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The Steinbrenner family has been synonymous with the New York Yankees since 1973, something managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner does not see changing anytime soon.   

In an interview this week with ESPN.com’s Wallace Matthews, Steinbrenner said he expects the Yankees to remain in the family for many generations to come:

I think all of us feel that way. … This is a family business, and we’re all involved. We all love being a part of this. We all know our dad wanted us to be a part of us (sic), and we all know he’s watching down on us and happy that we’re all a part of it. Believe it or not, to us, that’s a big deal. The idea is, let’s keep it going.

Steinbrenner also confirmed there have already been discussions among the family to eventually have George Steinbrenner’s grandchildren run the franchise: “We got a lot of grandkids, and they’re very interested. The idea is, it’s time to let the young elephants in the tent, in George’s words. So it’s begun.”

There have been rumblings of the Yankees potentially being put up for sale virtually since George Steinbrenner died in 2010. 

In May 2012, Michael O’Keeffe and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News reported the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ sale seemed to pique the Steinbrenner family’s interest in putting the Yankees on the market:

Multiple baseball and finance sources told the Daily News they are hearing that the team the Steinbrenner family has led to seven World Series titles could be put on the block in the wake of the record sale price of $2.175 billion the Los Angeles Dodgers went for in April.“There has been chatter all around the banking and financial industries in the city for a couple of weeks now,” one high-level baseball source told The News.

Hal Steinbrenner, 46, who inherited the team with his brother, Hank, after their father’s death, said they want to keep control of the Yankees because it’s their “way of keeping [their] dad’s legacy alive.”

The Yankees were sold to Steinbrenner in 1973 for a net cost of $8.8 million. The franchise has won seven World Series titles in the subsequent 43 years and become a sports juggernaut in the process. 

Matthews broached the topic of selling the Yankees with Steinbrenner because Forbes valued the franchise at $3.2 billion, tied with the Dallas Cowboys for No. 2 in all of sports. Given what his father paid for the team, that would be a nice return on investment. 

However, Steinbrenner said “it’s all money that we don’t really need.”

While there’s no doubt the Yankees would bring in a huge offer if the Steinbrenner family put them up for sale, they don’t have any impetus to do so. They clearly aren’t hurting for money, which was one reason the Dodgers were sold four years ago. 

The value of sports teams, especially in a market the size of New York, continues to go up. The Steinbrenners know they can wait a long time to put the franchise up for sale without risking any money. 

Business people will always explore options, but the marriage between the Steinbrenner family and the New York Yankees figures to continue for many years. 

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After missing all of 2015 with shoulder problems that eventually led to surgery, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu is making slow progress in his return to the mound in 2016. 

Continue for updates. 

Ryu Likely to Miss Start of Season

Saturday, Feb. 27

Per Eric Stephen of True Blue LA, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Ryu will not be ready when the regular season starts on April 4. Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported Ryu won’t be ready until May.

Per Stephen, Roberts said, “If you look at April 4, he’s behind. We said it from the beginning, there’s no hard date, and we’re not going to rush him.”

Ryu’s 2015 season officially ended on May 21 when he had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He hasn’t appeared in a game since Oct. 6, 2014, against the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series. 

At the time of Ryu’s procedure, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com noted some of the success stories following a similar procedure included Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling. He also pointed out sad endings to promising careers for Jason Schmidt and Mark Prior. 

While time will determine Ryu’s fate on that particular list, by all accounts, right now he is heading in the right direction. The Dodgers will need him back in their rotation after losing Zack Greinke to free agency this offseason. 

Los Angeles still has plenty of depth among starters, with Clayton Kershaw being the alpha dog and Scott Kazmir behind him. Ryu has been a valuable No. 3 for the Dodgers, posting a 3.17 ERA with 293 strikeouts in 344 innings since 2013-14. 

The Dodgers know how important Ryu is to their starting rotation and are going to take their time to ensure he is 100 percent before throwing him out against an MLB lineup.

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If Vladimir Guerrero is elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, he will do so wearing a Los Angeles Angels hat.

Per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Guerrero said “since there is no team in Montreal,” he would “probably” opt for an Angels hat on his plaque if he joins the list of legendary players in Cooperstown, New York.

Guerrero will be among the first-time eligible players for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017. He had a stellar run with the Angels from 2004-09, which included the American League MVP Award in 2004, when he hit .337/.391/.598 with 39 home runs and 126 RBI. 

Yet there’s no arguing Guerrero’s best seasons came when he was with the Montreal Expos from 1996-2003. He was one of the most dynamic players in the sport, posting back-to-back 30-30 seasons in 2001-02, and he finished one home run shy of joining the exclusive 40-40 club in 2002. 

