A’s catcher Stephen Vogt, not much more than three weeks removed from right elbow surgery, is seemingly ahead of schedule after beginning a throwing program Tuesday.

For the first time, a new season will dawn with Ichiro Suzuki on the brink of reaching the coveted 3,000-hit mark. He’s 65 hits away, at 2,935.

You can make a valid argument that Albert Pujols is a more critical component of the Angels’ season than Mike Trout, merely because the public can reasonably expect greatness out of Trout. Pujols is the one who’s 36 year old, recovering from another surgery to his lower half and — because he will once again bat behind Trout — figures to get the most opportunities to drive in runs.

With a clubhouse audience as large as he’ll stand in front of all year, manager Mike Matheny sought to set the tone for the season ahead by delivering his annual address in advance of the Cardinals’ first full-squad workout of spring.

Maikel Franco could be a cornerstone for the Phillies, and he hopes to solidify those expectations with a strong 2016. His work began Tuesday, when the club held its first full-squad workout at Carpenter Complex.

If Jose Abreu hits 40 homers, drives in 120 runs and contends for the 2016 American League Most Valuable Player Award, his regular season still might not equal the greatness of his past offseason.

In his first team meeting of Spring Training, D-backs manager Chip Hale talked about expectations.

The free-agent market was very favorable to non-closing relievers this offseason, an encouraging sign for a free-agent-to-be like Angels setup man Joe Smith.

Perhaps not wanting to stir the pot on the first full-squad workout day at Reds camp, second baseman Brandon Phillips avoided or deflected any questions about his offseason being filled with trade speculation.

First things first, Chris Johnson and Jose Fernandez buried the hatchet a long time ago. Their September 2013 dustup, when they were jawing at each other after Fernandez bat-flipped and admired a home run at Marlins Park, is a distant memory and won’t be a distraction now that the two are teammates.

Though Red Sox chairman Tom Werner wasn’t hrilled by the shape Pablo Sandoval arrived to camp in, he said the key is how the third baseman performs in his second season in Boston, which starts on April 4 in Cleveland.

The shouts could be heard across all four practice diamonds at Tiger Town, breaking the routine of the Spring Training morning workouts. It was neither an injury nor an altercation. It was simply Miguel Cabrera, injecting energy into the first full-squad workout of camp.

As Coors Field prepares to become the latest ballpark to host a National League Hockey game this Saturday, MLB Network joined in the fun by setting up a miniature hockey rink inside Studio 42.

There could come a time this spring when Dodgers pitching prospect Julio Urias will have to make a big decision: suit up for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic qualifying round next month in Mexicali, Mexico, or stay in Arizona and pitch for a spot with Los Angeles.

When he learned he had been traded to the Nationals this past January, Ben Revere reached out to Denard Span, the man he is replacing in center field in Washington, for the rundown on his new team.

Outfielder Michael Saunders said he has been assured by the Blue Jays’ front office that the reported three-team trade between the Blue Jays, Reds and Angels was nothing more than rumor and speculation.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon will deliver his “embrace the target” message to the full squad on Wednesday when the team has its first workout together.