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Tyler Mahle takes the mound."It would certainly appear that Tyler Mahle has made the Cincinnati Reds roster for a second consecutive Opening Day. You may remember that last year Dave Winfield Jersey , at the ripe age of 23, he picked up the first win for the Reds in their 2018 season, out-dueling Tyler Chatwood in a epic Tylertanic struggle on April 2nd with 6 scoreless innings.Mahle was originally on the outside looking in to break camp with the big league Reds this year thanks to the numerous outside additions, but as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed earlier today, manager David Bell officially expects Alex Wood and his balky back to not be ready to go from day one.That firmly puts Mahle on-schedule to round out the starting rotation, especially if he continues to pitch the way he has so far in Cactus League play. He’s yet to allow an earned run in his 6 IP to date, and has logged an impressive 11 K against just 2 BB in that time. Given that performance as well as the top-tier stuff he flashed at times last season, he probably should’ve been considered more of a legit candidate to make the starting rotation anyway this winter, but as things so often do in the injury-riddled world of big league pitching, it appears things have sorted themselves out in his favor, for now.Mahle will lead the Reds on Monday against the Colorado Rockies, who’ll host at their Talking Stick complex in Scottsdale, AZ. You’re in luck if you can track down a TV, too, as the game will air on MLB Network courtesy of the Rockies feed.First pitch is set for 4:10 PM ET. Hat tip to The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans for tweeting out the travel roster for the day. HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros were in a celebratory mood after helping Charlie Morton get a milestone win.George Springer had four hits and scored three runs to back Morton in his career-high 15th victory as the Astros beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-4 Saturday night.“I think our guys were genuinely happy for me Jack Morris Jersey ,” said the 34-year-old Morton, who made his fist All-Star appearance earlier this summer. “The wins — I guess it means a lot to me because of this group. We’ve been through a lot and it means a lot to me. It was fun.”Morton (15-3) limited Arizona to two runs and three hits while striking out seven in six innings. He was perfect through three innings before the Diamondbacks scored on a sacrifice fly from David Peralta in the fourth to pull to 2-1.“He’s already entered uncharted waters and he continues to tack onto his career,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. “These last two seasons, he’s been pushed, he’s been challenged, he’s had to endure a few things, and he’s done his part by continuing to post and do his routine and be incredibly effective. The back of the baseball card matters.”After struggling to get hits in a 4-2 loss to the Diamondbacks the previous night, the Astros managed 12 hits — including 10 singles — and drew seven walks in the bounce-back win. Coupled with Oakland’s 7-5 loss at Tampa Bay, the Astros extended their lead in the AL West to 3 1/2 games over the Athletics with 14 games remaining.Springer, who finished 4 for 5, said he didn’t have any lingering shoulder discomfort after exiting Friday’s loss early as a precaution following a diving attempt in the field. Instead, the Astros’ leadoff hitter had his first four-hit game since May.The Astros put together a three-run rally in the fourth inning with a string of singles from Springer, Jose Altuve, Marwin Gonzalez and Yuli Gurriel. Gonzalez’s hit drove in two, and he advanced to third on Gurriel’s dribbler into right field and came around to score when the ball went under the glove of right fielder Steven Souza.That chased Zack Godley (14-10) http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-curtis-granderson-jersey , who gave up five runs and seven hits, while matching a season-high with six walks in 3 2/3 innings. He lost his third straight start, failing to make it to the sixth inning for the fifth time in his last six outings — going 1-4 in that stretch.“I’m at a point where it’s one outing after another where it’s kind of a snowball effect,” Godley said. “I’ve got to figure out a way to put a stop to it and put up a clean outing.”Ketel Marte homered off Morton in the fifth to cut Houston’s lead to 5-2.The Astros answered with another three-run inning in the sixth, again using exclusively singles from Springer, Alex Bregman and Gurriel to push the lead to 8-2. Altuve had a two-run double in the seventh.Eduardo Escobar hit his 22nd homer of the year in the eighth inning into the right-field upper deck off Chris Devenski to make it 10-3. Marte’s RBI double in the ninth capped the scoring.“We played sloppy baseball today in a couple of situations,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We can’t do that, especially in this environment, this time of the year against this team. We’ve got to figure that out.”Jose Reddick homered, his 14th, off Godley in the second inning to get the Astros on the scoreboard first, and Gurriel made it 2-0 with run-scoring grounder in the third.The Astros left the bases loaded in the first and third innings and stranded 10 runners in the game.TRAINER’S ROOMDiamondbacks: Arizona placed RHP Clay Buchholz (right elbow flexor strain) on the 60-day disabled list. Buchholz, 34, was 7-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 16 starts for Arizona this season and was a late scratch from his last scheduled start Thursday in Colorado. RHP Randall Delgado was recalled from Triple-A Reno.Astros: RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm strain) pitched a bullpen session on Saturday at the Astros’ spring training facility in Florida, facing one hitter and mixing in all of his pitches Aaron Loup Jersey , Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. McCullers, who has been out since Aug. 4, will have a similar session on Tuesday.BREGMAN’S STREAKBregman went 1 for 2 with a run and two walks, extending his on-base streak to 41 games, the longest active streak in the majors and tied for the fourth-longest streak in franchise history.ASTROS ADD SPEEDOF Myles Straw made his major league debut as a pinch runner in the seventh after being called up from Triple-A Fresno on Saturday. Straw, 24, batted .291 with 70 stolen bases across Double-A and Triple-A this season. The Astros are hopeful that the speedy Straw can be a baserunning threat in the playoffs. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Astros transferred RHP Jandel Gustave to the 60-day disabled list.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (14-9, 3.11 ERA) is 7-3 with a 2.75 ERA in his last 11 road starts. In 10 career starts against Houston, Greinke is 6-2 with a 2.24 ERA.Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (15-9, 2.72 ERA) will close out Houston’s three-game series against Arizona on Sunday. Verlander is two strikeouts behind teammate Gerrit Cole (260) for the American League lead, and just 11 shy of his career high of 269 in 2009.