$tandings: Yankees first, Sox third.

• Position: Sports

Forbes ranks the New York Yankees as baseball's most valuable team for the 17th straight year and lists the Tampa Bay Rays with the lowest valuation.

Forbes said Wednesday it estimates the Yankees are worth $2.5 billion, up 9 percent from last year. The Dodgers are next at $2 billion, a 24 percent hike and matching their actual sale price in 2012.

Boston was third at $1.5 billion, followed by the Chicago Cubs ($1.2 billion), San Francisco ($1 billion) and Philadelphia ($975 million).

At the bottom were the Rays ($485 million), Kansas City ($490 million), Oakland ($495 million) and Miami ($500 million).

Major League Baseball's average team value rose 9 percent to $811 million.

Forbes says values rose primarily because of increased media rights fees.

Pirates, Marte have 6-year deal

The Pittsburgh Pirates plan on keeping promising left fielder Starling Marte playing alongside National League MVP Andrew McCutchen for years to come.

A person with knowledge of the agreement says the Pirates and Marte have agreed to a six-year contract that will keep the 25-year-old in Pittsburgh for remainder of the decade. CBSSports.com reported the new contract has a total value of $31 million.

Marte hit .280 with 12 home runs, 35 RBIs and a team-high 41 steals during his first full season in the majors in 2013. Marte was scheduled to make $516,000 this season. The new deal takes him through 2019.

Harper tossed from exhibition

Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper was ejected from a spring training game against St. Louis after being called out at first base.

Harper led off the fourth inning Wednesday with a slow roller that second baseman Mark Ellis barehanded and flipped to first. The throw appeared to beat Harper and umpire Jeff Gosney called him out.

The 21-year-old Harper kept his head down, screaming his displeasure as he passed Gosney on his way to the third-base dugout. Gosney threw out Harper, who didn't seem to initially realize he'd been ejected.

Harper turned in...