Blog

When Alex Anthopoulos became the Braves’ general manager in November, he inherited one of the top farm systems in baseball.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore would not confirm a USA Today report Wednesday that the Royals had offered free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer a seven-year, $147 million deal.

Manny Machado’s name has been one of the most popular — and intriguing — on the trade market this offseason, but industry sources believe the All-Star third baseman will still be manning the hot corner for the Orioles when the season opens on March 29.

One source said Tuesday that the Cardinals are pursuing All-Star first baseman Eric Hosmer, among other options to improve their lineup.

It’s the great leveler.

A pitcher’s health is inherently fragile, and small changes in velocity or stuff can lead to wild fluctuations in performance. Even if a pitcher stays off the disabled list and maintains the quality of his arsenal, outside factors such as defense, luck and where he pitches can significantly affect his results. As with the hitters, there is no perfectly scientific method for determining who is MLB’s most consistent starting pitcher. Still, with all of those obstacles in mind, here is one attempt to do just that, again evaluating the five-year span from 2013-17.

He’s a two-sport star.

It’s a new year, and soon enough it’ll be a new baseball season. And as is the case every season, a new crop of stars will break out in 2018, both on the mound and at the plate. As the calendar flips to January, let’s try to identify some of the hitters who could fit the bill.

The blurred lines between “starter” and “reliever” continue to fade, and now more than ever, teams are just looking for “pitchers” to get 27 outs. Some starters shouldn’t be expected to go deep into games — but who? We have five suggestions.

One source said Tuesday that the Cardinals are pursuing All-Star first baseman Eric Hosmer, among other options to improve their lineup.