BOSTON (AP) — Banking on Mookie Betts to be the missing piece in their World Series pursuit, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally pulled off a blockbluster deal with the cost-cutting Red Sox.Boston agreed to trade the 2018 AL MVP to the Dodgers on Tuesday night, according to two people with knowledge of the deal, packaging Betts with left-hander David Price in a salary dump designed to save the Red Sox tens of millions of dollars and help them dip below baseball's luxury tax threshold.The Dodgers, eager for a World Series title after losing in the 2017 and '18 Fall Classics, are sending outfielder Alex Verdugo back to the Red Sox. The deal also involves the Minnesota Twins, who are getting right-hander Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers and sending pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston. Los Angeles will also get cash from Boston to offset some of the $123 million owed to Betts and Price, but the exact amount was not yet known.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Banking on Mookie Betts to be the missing piece in their World Series pursuit, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally pulled off a blockbluster deal with the cost-cutting Red Sox.Boston agreed to trade the 2018 AL MVP to the Dodgers on Tuesday night, according to two people with knowledge of the deal, packaging Betts with left-hander David Price in a salary dump designed to save the Red Sox tens of millions of dollars and help them dip below baseball's luxury tax threshold.The Dodgers, eager for a World Series title after losing in the 2017 and '18 Fall Classics, are sending outfielder Alex Verdugo back to the Red Sox. The deal also involves the Minnesota Twins, who are getting right-hander Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers and sending pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston. Los Angeles will also get cash from Boston to offset some of the $123 million owed to Betts and Price, but the exact amount was not yet known.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Red Sox have agreed to trade 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers, packaging the star outfielder with left-hander David Price in a salary dump that is expected to save Boston tens of millions of dollars, according to two people with knowledge of the deal.The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the trade had not been announced.The Dodgers are sending outfielder Alex Verdugo back to the Red Sox. The deal also involves the Minnesota Twins, who are getting right-hander Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers and sending pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston.Los Angeles will also get cash from Boston to offset some of the $123 million owed to Betts and Price, but the exact amount was not yet known.Unable to sign Betts to a long-term deal, Boston decided to move him now rather than let the four-time All-Star leave as a free agent after the 2020 season. He will earn $27 million this season and has expressed eagerness... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Left-hander Alex Wood has agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers.The seven-time defending NL West champions announced the deal Wednesday night with Wood, who spent last season with Cincinnati after the Dodgers traded him away in December 2018.The contract is laden with performance incentives for the 29-year-old veteran. Wood gets a $4 million base salary, but he can earn up to $3.5 million more on a points system.He gets one point for each start, or any relief appearance in which he gets 10 outs or more, and he will receive $250,000 each for earning 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 points. After that, he would get $500,000 apiece for earning 22, 24, 26 and 28 points.He also could earn $2.5 million in innings incentives. He will get $500,000 apiece for pitching 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 innings.Wood made just seven starts for the Reds last season while struggling to overcome a back injury. He didn't make his season debut until July 28.But... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Left-hander Alex Wood has agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers.The seven-time defending NL West champions announced the deal Wednesday night with Wood, who spent last season with Cincinnati after the Dodgers traded him away in December 2018.The contract is laden with performance incentives for the 29-year-old veteran. Wood gets a $4 million base salary, but he can earn up to $3.5 million more on a points system.He gets one point for a game in which he gets 10 outs or more, and he will receive $250,000 each for earning 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 points. After that, he would get $500,000 apiece for earning 22, 24, 26 and 28 points.He also could earn $2.5 million in innings incentives. He will get $500,000 apiece for pitching 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 innings.Wood made just seven starts for the Reds last season while struggling to overcome a back injury. He didn't make his season debut until July 28.But Wood was a solid starter and... