: Only a fool believes there is any chance..." February 24

ESPN Los Angeles "The Los Angeles Dodgers were hoping they were done with the drama that comes with having an excess of well-paid outfielders after they traded Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres over the winter, but the storyline could linger. Andre Ethier, who was the odd man out for most of the second half of..." February 24

CBSSports.com "The Brewers and Marlins are continuing to talk to veteran free-agent closer Francisco Rodriguez, and he is expected to have a deal soon. Milwaukee hasn't named its closer, and K-Rod had a nice year for the Brewers in 2014, saving 44 games, posting his career best 0.985 WHIP and making his fifth..." February 24

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "After experiencing abdominal pain that has limited his workouts but not his ability to throw, Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright will return to St. Louis to see a specialist Thursday. The Cardinals expect to know Thursday the treatment Wainwright will require and how much time he'll..." February 24

New York Daily News "Alex Rodriguez thinks he'll be fine mentally without the crutch of performance-enhancing drugs, though the embattled slugger couldn't guarantee it as he tries to make a comeback after a season-long ban. "I think I'm fine, yeah," Rodriguez said after a workout at the Yankees' minor-league..." February 24

CSN Philly "It’s spring training and Chase Utley is hurting. Here we go again? Not really. Utley rolled his right ankle when he stepped on a baseball during a workout in San Francisco in January. It has improved enough that he’s been able to take ground balls the last few days, but he’s still keeping..." February 24

ESPN.com "In his first days as Major League Baseball commissioner, Rob Manfred has been open to considering making changes to help make the sport more marketable. Proving that nothing is off the table, Manfred said Monday that he would entertain shortening the regular season if there was interest in..." February 24