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers are poised Sunday to grab the series victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , but not even they could have imagined things were going to be this dramatic against their division rivals.After two late-inning home runs rallied the Dodgers past the Diamondbacks on Friday, Matt Kemp hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning Saturday to give the Dodgers a 3-2 victory.The latest victory moved the Dodgers into a tie for first place with Arizona, the first time Los Angeles has held at least a share of the National League West lead since Aug. 11.Article continues below ...The last time the Dodgers held sole possession of first place in the division was Aug. 7, but that could change with a victory Sunday.The Dodgers will send rookie Walker Buehler (6-4, 3.02 ERA) to the mound Sunday afternoon as they try to win three consecutive games in the showdown series. Buehler has given up two earned runs or fewer in six consecutive starts, going 2-0 in five August turns with a 1.53 ERA.Buehler, who has yet to face the Diamondbacks in his young career, might be the Dodgers’ least experienced starter, but the club is feeling completely confident about things after the last two games.The Dodgers were 4 1/2 games out of first place after a loss Aug. 22, but have gone 7-1 in their last eight games to make up the ground.“Not surprised, very impressed, and I think the noise outside, and the things that were being said, our guys didn’t waver Duane Kuiper Jersey ,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Each day, to their credit, they focus on each game and aren’t worried about the other clubs and how they played.”The Diamondbacks had owned the Dodgers going back to late August 2017. They finished the 2017 regular season with six consecutive victories over the Dodgers, and although Los Angeles won a postseason series, Arizona opened 2018 by going 7-1 in the first eight games of the matchup.Even in the last two games, the Diamondbacks were in control until some late-inning Dodgers heroics. Before Kemp’s home run Saturday, Enrique Hernandez and Justin Turner hit home runs to win Friday’s game.On Friday, Diamondbacks manager Torry Lovullo appeared to leave starter Zack Greinke in the game too long. On Saturday, starter Patrick Corbin went only five innings, even though he had not allowed a run to score.“It’s easy to sit right now and say, knowing what the results are, that we would do it differently,” Lovullo said after Friday’s game, according to the Arizona Republic. “Of course http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , I would have done it differently had I known what the outcome was.”He did do things differently Saturday, only he got the same results.Up next for the Diamondbacks is right-hander Clay Buchholz (7-2, 2.07), who hasn’t allowed a run in his last 15 innings. He has a 0.39 ERA in his last three starts and a 1.53 ERA in his last nine outings.Buchholz’s only start against the Dodgers came in 2010, and he went 6 2/3 scoreless innings as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Dick and Charlie Monfort are closer to model owners than the cheap owner stereotype"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Scaling the RocksPebble ReportRockpileRockies Game ThreadsRockies Fan ExperienceRockies State of the PositionRockies fans have less and less to complain about with team ownershipNew,45commentsDick and Charlie Monfort are closer to model owners than the cheap owner stereotypeMSTShareTweetShareShareRockies fans have less and less to complain about with team ownershipIt’s been a slow offseason. Prognosticators are saying that the free agent market that has handed out $1.251 billion dollars worth of contracts over 87 years (resulting in a lower raw total than projected but a higher average annual value) will result in the players going on strike when the collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2021 season. From perspective of public perception, it’s not a good time to be an owner (and it may be immoral to side with them, apparently).Well, unless you’re talking about the Colorado Rockies. In fact, if you’re a fan of the Rockies, you’re rapidly running out of things about which to complain as it relates to ownership. For the longest time, everyone had an opinion on Rockies owners Dick and Charlie Monfort, and thanks to some non-competitive teams, some alleged meddling with the on-field product Derek Holland Jersey , and some unfortunate emails, very few of those opinions were positive. Now that the team is experiencing a sort of golden age, it’s passed time to reevaluate our opinion of the Monforts.One thing that the Monforts have understood better than most is that they aren’t just selling an on-field product, but an in-stadium experience as well. For all of the completely hilarious Party Deck jokes, Coors Field was among the first stadiums in the league to feature such an area that can now be found the league. Last season the scoreboard in left field got a much-needed upgrade. And construction on a “mixed-entertainment district” in the former West Lot near the stadium began in the fall, promising, among other things, a Rockies Hall of Fame. The Monforts have always done what it takes to keep Coors Field one of the crown jewels of Major League Baseball (unlike some owners who look at an 18-year-old stadium and decide to move to the ‘burbs).They haven’t been content to just spend money on the stadium. Since bottoming out at $73.9 million in 2013, the Opening Day payroll has set record highs each of the past five years, with this year’s projected $143 million projected to set another record. As young players have developed, the team has shown a willingness to supplement the homegrown talent with free agent contracts. They haven’t gone on a Steinbrenner-esque spree by any means, but they have run a payroll above league average for two years now and were one of a handful of teams to devote more than half their revenue to the on-field product. Not bad for a team with the 17th biggest US media market in MLB.What has set the Rockies apart is not the money they spend to bring in players, but the money they spend to keep the players fans love most. In 2001, they signed Todd Helton to a nine-year extension that was the fourth biggest contract in baseball at the time. Nine years later http://www.giantsfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , they signed Troy Tulowitzki to a seven-year extension, which was the eighth biggest in baseball at the time, and gave Carlos Gonzalez a seven-year deal of his own. Last season they gave fan favorite and reigning batting champ Charlie Blackmon a six-year extension. And, of course, everyone is still basking in the glow of inking Nolan Arenado to an eight-year extension just this week, the richest by average annual value in baseball history. As Jeff Bridich said at the press conference announcing Nolan’s extension,That kind of culture of commitment can only happen when you have the support of an ownership group.Oh, and the team has averaged 88 wins over the last two years, so all of these positives have also been accompanied by winning baseball.So we have owners who spend money to create a memorable in-stadium experience and are willing to bring in free agents to supplement a roster built around home-grown talent, which has historically included signing the best and most beloved players on the team to long-term extensions to keep them in purple pinstripes.It’s understandable if the ownership lost your trust in the down years. But it’s high time to recognize that the Monforts are among the best owners in baseball.

