The Orioles and Mark Trumbo avoided arbitration Thursday, settling on a one-year deal worth $9.15 million, a source told MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli. The club has not confirmed the news.

Mark Appel, by his own admission, has yet to live up to the expectations that come with being drafted first overall in 2013, but the right-hander hopes his first season in the Phillies organization will see him put it all together.

The Mariners have avoided an arbitration hearing with newly-acquired outfielder Leonys Martin for a one-year contract. According to CBS Sports, the contract is worth $4.15 million.

For the first time since 2009, the Nationals’ Opening Day shortstop will not be Ian Desmond, who is a free agent. So who will be Daniel Murphy’s double-play partner at short?

The Indians are due to exchange proposed salary figures with their remaining arbitration-eligible players on Friday. Cleveland managed to sidestep that part of the annual process with right-handed setup man Bryan Shaw.

This is the second of a six-part Around the Horn series that will take a position-by-position look at the Cardinals’ projected starters and backup options heading into next season. After looking at the club’s catching depth last week, we’ll examine the corner infield options now.

During a Cubs Caravan stop at Jahn Elementary School on Thursday, students were asked if they knew what the Cy Young Award was. One piped up, saying it was presented to the “best pitcher on the planet Earth.” Most Cubs fans would agree that was Jake Arrieta in 2015. The NL Cy Young Award winner, who led the Major Leagues with 22 wins and compiled a stellar 1.77 ERA, is now waiting to see how his success will affect his paycheck.

Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion have been the heart and soul of the Blue Jays for the past six years, but their time in Canada’s only Major League city could be running out.

I still believe in the Washington Nationals. That’s not the popular opinion it once was, is it? No big deal there. Sometimes, things take a little longer to click. Ask the Kansas City Royals about that.

Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg will rejoin the Cubs as an ambassador to the team, with an official announcement expected this weekend at the Cubs Convention.

The decline of Puerto Rican players in the big leagues was an undeniable fact as the 1990s became the 2000s, and it continued through the early millennium. Things are picking up, however, thanks in part to Major League Baseball taking a pointed interest in making sure young, talented Puerto Rican ballplayers have an outlet to hone their skills.

In the Giants’ latest Inbox, beat reporter Chris Haft answers questions about Tim Lincecum’s future in San Francisco and the state of the bullpen.

Greg Norton has joined the Red Sox as Minor League hitting coordinator, highlighting organizational appointments announced Thursday by Ben Crockett, the club’s director of player development.

How much does spin rate affect batted ball outcomes on curveballs? In the first year of Statcast, it looks like quite a bit. Garrett Richards’ curveball had the highest spin rate of any pitch in baseball, and he used it to get grounder after grounder.

Major League Baseball released its full Spring Training schedule Thursday, featuring a number of notable firsts and must-see matchups in both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues, as well as exhibitions in non-traditional Spring Training venues across North America.

When the Blue Jays open their season on April 3 against Tampa Bay, they’ll have huge X’s on their backs. No longer will they be trying to get back to the postseason for the first time since 1993. They’re American League East defending champs! And they’ll quickly learn repeating might be a greater challenge than winning the division for the first time.

The Rangers have avoided an arbitration hearing with infielder Jurickson Profar by agreeing to a one-year contract. Profar will make $605,000 this season as he continues his recovery from right shoulder surgery.