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Reliever Blake Treinen and the Los Angeles Dodgers finalized a $10 million, one-year deal on Sunday.The 31-year-old right-hander and the Dodgers reached agreement during the recent winter meetings, shortly after the Oakland Athletics declined to offer Treinen a new contract.Treinen was an All-Star in 2018 with a 0.78 ERA. But he struggled last season with a 4.91 ERA and was lost his closer's role to Liam Hendriks.The Dodgers have won seven straight NL West titles.———More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Reliever Blake Treinen reached agreement on a $10 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers just more than a week after Oakland declined to offer him a contract.A person with direct knowledge of the negotiations confirmed Treinen's deal, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because it hadn't been formally announced by the seven-time reigning NL West champions.The right-handed Treinen, a 2018 All-Star, posted a 0.78 ERA in ‘18 but raised it to 4.91 this year. He was replaced by Liam Hendriks in the closer role as the low-budget A’s earned the AL’s top wild card before losing in the wild card game for a second straight year.Treinen earned himself a nice payday given he was expected to command roughly $7.5 million in arbitration.____AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.——— More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Left-handed reliever Jake Diekman agreed to a $7.5 million, two-year contract to return to the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday after joining the club in a trade from Kansas City before last July’s deadline.Diekman’s deal includes a $4 million team option for the 2022 season. Oakland, which earned the top AL wild card last season before losing at home to Tampa Bay, re-signed Diekman a day after declining to offer a contract to former closer Blake Treinen, letting the 2018 All-Star become a free agent.After the season ended, manager Bob Melvin and general manager David Forst said the A’s might need to do even more — they won 97 games and still were 10 behind the majors-leading 107-win Houston Astros in the AL West — to guarantee themselves a long playoff series in October. Oakland lost in the wild-card game for the second straight year.The right-handed Treinen posted a 0.78 ERA in 2018, but that number ballooned to 4.91 in 2019.Diekman’s deal pays him $2.75 million in... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Left-handed reliever Jake Diekman agreed to a $7.5 million, two-year contract to return to the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday after joining the club in a trade from Kansas City before last July’s deadline.Diekman’s deal includes a team option for the 2022 season. Oakland, which earned the top AL wild card last season before losing at home to Tampa Bay, re-signed Diekman a day after declining to offer a contract to former closer Blake Treinen, letting the 2018 All-Star become a free agent.After the season ended, manager Bob Melvin and general manager David Forst said the A’s might need to do even more — they won 97 games and still were 10 behind the majors-leading 107-win Houston Astros in the AL West — to guarantee themselves a long playoff series in October. Oakland lost in the wild-card game for the second straight year.The right-handed Treinen posted a 0.78 ERA in 2018, but that number ballooned to 4.91 in 2019.Oakland also announced Tuesday that it reached minor... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Former All-Stars Blake Treinen, Aaron Sanchez and Addison Russell were among 56 players who became free agents along with current Gold Glove second baseman Yolmer Sánchez when their teams declined to offer 2020 contracts Monday rather than make them eligible for salary arbitration.Baltimore, faced with a similar decision, traded second baseman Jonathan Villar to Miami, which claimed first baseman Jesús Aguilar off waivers from Tampa Bay.One big-name free agent found a home: All-Star infielder Mike Moustakas and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a $64 million, four-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.For the second straight offseason, the Reds are making a splash as they try to shake themselves out of a rut of six straight losing seasons. Their first move involves getting a player from NL Central rival Milwaukee. The 31-year-old Moustakas could... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Former All-Stars Blake Treinen, Aaron Sanchez and Addison Russell were among 56 players who became free agents along with current Gold Glove second baseman Yolmer Sánchez when their teams declined to offer 2020 contracts Monday rather than make them eligible for salary arbitration.Baltimore, faced with a similar decision, traded second baseman Jonathan Villar to Miami, which claimed first baseman Jesús Aguilar off waivers from Tampa Bay.One big-name free agent found a home: All-Star infielder Mike Moustakas and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a $64 million, four-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.For the second straight offseason, the Reds are making a splurge as they try to shake themselves out of a rut of six straight losing seasons. Their first move involves getting a player from the NL Central-rival Milwaukee Brewers. The 31-year-old could... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Former All-Stars Blake Treinen, Aaron Sanchez and Addison Russell were among 56 players who became free agents along with current Gold Glove second baseman Yolmer Sánchez when their teams declined to offer 2020 contracts Monday rather than make them eligible for salary arbitration.Baltimore, faced with a similar decision, traded second baseman Jonathan Villar to Miami, which claimed first baseman Jesús Aguilar off waivers from Tampa Bay.One big-name free agent found a home: All-Star infielder Mike Moustakas and the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a $64 million, four-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.For the second straight offseason, the Reds are making a splurge as they try to shake themselves out of a rut of six straight losing seasons. Their first move involves getting a player from the NL Central-rival Milwaukee Brewers. The 31-year-old could... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics did not tender a contract to former closer Blake Treinen on Monday, letting the 2018 All-Star become a free agent.The right-handed Treinen posted a 0.78 ERA in 2018, but that number ballooned to 4.91 in 2019. He was replaced by Liam Hendriks in the closer role as the low-budget A’s earned the AL’s top wild card.Treinen was expected to command roughly $7.5 million in arbitration.Left-hander Ryan Buchter and catcher Josh Phegley also didn’t receive contracts. Lefty T.J. McFarland reached agreement on a $1.8 million, one-year deal to avoid salary arbitration. He was claimed off waivers from the Diamondbacks on Nov. 4.The A’s announced the moves after completing a trade that sent switch-hitting second baseman Jurickson Profar to the San Diego Padres for catcher Austin Allen and a player to be named.Treinen started the 2019 season as A’s closer but wasn’t nearly as consistent. He had a 6.14 ERA during a 19-game span from April 28 to June 20 before... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Former All-Stars Blake Treinen, Aaron Sanchez and Addison Russell became free agents along with current Gold Glove second baseman Yolmer Sánchez when their teams failed to offer 2020 contracts Monday rather than make them eligible for salary arbitration.Baltimore, faced with a similar decision, traded second baseman Jonathan Villar to Miami, which claimed first baseman Jesús Aguilar off waivers from Tampa Bay.Cleveland acquired catcher Sandy León from Boston for a minor leaguer, and San Diego obtained second baseman Jurickson Profar from Oakland for a prospect.Seattle failed to offer a contract to infielder Tim Beckham, who has 32 games remaining on a drug suspension, and San Francisco let go outfielder Kevin Pillar___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics did not tender a contract to former closer Blake Treinen on Monday, letting the 2018 All-Star become a free agent.The right-handed Treinen posted a 0.78 ERA in 2018, but that number ballooned to 4.91 in 2019. He was replaced by Liam Hendriks in the closer role as the low-budget A’s earned the AL’s top wild card.Treinen was expected to command roughly $7.5 million in arbitration.Left-hander Ryan Buchter and catcher Josh Phegley also didn’t receive contracts. Lefty T.J. McFarland reached agreement on a one-year deal to avoid salary arbitration. He was claimed off waivers from the Diamondbacks on Nov. 4.The A’s announced the moves after completing a trade that sent switch-hitting second baseman Jurickson Profar to the San Diego Padres for catcher Austin Allen and a player to be named.Treinen started the 2019 season as A’s closer but wasn’t nearly as consistent. He had a 6.14 ERA during a 19-game span from April 28 to June 20 before a strained pitching... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Oakland Athletics reliever Lou Trivino will miss the rest of the regular season and likely the playoffs after cracking a rib falling in the shower.Manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday he did not expect Trivino to be available in the postseason should the A's secure a spot after the 27-year-old right-hander was injured in his Bay Area apartment last week."We're saying, for sure, the regular season," Melvin said. "He's going to get a second opinion, I think, at some point in time here, but it doesn't look great, unfortunately."The A's held a 1 1/2 game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for the first AL wild card going into Tuesday. Oakland opens a two-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.Oakland will also be without right-hander Blake Treinen the rest of the season because of a hip and back injury.Trivino and Treinen were two of Oakland's most effective pitchers coming out of the bullpen in 2018 but had not been nearly as productive this season. Trivino was 4-6 with a 5.25 ERA in 61 games this season after posting a 2.92 ERA as a rookie. Treinen was 6-5 with a 4.91 ERA in 57 games after he had a 0.78 ERA last season.