A quick update on the Astros prospects playing in winter leagues"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Houston Astros NewsGame ThreadsHouston Astros Minor LeaguesAstros Game DayPodcastsAstros 2018 Winter League Update: November 9thNew Joey Rickard Jersey ,16commentsA quick update on the Astros prospects playing in winter leaguesByAstrosFutureNov9, 2018, 11:00am CSTShareTweetShareShareAstros 2018 Winter League Update: November 9thJeffrey A. Camarati, UNC Athletic CommunicationsHere is a quick update on how the Astros prospects are performing in their winter leagues.ARIZONA FALL LEAGUEScottsdale ScorpionsAbraham Toro-Hernandez, 3B: .315 BA/.422 OBP/.463 SLG, 17-for-54, 5 2B, HR, 5 RBIDrew Ferguson, OF: .095 BA/.130 OBP/.095 SLG, 2-for-21, RBIRonnie Dawson, OF: .297 BA/.423 OBP/.469 SLG, 19-for-64, 5 2B, 3 3B, 7 RBI, 9 SBForrest Whitley, RHP: 1-2, 3.18 ERA, 17.0 IP, 13 H, 6 ER http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , 5 BB, 23 KJ.B. Bukauskas, RHP: 1-1, 2.61 ERA, 20.2 IP, 19 H, 6 ER, 9 BB, 20 KErasmo Pinales, RHP: 0-1, 2.08 ERA, 8.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 8 BB, 9 KTrent Thornton, RHP: 0-0. 5.11, 12.1 IP, 13 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 16 KDOMINICAN LEAGUEJack Mayfield, SS: .220 BA/.303 OBP/.271 SLG Tim Beckham Jersey , 13-for-59, 3 2B, 3 RBIRogelio Armenteros, RHP: 2-0, 1.17 ERA, 23.0 IP, 12 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 22 KBrendan McCurry, RHP: 0-0, 3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 KYohan Ramirez, RHP: 0-0, 18.00 ERA, 1.0 IP, 0 H, 2 ER, 2 BB http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , 0 KLeovanny Rodriguez, RHP: 0-0, 2.45 ERA, 7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 KVENEZUELAN LEAGUEAlfredo Angarita, 2B: .000 BA, 0-for-4Ralph Garza, RHP: 1-0, 5.59 ERA, 9.2 IP, 12 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 11 KRyan Hartman, LHP: 0-0, 7.20 ERA, 10.0 IP, 18 H, 8 ER, 4 BB Brad Brach Jersey , 4 KAkeem Bostick, RHP: 0-0. 3.43, 21.0 IP, 17 H, 8 ER, 7 BB, 17 K Harry How/Getty ImagesThe Milwaukee Brewers will try to force a Game 7 on Friday when they host the Los Angeles Dodgers as small home underdogs at sportsbooks for Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. The Brewers led the series 2-1 after winning Game 3 at Dodger Stadium 4-0 Monday but have been outscored 7-3 in losing the past two games. MLB betting line: The Dodgers opened as -120 favorites (wager $120 to win $100); the total is at eight runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. Line updates and matchup report.MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 4.2-3.6, Dodgers.MLB picks on every game.Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or Spotify or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.Why the DodgersCan Pay on the MLB LinesLos Angeles has used solid pitching and timely hitting to take a 3-2 series lead in the NLCS and needs that to continue to advance to the World Series for the second straight year.The Dodgers picked up a key victory in Game 2 at Miller Park with Hyun-Jin Ryu (7-3, 1.97 ERA) on the mound and will send him out there again in Game 6, hoping they can get the same result. Ryu pitched 4.1 innings and allowed two runs and six hits with no walks and four strikeouts in the 4-3 win, and he should be well-rested in this spot. Why the BrewersCan Pay on the MLB LinesMilwaukee will ride with Wade Miley (5-2, 2.57 ERA) again here after he was surprisingly pulled after just five pitches in Game 5 Wednesday. Miley walked Los Angeles' Cody Bellingerand was then replaced by Brandon Woodruff, who gave up three runs (two earned) and five hits in 5.1 innings to take the loss in a 5-2 defeat.While Miley has started on the mound in two of the team's three losses in this series, he did pitch 5.2 scoreless innings opposite Ryu in Game 2 before the Dodgers rallied to win.Smart Betting PickIt all comes down to this for the Brewers, who had the NL's best home record (51-30) during the regular season en route to the league's top mark overall. They have played well throughout the series and simply need to score more runs, something they were able to do at home in averaging 4.5 in the first two games.The problem is that Los Angeles is playing with a ton of confidence and has won six of the teams' past nine meetings in Milwaukee, according to the OddsShark MLB Database. In what should be another competitive game, look for the Dodgers to close out the Brewers.MLB betting trendsLos Angeles is 10-3 in its past 13 games.Los Angeles is 5-2 in its past seven games on the road.The total has gone over in four of Los Angeles' past six games on the road. All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.

He won’t be landing in Detroit Freddy Galvis Jersey , unfortunately."Another talented free agent starting pitcher is available this week just days after the flurry of non-tendered players hit the market last Friday. The Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League, will reportedly post left-handed starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi for bids by Major League Baseball teams on Tuesday morning. On the mound, the 27-year-old isn’t of the same caliber as last year’s wunderkind free agent, and fellow Hanamaki Higashi H.S. graduate, Shohei Ohtani. However, Kikuchi does represent a strong mid-rotation arm with the upside for more. There was some debate as to whether the Lions would allow the posting, as they had control of Kikuchi until the 2020 posting period. Now a stagnant free agent market in America has another fine arm in the mix. While the Detroit Tigers appear totally unwilling to invest in a player anywhere near the cost Kikuchi will demand, he’s an interesting addition to MLB nonetheless, and worth a look.From the Lions’ perspective, they may be a year too late to fully maximize their return for the southpaw. After a dominant 2017 season in which he posted a 1.97 ERA across 187 2鈦? innings of work with 217 strikeouts, Kikuchi suffered some shoulder issues in 2018 and was unable to repeat his success. One of the casualties of the shoulder issues has been the sharp biting slider that carried him through his monster 2017 campaign.Kikuchi is essentially a two-pitch pitcher, which has caused some MLB observers to be initially skeptical about his chances to be a frontline starter in America. However, when he’s right, they are two electric offerings. He holds a career 2.77 ERA in eight seasons with the Lions. And despite the relative struggles this season Randal Grichuk Jersey , he’s still provided 163 2鈦? innings of work with a 3.08 ERA. His strikeouts are down substantially, but a 23.2 strikeout percentage in 2018 is still a solid mark. If he can get a bit of his 2017 feel for the breaking ball going, he should have little trouble striking out a better than average rate of major league hitters.He packs excellent velocity for a southpaw, averaging around 93 mph, with the ability to rush hitters up to 96 mph when he chooses to air it out. Unlike many Japanese pitchers, Kikuchi is willing to live and die with his fastball, using it aggressively in the zone. The slider sits at 85 mph with strong two-plane break. In 2017, the slider was absolutely a dominant offering, and he’ll need to find that version to reach his ceiling in the major leagues.His comparative struggles in 2018 have led Kikuchi to a deeper mix, utilizing a decent curveball/changeup combination to open up the plate for his primary offerings. Neither pitch appears better than fringe average as a third options in the major leagues, however. The general consensus among scouts appears to project Kikuchi as a number three starter, with the possibility for more if he can regain his 2017 form.Take a lookWest coast teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants, and the lurking San Diego Padres all make sense as destinations. The New York Yankees are always a factor. And seven years after they signed Yu Darvish Jose Bautista Jersey , a re-tooling Texas Rangers squad makes a potential home for Kikuchi as well. Perhaps