Before he was Barry Larkin: Hall of Famer, 1995 National League MVP and World Series champion with the Reds, he was Barry Larkin: University of Michigan football recruit.

Giants catcher Buster Posey made his debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Thursday, decidedly new territory for the 27-year-old with so many athletic feats and celebratory hugs to his name already.

New Padres general manager A.J. Preller was asked Wednesday about the offseason — his first as a GM — as a whole and his thoughts on it. He smiled. There was a lot to digest, a lot to remember.

Garrett Richards is slated to throw his first bullpen session Monday, three days before pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to camp for their physicals.

With the Phillies in a rebuilding mode, many veterans expect to be traded at some point this season, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. doesn’t expect the situation to be uncomfortable at Spring Training.

The Urban Invitational will return to New Orleans for the second straight year from Feb. 20-22, featuring teams from historically black colleges and universities as well as highlighting MLB’s Urban Youth Academy.

“Pitchers and catchers report” are four of the most beautiful words in the English language. Everything old is new again. As another Spring Training gets underway on Wednesday in Florida and Arizona, we are asking people around Major League Baseball what those four words mean to them.

The Giants completed another offseason free from salary arbitration by agreeing with third baseman Casey McGehee on a one-year contract, the club announced Thursday.

The inaugural International Prospect Series was announced by USA Baseball and Major League Baseball on Thursday and it will be held March 27-28 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. This International All-Star Prospects squad will be comprised mostly of free agent-eligible players who will be able to sign with Major League organizations when the new signing period begins on July 2, selected by Major League Baseball personnel.

While snowfall in the city continues to reach epic proportions, a small glimmer of spring could be seen outside of Fenway Park on Thursday. The Red Sox’s equipment truck left for the team’s Spring Training facility in Fort Myers, Fla., at 12 p.m. ET, as fans cheered and music blared down Van Ness Street.

Pirates third baseman Josh Harrison preached the importance of seizing every opportunity in his 10-minute talk with the Lakota West (Ohio) High School baseball team. He ought to know a little something about that after a breakout 2014 season.

Former Reds outfielding great Eric Davis has been a longtime special assistant to the general manager for the organization. At face value, Davis’ title is one that covers a lot, but it explains little. Like in any organization, and depending on the person, it can mean almost anything.

A month or so after sitting down to dinner with James Shields, and after Shields remained available on the free-agent market, the Padres pulled off what general manager A.J. Preller called the “finishing piece” of a frenetic offseason, securing the 33-year-old righty on a deal worth $75 million, with a club option for a fifth year.

General manager Jeff Luhnow said Roberto Hernandez compete for a spot in the rotation with Dan Straily, Alex White, Asher Wojciechowski, Sam Deduno and Jake Buchanan. Brad Peacock, coming off hip surgery, will be in the mix when he’s healthy.

The A’s were joined by the Dodgers, Giants and Padres among teams with a “notable presence” watching Cuban infielder Hector Olivera’s final open workout, according to Baseball America.

The Yankees believe that Garrett Jones’ swing is a perfect fit to take advantage of Yankee Stadium’s cozy right-field dimensions, and as Spring Training approaches, the slugger said that he is eager to prove them right.

Appearing on “MLB Now Presented by the U.S. Army” on the MLB Network, Adam Ottavino recovered from a rough June by studying trends and making adjustments.