KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals traded Homer Bailey to the Oakland Athletics for minor league infielder Kevin Merrell on Sunday after scratching the veteran right-hander about 45 minutes before his scheduled start of their series finale against Detroit.The 33-year-old Bailey has rebounded this season with the Royals after signing a minor league deal in February. He is 7-6 with a 4.80 ERA, but he's been especially good over his past seven starts, giving the A's some additional help as they seek a playoff run in the second half.The A's began the day six back in the AL West and just ahead of Cleveland for a wild-card spot."We're trying to get incrementally better wherever we can," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said "Before he got hurt obviously was an electric arm and it seems like he's coming back to form at this point. I think it makes our rotation better and that's the objective."Bailey joins a rotation that has been battered by numerous injuries and a suspension to nine-game... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Back home from an 0-2 trip to Japan, the slugging Oakland Athletics got "comfy."Reigning homer run champion Khris Davis went deep for the second time this season , Marcus Semien added a solo shot and the A's beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-0 on Thursday for their first win after a pair of losses to Seattle last week in Japan."It was important to us to get that first win out of the way and it feels good that we showed up today and got the job done," Davis said. "I think guys are over the jet lag. I'm glad we could bounce back. ... Just a better rhythm. We're just kind of back in tune to what's going on over here. It was kind of a circus. I like the way we responded today. A little more comfy at home."Before the game, Davis stood behind the cage with Make-A-Wish Foundation friend Anthony Slocumb , who was wearing a Davis jersey signed by the boy that the slugger wore Aug. 20 against Texas when he hit homer No. 37 of his 48 last year.Mike Trout singled and walked going... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Reigning homer run champion Khris Davis went deep for the second time this season, Marcus Semien added a solo shot and the Oakland Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-0 on Thursday for their first win after a pair of losses to Seattle last week in Japan.Mike Trout singled and walked going 1 for 3 in his first game since signing a $426.5 million, 12-year contract, and manager Brad Ausmus lost his Angels debut after taking over for Mike Scioscia.Stephen Piscotty added an RBI double as the A's backed Mike Fiers (1-1), who lost in Japan last week in his first opening-day start.Fiers allowed one hit, struck out two and walked three in six innings. Three relievers completed the three-hit shutout that breezed by in 2 hours, 18 minutes.Trout drew the trainer and Ausmus out in the eighth after he made a hard slide into second and jarred his right leg.Albert Pujols went 0 for 3 with a strikeout as he began his 19th season. Pujols has 633 career homers and is back at 39... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin took another step toward finalizing his pitching rotation Monday, announcing right-hander Frankie Montas will be the team's fourth starter.The 26-year-old Montas has had varied success during parts of two seasons with the A's but was dominant this spring after adding a splitter to complement a 97 mph fastball and slider. The new pitch produced immediate results as Montas went 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA in five games with 16 strikeouts and five walks over 16 innings.He joins an A's rotation that includes Mike Fiers, Marco Estrada and Brett Anderson."Deservedly so," Melvin said. "He's had a terrific spring, pitched well whether he was starting a game, whether he was piggy-backing with somebody, and continued pitching the same the entire spring — with some pressure on him knowing that he had to win a job. Proud of him. He deserves to be in the rotation."Melvin didn't use a projected starter in Oakland's 5-4 exhibition win over San Francisco,... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin took another step toward finalizing his pitching rotation Monday, announcing right-hander Frankie Montas will be the team's fourth starter.The 26-year-old Montas has had varied success during parts of two seasons with the A's but was dominant this spring after adding a splitter to complement a 97 mph fastball and slider. The new pitch produced immediate results as Montas went 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA in five games with 16 strikeouts and five walks over 16 innings.He joins an A's rotation that includes Mike Fiers, Marco Estrada and Brett Anderson."Deservedly so," Melvin said before a Bay Area exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants. "He's had a terrific spring, pitched well whether he was starting a game, whether he was piggy-backing with somebody, and continued pitching the same the entire spring — with some pressure on him knowing that he had to win a job. Proud of him. He deserves to be in the rotation."Montas' emergence this... