Miguel Montero has always enjoyed playing at Wrigley Field, and he found out just how supportive Cubs fans are when he was traded to the team in December.

The Max Scherzer free-agent market has defied what we think of as normal procedure. The righty’s market may currently be in the range between enigma and mystery, but there remains a widespread belief that Scherzer and his agent, Scott Boras, will end up with a contract very much like the one that they want.

Yes, the Hot Stove season keeps percolating a few weeks into the New Year. The end-of-year awards went by and the Hall of Fame arguments have quieted, and eye-opening signings, a blockbuster trade or three, and some front office changes have had us on our toes. But seriously, what’s going to happen with Max Scherzer and James Shields already?

While Dan Haren had been vocal about his desire to return to the West Coast, FOXsports.com reported on Sunday that the right-hander will report to Spring Training with the Marlins.

Baseball legend and Atlanta icon Hank Aaron is part of a group hoping to purchase the Atlanta Hawks, according to a report by ESPN.com.

These aren’t — and won’t be — the Rays as we once knew them. The identity change taking place in Tampa Bay is dramatic — much more so, I’d argue, than when the “Devil” was dropped. But what the Rays are doing is a necessary byproduct of their market-borne business model, and we might one day look back at this winter whiplash as a necessary evil.

Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia told the New York Daily News on Friday that he is experiencing no pain and expects to be ready for Spring Training after recovering from right knee surgery.

Pedro Martinez, who this week became the second Dominican native elected into the Hall of Fame, returned to his native country Saturday. He celebrated with thousands of people at a public park in Santo Domingo

A day after getting traded to Oakland, Ben Zobrist noted that he was “sad to be leaving Tampa Bay.” The Rays traded Zobrist and Yunel Escobar to the Athletics for catcher John Jaso and prospects Daniel Robertson and Boog Powell.

The Yankees made three personnel moves on Sunday, hiring a pair of hitting coaches and an infield coach, according to the YES Network. The club did not confirm the hirings.

A day after having shoulder surgery to fix his right AC joint, Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth said in an email to MLB.com that he expects to be fully recovered by Opening Day. Werth had the procedure done at the Mayo Clinc in Rochester, Minn., on Friday. Werth said there weren’t any surprises during the surgery. The recovery time is two to three months.

The Padres have signed right-hander Jose Valverde, 36, to a Minor League contract. The longtime reliever has racked up 288 saves across his 12-season career.

Soon enough, Logan Markus was snoozing quietly in the warmth of his Giants T-shirt and blanket, safely snuggled up in one of the dozens of strollers decorated in orange and black that could be found at the Finley Community Center on Saturday afternoon. But when the big moment came a few minutes earlier, Logan had his eyes wide open and struck the perfect pose for a portrait with mom, dad — and the 2014 World Series trophy.

The A’s replenished the depth of their lineup as well as their bench Saturday by acquiring utility man Ben Zobrist and shortstop Yunel Escobar from the Tampa Bay Rays.

General manager Billy Beane has the ability to ignore the noise. He’s been doing this stuff long enough that he trusts his judgment and that of his assistants. That’s the lesson of this offseason in which Beane has taken the A’s apart and put them back together again.

The Rangers began their 2015 Winter Caravan by bringing two players on the upswing to their first stop on Saturday afternoon.

Most figured Ben Zobrist would be elsewhere in 2015. On Saturday, that speculation came to fruition when the Rays traded one of the most popular players in team history to the A’s. The surprise came in the fact that Yunel Escobar joined him. In return for their shortstop and utility man, the Rays received catcher John Jaso and a pair of prospects, shortstop Daniel Robertson and outfielder Boog Powell.