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Oakland Athletics reliever Lou Trivino will miss the rest of the regular season and likely the playoffs after cracking a rib falling in the shower.Manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday he did not expect Trivino to be available in the postseason should the A's secure a spot after the 27-year-old right-hander was injured in his Bay Area apartment last week."We're saying, for sure, the regular season," Melvin said. "He's going to get a second opinion, I think, at some point in time here, but it doesn't look great, unfortunately."The A's held a 1 1/2 game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for the first AL wild card going into Tuesday. Oakland opens a two-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.Oakland will also be without right-hander Blake Treinen the rest of the season because of a hip and back injury.Trivino and Treinen were two of Oakland's most effective pitchers coming out of the bullpen in 2018 but had not been nearly as productive this season. Trivino was 4-6 with a 5.25 ERA in 61 games this season after posting a 2.92 ERA as a rookie. Treinen was 6-5 with a 4.91 ERA in 57 games after he had a 0.78 ERA last season.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg struck out 14 in 7 1/3 shutout innings, Brian Dozier and Matt Adams homered, and the Washington Nationals continued their midseason surge with a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.Washington has won seven of its last eight and is 25-10 since May 24. The Nationals improved to 44-41, the first time they've been three games over .500 this season.Strasburg (10-4) was, as usual, brilliant against the Marlins. He allowed two hits and two walks while extending his personal winning streak against Miami to 11. The right-hander is 20-7 with a 2.86 ERA in 34 career starts against the Marlins, who didn't get a man past first until the eighth.Strasburg's gem included the first immaculate inning of his career. Strasburg needed just nine pitches to strike out Garrett Cooper, Neil Walker and Starlin Castro in the fourth.Miami's Sandy Alcantara (4-8), making his first start since earning an All-Star nod Sunday, allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings.ANGELS 6,... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg struck out 14 in 7 1/3 shutout innings, Brian Dozier and Matt Adams homered, and the Washington Nationals continued their midseason surge with a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.Washington has won seven of its last eight and is 25-10 since May 24. The Nationals improved to 44-41, the first time they've been three games over .500 this season.Strasburg (10-4) was, as usual, brilliant against the Marlins. He allowed two hits and two walks while extending his personal winning streak against Miami to 11. The right-hander is 20-7 with a 2.86 ERA in 34 career starts against the Marlins, who didn't get a man past first until the eighth.Strasburg's gem included the first immaculate inning of his career. Strasburg needed just nine pitches to strike out Garrett Cooper, Neil Walker and Starlin Castro in the fourth.Miami's Sandy Alcantara (4-8), making his first start since earning an All-Star nod Sunday, allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings.ANGELS 6,... [More]

June 301908 — At 41 years, 3 months, Cy Young of the Boston Red Sox pitched the third no-hitter of his career, an 8-0 win over the New York Highlanders.1948 — Cleveland's Bob Lemon pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers for the first American League no-hitter at night.1962 — Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers struck out 13 New York Mets en route to the first of four career no-hitters, a 5-0 victory at Dodger Stadium.1970 — Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati was dedicated, but Henry Aaron spoiled the show for the crowd of 51,050 with a first-inning homer off Jim McGlothlin as Atlanta beat the Reds 8-2.1978 — Willie McCovey became the 12th player in major league history to hit 500 home runs. His milestone shot off Atlanta's Jamie Easterly wasn't enough, as the Braves beat the San Francisco Giants 10-5 in the second game of a doubleheader at Fulton County Stadium.1995 — Eddie Murray of the Cleveland Indians became the second switch-hitter and the 20th player in baseball history... [More]