Baseball

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has been through some dark times during his 21-year MLB playing career.

For starters, playing for a club like the Yankees can bring a lot of pressure.

There are generally two different types of players who find themselves as non-roster invitees for an MLB team during spring training.

Right-handed pitcher Jeremy Guthrie has agreed to a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, pending a physical, per TR Sullivan of MLB.com.

Newly signed Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Tommy Hunter could be sidelined for at least three months following offseason core-muscle surgery.

Continue for updates.

Hunter Could Make an Impact When He Returns

Saturday, Feb. 20

Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reported the news Saturday just days after Hunter signed a one-year, $2 million deal with Cleveland.

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang is working his way back from a leg injury he suffered toward the end of the 2015 season.

Continue for updates. 

Kang Unsure of Opening Day Return

Saturday, Feb. 20

Speaking with ESPN.com on Saturday, Kang disclosed an update on his leg.

One of the defining moments of the Washington Nationals' 2015 season saw Jonathan Papelbon and Bryce Harper engage in a dugout skirmish on Sept. 27.

The incident led Washington to suspend Papelbon for four games, ending his 2015 season, per Bill Ladson of MLB.com. 

Seeking depth for their starting rotation, the Kansas City Royals signed left-hander Mike Minor to a two-year contract Friday.   

Former San Francisco Giants infielder and manager Jim Davenport died on Thursday night at the age of 82. 

The Giants released a statement about Davenport's death on Twitter:  

As the Giants' statement on Davenport's passing noted, he spent most of his life with the franchise after beginning his Major League Baseball career as a player in 1958. 

After a successful debut season with the Texas Rangers in 2015, manager Jeff Banister was rewarded Friday in the form of an exercised contract option for 2015.

According to Rangers Executive Vice President of Communications John Blake, the 52-year-old former Pittsburgh Pirates bench coach was also given a team option for 2019.

The New York Yankees have the right idea. The bigger question is whether they have the right players.

The Yankees are trying to rebuild without rebuilding, to get younger and better without coming close to any charge of tanking a season. The process is difficult enough that they haven't won a playoff game since 2012 but so far painless enough that they've stayed in the 84-87 win zone that at least guarantees some form of contention.