The context for that query: the reported starting bids for each player (per ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick). Martinez supposedly is seen by agent Scott Boras as being worth $200 million, give or take; Bruce (represented by Matt Sosnick) is said to be looking for between $80 million and $90 million over five years. TOP 20 FAs: SN predicts where Martinez, Bruce will sign Martinez vs. Bruce is a natural comp: They’re power-hitting right fielders who are close in age (Martinez will enter his age 30 season in 2018, Bruce his age 31 season) and are coming off productive walk years....

This year, a new format (splitting the players into teams of AL and NL prospects rather than the previous format of U.S. players vs. non-U.S. players) has deepened the talent pool for the game and made for a more competitive affair after the US team dominated play for much of the past few contests. A second format change (limiting the game to seven innings), had a less desirable effect as it resulted in a pitcher-dominated affair in which hitters had trouble finding a rhythm and hurlers aired it out in short stints....

That’s good news not just for fans, but players as well; ESPN reports that MLB officials and the players union are in discussions to drop the fines for slow play the league could impose beginning Friday. MORE: April hot starts, buy or sell? | Baseball’s best rookies so far According to Major League Baseball, through Wednesday’s games, the average nine-inning game time of just under two hours and 54 minutes is 8 1/2 minutes quicker than the 3:02 average in 2014....

MLB odds: Today’s lines from Las Vegas Astros (77-66) at Rangers (75-67) Scott Kazmir (7-10, 2.63 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (9-8, 3.76 ERA) Line: Rangers -125Total: 8 (UNDER -115)Time: 8:05 p.m. ET Scott Kazmir (7-10, 2.63 ERA) has had pretty good success over the Rangers in his career, going 11-6 in 22 career starts. The veteran lefty, however, needs a little help from his teammates tonight. The Astros are 1-4 in Kazmir’s away starts this season, supporting him with a paltry 1....

Some folks — like Stacey, who might have won Tweet of the Week here — seem to be completely lost in the doldrums of the post-trade deadline season. MORE: Mets broadcaster blasts ESPN ‘stooge’ for holding up game Here are some of the questions you passed along for this week’s MLB mailbag: This is a very tricky question, for a few reasons. It’s generally not public knowledge who clears waivers or who’s placed on waivers....

Indians ace Corey Kluber took the mound Wednesday evening and made a strong Cardinals lineup look like the Bad News Bears. The 2014 AL Cy Young Award winner struck out 18 batters and held the Cards hitless through 6 2/3 innings, before yielding a single to Jhonny Peralta. MORE: Fantasy rankings and sleepers for Thursday | Buy/sell options | MLB Mock Draft While Indians fans were undoubtedly hoping for Kluber to come out and mow down the side in the ninth to break the all-time MLB strikeout record of 20, he’d already thrown 113 pitches on a cool evening....

MLB odds: Current baseball lines from Vegas Pittsburgh plays the Cubs again this afternoon, a team that has won five straight, all during a current homestand, where the ivy is coming in beautifully along the outfield wall and two-thirds of the bleacher renovation project is complete. The Cubs are now 20-15 and four games behind St. Louis in the NL East. They are looking for their first six-game winning streak since 2011....

MLB odds: Current baseball betting lines The Tigers have won only once in their past 13 games at Angels Stadium and are 5-17 overall in the last 22 meetings. However, last Tuesday, the last time Price took the mound, he had one of his best outings of the season in a 1-0 win at Oakland as Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak. It was the Tigers’ sixth-straight win behind Price....

MLB odds: Current baseball betting lines from Las Vegas Following the Mets’ 11-game win streak that ended on April 24, they proceeded to lose their next three series, and each one seemingly got worse, culminating with back-to-back 1-0 losses on Saturday and Sunday to the Nationals. They were on a 21-inning scoreless streak until busting loose for three runs in the fourth inning on Tuesday. They’ve scored four runs or less in their past nine games, including three or less in seven of those games....

The Dodgers are ending the Yankees' 15-year streak as baseball's biggest spenders and as of Tuesday had a projected payroll of $235 million, according to study of all major league contracts by The Associated Press. New York, which last failed to top the payroll rankings in 1998, was a distant second at $203 million. After that, it was another huge gap to Philadelphia at $180 million, followed by Boston at $163 million and Detroit at $162 million....