In addition to Guerrero’s ability with the bat, he had one of the best throwing arms of any right fielder in recent memory. 

The already-crowded Baseball Hall of Fame ballot (with holdovers such as Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Barry Bonds) will add Guerrero, Ivan Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and Jorge Posada, among others, next year. 

Guerrero is perhaps the most intriguing candidate on that list. He boasts a career slash line of .318/.379/.553 with 449 home runs, 181 stolen bases, nine All-Star selections, the MVP Award and five other top-10 finishes in MVP voting. 

Regardless which hat Guerrero wears if he gets elected, he was a superstar for more than a decade and belongs in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. 

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The Cleveland Indians‘ depleted outfield has taken another hit, with Abraham Almonte receiving an 80-game suspension.

On Friday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reported Major League Baseball suspended the outfielder for failing a test for performance-enhancing substances.

Per Tom Withers of the Associated Press, the Indians said in a statement that they were “disappointed” upon learning of Almonte’s suspension.

The Indians acquired Almonte from the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline last season. He appeared in 51 games for the team, hitting .264/.321/.455 in 178 at-bats. He also provided solid defense in center field, with FanGraphs crediting him with two defensive runs saved in 481.1 innings. 

Losing Almonte for half of the season is a devastating blow for the Indians, who were already coming into 2016 with major outfield questions. Left fielder Michael Brantley had shoulder surgery in November, which could keep him out for at least the regular season’s first month.

The situation in right field is fluid, with Lonnie Chisenhall and Collin Cowgill possibly platooning. Cleveland did sign Rajai Davis, who has experience at all three outfield positions, early in the offseason. 

Even though Almonte wasn’t a lock to end up as Cleveland’s starting center fielder, he was an option for manager Terry Francona to choose from.

Now, Francona and the Indians front office will have to get more creative with their outfield mix. The American League Central figures to be one of MLB’s most competitive divisions next year, so any setback is huge.

The good news is that MLB announced Almonte’s suspension early enough for Cleveland to see which outfielders separate themselves from the pack during spring training.

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It appears Dexter Fowler had a last-second change of heart, opting to re-sign with the Chicago Cubs for at least one more season. 

The Cubs announced Fowler agreed to terms on a one-year deal for 2016 with a mutual option for 2017.

According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, Fowler will make $8 million in base salary this season, with his option for 2017 at $9 million and a $5 million buyout. Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Fowler then ends up with $13 million in guaranteed money.

Fowler appeared to be on his way to the American League East, with ESPN’s Buster Olney reporting on Tuesday that the 29-year-old agreed to a three-year, $35 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. 

However, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, Fowler’s deal with the Orioles fell through because the team didn’t want to give him an early opt-out. 

Fowler said Chicago is “where my heart is” and confirmed he turned down a three-year offer from another club, though he did not say which it was, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. 

According to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, Fowler’s deal was announced as he was walking onto the field at Cubs spring training in Arizona, and team president Theo Epstein said he would “never top that.”

While the Orioles will be scratching their heads following another unusual contract situation, the Cubs were happy to welcome Fowler back into the fold:

Bringing Fowler back, though, does nothing to alleviate the logjam already present in Chicago’s outfield.

The team did announce prior to re-signing Fowler that Chris Coghlan had been traded to the Oakland Athletics, but even with Coghlan out of the picture, the Cubs now have Fowler, Jason Heyward, Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber all battling for three outfield spots. Javier Baez will also be taking reps in the outfield this spring. 

Epstein said after the deal was announced that Fowler felt there were still things left to accomplish in Chicago, per Sarah Lauch of CSN Original:

There are certainly lineup options Cubs manager Joe Maddon can play with, something he’s loved doing throughout his career. 

One possible solution is having Schwarber, who had a .481 OPS against left-handed pitching last season, sit against southpaws. Fowler, a switch-hitter, has a higher career OPS against lefties (.829) than righties (.761).

Soler is a wildly talented player, but he’s also been susceptible to injury. The 24-year-old missed 61 games last season and played only 62 games in the minors two years ago. Jason Heyward, who is traditionally a right fielder, has never been asked to play center field for a full season.

It’s not necessarily a bad problem to have so much talent in the outfield, but that’s a lot of players battling for playing time. Unless the Cubs are working on a potential deal involving at least one other outfielder, Epstein and Maddon will have to create a lot of at-bats for their crowded roster.

Stats per Baseball-Reference.com.

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Matt Cain‘s struggle to remain healthy continues, as the San Francisco Giants right-hander is dealing with more arm problems early in spring training. It is uncertain when he will be able to return to action.

Continue for updates.  

Cain Comments on Recovery Timeline

Saturday, Feb. 27 

According to Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area, Cain told reporters he’s “confident” he’ll be ready for the season. He added the cyst he’d had removed was just above his elbow and ruptured.  

