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While players on 40-man rosters are currently not subject to tests for marijuana, the league still scans and suspends minor league athletes for positive tests. This proposed change, then, would standardize the testing process for pro players at all levels. Additionally, the drug agreement is expected to specifically address opioid use, aiming to to rehabilitate users rather than punish them. Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died in a hotel room in Southlake, Texas, on July 1, and an autopsy found evidence of fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol in his system....

The later rounds of the 2015 MLB Draft had an air of nepotism, in particular the Phillies selecting several players with familial ties to the organization. MORE: First-round selections | Worst No. 1 picks | Best selections in slots 1-50 | Father’s Day in sports Philadelphia selected Maryland outfielder Andrew Amaro on Wednesday in the 35th round. Amaro is the nephew of Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. The Phillies also selected Griffin Morandini out of Pennsylvania’s Garnet Valley High School in the 39th round....

RELATED: MLB The Show 22: Pitching Settings Guide It’s a lesson learned the hard way; catchers that don’t contribute meaningfully find themselves on teams that don’t win consistently. It’s shocking how many online matchups are lost on passed balls and an inability to throw runners out. These players make sure they’re on the right side of the contest in MLB The Show 22. Updated on July 13th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: This list first came out before the season started....

Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander has been adovcating for better protection since a fan was hit in the head by a foul ball back in August. Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said an extension of protective netting at ballparks will be discussed at the offseason’s owners’ meetings.MORE: Top 15 pitching free agents | MLB must send message about domestic violence Manfred said the task won’t be easy. “If you go out and look at the ballparks, it becomes evident that a simple, uniform (policy) — for example, a net to the edge of the dugout — is not workable, given the variation in designs of the stadium,” he said, via the Providence Journal....

That's a juicy tidbit for a market that grows hotter by the day as baseball's general managers prepare to meet starting Monday in Orlando, Fla. Even before formal summit begins you can bet swap talk will take precedent. MORE: Tulowitzki talk | Kemp rumors hot | BoSox want Tim Hudson | And Mark Trumbo? Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports’ respected insider, noted recently the Dodgers are ready, willing and able to entertain offers for Kemp, Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford....

Houston is unwilling to include outfielder Kyle Tucker in a potential trade for the 28-year-old left-hander, according to a report from MLB Network, which cites an unidentified league source. The Astros selected Tucker, 22, with the fifth pick in the 2015 draft. He made his MLB debut last season and slashed .141/.236/.203 in 64 at-bats over 28 games. Tucker is the No. 2 prospect in the Astros organization, according to MLB....

REPORTED BY: Jon Heyman, MLB.com DETAILS: Hours after Jose Bautista stated he won’t be giving the Blue Jays a hometown discount next offseason, rumors started swirling that Toronto is interested in acquiring Jay Bruce. MORE: Potential breakout stars for 2016 Bruce is a right fielder like Bautista, but the Reds star has struggled to reach base the past two seasons. His addition would give Toronto five home run hitters in the middle of its lineup....

It’s hard to predict these types of things. But rest assured that the teams involved in the public rumor mill aren’t the only teams working the phones trying to make things happen. Just because a rumor isn’t being reported doesn’t mean talks aren’t being had. MORE: Shohei Ohtani sounds unsure about Angels future It’s probably a fool’s errand, but here are three trades that might seem surprising, but actually make a lot of sense for both teams involved....

Some stories have gained the appropriate amount of noise as the year has gone on. Despite his trip to the injured list, Yordan Alvarez is rightfully recognized as one of baseball’s eminent hitters. Elsewhere, Sandy Alcantara has catapulted into the Cy Young conversation with his outstanding season. But what about the rest of the league? Baseball’s regional nature can make it hard to take note of what’s going on around the league, particularly on non-competitive teams....

But the Nationals, who finished 55-107 last season, will be the first team not guaranteed to have that pick. Instead, they will have to go through a lottery system to see where they will pick in 2023 When Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement earlier in 2022, they added a draft lottery that would impact the top six picks each year as a measure to discourage teams from tanking....

The deal is expected to be for between $24 million and $29 million in guaranteed money, the New York Post reported. MORE: Ranking the top 25 free agents | Rasmus first to accept QO After earning a starting spot in May, Estrada helped the Blue Jays get to the American League Championship Series by posting a 13-8 record with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP during the regular season....

Yep, we’re ranking every single free agent on the market, taken from the official list sent out by the MLB Players Association on Monday night (plus, we added Greg Holland, who wasn’t on the list because he was injured and wasn’t in an organization in 2016, and Matt Holliday, who isn’t on that list because the Cardinals haven’t officially declined his 2017 option yet, but have indicated they will). Why?...

MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball's new posting system caps the fee for players at $20 million, less than half what Japanese teams received for pitchers Yu Darvish and Daisuke Matsuzaka. "I informed my team that I would like them to allow me to test my abilities in Major League Baseball next season," Tanaka said at a news conference on Tuesday after a meeting with Rakuten Eagles President Yozo Tachibana. Tanaka, a 25-year-old right-hander, went 24-0 with a 1....

This year’s season’s greetings among MLB front offices are happening in Vegas, baby, and there will be no shortage of big-time presents in Santa’s bag. Manny Machado and Bryce Harper are still on the market, and there are plenty of great players to be had after them. Both the free-agent market and the trade block are inundated with impact talent, from position players to pitching and all the way down....

The Blue Jays’ hot streak has finally cooled down. With a 4-3 win in 11 innings, the Mets spoiled Toronto’s hopes of pushing its win streak to 12 games, which would have set a franchise record. Rookie sensation Noah Syndergaard dominated the Blue Jays for six innings, striking out a career-high 11 batters, before Wilmer Flores capped a two-run rally in the bottom of the 11th with a single to give New York the win....

Washington has beaten Pittsburgh in seven straight meetings dating back to last season, but the last six came at Nationals Park. When they met for a three-game series June 19-21, the Nationals crushed the Pirates by a combined score of 19-3. At the time, those losses came as somewhat of a surprise because Pittsburgh was riding an eight-game winning streak. MORE: National League Fleeting Four | Reds should be active at deadline...

The Pirates battled hard in last weekend’s series, but lost all three games in extra-innings by one run with all three games staying well UNDER the total. Pittsburgh’s quest for their first division title since 1992 has also been derailed the past two seasons by St. Louis sweeps in September. It’s only May, but for the Pirates own mental psyche, they have to step up this weekend and win the series; William Hill sports books have them a -120 favorite to do so....

And on Saturday, Cabrera joined the 3,000 hit club at home, grounding a single through the right side of the infield in the bottom of the first inning against Colorado’s Antonio Senzatela. Cabrera joined an even more exclusive subsection of the 3,000 hits club. With his Triple Crown in 2012, Cabrera became one of just three players to win a Triple Crown and get to 3,000 hits for his career....

The Angels, Rangers and the Astros, who beat the Diamondbacks 6-2 Saturday night, will all play on Sunday afternoon with postseason spots on the line. The Rangers, who have already clinched a playoff berth, and Houston are both in contention for the AL West, while the Angels still have a shot at the second wild-card spot. MORE: We pick a craft beer for every MLB team; you’re welcome! Here’s the simple breakdown: Texas wins the division with either a win or an Astros loss....

Two rebuilds, two timetables, two paths — but now both teams have reached the same spot with a trip to the World Series on the line. It was four years ago that a 24-year-old George Springer, donning Houston’s iconic Tequila Sunrise duds, stirrups and all, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. Above his helmet-crowned dome read the words “Baseball’s Great Experiment,” beside him the headline “Your 2017 World Series Champs....