Check The Linemakers on Sporting News’ odds page for current baseball lines from Las Vegas. Toronto Blue Jays -128 (vs LAA Angels)Drew Hutchison vs Jered Weaver The odds have moved toward the Blue Jays all day, and for a reason. Toronto won the first game of the series on Monday 10-6, and the Angels grabbed the 3-2 win last night. Tonight’s game, the third of a four-game set, is predicted to go to the home team by quite clear numbers....

The table below shows World Series odds from Westgate Las Vegas Super Book with Accuscore’s predictions. These predictions are based on 10,000 simulations of every postseason game. Cleveland and the Los Angeles Dodgers have become the favorites to win the World Series. Their combined win probability based on odds from Westgate is close to 60 percent. However, Accuscore’s simulations are not completely agreeing with those numbers. Based on Accuscore, the Houston Astros will continue pounding opponents in the postseason and are the projected World Series winners....

I was in Chicago on Tuesday night when the Cubs knocked off the Cardinals to clinch their NLDS in Game 4. It was the first time the franchise had ever won a postseason series at Wrigley Field, which is incredible considering this is the 100th season the Cubs have called the friendly confines home. MORE: Six pivotal hitter-pitcher matchups in the ALCS | ALCS schedule, players to watch The celebration seemed to last forever....

That, of course, would not be Cleveland’s style. A team that saw two of its top pitchers, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, go down with injuries at the end of the regular season knows that nothing is guaranteed, nothing comes easy and nothing can be taken for granted. “We’ve got a lot more work to do,” said Francisco Lindor, the amazing 22-year-old shortstop who so far has lived up to every bit of his prospect hype....

MLB PLAYOFFS 2016: Top 50 players in the postseason “It’s supposed to be coming down light, and the window is it’s supposed to stop between 5:00 and 8:00,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said in his pregame press conference prior to the announcement. “So obviously we’re not going to get on the field today (for batting practice). We’ll know more as it comes.” The rain was light, with occasional heavier bursts, and the tarp was on the field at Nationals Park throughout the afternoon, with puddles accumulating in front of the dugouts and along the warning track....

Up is down, black is white, left is right early in the 2021 MLB season. Of these teams, only three of them are over .500: the Yankees, Braves, Twins, Giants, Royals and Mariners — and they’re not the ones you’re probably thinking. We’re still over a month away from the customary Memorial Day mile marker to see what teams will actually be, and so far the usual suspects are unusually suspect....

THE RUMOR: Jon Lester reportedly will sign with the Giants or Cubs. REPORTED BY: Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports THE DETAILS : Reports have surfaced that Lester, 30, has narrowed his field of possible destinations to the Cubs and Giants; however, Lester’s agent said that any reports claiming the Red Sox are out of the running are “completely untrue,” according to WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. Boston manager John Farrell told reporters Monday at the winter meetings that he is confident the club can re-sign Lester, saying the club can offer Lester more than just money....

His vision of change? MORE: Commissioners from Landis to Selig “Nothing huge, but significant,” Selig told reporters Tuesday, a day after he unveiled yet another blue-ribbon panel that will nibble at the edges of one of the sport’s more significant issues. “I just think there’s some things that we can do that won’t disturb the game and its history and tradition but will maybe do things a little better.”...

Didi Gregorius had the standout performance Friday in the Yankees’ 15-4 win against the Braves. He went 4 for 6 with a home run and six RBIs, which is tied for the most in Yankees history since RBIs became an official stat in 1920. Gregorius was tasked with the difficult assignment of replacing Derek Jeter to start the season. Of course, expectations were reasonable for the 25-year-old, but performances like this reminds everyone what he’s capable of....

Bautista was one of four players who received suspensions. Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor, who punched Bautista in the jaw to set off the fracas, received an eight-game ban. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus was given a game for his actions during the fight, and Blue Jays reliever Jesse Chavez was suspended three games for intentionally hitting Texas’ Prince Fielder an inning after the brawl. MORE: Unforgettable sports brawls Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was suspended three games for returning to the field for the brawl after being ejected earlier in the game....