most intriguing was his appearance at an Anaheim Ducks game last week, leading to speculation that he might follow in Ohtani’s footsteps by joining the Los Angeles Angels. Possibly no team hoping to contend in 2019 is more desperately in need of pitching than the Angels, so it checks out as a possibility.Overall, Kikuchi profiles as a somewhat better option than Dodgers right-hander, Kenta Maeda, was when he came to America as a 27-year-old. Maeda received a wildly incentive-laden contract stretching eight years, with only $25 million guaranteed. However the potential was for a total of $106 million if Maeda had been able to max out all his incentives for marks like hitting 200 innings, etc. That contract makes it tricky to gauge Kikuchi’s eventual signing price, as does the requirement for his eventual home team to pay a posting fee which, in Maeda’s case, amounted to another $20 million the Dodgers had to commit. It would be fantastic to see a rebuilding team like the Tigers take an opportunity like this to turbocharge their rebuild, but you can bet the house that Detroit won’t be involved. They haven’t been players in the Nippon League market to begin with, and continue to signal that owner Chris Ilitch has the payroll on relative lockdown for the foreseeable future. However, in an already crowded and very slow moving free agent market this offseason http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-curtis-granderson-jersey , Kikuchi’s addition to the mix is another wild card. It should be interesting to see which of the rich get richer by adding a fine starting pitcher in his prime years, without having to give up anything but cash to acquire him. TJ is taking over"Hello Twinkie Town!I’ll be taking over for Myjah as the site manager around these parts, effective immediately.You all probably have seen me around here before. I’ve been a front page writer for a couple years now, and a commenter for a lot longer. I’ve been lurking around for over a decade. If it still doesn’t ring a bell, I’m the guy with an irrational love of Kyle Gibson.I’m a born-and-bred Twins fan, it runs in my blood three generations back. I grew up with Kirby Puckett as my sports hero. Michael Cuddyer was my favorite Twin for a long time, and you already know how I feel about a few of the current players. I’m usually a hopeless optimist, as well. Enough about me though, let’s talk about the site.Don’t expect the tone of the site to change much — I applied for and accepted the position because I love this community, and want it to keep growing, without losing what makes it unique. My first goal is to keep bringing you the great things you come to this site for. Everything I do will be with that in mind.You probably know that a few of our longer-tenured writers have decided to take a step back from the site over the last couple months, but that creates some opportunity. If you’re interested in having a post or two featured on the front page, write it! We have an awesome tool in the fanpost section of the site, and I’m going to use it. Look for some fanpost calls in the future Marcus Stroman Jersey , but in the meantime, write what’s on your mind, and it might be featured. Take advantage of the other community tools we have, as well. If you feel anything in the comments section is offensive, inappropriate, excessively trollish, or just plain doesn’t belong on the site, feel free to flag it. We might not take the post down (we will if we have to,) but the concern will be reviewed. Anyone on this site is always welcome to reach out to me via email or twitter with any feedback, concerns, suggestions, or ideas. I’m excited for the next chapter of Twinkietown, and I’m glad you are all on this journey with me.

' Regina Garcia Cano Rick Porcello Jersey , Gersh told a panel at a Las Vegas trade show on Wednesday that MLB wants a 0.25 percent cut of betting handles in the spirit of "fairness.""The state is going to designate these three, four, five very specific licensed entities: You guys get the right to make money from sports betting," Gersh said. "From a fairness perspective we think, if you are going to designate someone to be able to make money off of what at the end of the day is our sport and our events because if the Yankees weren鈥檛 playing the Red Sox last night, you are not betting on the Yankees and the Red Sox ... we think we should be involved in that."MLB has been adamant about receiving an integrity fee ever since the United States Supreme Court declared the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 unconstitutional in May."We think the integrity fee http://www.oriolesfanproshop.com/authentic-j.j.-hardy-jersey , a negotiable figure below 1 percent at this point, is an appropriate recognition of the fact that the gaming industry is riding our intellectual property, our content and presenting a threat to our competition from an integrity perspective that we're going to have expend money to prevent that threat from becoming a reality," commissioner Rob Manfred said at the Leaders Sport Business Summit in May, per SportsBusiness Daily's Eric Fisher.Legalized sports betting is up and running in Nevada, Delaware Adam Jones Jersey , New Jersey, Mississippi and West Virginia, per Ryan Rodenberg for ESPN.com.Pennsylvania, New York and Rhode Island are considered the next states most likely to take that step. BOSTON (AP) — Dustin Pedroia is back in the Red Sox clubhouse. But the Boston second baseman won’t be playing in any games for the rest of the season.Manager Alex Cora said Friday that Pedroia has been officially shut down for the remainder of 2018. Cora revealed the 35-year-old veteran had an additional arthroscopic surgery on his left knee while rehabbing in Arizona in July to cleanup some scar tissue. Pedroia had two initial procedures on the knee last October.The four-time All-Star returned to action in May for three games, but went just 1 for 11 with two walks. Still, Cora left open the possibly for the Boston fan favorite to make it back before season’s end. That changed after a conversation with Pedroia recently.“It’s tough not being able to help out the guys Manny Machado Jersey ,” Pedroia said. “But it’s been great watching them and how great the year’s been. We’ve done a lot of great things. It’s that time of year where you’re pushing to win the World Series.“It’ll be great to here and watch the guys try to accomplish that,” he said.The Red Sox have the best record in the majors and a big lead over the Yankees in the AL East.Cora said Pedroia has continued to make progress since the July procedure. He said the decision to sit him down had more to do with there not being enough time or rehab opportunities to get him ready to play.“We just ran out of time,” Cora said. “We went through the process the right way, it just didn’t happen.”Pedroia said his rehab program remains on schedule for him to be ready to go when spring training opens in 2019.“I’ll be ready — 100 percent.”In the meantime, he plans to keep working out in Boston to help his teammates out in whatever capacity he can. He has been texting with them after big wins and to give pep talks to a players struggling at the plate.“I watched every pitch. I didn’t miss anything,” Pedroia said.He said there are no regrets about trying to come back in May and he remains in agreement with the collective decision he made in consultation with his doctors and the team.“I knew all along it would be tough. It’s a surgery that requires time. And once you give it time you’ll be fine Chris Davis Jersey ,” Pedroia said. “It’s been 10 months since the first big surgery. So a lot of rehab and hard work and time put in. That’s what I’m most upset about is you work that hard and you don’t get a chance to do it.“But looking at the big picture it’s the right thing to do.”Pedroia said the ordeal hasn’t been without mental ebbs and flows, however.He said it wasn’t until about “probably six weeks ago” that he felt like he would be in position to return as the type of player he was before the injury.“You play the hand you’re dealt and move on,” Pedroia said.

