WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Avila finalized a $1.5 million, one-year contract Wednesday with the Washington Nationals, who are expected to use him as the primary backup to starting catcher Yan Gomes. Avila, who turned 34 last week, was a free agent after playing in 2020 for the Minnesota Twins, batting .184 in 49 at-bats during the coronavirus-shortened season. While he hasn't had any detailed discussions about his role with manager Dave Martinez or GM Mike Rizzo, Avila said: "Whenever Davey needs me in the lineup, I’ll be ready to go.” He has played 12 years in the majors for five clubs and has a .235 career batting average with a .348 on-base percentage, 104 homers and 388 RBIs. “I don't think I'm going to be hitting fourth for this team,” joked Avila, who has thrown out 14 of 32 runners trying to steal over the past two seasons. He has caught current Nationals starters Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Jon Lester in previous stops. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, was the first... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Avila finalized a $1.5 million, one-year contract Wednesday with the Washington Nationals, who are expected to use him as the primary backup to starting catcher Yan Gomes. Avila, who turned 34 last week, was a free agent after playing in 2020 for the Minnesota Twins, batting .184 in 49 at-bats during the coronavirus-shortened season. He has played 12 years in the majors for five clubs and has a .235 career batting average with a .348 on-base percentage, 104 homers and 388 RBIs. Avila has thrown out 14 of 32 runners trying to steal over the past two seasons. His father, Al, is general manager of the Detroit Tigers. Alex Avila's addition is the latest in a flurry of moves by Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo after the team tied for last place in the NL East. Washington has brought in lefty starter Jon Lester, lefty reliever Brad Hand, first baseman Josh Bell and left fielder Kyle Schwarber, and re-signed first baseman Ryan Zimmerman after he sat out 2020. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Right-hander Trevor Williams agreed to a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, giving the NL Central champions another option for the back end of their rotation. A person familiar with the situation confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract is pending a physical. The 28-year-old Williams was designated for assignment by Pittsburgh after he went 2-8 with a 6.18 ERA in 11 starts during the pandemic-shortened season. Williams, a second-round pick by Miami in the 2013 draft, broke into the majors in 2016 and spent his first five seasons with the Pirates. He had his best year in 2018, going 14-10 with a 3.11 ERA in 31 starts. He has a 31-37 record with a 4.43 ERA in 106 career games, including 94 starts. Chicago's rotation will have a different look next season after it traded Yu Darvish to San Diego in December and Jon Lester departed in free agency. Williams could compete for one of the last two spots behind Kyle Hendricks, Zach Davies and Alec Mills. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jon Lester has been a part of three World Series champions and collected nearly 200 wins in the majors. He's been a five-time All-Star and a Cy Young runner-up. Now 37 and heading toward his 16th season in the big leagues, the left-hander is looking forward to being a member of a stacked Washington Nationals rotation that features three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin. “I’ll tell you what: It's going to be nice to just kind of sit back and watch these guys work. I mean, obviously, I’ve seen them from afar and got to compete against them for a long time. I’m excited to work with them. It’s always nice when you go to another team and you get to see how guys work,” Lester said Wednesday on a video conference after finalizing a $5 million, one-year contract that brings him to the Nationals after six seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Lester and Washington had a 2021 agreement in principle in place last week, pending... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jon Lester has been a part of three World Series champions and collected nearly 200 wins in the majors. He's been a five-time All-Star and a Cy Young runner-up. Now 37 and heading toward his 16th season in the big leagues, the left-hander is looking forward to being a member of a stacked Washington Nationals rotation that features three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin. “I’ll tell you what: It's going to be nice to just kind of sit back and watch these guys work. I mean, obviously, I’ve seen them from afar and got to compete against them for a long time. I’m excited to work with them. It’s always nice when you go to another team and you get to see how guys work,” Lester said Wednesday on a video conference after finalizing a $5 million, one-year contract that brings him to the Nationals after six seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Lester and Washington had a 2021 agreement in principle in place last week, pending... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Left-handed starter Jon Lester and the Washington Nationals finalized a $5 million, one-year contract Wednesday, giving the team a fourth member of a rotation led by Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin. Lester and the team had an agreement in principle in place last week, pending the successful completion of a physical exam. The five-time All-Star and Nationals manager Dave Martinez know each other well: Martinez was the bench coach for the Chicago Cubs when Lester helped that club win the 2016 World Series for its first title in 108 years. Coming off a last-place finish in the NL East in 2020, Washington has had a busy offseason that already includes adding outfielder Kyle Schwarber — like Lester, from the Cubs — and lefty reliever Brad Hand via free agency, first baseman Josh Bell in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates and re-signing Ryan Zimmerman after he sat out last season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Lester turned 37 this month and will be... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Left-hander Jon Lester and the Washington Nationals have an agreement in principle in place for a one-year contract, pending the successful completion of a physical exam, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed to The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity on Monday night because the contract was not yet official. ESPN was first to report an agreement between Lester and the Nationals, whose manager, Dave Martinez, was the bench coach for the Chicago Cubs when the starting pitcher helped that club win the 2016 World Series for its first title in 108 years. Lester is expected to fill the need for a No. 4 starter in Washington, slotting into a rotation that is led by three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, 2019 World Series MVP and lefty Patrick Corbin. Coming off a last-place finish in the NL East in 2020, Washington's busy offseason already included adding outfielder Kyle Schwarber via free agency — like Lester, from the Cubs... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jed Hoyer insists this time won't be like 2011 for the Chicago Cubs. The team's new president of baseball operations said Wednesday that Chicago plans to retool rather than bring out the wrecking ball the way it did nine years ago. Still, this one will leave a mark. In his first major deal since replacing friend Theo Epstein, Hoyer sent NL Cy Young Award runner-up Yu Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini to the San Diego Padres for pitcher Zach Davies and four young minor leaguers Tuesday night. On deck: Willson Contreras? Maybe Kris Bryant, Javier Báez or Anthony Rizzo? Nothing is off the table, though Hoyer was adamant: The Cubs aren't following the 2011 plan. That was the year they hired Epstein and Hoyer, and the pair set the long-suffering franchise on a championship course by overhauling the farm system and revamping the front office. Along the way, Cubs fans endured a painful rebuild that included a 101-loss 2012 season. “I'm not going to run the same playbook that we... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — When David Ross became the Chicago Cubs manager prior to last season, he knew he might not work with president of baseball operations Theo Epstein for too long. So it wasn't a big surprise when Epstein stepped aside last month and general manger Jed Hoyer took over. “It was definitely something that was on the radar,” Ross said Wednesday. “Both those guys were very open about the possibility of some change and what that might look like. Obviously, it's a little faster than was expected. And Theo's laid out his reasons for that. ... I have a ton of respect for Theo for, literally, making the decision a little earlier than I think he anticipated." More big changes could be coming. The Cubs won the NL Central in Ross's first season, only to get swept by Miami in the first round of the playoffs. They have not advanced in the postseason since 2017. For now, Ross said he's assuming star slugger Kris Bryant will be with the team next season. He hopes starter Jon Lester will be,... [More]

The free agent market received a small boost this week, although it remains to be seen whether teams will be eager to take advantage. A record 59 players became free agents when their teams declined to offer them contracts by Wednesday night's tender deadline. That group included a few well-known names like Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs and Eddie Rosario of the Minnesota Twins — but these additions to the free agent class did little to change the sense the market could be slow this offseason. Teams may be looking to cut costs amid the coronavirus pandemic, and so far there have been only a few short deals, such as Charlie Morton going to Atlanta on a one-year, $15 million contract and Mike Minor signing with Kansas City for two years and $18 million. As we enter the heart of the offseason calendar, here’s a look at the top free agents still available, broken down by position. The biggest names on the market are players who were already free agents well before the new group of non-tenders... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Listening in on fans' conversations during his walks home from Wrigley Field, Theo Epstein could sense their excitement as the Chicago Cubs set themselves up to capture that long-awaited World Series championship. It was as if they were all in it together. “It felt like the lines between fans and front office members and players were blurred because we were all part of this club that was in on a secret,” he said. “We all kind of knew what was about to happen, maybe before the rest of the baseball world did.” Epstein, who transformed the long-suffering Cubs and helped bring home a drought-busting championship in 2016, is stepping down after nine seasons as the club's president of baseball operations, the team announced Tuesday. General manager Jed Hoyer is being promoted to take Epstein's place. Epstein said after the season he anticipated remaining on the job for at least one more year, with his contract set to expire in 2021. But he said Tuesday it became apparent this past... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Theo Epstein, who transformed the long-suffering Chicago Cubs and helped bring home a drought-busting championship in 2016, is stepping down after nine seasons as the club's president of baseball operations. The team announced Tuesday that Epstein is leaving the organization, and general manager Jed Hoyer is being promoted to take his place. Epstein said after the season he anticipated remaining on the job for at least one more year, with his contract set to expire in 2021. He had said repeatedly he thinks executives have about a 10-year shelf life in a job, and next year would have marked a decade since he left the Boston Red Sox for Chicago. Epstein said in a statement he will “cherish” his time with the Cubs and said it was simply time to make a change. “The organization faces a number of decisions this winter that carry long-term consequences; those types of decisions are best made by someone who will be here for a long period rather than just one more year,” he said.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs picked up their $16.5 million option for Anthony Rizzo on Saturday, bringing back the popular first baseman after he struggled during the pandemic-shortened season. The 31-year-old Rizzo hit just .222 this year for his lowest batting average since his first year in the majors in 2011. But he has been one of the majors' most productive sluggers since he was acquired in a 2012 trade with San Diego. He's also a key clubhouse leader for the NL Central champions. Rizzo would have been owed a $2 million buyout had the Cubs declined his option. The team could try to extend his deal to create some salary relief for next season after losing money this year because of the pandemic. The Cubs also declined their $3.5 million option for infielder Daniel Descalso, who missed last season because of a left ankle sprain. The 34-year-old Descalso is owed a $1 million buyout. Chicago declined left-hander Jon Lester’s $25 million mutual option on Friday, but each side has left the door open for a possible return. Rizzo hit at least 25 homers and drove in at least 101 runs for four consecutive years from 2015-18. He has 228 homers in nine seasons with the Cubs, ranking eighth in franchise history. Rizzo hit 11 homers and 24 RBIs in 58 games this year. He is a finalist for his fourth Gold Glove Award. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Cubs picked up their $16.5 million option for Anthony Rizzo on Saturday, bringing back the popular first baseman after he struggled during the pandemic-shortened season. The 31-year-old Rizzo hit just .222 this year for his lowest batting average since his first year in the majors in 2011. But he has been one of the majors' most productive sluggers since he was acquired in a 2012 trade with San Diego. He's also a key clubhouse leader for the NL Central champions. Rizzo would have been owed a $2 million buyout had the Cubs declined his option. The team could try to extend his deal to create some salary relief for next season after losing money this year because of the pandemic. The Cubs also declined their $3.5 million option for infielder Daniel Descalso, who missed last season because of a left ankle sprain. The 34-year-old Descalso is owed a $1 million buyout. Chicago declined left-hander Jon Lester’s $25 million mutual option on Friday, but each side has left the door open for a possible return. Rizzo hit at least 25 homers and drove in at least 101 runs for four consecutive years from 2015-18. He has 228 homers in nine seasons with the Cubs, ranking eighth in franchise history. Rizzo hit 11 homers and 24 RBIs in 58 games this year. He is a finalist for his fourth Gold Glove Award. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Jon Lester, Corey Kluber and Brad Hand were among 15 more major leaguers who became free agents Friday when teams declined their 2021 options, many the victims of budget cuts following a regular season without fans due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Also cut loose were Milwaukee infielders Jedd Gyorko and Eric Sogard, Chicago White Sox designated hitter Edwin Encarnación and left-hander Gio González, and Philadelphia relievers David Robertson, Héctor Neris and David Phelps. AL champion Tampa Bay declined 2021 options on right-hander Charlie Morton and catcher Mike Zunino but say it remains hopeful of re-signing them. There are 175 players who became free agents following the World Series and about 15 more can go free this weekend. Among the remaining decisions are on player options by Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Boston designated hitter JD Martinez, Cincinnati outfielder Nick Castellanos and Mets reliever Dellin Betances. Teams must decide by 5 p.m. Sunday whether... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jon Lester, Corey Kluber and Brad Hand were among 15 more major leaguers who became free agents Friday when teams declined their 2021 options, many the victims of budget cuts following a regular season without fans due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Also cut loose were Milwaukee infielders Jedd Gyorko and Eric Sogard, Chicago White Sox designated hitter Edwin Encarnación and left-hander Gio González, and Philadelphia relievers David Robertson, Héctor Neris and David Phelps. AL champion Tampa Bay declined 2021 options on right-hander Charlie Morton and catcher Mike Zunino but say it remains hopeful of re-signing them. There are 175 players who became free agents following the World Series and about 15 more can go free this weekend. Among the remaining decisions are on player options by Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Boston designated hitter JD Martinez, Cincinnati outfielder Nick Castellanos and Mets reliever Dellin Betances. Teams must decide by 5 p.m. Sunday whether... [More]

Oct. 30 1945 — Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to a minor-league contract for the 1946 season with Montreal of the International League. 1956 — The Brooklyn Dodgers sold Ebbets Field to real estate developer Marvin Kratter. Kratter leased the stadium back to the Dodgers through the 1959 season before using the site for a housing development. 1963 — Sandy Koufax of Los Angeles became the second player to win the Cy Young and MVP in the same year. Koufax beat out Dick Groat of the St. Louis Cardinals for the MVP award. 1974 — Oakland’s Catfish Hunter, who led the league with 25 wins and a 2.49 ERA, was named the American League’s Cy Young winner. 2001 — Roger Clemens and Mariano Rivera shut down Arizona for a 2-1 win that cut the Diamondbacks’ World series lead to two games-to-one. Clemens allowed only three hits and struck out nine and Rivera threw two perfect innings in relief. An early home run by Jorge Posada and a tiebreaking single by Scott Brosius in the sixth were enough to win... [More]

Rays manager Kevin Cash stepped out of the dugout, and Blake Snell turned his head to curse. So too, no doubt, did fans watching on TV back in Tampa, Florida. Cash pulled Snell after 73 pitches and 5 1/3 sterling innings Tuesday night, turning Game 6 of the World Series over to his vaunted bullpen — a move that backfired immediately as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 3-1 victory to wrap up their first championship in 32 years. “I guess I regret it because it didn’t work out,” Cash said, later adding, “personally, I thought Blake had done his job and then some.” Cash was immediately criticized — by fans, broadcasters and players around the majors. “So who gets to pull the manager?” Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard tweeted. The decision, driven by advanced analytics, could come to define Cash, just as past pitching moves have followed other managers when they didn’t work out. A look back at other October mishaps: ___ 1951 NL PENNANT PLAYOFF GAME 3 Who knows? Bobby Thomson’s famed “Shot... [More]

Oct. 28 1958 — Construction began on the new ballpark for the Giants in San Francisco. The rocks in the area resembled candlesticks. 1968 — Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals won his first Cy Young Award. Gibson was a unanimous choice after dominating hitters with a 22-9 record and an ERA of 1.12. 1981 — Behind the solid pitching of Burt Hooton and Steve Howe and the bat of Pedro Guerrero, the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a comeback from 0-2 to win the World Series in six games with a 9-2 win over the New York Yankees. Hooton pitched 5 1-3 innings, allowing two runs for the win, and second-year relief ace Steve Howe got the final 11 outs for the save. Guerrero hit a two-run triple in the fifth inning and added a two-run single in a four-run sixth inning that put the game away He hit a home run in the eighth inning to close out the scoring. 1989 — The Oakland Athletics, behind the pitching and hitting of Mike Moore and the bat of Rickey Henderson, beat the San Francisco Ginats 9-6 and... [More]

2020— Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers 2019_Howie Kendrick, Washington Nationals 2018_Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers 2017_Justin Turner and Chris Taylor, Los Angeles Dodgers 2016_Javier Baez and Jon Lester, Chicago Cubs 2015_Daniel Murphy, New York Mets 2014_Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants 2013_Michael Wacha, St. Louis Cardinals 2012_Marco Scutaro, San Francisco Giants 2011_David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals 2010_Cody Ross, San Francisco Giants 2009_Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies 2008_Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies 2007_Matt Holliday, Colorado Rockies 2006_Jeff Suppan, St. Louis Cardinals 2005_Roy Oswalt, Houston Astros 2004_Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals 2003_Ivan Rodriguez, Florida Marlins 2002_Benito Santiago, San Francisco Giants 2001_Craig Counsell, Arizona Diamondbacks 2000_Mike Hampton, New York Mets 1999_Eddie Perez, Atlanta Braves 1998_Sterling Hitchcock, San Diego Padres 1997_Livan Hernandez, Florida Marlins 1996_Javy Lopez, Atlanta Braves 1995_Mike Devereaux,... [More]