Opinion

Johnny Cueto has yet to throw a meaningful pitch for the San Francisco Giants, so it's a bit early to be talking about his opt-out clause. Right?

Well, yes. But let's do it anyway, because speculation is fun and opt-outs matter in today's MLB.

In winning the American League pennant in 2014 and the World Series in 2015, the Kansas City Royals had a system.

And on Opening Night of the 2016 season, they showed that the system still works.

After the Toronto Blue Jays' Marcus Stroman cruised through the bottom of the seventh inning in Sunday's 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, ESPN announcer Dave Flemming noted it was the young r

Spring training is never about wins and losses, but it can still be about winning and losing.

No one remembers the score of the St. Louis Cardinals' May 5 game against the Miami Marlins (I looked it up; they won 3-2). But the Cardinals won't forget losing shortstop Jhonny Peralta that day to a thumb injury that required surgery.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Once more around the block with David Ortiz, then the retirement papers take effect after the 2016 season and it's off to Legendville. What a ride it's been, fabulous and funny, dramatic and dynamic.

The Minnesota Twins acquired him in September 1996, literally as a player to be named later for third baseman Dave Hollins.

When the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates kick off the 2016 MLB season on Sunday, we will have endured 153 days without meaningful baseball.

That's five months and change of frigid weather, feverish hot-stove tracking and the long, sometimes tedious exhibition slate.

Now, at last, the games count. The stats matter. The grass is cut, the lines are chalked. You're ready. They're ready.

First, though, let's check in with another installment of "hottest questions."

When the Boston Red Sox signed Pablo Sandoval in the winter of 2014, their hope was surely that he would take his game to new heights.

Instead, Sandoval has gone down, down and down some more. And on Thursday morning, you could practically hear the THUD of him hitting bottom.

In year one, you feast. In year two, the bill arrives.

We're talking about the dreaded and enigmatic sophomore slump, when MLB rookies follow their breakout debuts with underwhelming second acts. 

The New York Yankees bullpen had a biblical feel to it at the start of spring training. We knew it was general manager Brian Cashman's creation, but it seemed as if a higher power put it together.

The New York Mets will try to ease worries about the middle of their defense before the end of spring training.

The reigning National League champions boast a prolific lineup that was eighth in the league in home runs last season. They also have one of the best starting rotations in baseball.