8:12 AM ET If Tony Clark had asked, I would have suggested the Major League Baseball Players Association chief give a holiday read of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book “Leadership: In Turbulent Times.” Within it, she writes about the different leadership styles of Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt as they faced the nation’s worst financial

8:00 PM ET Associated Press ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers acquired right-handed pitcher Luke Farrell on a waiver claim Friday from the Los Angeles Angels. Texas also signed right-handers Adrian Sampson and Rafael Montero to minor league contracts with invitations to major league spring training. Farrell, the son of former big league manager John

6:56 PM ET NEW YORK — Infielder Manny Machado might still be a free agent whom the New York Yankees desire, but the recently signed Troy Tulowitzki will open spring training next month with a legitimate chance to be the team’s “everyday shortstop,” general manager Brian Cashman said Friday. It was while speaking to reporters

10:56 AM ET The Tampa Bay Rays, who ranked next to last in the majors in attendance last season, are eliminating more than 10,000 seats in an effort to create a more “intimate” experience for fans at Tropicana Field. The Rays on Friday said they would add a premium seating section in the lower level

6:57 AM ET The Christmas holiday marks the midpoint of the baseball offseason. In fact, given an initial spring training reporting date of Feb. 13 for pitchers and catchers, the recent Dec. 25 respite neatly splits the hot stove season perfectly in two. We’re a week past that now, so we are officially on the

1:54 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Free-agent reliever David Robertson has agreed with the Philadelphia Phillies on a two-year, $23 million contract that includes a third-year club option, a source familiar with the agreement told ESPN. The 33-year-old

5:41 PM ET CHICAGO — The Cubs hired former major league infielder Mark Loretta as their bench coach Wednesday, replacing Brandon Hyde, who was hired as the manager of the Baltimore Orioles last month. Loretta, 47, had spent the past nine years in the front office of the San Diego Padres. He’ll be manager Joe

2:36 PM ET The Seattle Mariners have been tearing down their major league roster this winter, so it was a modest surprise to hear they’d won the bidding for NPB star Yusei Kikuchi, posted this winter by the Seibu Lions, as he’s ready right now and could help a team looking to contend in 2019.

7:00 AM ET CHICAGO — Search “Cubs” in any social media platform these days, and you’re not going to find the same vibe that existed after the 2016 World Series. A team coming off a disappointing finish — combined with a quiet winter so far — is starting to feel the heat from an expectant

1:29 AM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” Free-agent veteran shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has agreed to a deal to join the New York Yankees, league sources tell ESPN. The deal, which is pending completion of a physical exam, provides the