Cain Had Cyst Surgically Removed

Thursday, Feb. 25

According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Cain had a cyst removed from his right (throwing) arm and will not start throwing again for 10 days. 

Per Pavlovic, the Giants said it is “too early” to know if Cain will be unavailable when the regular season starts on April 4 at Milwaukee. 

Cain’s Production Has Declined as Injuries Have Mounted

Once one of the most durable pitchers in baseball, Cain has fallen off a cliff since 2014. From 2006-13, the former All-Star made at least 30 starts per season and threw at least 184.1 innings. He had surgery to remove bone chips in his pitching elbow in August 2014. 

The 31-year-old started 2015 on the disabled list with a forearm strain, not debuting until July, before going back on the DL in late August with nerve problems in his right elbow. He’s made a total of 28 appearances over the past two seasons. 

There was a time when Cain’s absence would have devastated the Giants, but Madison Bumgarner is the team’s unquestioned ace. The front office also bolstered the rotation this offseason by signing Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto to give them a strong trio heading into 2016. 

A healthy, productive Cain would be a huge boost to the Giants, but given his injury problems the previous two years, all they should reasonably hope for is that he can avoid the disabled list. 

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In an effort to continue speeding up the pace of games, Major League Baseball will implement a time limit on mound visits by managers and pitching coaches. MLB will also address player safety concerns by updating the slide rules. 

According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, mound visits will be limited to 30 seconds, with an in-stadium clock keeping track of the time. Meanwhile, the updated slide rule “starts by describing what a runner can do” and will feature four basic tenets that constitute a legal slide, per Passan:

• Slide prior to reaching the base. 
• Slide so you are able to and attempt to reach or touch the base.
• Slide so you are able to and attempt to stay on the base.
• Do not change your pathway to the base.

Per Passan’s report, the MLB rule states that players who follow those basic rules are “allowed to take out the fielder legally.” The policy was negotiated between MLB and the players’ union, with slides that don’t follow those rules resulting in an automatic double play. 

Slides, particularly into second base, have been a topic of discussion since last season. The Pittsburgh Pirates lost Jung Ho Kang for the season with a knee injury in mid-September when Chicago Cubs outfielder Chris Coghlan clearly went out of the baseline in an attempt to break up a double play. 

The issue came to the forefront again in the postseason when New York Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada suffered a fractured right fibula following a takeout slide by Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley in the National League Division Series. 

Per Dan Martin of the New York Post, Tejada said the slide by Utley was “not professional here at this level to play like that. I [caught] the ball on the other side [of the base] and he came to me right away. He never touched the bag. If he touched the bag and then hit me or something like that, it’s different.”

MLB announced how the timed breaks would work, implementing updated rules for the between-inning commercial breaks and the 30-second mound visits, via Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports:

The pace of game program will expand this season to include timed 30-second visits to the pitcher’s mound by managers and pitching coaches. In addition, break timers will now mirror the time allotted to broadcasters between innings: 2:05 for locally televised games and 2:25 for nationally televised games, a reduction of 20 seconds each from the 2015 season, when the timers counted down from 2:25 for local games and from 2:45 for national games.

Pace of play has been an issue MLB has attempted to address in various ways, most recently adopting the between-inning countdown clock to keep things moving in an orderly fashion. 

The change showed positive effects in 2015, with the Associated Press reporting (via Mike Axisa of CBS Sports) that MLB games were nearly six minutes shorter from the previous season. 

There are certain things that will always keep baseball moving at a deliberate pace, whether it is a pitcher who intentionally works slowly or long at-bats that extend games, but MLB is trying to keep the action moving. 

MLB understands that spectators demand action in sports, and it is taking steps to ensure more people stay locked on its product. 

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Texas Rangers pitcher Cole Hamels has filed a lawsuit against Cornucopia Events after he and his wife were unable to get into the 2015 Victoria’s Secret fashion show.   

According to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com), Hamels claims Cornucopia Events did not get him or his wife into the event last year even though he paid about $70,000 for three VIP packages. 

Per the AP report, Hamels’ lawsuit states the money was supposed to cover a “four-night stay in a luxury hotel, a limousine with champagne, access to exclusive restaurants and goodie bags.”

However, Hamels’ suit alleges he and his party did not receive any of the perks paid for and were not granted entry into the fashion show that took place in November and was broadcast on CBS the following month. 

Law360 obtained a legal document in the case (via Lindsey Foltin of FoxSports.com), stating “The Cornucopia defendants held themselves out to be a ‘VIP’ concierge/lifestyle management company with access to the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. The Cornucopia defendants did not intend, could not and/or failed to provide the Hamels any entry at all to the [show].”

