The D-backs are reportedly in talks with right-hander Bartolo Colon, who went 8-10 with a 4.00 for the Yankees last season.

The 2011 season is likely one that Colby Rasmus and Brett Cecil would like to forget. They can go a long way toward keeping last year in the past by displaying in 2012 the progress that the Blue Jays expect of each.

Chicago police questioned Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro on Thursday night about allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman in late September. No charges have been filed against Castro.

The Number 13 and popular culture have been staring down each other for eons. Ballplayers, as some of the most visible cultural icons, typically lead the parade away from the ultimate tragic number.

Prince Fielder has established himself as one of the top sluggers in the game, but a combination of factors have led to this winter being a less-than-ideal time for him to hit the open market.

The Rockies and Triple-A Colorado Springs announced on Friday that they have extended their player development contract through 2014

The Phillies avoided salary arbitration with right-hander Kyle Kendrick on Friday, when they reached an agreement on a one-year, $3.585 million contract.

J.C. Romero, suspended for 50 games while with the Phillies in 2009 after a positive test for a banned substance, has settled a lawsuit against the creators and distributors of a supplement that he said caused him to fall astray of the league's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The Yoenis Cespedes sweepstakes appears to be down to six teams. The Cuban center fielder told a reporter from The Associated Press in the Dominican Republic that the Marlins, Cubs, White Sox, O's, Tigers and Indians have expressed the most interest.

Dr. Frank Jobe, the surgeon who performed the historic 1974 elbow operation on Tommy John, resulting in a career-saving surgery that bears the former pitcher's name, will be honored Saturday during the annual Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation gala in Los Angeles.

It will be another month before the Astros head to Florida for the start of Spring Training, but more than a dozen players have been getting ready by working out at Minute Maid Park with strength and conditioning coach Gene Coleman since the start of the year.

J.P. Howell could do no wrong during the 2008 and '09 seasons, but when he returned from a left shoulder injury in '11, Howell encountered some bumps in the road. He felt jilted at the time, but he has now had the chance to put the experience in perspective as he prepares for the 2012 season.

It seemed like just another season at the time, but it's grown into a seismic beacon of change for baseball. The grand old game saw plenty of innovation in 1992.

Adam Everett's release by the Indians last season came amidst the club's youth movement at the Major League level. Everett has now returned to continue assisting Cleveland's future. On Friday, the Indians announced that Everett has joined the front office as a special assistant to baseball operations.

Third baseman Adrian Beltre, who dealt with multiple injuries last season — including a bruised left knee in the postseason — said he is healthy and ready to go when Spring Training begins next month.

Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan said on Thursday night that he is "optimistic" that Texas will get a deal done with Japanese star Yu Darvish before next Wednesday afternoon's deadline.

MLB.com youth correspondent Meggie Zahneis recounts the story of covering Barry Larkin's homecoming ceremony after he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.