At times fighting back tears and at other times displaying the type of self-effacing wit that made him a beloved teammate throughout his career, Red Sox right-hander Ryan Dempster announced Sunday that he won’t pitch in 2014.

For the last four years, Bryan Price would drive to the Reds player development complex, change in the coaches locker room and get to work at a desk in a conference room across the hall from the manager’s office to perform his functions as the team’s pitching coach. This year, Price’s route to get to the complex is the same, but now the manager’s office belongs to him.

The unusual scheduling necessitated by the Dodgers’ season-opening trip to Australia could allow National League Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw to pitch three of the club’s first six regular-season games. But manager Don Mattingly said he thinks that’s asking too much.

Aside from surgery to repair a left thumb injury that plagued him from Opening Day on last season, Red Sox second baseman spent his offseason relaxing with his family and preparing for the 2014 season.

Madison Bumgarner was born in 1989, just as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were winding down an epic NBA rivalry. The basketball icons admittedly used each other to lift themselves to legendary heights. Something similar could be brewing in the National League West, as Bumgarner, the Giants’ emerging star, gets set to author another chapter in his club’s long rivalry with the Dodgers, led by fellow southpaw Clayton Kershaw.

Josh Hamilton is back in camp, weighing in at 240 pounds and eying a different set of numbers for 2014: .300 batting average, 30 home runs, 100 RBIs.

The Braves locked up another young core player Sunday, agreeing to four-year contract with closer Craig Kimbrel. The long-term agreement allows Kimbrel and the Braves to avoid arbitration. Kimbrel’s deal is guaranteed to be worth four years and $42 million. The potential max value is five years and between $58-59 million.

University of New Orleans head coach Ron Maestri and a group of his Privateer players joined coaches and players from LSU, Grambling and Southern as instructors for the two-hour clinic Urban Youth Academy clinic, which was followed by a college and career fair attended by five universities and two companies.

Offseason surgery has Stephen Strasburg feeling better physically, and fatherhood has given him a new perspective on life both inside and outside the game.

Slowly but surely, A’s pitchers and catchers filed into Phoenix Municipal Stadium for reporting day Friday, trickling in with a light schedule in advance of Saturday’s first official workout.

Change is in the air as the Yankees filter into George M. Steinbrenner Field this week. There are some familiar faces, but Joe Girardi suspects that his first lineup of the season may feature a different name at every position.

From the glimpse Yasiel Puig provided last season, when he hit .319 and played with a fearless, passionate style that sometimes left him looking foolish, it’s hard to imagine there will ever be many dull years in his career.

James McDonald was one of two Cubs pitchers who formally signed Thursday, along with Jason Hammel. He joins his cousin, Darnell McDonald, in Spring Training.

Angels owner Arte Moreno confirmed Friday the club is in talks with Mike Trout about a long-term contract, said he isn’t opposed to going over the luxury-tax threshold for the right player and expressed optimism about snapping a four-year postseason absence in 2014.

The Rangers avoided another arbitration hearing when they agreed to a one-year contract with designated hitter Mitch Moreland, who agreed to a contract worth $2.65 million.

Instead of working out with his teammates on the first day of Reds Spring Training, starting pitcher Mat Latos underwent left knee surgery on Friday to repair torn meniscus cartilage.

Orioles camp officially opened on Friday as nearly 30 pitchers and catchers took the field to begin the first workout of Spring Training at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.