LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Major League Baseball's winter meetings (all times local):
10:40 a.m.
Jackie Bradley Jr. and CC Sabathia are about to give baseball the royal treatment.
The Boston outfielder and New York Yankees pitcher are traveling to London this week, six months ahead of the two-game series between the teams in the British capital.
Bradley and Sabathia will tour the city's sights, visit the Lords Cricket Ground and see Premier League soccer matches in Manchester and Liverpool.
The World Series champion Red Sox and Yankees play June 29-30 at Olympic Stadium.
"I welcome the opportunity to promote our great sport and the history of our rivalry across the pond," Sabathia said. "I also love traveling ... Consider me the Yankees' advance scout for London."
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9:27 a.m.
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash will stick with using an "opener" next season.
The Rays deviated from baseball tradition last season, regularly using a relief pitcher to begin games rather than a traditional starting pitcher. Tampa Bay went 46-38 with usual starters and 44-34 when utilizing the bullpen.
"I think right now we're discussing internally whether we do it two times through the rotation or three times through the rotation," Cash said Monday at the winter meetings. "But the nice thing is we've got all that information last year and we have a bunch of candidates that we can fill in as a traditional starter if need be. Yonny Chirinos, Yarbs (Ryan Yarbrough), Wilmer Font, Jalen Beeks."
Tampa Bay's innovation was copied by Oakland, which started reliever Liam Hendriks in the AL wild-card game against the New York Yankees, and Milwaukee. Brewers manager Craig Counsell used left-hander Wade Miley for just one batter in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, then brought in right-hander Brandon Woodruff. While Cash let opposing managers know when he was using an opener and would have a quick hook, Counsell sprung his move as a surprise.
"Yes, it can definitely make it difficult. But I personally don't see anything wrong with that," Cash said. "Each manager, each club, each organization, they're trying to get the best out of their roster. If they feel that's the best way to do it, the opposition, you've kind of got to deal with it. It's going to happen to us. We did it with other clubs, not that quickly, but playoff baseball you see different things."
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