The Cincinnati Reds won't have the opportunity to hire Joe Girardi as their next manager.Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal Ryan Rua Jersey , Girardi will keep his current job as an MLB Network analyst after withdrawing from consideration to be the Reds' skipper.Rosenthal added that David Bell, San Francisco Giants vice president of player development, is now considered the favorite to be hired as Cincinnati's manager.Bobby Nightengale and John Fayof theCincinnati Enquirerreported Wednesday that Girardi, Bell and Brad Ausmus were going to go through a second round of interviews with the Reds.Girardi has been working as an MLB Network analyst throughout the 2018 season. The New York Yankees decided not to renew his managerial contract after leading the team to the American League Championship Series last year.In 11 seasons as an MLB manager with the Yankees and Florida Marlins, Girardi has a 988-794 career record with one World Series title (2009) and was named the 2006 National League Manager of the Year.Bell played four seasons with the Reds from 1985-88. He has previous managerial experience with the Detroit Tigers (1996-98), Colorado Rockies (2000-02) and Kansas City Royals (2005-07). The 67-year-old has a 519-724 career record. He's been working in the Giants front office since October 2017.Ausmus managed the Tigers for four seasons from 2014-17, leading them to an American League Central title in his first year. The team opted not to extend his initial four-year contract after going 64-98 in 2017.The Reds fired Bryan Price last April after getting off to a 3-15 start. Jim Riggleman took over as interim manager and went 64-80 to finish the season.Cincinnati hasn't made the postseason since 2013 and has lost at least 94 games in each of the past four seasons. Tim Bradbury/Getty ImagesThe Boston Red Sox earned a World Series berth after a 4-1 victory on Thursday gave them the American League Championship Series victory in five games over the Houston Astros.The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers must now decide the National League representative in the Fall Classic. L.A. is up three games to two, but the Dodgers will need to win one in Milwaukee to move on. Game 6 is Friday at 8:39 p.m. ET, while Game 7 takes place Saturday at 8:09 p.m. ET, if necessary.Here's a look ahead at some World Series information, including dates, times Drew Robinson Jersey , television and live-stream notes and odds (via OddsShark). You can also find quick breakdowns on the two potential World Series matchups below, with predictions for each one.Schedule of DatesTuesday, October 23 (Game 1): National League winner at Boston Red Sox, 8:09 p.m. ETWednesday, October 24 (Game 2): National League winner at Boston Red Sox, 8:09 p.m. ETFriday, October 26 (Game 3):Boston Red Sox at National League winner, 8:09 p.m. ETSaturday, October 27 (Game 4):Boston Red Sox at National League winner, 8:09 p.m. ETSunday, October 28 (Game 5, if necessary):Boston Red Sox at National League winner http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-moore-jersey , 8:15 p.m. ETTuesday, October 30 (Game 6, if necessary): National League winner at Boston Red Sox, 8:09 p.m. ETWednesday, October 31 (Game 7, if necessary): National League winner at Boston Red Sox, 8:09 p.m. ETTicket InfoWorld Series tickets can be purchased throughStubHub.Television and Live-Stream InfoAll games will take place on FOX. Fans can live-stream the action through FOX Sports Go. Pregame coverage will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET each day with the exception of Game 5. If that game takes place, pregame coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET.Latest World Series OddsBoston Red Sox: 2-3Los Angeles Dodgers: 19-10Milwaukee Brewers: 13-2Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles DodgersThe headliner for this series would be two potential matchups between left-handed aces Chris Sale of the Red Sox and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers.Both would be the presumptive Game 1 starters (and Game 5 starters if the series gets that far). Sale went 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA and 237 strikeouts in 158.0 innings, while Kershaw went 9-5 with a 2.73 ERA and 155 strikeouts in 161.1 innings. Sale and Kershaw have each made the All-Star Game seven times, with Kershaw winning the National League Cy Young award three times and the NL MVP once.Flip a coin to decide the winner of those two potential matchups, and the same may be said for the rest of either rotation, which features a mix of solid pitchers (Boston's playoff starter ERA is 3.92 http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-moore-jersey , while the Dodgers' is 3.38).The Dodgers' bullpen has been fantastic this postseason as it sports a league-best 1.11 ERA. They shined in a 2-1, 13-inning victory over the Milwaukee Brewers as relievers pitched eight innings of shutout ball while striking out nine.The Red Sox bullpen has not fared as well (3.78 ERA). Of note,closer Craig Kimbrel has not been his usual self in this year's playoffs, as he has a 7.11 ERA and 1.89 WHIP through 6.1 postseason innings.However, the Boston lineup is the better of the two. Right fielder Mookie Betts is your future American League MVP with 32 home runs and a 1.078 OPS. J.D. Martinez will likely finish top three in the voting after smacking 43 home runs and knocking in 130 runners. Overall, the lineup has a good amount of pop as it led the league inOPS, runs, hits and batting average.The Dodgers have some scary power on the left-handed side of the plate, as Max Muncy (35 home runs), Joc Pederson (25 home runs) and Cody Bellinger (25 home runs) can all do damage. However, all three players fared worse against left-handed pitching this year, and that could be an issue when the team faces left-handers Sale and David Price potentially four times if the series goes at least six games. Potentially Curtis Granderson Jersey , all three players could be on the bench to start the game. That hurts the Dodgers and gives them a little less power at the plate.Still, the L.A. bench is far deeper than Boston's, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts can call on numerous right-handers and left-handers that can (a) hit well and (b) field multiple positions. The Red Sox don't have as much versatility.This is a tough series to predict, but with Boston having one more home game, give the slight edge to the Red Sox in the third straight Fall Classic to go the distance.Pick: Boston 4, Los Angeles 3Boston Red Sox vs. Milwaukee BrewersThis series would be quite odd, and that's largely because of the importance placed on the first half of games.If the Brewers can hold onto leads into the middle innings and toss it to their bullpen, then the significant edge goes to Milwaukee.The Brewers have a better relief staff than the Red Sox, with Jeremy Jeffress (1.29 ERA) and Josh Hader (2.43 ERA) doing most of the damage.However, it's possible the Red Sox could render the Brewers' pitching strength moot if their superior batting lineup dominates the Brewers' starting/opening pitching staff.Milwaukee is piecing together the first half of games with a variety of pitchers, and for the most part it's worked. But what happens if the plan goes awry and the Red Sox jump on a Wade Miley or Brandon Woodruff or Gio Gonzalez and build a healthy lead? Manager Craig Counsell could insert one of his better relievers to stop the damage, but he'd have to build a long bridge to the ninth inning.That might be the difference in the series Jaime Garcia Jersey , as one could argue that all four of Boston's top starters (Sale, Price, Rick Porcello and Nathan Eovaldi) are better than anyone the Brewers could throw out there to begin the game save for maybe right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, who has sub-four ERA in his past two years.Sale is one of the best pitchers in baseball hands down.Price normally struggles in the postseason but just tossed six fantastic shutout innings at Houston. He sports a lifetime 3.25 ERA.Porcello is the 2017 Cy Young winner. He's struggled a bit this year (4.28 ERA), but he still strikes out around a batter per inning.Eovaldi has a 1.88 ERA in 14.1 postseason innings this season and was great against the New York Yankees and Astros.Coupled with the fact that the Red Sox led the majors in OPS, batting average, hits and runs as noted before, and the advantage here goes to Boston.Pick: Boston 4, Milwaukee 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — In some respects http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , the first game of 2019 felt a bit like a remnant of 2018 all over again for manager Dave Martinez and the Washington Nationals.As much as the roster has been reworked after missing the playoffs, with plenty of folks gone — most prominently, of course, Bryce Harper — and plenty arrived to replace them, the sorts of things that ailed the Nationals last season were again on display in a 2-0 loss to the New York Mets on opening day.That included an up-and-down-the-lineup inability to hit in the clutch and one particularly bad example of baserunning by rookie center fielder Victor Robles.“You’re going to have a couple shots, and you better make the most of it,” right fielder Adam Eaton said. “If you don’t, you’re not going to be successful.”The Nationals wasted Max Scherzer’s at-times dominant debut: 12 strikeouts, two hits, two runs in 7 2/3 innings. They were facing the only pitcher who received more NL Cy Young Award votes than Scherzer did last year http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tim-tebow-jersey , Jacob deGrom, who struck out 10 in six scoreless innings for the Mets.And Washington certainly did create some chances against deGrom. Runners at first and second in the first inning. Runners at the corners with no outs in the third. Another runner stranded at third in the sixth.