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Left-hander Brett Anderson is back with the Oakland Athletics for a third stint 10 years after breaking into the big leagues with the club.He received a $1.5 million, one-year contract, announced Wednesday at spring training. He can earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses for starts: $200,000 each for 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24.Anderson went 4-5 with a 4.48 ERA in 17 starts and 80 1/3 innings last season for the A's.The 31-year-old spent the 2009-13 seasons with Oakland before being traded to the Rockies in December 2013.Also Wednesday, the A's placed left-hander Sean Manaea on the 60-day injured list to clear roster room for Anderson.Manaea pitched a no-hitter against Boston on April 21 in a bright start to a season that ended with the ace undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery in September. He is expected to be out until around the All-Star break.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Like every other pitcher in the Oakland Athletics' deep bullpen, Liam Hendriks is expecting to pitch a lot this season.The tricky question for manager Bob Melvin going into spring training: Who gets to go first?The Athletics rotation is a major uncertainty heading into camp, with the first workout for pitchers and catchers set for Monday. Of course, that's nothing new for Melvin. Oakland's rotation was wrecked by injuries last season, prompting the A's to lean on their relief pitchers as "openers" to start games. With at least three spots in the rotation currently wide open, Oakland might again be forced to get creative with the early innings.Hendriks became the most dependable in that role last season, making nine of the 10 "opener" starts for Oakland in September and October, including in the AL wild-card game against the Yankees.The makeshift bullpen games helped the A's earn a surprising postseason appearance, and Hendriks is eager to return to the role. He's ready... [More]

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Like every other pitcher in the Oakland Athletics' deep bullpen, Liam Hendriks is expecting to pitch a lot this season.The tricky question for manager Bob Melvin going into spring training: Who gets to go first?The Athletics rotation is a major uncertainty heading into camp, with the first workout for pitchers and catchers set for Monday. Of course, that's nothing new for Melvin. Oakland's rotation was wrecked by injuries last season, prompting the A's to lean on their relief pitchers as "openers" to start games. With at least three spots in the rotation currently wide open, Oakland might again be forced to get creative with the early innings.Hendriks became the most dependable in that role last season, making nine of the 10 "opener" starts for Oakland in September and October, including in the AL wild-card game against the Yankees.The makeshift bullpen games helped the A's earn a surprising postseason appearance, and Hendriks is eager to return to the role. He's ready... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Athletics were still searching for depth in the rotation after all the injuries last season. Marco Estrada figures to be a front-line starter they had sought.Estrada and Oakland agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract Friday, giving the club a veteran presence.A double-digit winner in 2015 and '17 for Toronto, the 35-year-old went 7-14 with a 5.64 ERA in 28 starts and 143 2/3 innings last year for the Blue Jays."We've known for a while we needed to add at least one more starter and have been talking to Marco's representatives since around the time of the winter meetings," general manager David Forst said Friday, a day before the club's Fan Fest. "He's a guy who was an All-Star in 2016, pitched great a couple years in Toronto and last year pitched through some back and some hip issues and lost a little bit of velocity. But command is outstanding as ever, his changeup has always been one of the best pitches in the league, and a guy we fully expect to bounce back... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Right-hander Marco Estrada agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract Friday with the Oakland Athletics, giving the club a veteran presence in a rotation that was plagued by injuries last season.A double-digit winner in 2015 and '17 for Toronto, the 35-year-old Estrada went 7-14 with a 5.64 ERA in 28 starts and 143 2/3 innings last year for the Blue Jays.Left-hander Sean Manaea pitched a no-hitter against Boston on April 21 in a bright start to a season that ended with the ace undergoing shoulder surgery in September. He is expected to be out until around the All-Star break. In addition, Jharel Cotton had Tommy John surgery in March, followed by three others who also underwent the elbow ligament replacement surgery: opening day starter Kendall Graveman, Daniel Gossett and top prospect A.J. Puk.Last month the A's re-signed right-hander Mike Fiers to a $14.1 million, two-year contract.The A's sent right-hander Parker Bridwell outright to Triple-A Las Vegas, clearing roster room for Estrada. Bridwell will attend big league spring training.