The AP noted Hamels is seeking “$150,000 in damages for fraud and misrepresentation” in his lawsuit, and Cornucopia’s managing director did not immediately respond to an email. 

Hamels filed the lawsuit in Philadelphia on Feb. 19, per the AP report. The 32-year-old spent the first nine years of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies before being traded to the Rangers last July.

He led the Phillies to a World Series title in 2008, winning NLCS and World Series MVP after posting a 1.80 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 35 innings during the postseason. 

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Cuban phenom Lazaro Robersy Armenteros Arango, better known as Lazarito, has been dropped by agent Charles Hairston following a death threat. 

Speaking to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports, Hairston revealed Monday night that “the Dominican Republic-based investor who represents Lazarito” threatened his life. The agent declined to name the investor to protect the safety of his co-workers.     

Per Rosenthal’s and Morosi’s report, the divide between Hairston’s Culture39 agency and the Dominican Republic-based investor stemmed from the latter’s “desire for Lazarito to sign with a team as soon as possible rather than wait until July 2.”

Hairston also expressed his desire to continue working with Lazarito “when he comes to the United States once his situation is resolved,” and his group has already lined up sponsorship and endorsement deals.

Under the terms of Major League Baseball’s international free agency, teams have a set amount to spend when the period begins on July 2. With more than four months until the new period opens, clubs are still operating under last year’s cap, meaning they have less money to spend now. 

As a result, teams that have already gone over their allotted spending amount would be forced to pay a 100 percent tax on the total amount over the slot. 

The international spending cap does not apply to certain players, but they have to be at least 23 years old and have accrued a certain amount of time in a professional league (Japan, Cuba, Taiwan, et al.). 

Lazarito is still 16 years old, so he would fall under the international spending rules. He established residency in Haiti last May, was ruled a free agent by MLB in January and became eligible to sign with teams starting on Feb. 10, per Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. 

Listed at 6’2″ and 205 pounds, Armenteros plays in the outfield. Cash Kruth of MLB.com wrote in December that the young phenom was drawing rave reviews from people around the sport, with one American League scouting director saying, “He’s a great-looking kid with lots of tools, size, strength and potential.”

Cuban baseball players have often been subject to dangerous circumstances given what it takes to get out of the country, especially before the recently changed dynamic between Cuba and the United States.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig was on the receiving end of death threats from the human traffickers who arranged his escape from Cuba in 2012. 

Hairston told Rosenthal and Morosi that “he secured an invitation for Lazarito to attend a team’s spring training camp and meet with its general manager and ownership, but that the buscon withheld the travel documents for both the player and his parents, making such a visit impossible.”

Lazarito’s talent has made him a sought-after commodity in MLB circles, but the situation involving Hairston and the buscon is something else entirely. 

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If New York Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman gets suspended for an alleged domestic dispute, he will reportedly not be able to serve part of it during spring training.  

According to a Tuesday report by Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, citing a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it, Chapman’s potential suspension will not include exhibition games.    

Shaikin’s report noted that the commissioner ultimately decides suspensions under the domestic violence policy, whereas the drug policy mandates suspensions include only regular-season and playoff games. 

On Feb. 20, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reported that part of Chapman’s punishment could include a ban from participating in spring training. 

A source told Feinsand that “while a spring training ban is hardly a certainty, nothing could be ruled out since the new agreement leaves MLB and its players ‘in new territory’ when it comes to discipline in domestic violence cases.”

Joel Sherman of the New York Post echoed Feinsand’s report, adding that “at the request of the club and with the consent of the Commissioner’s Office, the player may participate in non-public workouts or at the club’s spring training facility.”

On Feb. 21, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney wrote that suspending a player for spring training games under the domestic violence policy would “be seen as an empty gesture by a lot of players and fans. There is no way around that.”

Tim Brown and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports obtained police reports in which Chapman allegedly fired a gun eight times in the garage of his home in Miami and his girlfriend told police he “‘choked’ her and pushed her against a wall.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers originally agreed to a deal with the Cincinnati Reds to acquire Chapman, but moved on from the left-hander following the domestic violence allegations, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. The Yankees dealt four minor leagues to Cincinnati on Dec. 28 for Chapman. 

Rafael Olmeda of the Miami Sun Sentinel reported on Jan. 21 that Chapman wouldn’t face criminal charges in the case. 

However, per Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said on Feb. 19 he expects “that we will have some action on at least two out of the three [domestic violence cases] in the next few days.”

Chapman has stated to the media he plans to appeal any suspension MLB hands down in the case. It’s unclear how many games the 27-year-old could be suspended for, as Manfred can decide appropriate punishment at his discretion, per terms of the agreement between MLB and the union. 

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