“Losing in general is frustrating. It’s a long, long season. I think we’ll put this behind us pretty quick,” said shortstop Trea Turner, who stole three bases and had two singles but also struck out after getting ahead in the count 2-0 with two on. “Nothing’s won or lost on the first day, so we’ll be all right and we’ll move on.”Harper led the team with 34 homers and 100 RBIs last season; he played Game 1 of his $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.So Washington probably could do without blunders such as what happened with Robles after he doubled leading off the third. Eaton followed with a single, giving the Nationals guys at first and third with no outs.Turner went to the plate expecting a safety squeeze call with the speedy Robles 90 feet away — but ended up striking out.That brought up No. 3 hitter Anthony Rendon, who sent a grounder to third. Robles hesitated as the third baseman threw to second base for a forceout. Robinson Cano then saw Robles heading home and threw to the plate; Robles got stuck in a rundown, leading to a 5-4-2-5 double play that ended the inning.“To be honest, I got a little confused Darryl Strawberry Jersey ,” Robles said through a translator. “In the middle of the moment, I realized I had made the mistake, so I tried to kind of make up for it.”Too late.“That’s just a young base-running mistake by him,” Martinez said. “We talked about it, and he understood. … As soon as the ball was hit, he froze a little bit.”Notes: After Friday’s day off, the teams resume their series Saturday, with Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg starting against Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard. Strasburg is 8-5 with a 2.83 ERA in 17 career starts against the Mets; Syndergaard is 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA in five starts at Nationals Park. BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Some Pittsburgh Pirates were upset when Jeff Branson was fired at the end of last season after six years with the team.It helps that new hitting coach Rick Eckstein is off to a smooth start in spring training.“I like him a lot,” right fielder Gregory Polanco said. “He knows a lot about hitting but he explains what he’s thinking to you in a way that’s easy to understand. I think he’s really going to help our whole team.”The Pirates’ offense was 19th in the major leagues last season with an average of 4.3 runs a game and 25th with 157 home runs.Manager Clint Hurdle believes by using a blend of analytics and video technology that Eckstein and new assistant hitting coach Jacob Cruz can squeeze more out of the offense in 2019.“I think we’ve really put two new men for us into place that have their finger on the pulse of the offensive game http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-tim-tebow-jersey ,” said Hurdle, who was a hitting coach with the Colorado Rockies and Texas Rangers. “They’re more proactive than reactive. Sometimes you don’t get results and a new voice can have an impact.“The research both of these guys did as we went through the interview process, the experience they’ve had with analytics, with new technology, with new ways to measure, with new ways to instruct, with new ways to teach, it all just seemed like the perfect combination for us.”Eckstein spent the last two years as the Minnesota Twins’ minor league hitting coordinator. He was the Washington Nationals’ hitting coach from 2008-13.Eckstein is spending this spring learning the hitters’ strengths and weaknesses. He is tailoring individual plans to each player rather than trying to make them adhere to one philosophy.“That’s where our head is, as far as taking this thing forward,” Eckstein said. “We’re tapping into each guy to reach more of their potential and play as a unit where we’re all on the same page.”The older brother of David Eckstein Nolan Ryan Jersey , the MVP of the 2006 World Series while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, is a proponent of technology. However, he believes communicating with the hitters is paramount.“Our focus is a little bit more on a ground-floor level of timing and positioning and understanding that there are certain areas of the hitting area that we need to be really good,” Eckstein said. “There’s a difference between the strike zone and the hitting area, and within that there are contact points that are optimal contact points, and there are contact points that are sub-optimal.“If we understand that everybody has a downward plane of their swing and everybody has an upward plane of their swing, where does that play for you?”NOTES: INF/OF Alfredo Reyes was moved from the minor league camp to the major league camp Saturday as a non-roster invitee. He played at three levels of the minors last season, finishing at Triple-A Indianapolis. . The Pirates continue to list C Elias Diaz as week to week because of a virus. The team hasn’t provided any further details.

Law enforcement has linked 19-year-oldTyress Williamsto the burglaries of a number of celebrities Mark McGwire Jersey , according to TMZ.Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Rams receiver Robert Woods, singerRihanna and singer Christina Milian have all had their houses broken into recently. Williams was reportedly pulled over by police and found to have stolen items in his vehicle.TMZ obtained footage of the break-in at Puig's home:TMZalsoposted security footage of a person identified as Williams kicking in the door to Puig's house.It marked the fourth time Puig's house has been burglarized. Hehad$500,000 in jewelrystolen from his house in March 2017,$150 in costume jewelrytaken during Game 7 of the 2017 World Series and was also the subject of anattemptedrobberyin August.While being robbed would anger many people, Puig wasn't letting the repeated incidents bother him.(Warning: NSFW language)"I ain't worried about that s--t," Puig told TMZ Sports in November 2017. "I have a f--king lot of money."Meanwhile http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-marcell-ozuna-jersey , as Woods was hauling in five catches for 101 yards and one touchdown in a 38-31 victory over the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday, his house was being robbed.Williams was arrested Friday in connection with the burglary after it was discovered he had items that belonged to Woods.Per TMZ, Milian's home was targeted twice in the span of four days at the end of August.Charges are expected to be filed Tuesday. A look at what’s happening around the majors today:GROWING BOTE OF WORKCubs rookie David Bote tries to keep his sensational rookie season rolling in a game against Cincinnati. Bote walked off Chicago with a 10th-inning homer Friday, his second game-ending shot this month. The 25-year-old didn’t get much hype as a prospect, but he’s finding the spotlight regularly in the majors, with each of his five home runs either tying the game or putting the Cubs ahead. That includes a ninth-inning grand slam for a 4-3 win over Washington on Aug. 12.GOOD GETMike Fiers has given Oakland a major boost in its pursuit of the Astros in the AL West, a trend the right-hander will try to continue against Minnesota. Fiers is 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-marcell-ozuna-jersey , 21 strikeouts and one walk in three starts since being acquired from Detroit on Aug. 6, finding success with the A’s by pitching up in the zone with his fastball more often. Oakland entered Friday 1 1/2 games behind Houston, and Fiers has a chance to help bump the Astros off the division lead a year after making 28 starts for the World Series champions.DODGER KILLERJustin Verlander is set to pitch against the Angels in Anaheim, though at least one Dodger fan has taken note that the Astros ace is in LA. Verlander, who started twice against the Dodgers in last year’s World Series, got a surprise Friday while dining at the Beverly Hills Hotel when his bill included a $1 million item for “Dodger Killer.”“#BeveryHillsHotel really making me pay for that World Series win,” Verlander wrote on Twitter .BACK Paul DeJong Jersey , BUT WITH BAGGAGEBlue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez is set to come off the DL against Philadelphia for his first start since a suitcase-related injury sidelined him in late June. Sanchez acknowledged Wednesday that the bruised right index finger that has kept him out for the past two months occurred when his finger got caught in a falling suitcase. The incident happened June 21, hours before Sanchez took the mound in Los Angeles against the Angels with about 180 friends and family from his hometown of Barstow, California, in the crowd. He pitched through the pain for an inning, then exited and ended up on the 60-day DL.SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVEIn a matchup between resurgent starting pitchers on a roll, Washington right-hander Tanner Roark (8-12, 4.05 ERA) faces Zack Wheeler (8-6 lex Reyes Jersey , 3.63) and the Mets at Citi Field. Roark is 5-0 with a 1.63 ERA in his past six starts. Wheeler, who beat the Nationals at home on July 14, is 6-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his last seven outings. He struck out a season-high 10 over seven innings last time out against San Francisco, but is 3-8 with a 4.79 ERA in 12 career starts vs. Washington.