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Athletics slugger Khris Davis is getting a $6 million raise after leading the majors in home runs last season.Davis reached agreement Friday with Oakland on a $16.5 million, one-year contract to avoid salary arbitration.The A's also agreed Friday to one-year deals with left-hander Sean Manaea for $3.15 million, second baseman Jurickson Profar for $3.6 million and shortstop Marcus Semien for $5.9 million and outfielder Mark Canha for $2.05 million.Davis received a hefty raise from the A's last winter, then went out and hit a majors-best 48 home runs while setting a career high with 123 RBIs — not to mention leading the low-budget club back to the playoffs for the first time since 2014 before a wild-card loss to the Yankees.While Oakland general manager David Forst has said signing Davis to a multiyear contract is a high priority, it wasn't at the top of the team's offseason to-do list and Forst said Davis understands that as the A's try to build another winning roster.The... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Athletics slugger Khris Davis is getting a $6 million raise after leading the majors in home runs last season.Davis reached agreement Friday with Oakland on a $16.5 million, one-year contract to avoid salary arbitration.The A's also said Friday they had agreed to one-year deals with left-hander Sean Manaea, infielders Jurickson Profar and Marcus Semien and outfielder Mark Canha ($2.05 million).Davis received a hefty raise from the A's last winter, then went out and hit a majors-best 48 home runs while setting a career high with 123 RBIs — not to mention leading the low-budget club back to the playoffs for the first time since 2014 before a wild-card loss to the Yankees.While Oakland general manager David Forst has said signing Davis to a multiyear contract is a high priority, it wasn't at the top of the team's offseason to-do list and Forst said Davis understands that as the A's try to build another winning roster.The 31-year-old Davis received the $10.5 million,... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Khris Davis, last season's major league home run leader, reached agreement Friday with the Oakland Athletics on a $16.5 million, one-year contract to avoid salary arbitration.The A's also said Friday they had agreed to one-year deals with left-hander Sean Manaea, infielders Jurickson Profar and Marcus Semien and outfielder Mark Canha to avoid arbitration.Davis received a hefty raise from the A's last winter, then went out and hit a majors-best 48 home runs while setting a career high with 123 RBIs — not to mention leading the low-budget club back to the playoffs for the first time since 2014 before a wild-card loss to the Yankees.While Oakland general manager David Forst has said signing Davis to a multiyear contract is a high priority, it wasn't at the top of the team's offseason to-do list and Forst said Davis understands that as the A's try to build another winning roster.The 31-year-old Davis received a $10.5 million, one-year contract last January, more than... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Free agent right-hander Mike Fiers agreed to a two-year contract worth more than $14 million to stay with the Oakland Athletics, who were determined to find an experienced starter this offseason to help lead a young rotation.They brought him back less than a month after not tendering him a contract. Fiers will earn $6 million in 2019 and $8.1 million in 2020.Oakland would like to add another starter, too, realizing it must provide depth given all the injuries last season. Ace Sean Manaea is recovering from shoulder surgery and not expected back until at least the All-Star break."We were pretty clear, and it's pretty obvious, starting rotation was an area we absolutely had to address," Billy Beane, A's executive vice president of baseball operations, said on a conference call Monday after the team announced Fiers' deal. "... It's all about the starters right now. We have to be opportunistic and patient."The A's acquired Fiers in August from Detroit, and he helped the... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Free agent right-hander Mike Fiers agreed to a two-year contract to stay with the Oakland Athletics, who were determined to find an experienced starter this offseason to help lead a young rotation.And Oakland would like to add another starter, too, realizing it must provide depth given all the injuries last season. Ace Sean Manaea is recovering from shoulder surgery and not expected back until at least the All-Star break."We were pretty clear, and it's pretty obvious, starting rotation was an area we absolutely had to address," Billy Beane, A's executive vice president of baseball operations, said on a conference call Monday after the team announced Fiers' deal. "... It's all about the starters right now. We have to be opportunistic and patient."The A's acquired Fiers in August from Detroit, and he helped the club reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014. He went 5-2 with a 3.74 ERA in 10 outings with nine starts after joining Oakland, which lost the AL wild-card... