Rays’ shakeup could pay off sooner rather than later

These aren’t — and won’t be — the Rays as we once knew them. The identity change taking place in Tampa Bay is dramatic — much more so, I’d argue, than when the “Devil” was dropped. But what the Rays are doing is a necessary byproduct of their market-borne business model, and we might one day look back at this winter whiplash as a necessary evil.

Werth expects to be fully recovered by Opening Day

A day after having shoulder surgery to fix his right AC joint, Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth said in an email to MLB.com that he expects to be fully recovered by Opening Day. Werth had the procedure done at the Mayo Clinc in Rochester, Minn., on Friday. Werth said there weren’t any surprises during the surgery. The recovery time is two to three months.

Fans flock to get close to Giants’ World Series trophy

Soon enough, Logan Markus was snoozing quietly in the warmth of his Giants T-shirt and blanket, safely snuggled up in one of the dozens of strollers decorated in orange and black that could be found at the Finley Community Center on Saturday afternoon. But when the big moment came a few minutes earlier, Logan had his eyes wide open and struck the perfect pose for a portrait with mom, dad — and the 2014 World Series trophy.