The Cleveland Indians have exercised pitcher Carlos Carrasco's $9.75 million team option for the 2019 season http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey , according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.The club confirmed the news.Per Bastian, the club also declined outfielder Brandon Guyer's $3 million option, instead paying a $250,000 buyout. The 32-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent.Carrasco has turned into one of baseball's best bargains since he signed afour-year, $22 million extensionin April 2015. In those four seasons, the right-hander has gone 60-36 with a 3.40 ERA in 119 games. He has thrown 183-plus innings in three of the past four years, including 200 in 2017.The 31-year-old went 17-10 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 32 games (30 starts), striking out a career-high 231 in 192 innings. He posted a 2.52 ERA in 14 games (13 starts) after the All-Star break.Not only has he had regular-season success, but he has also shown up on the big stage. He has allowed just two runs in 11 innings over two postseason starts, including a 2017 outing in which he shut out the New York Yankees for 5.2 frames while allowing just three hits and striking out seven.Carrasco's emergence has given Cleveland one of the best rotations in baseball. Headlined by Carrasco, two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber and 2018 AL All-Star Trevor Bauer, the Indians rotationrankedthird in the majors with a 3.39 ERA and ranked second to only the Houston Astros in strikeouts.Meanwhile, ClevelandacquiredGuyerin a 2016 trade-deadline deal. He later re-signed on atwo-year contract, which included a club option. He hit .206 with seven home runs, 11 doubles and 27 RBI in 103 games in 2018.While his numbers may not jump off the page Huston Street Jersey , Guyer will best be remembered in Cleveland for his performance during the 2016 playoffs. As the Indians made a run to the World Series, he posted a .333 average with one double, six runs and three RBI in 10 appearances. Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesThe 2018 MLB season is now in the books and the Boston Red Sox are World Series champions.With that comes the start of another busy MLB offseason, highlighted by a star-studded free-agent class that includes Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and potentially Clayton Kershaw if he decides to exercise his opt-out clause.That said, the trade market could be just as impactful, especially considering the shortage of impact starting pitching options available in free agency and the exorbitant price tag expected to be applied to the top available bats.With the rumor mill set to kick into high gear, we've taken a quick look at some of the latest trade buzz.The Yankees are receiving calls on Gary SanchezElsa/Getty ImagesIt was a tough 2018 season for New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez.After posting a 126 OPS+ with 33 home runs and 90 RBI in 2017, the 25-year-old was expected to be a crucial part of the team's offense once again this season.Instead, he hit just .186/.291/.406 for an 86 OPS+ and a groin injury limited him to just 89 games.With team control through the 2022 season and an impressive track record of success already on his resume, Sanchez will be a prime candidate for a bounce-back season in 2019.It should come as no surprise, then, that a few opportunistic teams have already inquired about potentially acquiring him in a buy-low trade."We know what he's capable of doing," general manager Brian Cashman said on Michael Kay鈥檚 radio show (h/t Mike Axisa ofRiver Ave. Blues). "And I'm already getting phone calls to be honest from clubs trying to knock on our door to see if he's available. And he's not 鈥?He will be our catcher."While a trade is unlikely, and Cashman was rather cut-and-dry in his comments http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey , teams wouldn't be reaching out if they didn't think there was at least some chance of acquiring him.If a catcher-needy team like the Atlanta Braves or Washington Nationals comes along with an offer they can't refuse, stranger things have happened.The Blue Jays could decline their team option on Justin SmoakTom Szczerbowski/Getty ImagesJon Heyman of FanCred offered up the following note in his latest roundup: "The Jays aren't a certainty to pick up Justin Smoak's $7 million option."Smoak, 31, has been a revelation for the Blue Jays the past two seasons after signing a two-year, $8.5 million extension at the end of the 2016 season that included a 2019option:2017:131 OPS+, 38 HR, 90 RBI, 3.2 WAR2018:122 OPS+, 25 HR, 77 RBI, 2.3 WARFor teams looking to add a reasonably priced power hitter without making a long-term commitment, acquiring Smoak as a one-year rental would appear to be an appealing option.It's a surprising to hear that his option is not a lock to be exercised.The Blue Jays are clearly rebuilding, and with the contracts of Josh Donaldson and Marco Estrada off the books, money shouldn't be a driving factor.Unless they've already canvassed the market and failed to get any promising nibbles, it's hard to envision a scenario where cutting ties with Smoak and paying his $250 Nolan Ryan Jersey ,000 buyout is the best option. The Starting Pitching MarketSonny GrayBrace Hemmelgarn/Getty ImagesThe starting pitching market in free agency features the likes of Patrick Corbin, Dallas Keuchel, Nathan Eovaldi, Charlie Morton and J.A. Happ. They are allsolid options but perhaps better fits as middle-of-the-rotation starters than staff headliners.As a result, it could be a busy winter on the starting pitching trade market.Jeff Todd of MLBTradeRumors recently took a quick run through what the market might look like, breaking the pitchers into three categories:Top Targets:Madison Bumgarner (SF), Jacob deGrom (NYM), Noah Syndergaard (NYM), Zack Wheeler (NYM), Zack Greinke (ARI)Mid-Rotation Targets:Sonny Gray (NYY), Andrew Cashner (BAL), Ivan Nova (PIT), Tanner Roark (WAS), Marcus Stroman (TOR), Robbie Ray (ARI) http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey , Zack Godley (ARI), Dylan Bundy (BAL), Danny Duffy (KC)Contract Dumps:Ian Kennedy (KC), Tyler Chatwood (CHC), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Alex Cobb (BAL), Jeff Samardzija (SF), Homer Bailey (CIN)Most of those names are speculative on Todd's part, though it does sound like Sonny Gray is a likely candidate to be dealt."We're entering the winter open-minded to relocation," Yankees GM Brian Cashman told David Lennon ofNewsday in regards of Gray. "It's probably best to try somewhere else."If nothing else, the list should serve as a useful resource of pitchers that might be available this winter.All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia is expected to step down at the end of this season James Paxton Jersey , according to a report by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.Scioscia has managed the Angels since 2000 and is the longest-tenured manager in the majors. Only four managers in baseball history have managed one team for more consecutive seasons than these 19 by Scioscia.The 59-year-old Scioscia led the Angels to a World Series title in 2002.The Athletic’s report was pinned on unidentified major league sources and surfaced late Saturday night following the Angels’ 3-0 loss at Cleveland. Scioscia is under contract through the end of 2018. The Angels are 55-57 this year.A voicemail left by The Associated Press with a media relations member traveling with the Angels was not immediately returned.Scioscia has 1,625 career wins. The former big league catcher led the Angels to six division titles and seven playoff appearances. HAVANA (AP) — Major League Baseball, its players’ association and the Cuban Baseball Federation reached an agreement that will allow players from the island to sign big league contracts without defecting, an effort to eliminate the dangerous trafficking that had gone on for decades.The agreement, which runs through Oct. 31, 2021, allows Cubans to sign under rules similar to those for players under contract to clubs in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.