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Free agent right-hander Mike Fiers has agreed to a two-year contract to stay with the Oakland Athletics, who were determined to find an experienced starter this offseason to help lead a young rotation.And Oakland would like to add another starter, too, realizing it must provide depth given all the injuries last season. Ace Sean Manaea is recovering from shoulder surgery and not expected back until at least the All-Star break. The A's announced Fiers' deal Monday.The A's acquired Fiers in August from Detroit, and he helped the club reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The 33-year-old Fiers went 5-2 with a 3.74 ERA in 10 outings with nine starts after joining Oakland, which lost the AL wild-card game at New York.Fiers was 12-8 with a 3.56 ERA in 30 starts and 31 overall appearances and 172 innings in 2018.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Bob Melvin's job was a lot different as a rookie manager with Seattle in 2002, and even when he was voted Manager of the Year with Arizona in 2007 and Oakland in 2012."Organizations and certainly front offices are more a part of it now, and you have to understand that," Melvin said Tuesday after winning his third manager award.Melvin won the American League honor after leading the Athletics to the playoffs despite the lowest opening-day payroll in the major leagues.Atlanta's Brian Snitker won the National League award following a surprising first-place finish, a reward for a 63-year-old baseball lifer who has spent 42 seasons with the Braves. He thought back to how he returned to the minor leagues in 1986, 1991 and 2004 after stints on the staff of the big league Braves."Hey, I've been recycled three times from the major leagues as a coach," he said. "Everything that I've been through I think has prepared me better to understand what these guys go through and what this job... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Oakland's Bob Melvin was voted Manager of the Year for the third time, winning the American League honor Tuesday after leading the Athletics to the playoffs despite the lowest opening-day payroll in the major leagues.Atlanta's Brian Snitker won the National League award following the Braves' surprising first-place finish.Melvin received 18 first-place votes, 19 seconds and one third for 121 points from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He is the eighth manager to win three or more times and is one shy of the record shared by Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa. Melvin won with Oakland in 2012 and took the NL honor with Arizona in 2007.His A's went 97-65 — a 22-win improvement over 2017 — even with a $68.6 million payroll when the season began. They overcame a 34-36 start to go a big league-best from June 16 on, even though Jharel Cotton, A.J. Puk, Sean Manaea, Brett Anderson and several other starting pitchers got hurt. They lost to the New York Yankees in the AL wild-card... [More]

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Cincinnati outfielder Scott Schebler and Texas pitcher Matt Bush just missed the cutoff for salary arbitration eligibility, while Chicago Cubs pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. and Toronto pitcher Joe Biagini earned the final spots.The Major League Baseball Players Association said Thursday the cutoff for eligibility this winter is 2 years, 134 days of major league service, up from 2 years, 123 days last year. The top 22 percent of players by service time with at least two years but less than three are eligible for arbitration as long as they had at least 86 days this year. They join the older group of 3- to 6-year players.Players and teams are scheduled to exchange proposed salaries on Jan. 11, and hearings for those lacking agreements will be scheduled for Jan. 28 to Feb. 15 in St. Petersburg, Florida.Twenty-five players are eligible as so-called super-2s. New York Yankees pitcher Luis Severino tops the list of service time at 2 years, 170 days, and the group also includes... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics surprised most everyone but themselves.A young team that gained momentum with a strong September a year ago slugged its way right into the playoffs and onto the national radar by hanging tough in the difficult AL West this season.Still, it all ended with the same result: a playoff defeat in an elimination game. After a 97-65 regular season, Oakland lost the wild-card game 7-2 to New York on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium."Unless you play the last game, it's disappointing," manager Bob Melvin said. "So I think when you reflect back and look where we started the year, you know kind of where we came from, it ends up being a good year but it doesn't feel good right now."Khris Davis and the A's rallied all year long to reach the postseason for the first time since 2014 following consecutive last-place division finishes.Davis led the majors with 48 home runs, his third straight 40-homer season.A sensational second-half surge made the difference.... [More]