Ned Yost wouldn't let James Shields try for a 1-0 complete-game win. Terry Francona has already let Justin Masterson do it twice this year. ...more

Hanley Ramirez's thumb injury could have happened just as easily in a spring training game, but you can bet some will blame it on the World Baseball Classic. For all the talk about star players shunning the WBC, the bigger problem the tournament faces is that many major-league teams quietly encourage players not to participate. ...more

The Reds faced a difficult decision with Aroldis Chapman, but returning him to the bullpen was always going to be the safe way to go. And now it appears the Reds will indeed begin 2013 with Chapman as their closer. ...more

The numbers on the stat sheet aren't great, but Jeremy Bonderman has already hit 93 mph on the radar gun, and Mariners pitching coach Carl Willis said he has no doubt Bonderman will succeed in his comeback attempt. Still open is the question of whether he can make it into the Mariners rotation. ...more

Team USA was able to assemble an All-Star lineup. But all the top American-born starting pitchers turned down the chance to pitch in the World Baseball Classic. Not surprisingly, it was a bad outing by a starter (R.A. Dickey giving up four runs) that cost the Americans in their opening 5-2 loss to Mexico. ...more

The Reds won 97 games last year, and were going to be division favorites again, without doing anything drastic. So why did they come to spring training with the idea of trying two big moves that could be read as drastic? ...more

Like most great athletes, Justin Verlander is as competitive as they come. So now that Felix Hernandez's $175 million deal with the Mariners is official, you can bet anything you have that Verlander will want to top it. ...more

The Mariners are closing in on a record $175 million deal with Felix Hernandez, which means yet another of baseball's biggest stars won't get to the free-agent market. The financial playing field isn't level, but there's so much money in the game that most teams can find a way to sign their best players. ...more

The worst news for the World Baseball Classic wasn't that Team USA has too few American stars. No, the worst news is that American baseball fans don't really care that so many stars have chosen not to play. For now, the WBC remains all potential. ...more