“For years, Major League Baseball has been seeking to end the trafficking of baseball players from Cuba by criminal organizations by creating a safe and legal alternative for those players to sign with major league clubs,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement Wednesday. “We believe that this agreement accomplishes that objective and will allow the next generation of Cuban players to pursue their dream without enduring many of the hardships experienced by current and former Cuban players who have played Major League Baseball.”Depending on the quality of future players, the agreement could mean millions of dollars in future income for the cash-poor Cuban federation, which has seen the quality of players and facilities decline in recent years as talent went overseas.The agreement marks a step forward in U.S.-Cuba relations during a time of tensions between Cuba and the Trump administration, which has pledged to undo President Barack Obama’s 2014 opening with the island.MLB said the deal was allowed by amendments to the Cuban Asset Control Regulations of March 16, 2016, that established the provisions of a general license from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The league said OFAC confirmed to Major League Baseball in a letter dated Sept. 20, 2016 http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-marcell-ozuna-jersey , that an agreement with the Cuban federation would be valid.“Baseball has always been a bridge between our two nations, facilitating people-to-people connections and larger agreements that have brought our countries closer together,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat.Any disputes between MLB and the Cuban federation are subject to resolution by the International Chamber of Commerce.“Establishing a safe, legal process for entry to our system is the most important step we can take to ending the exploitation and endangerment of Cuban players who pursue careers in Major League Baseball,” union head Tony Clark said in a statement. “The safety and well-being of these young men remains our primary concern.”Only players under contract to the Cuban federation are covered by the agreement, and the Cuban federation agreed to release all players 25 and older with at least six years of professional experience. They would be classified as international professionals under MLB’s labor contract with the players’ association and not subject to international amateur signing bonus pools.The Cuban federation may at its discretion release younger players to sign minor league contracts with MLB organizations.A player can decide whether he wants a registered MLBPA agent to negotiate a major league contract. He may use a representative other than an agent to negotiate a minor league deal.U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican, called it a “homerun agreement,” tweeting “This deal will make life better for Cuban baseball players, who will no longer have to risk unsafe passage to the U.S.”Players have told stories of harrowing crossings on rafts and rickety boats — some later challenged as exaggerations.“Today is a day that I am extremely happy,” said a statement from Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, who was smuggled out of Cuba by traffickers linked to a Mexican drug gang, according to court testimony. “To know future Cuban players will not have to go through what we went through makes me so happy.”Cuban-born players have a long history in the major leaguers, led by Minnie Minoso with nine All-Star selections, Tony Oliva with eighth and Camilo Pascual and Tony Perez with seven each. And while Puig Miles Mikolas Jersey , Orlando and Livan Hernandez, Aroldis Chapman and others became stars in recent decades, others have been big-money busts. Outfielder Rusney Castillo agreed to a $72.5 million, seven-year contract with Boston in 2014 and has appeared in just 99 games with the Red Sox while playing 347 in the minor leagues.“Words cannot fully express my heartfelt joy,” Chicago White Sox All-Star first baseman Jose Abreu said in a statement. “Dealing with the exploitation of smugglers and unscrupulous agencies will finally come to an end for the Cuban baseball player. To this date, I am still harassed.”Any players allowed to sign with big league clubs can do so without leaving Cuba, and the fee paid by the signing team will be covered by the same rules as in MLB’s other posting systems: 20 percent of the first $25 million of a major league contract, 17.5 percent of the next $25 million and 15 percent of any amount over $50 million. There will be a supplemental fee of 15 percent of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.For minor league contracts, the fee will be 25 percent of the signing bonus, and there will be a supplemental fee for any foreign professionals who at first agree to minor league deals that include major league terms that later come into force.A former Cuban federation player under contract to a MLB club may return to Cuba during the offseason. He can play in Cuba during the offseason only with his MLB club’s consent.Cuban players will need the consent of a series of sports officials in the country before the Cuban Baseball Federation agrees to release them, according to the organization’s president, Higinio Velez. He described the new system as a way of protecting the quality of Cuban baseball while allowing players to head to MLB without resorting to traffickers or breaking ties with their country.Addressing young players’ families, he said, “This is the legal path, the secure path that we’ve always dreamed of for their children.”“Today’s contract gives the Cuban player a secure life Bud Norris Jersey , a tranquil one, of being able to play in Cuba, be signed by any team in the major leagues, to be able to return, to be with their family, travel with their family, to come and go legally any time they want,” he said.The departure of young Cuban players to MLB has slowed since limits were placed on signing bonuses for international amateurs starting July 2, 2017.For 2017-18, outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez got $2.8 million from Texas, and the only other signing bonus over $300,000 for a Cuban-born amateur was $750,000 for shortstop Eddy Diaz (Colorado).In the current signing period that started July 2, the largest signing bonus for a Cuban-born amateur has been $975,000 for outfielder Jairo Pomares with San Francisco.