Phillies happy about settled lineup

Matt Gelb is the Phillies beat writer for the Inquirer, the Daily News, and Philly.com. A graduate of Central Bucks High School West and Syracuse University, he covered the Phillies from 2010 to 2014 with a one-year tour on the Metro desk between baseball assignments.

White Sox’s Abreu up next in Cuban ballplayer smuggling case

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu is up next as a prosecution witness in the trial of a Florida sports agent and a baseball trainer accused of smuggling Cuban players from the communist island. Abreu is scheduled to testify Wednesday in the case against agent Bartolo Hernandez and trainer Julio Estrada.

A rookie in ’16, Anderson quickly could be White Sox veteran

Tim Anderson has played just 99 games in the major leagues, yet the Chicago White Sox shortstop already has made an impact on a rebuilding team A rookie in ’16, Anderson quickly could be White Sox veteran Tim Anderson has played just 99 games in the major leagues, yet the Chicago White Sox shortstop already has made an impact on a rebuilding team Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/2lEzKeV FILE – In this Sept. 27, 2016, file photo, Chicago White Sox’s Tim Anderson watches his RBI double off Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Alex Cobb during the second inning of a baseball game in Chicago.

Sox owners: Ring or bust

Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry called it strange not to see David Ortiz at the team’s first full-squad workout this year and knows only one achievement will satisfy the team’s management, players and fans. “We really are focused on that fourth ring like we were that first,” Henry said Friday.

The Pyramid Rating System’s All-Time Cleveland Indians

In our latest installment of the Pyramid Rating System all-time team series, we stay in the American League Central and head east to the shores of Lake Erie and one of the original American League teams, the Cleveland Indians. Because of the city-centric nature of this exercise, the Indians also get credit for the franchise history of the Cleveland Spiders, making them effectively the oldest team in the American League, missing out on only the 1900 season.

Commissioner’s ruling could help Astros in rivalry with Rangers

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred on Monday penalized the St. Louis Cardinals for hacking into Houston’s internal computer system, a decision that could have a long-range affect on the rivalry between the Astros and the Texas Rangers in the American League West. Manfred held the Cardinals liable for the actions of one employee: amateur scouting director Chris Correa.

Max Scherzer receives 2016 Cy Young Award

Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, shown during the 2016 season, won his second Cy Young Award. NEW YORK – The annual Baseball Writers Association of America awards dinner began with a montage, a season-in-summary highlight reel carefully crafted to spotlight each of the evening’s honorees.

Oakland Athletics Closer Role Up For Grabs

The Oakland Athletics made their signing of Santiago Casilla official yesterday, as the former San Francisco Giant closer joined in on a conference call with local media from both the A’s and Giants. Nobody is kidding themselves about the Oakland Athletics.

Rodriguez, Raines among Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2017

Ivan Rodriguez, a strong hitter and rifle-armed catcher who nabbed would-be base stealers at a 46 percent career rate, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday in his first year of eligibility. Rodriguez, who spent most of his Major League Baseball career with the Texas Rangers, will be joined in the Class of 2017 by Houston Astros great Jeff Bagwell and former Montreal Expos All-Star Tim Raines with their induction on July 30. Puerto Rico’s Rodriguez became only the second catcher after Johnny Bench to be elected at his first opportunity, five years after retirement.

AP source: Bautista, Blue Jays agree to $18M, 1-year deal

In this Oct. 6, 2016, file photo, Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista smiles as he walks through the dugout during Game 1 of the team’s American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas. A person with knowledge of the negotiations tells The Associated Press that free agent outfielder Jose Bautista is staying with the Toronto Blue Jays after agreeing to an $18 million, one-year contract with mutual options for more years.

Foster takes the road much traveled

Major League Baseball umpire Marty Foster speaks to Dudley and Julie Ricketts of Monmouth, Ill., during the annual Burlington Bees Banquet on Friday at Pzazz. Sylvia Thomas, of Fort Madison, purchases a raffle ticket from game staff members Molly Cockrell and Stephanie Walker during the annual Burlington Bees Banquet on Friday at Pzazz.

Over/Under: 2017 Boston Red Sox ZiPS Projections

Following the Buchholz to Philadelphia trade, the 2017 Red Sox roster looks to be set barring any unforeseen moves by Dave Dombrowski and the front office. With that in mind, I thought it best to get an early start on projections season and take a look at how Dan Szymborski views the team .