The Yankees have agreed to a four-year, $52 million contract extension with outfielder Brett Gardner that includes a fifth-year club option for $12.5 million or a $2 million buyout. The extension will begin in 2015.

Reds pitcher Mat Latos continues to make speedy progress from left knee surgery. On Sunday, Latos’ fourth day of his long-tossing program had him throwing at distances of 100-120 feet.

Ace left-hander Cole Hamels pronounced himself ready to throw his first bullpen session of the spring after throwing from 60 feet on flat ground Sunday at the Carpenter Complex. That’s good news for the Phillies, who hope he’ll miss only a couple regular-season starts after an offseason bout with biceps tendinitis.

It was logical for the Rockies to change their minds. Three-time Rawlings Gold Glove-winning left fielder Carlos Gonzalez just didn’t think it would happen so quickly.

Recently, Nationals outfielder Denard Span called the 2014 season the most important of his career. He wants to show the Nationals that he can be consistent at the plate for an entire season.

Felix Hernandez threw his first live batting practice of the spring on Sunday as the Mariners ace progresses toward what will be a club-record seventh Opening Day start if all goes as planned over the next five weeks.

If the season opened Sunday, Alex Avila would be playing through back spasms. He gets them a couple of times a year, he said, but it usually doesn’t force him out of the lineup.

Cliff Lee turned 35 last summer, but there’s no regression in sight for the left-hander, who believes “age is just a number” — and the Phillies need to follow that mantra in order to succeed.

The Angels and outfielder Mike Trout are discussing a six-year contract extension worth an estimated $150 million, according to a report by Yahoo Sports.

Recovery and rehab have defined Justin Morneau since July 7, 2010, when he suffered a concussion when his head banged against the knee of Blue Jays second baseman John McDonald, but he now has a chance to redefine his career.

Nelson Cruz had a physical on Sunday morning, and the Orioles are expected to officially announce their one-year deal with the outfielder on Monday.

Veteran Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre is still on top of his game at age 34. He has thought often about his life after baseball, but isn’t planning on retiring any time soon.

Is Andrew McCutchen entertaining? Yeah, pull up a chair. But when it’s time for the day job, McCutchen becomes a one-trick pony again. It’s all baseball — one trick, five tools.

Barry Bonds, MLB’s all-time leader in home runs, will join the Giants in Scottsdale, Ariz., next month as a special instructor for the organization’s young hitters.

John Danks won’t worry about velocity when he takes the mound for Cactus League action this March, with his first start coming Saturday at home against the Indians. Instead, the focus for the left-handed veteran is on getting his cutter back in shape.

The Rockies have scrapped a plan to move three-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner Carlos Gonzalez to center field and will keep him in left, manager Walt Weiss said Saturday.

In 1996, as an 18-year-old senior for Our Lady of Hope Cathedral High School of Springfield, Mass., Chris Capuano stood proudly on the mound at Fenway Park.