MLB

The Houston Astros announced Monday that minor league pitcher Jose Rosario died in a motorcycle accident Sunday night in the Dominican Republic.

"Our thoughts go out to Jose's family, friends and many teammates," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said in a statement.

Oz Ocampo, Houston's director of international, said in a statement Rosario was a "true student of the game."

The New York Mets announced Monday that longtime catcher Mike Piazza will have his No. 31 jersey retired by the franchise on July 30.  

You won't find the likes of Ian Desmond, Dexter Fowler or Howie Kendrick on the pages that follow. For while they all might ultimately sign contracts for salaries far less than they earned in 2015, all three have draft pick compensation attached to them, the result of their decision to turn down a qualifying offer.

There's no bargain to be had when a team has to surrender a few million dollars—and a draft pick—to sign a player.

The MLB landscape has been flooded with young talent in recent years, and with no shortage of high-profile prospects on the horizon, that's a trend that doesn't figure to end anytime soon.

Ahead, we've ranked the top 25 players in the league under the age of 25, with the cutoff being the player's age when Opening Day arrives April 3.

A few more specifics before we begin:

An eternal hope exists among Cubs fans that every year is “their year.” Even when the Cubs were rebuilding in the first years of the Theo Epstein era, it didn’t dent their optimism.

But 2015 rookie stars Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber gave Cubs fans a hope never seen before in Wrigley Field, sports’ version of a psychological torture chamber.

The offseason isn't over. Just ask Yovani Gallardo, Ian Desmond, Dexter Fowler and the small boatload of other free agents still drifting on the open market.

The biggest names, however, have fallen off the board along with a lot of the smaller ones. And, concurrently, the balance of power has shifted across both leagues.

After spending the last year as sellers, the Oakland Athletics may be ready to start investing in their future with star outfielder Josh Reddick.   

According to John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group, the Athletics and Reddick are ready to start discussions about a multiyear contract extension. 

Continue for updates. 

The Arizona Diamondbacks may not be done making deals, this time exploring trade possibilities for second baseman Aaron Hill.

According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Diamondbacks are "trying to trade" Hill. 

Continue for updates. 

Former Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum wants to prove that he can still pitch at the major league level.

Continue for updates.

Lincecum to Have Throwing Showcase

Saturday, Jan. 23

The former San Francisco Giants star pitcher is looking to host a throwing showcase in early February in hopes of landing a deal with a major league team, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

Major League Baseball has cleared Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish of any potential wrongdoing relating to his brother's alleged illegal gambling operation in Japan, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Jeff Wilson reported.