CHICAGO (AP) — Kelvin Herrera helped the Kansas City Royals build to a World Series championship. He sees similar potential with the Chicago White Sox.The two-time All-Star reliever and the White Sox finalized an $18 million, two-year contract on Tuesday.Herrera will earn $8.5 million in each of the next two years as part of the deal, and the White Sox have a $10 million option for 2021 with a $1 million buyout. The option would become guaranteed it he appears at least in 110 games as a pitcher during the next two seasons, including at least 55 in 2020, and he passes a physical at the end of the 2020 season.Herrera was part of a dominant bullpen that helped Kansas City win back-to-back pennants and the 2015 World Series. He hopes to help the rebuilding White Sox complete a similar climb."I'm excited for the direction this team has taken," he said through an interpreter. "It resembles my time with Kansas City when I was starting. We were in the rebuilding mode, and we were just trying to... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Kelvin Herrera helped the Kansas City Royals build to a World Series championship. He sees similar potential with the Chicago White Sox.The two-time All-Star reliever and the White Sox finalized an $18 million, two-year contract on Tuesday.Herrera will earn $8.5 million in each of the next two years as part of the deal, and the White Sox have a $10 million option for 2021 with a $1 million buyout.Herrera was part of a dominant bullpen that helped Kansas City win back-to-back pennants and the 2015 World Series. He hopes to help the rebuilding White Sox complete a similar climb."I'm excited for the direction this team has taken," he said through an interpreter. "It resembles my time with Kansas City when I was starting. We were in the rebuilding mode, and we were just trying to learn how to play the right way, with intensity and giving it a 100- percent effort every time. I think that's something that you can see in this team, too."The 29-year-old right-hander has a 2.82 ERA... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Two-time All-Star reliever Kelvin Herrera and the Chicago White Sox have finalized an $18 million, two-year contract.Herrera will earn $8.5 million in each of the next two years as part of the deal announced Tuesday, and the White Sox have a $10 million option for 2021 with a $1 million buyout.Herrera was part of a dominant bullpen that helped Kansas City win back-to-back pennants and the 2015 World Series.The 29-year-old right-hander has a 2.82 ERA and 60 saves over eight seasons with the Royals and Washington. He had a 2.44 ERA with 17 saves in 48 games last year for Kansas City and the Nationals, who acquired him on June 18. Herrera did not pitch after Aug. 26 because of a broken left foot.Chicago is coming off its sixth straight losing season, finishing fourth in the AL Central at 62-100 last year. The White Sox acquired former Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome in a trade with Seattle in November. They also got first baseman and designated hitter Yonder Alonso from Cleveland last month.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Two-time All-Star reliever Kelvin Herrera and the Chicago White Sox have finalized an $18 million, two-year contract.Herrera will earn $8.5 million in each of the next two years as part of the deal announced Tuesday, and the White Sox have a $10 million option for 2021 with a $1 million buyout.Herrera was part of a dominant bullpen that helped Kansas City win back-to-back pennants and the 2015 World Series.The 29-year-old right-hander has a 2.82 ERA and 60 saves over eight seasons with the Royals and Washington. He had a 2.44 ERA with 17 saves in 48 games last year for Kansas City and the Nationals, who acquired him on June 18. Herrera did not pitch after Aug. 26 because of a broken left foot.Chicago is coming off its sixth straight losing season, finishing fourth in the AL Central at 62-100 last year. The White Sox acquired former Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome in a trade with Seattle in November. They also got first baseman and designated hitter Yonder Alonso from Cleveland last month.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Catcher James McCann and the Chicago White Sox have finalized a $2.5 million, one-year contract.Chicago announced the move Wednesday, filling an opening created when it traded Omar Narvaez to Seattle on Nov. 30 for reliever Alex Colome. The White Sox also lost Kevan Smith when he was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels in October.McCann hit .220 with eight homers and 39 RBIs in 118 games last season with Detroit.He was selected by the White Sox in the 31st round of the 2008 amateur draft but went to the University of Arkansas. He was drafted by the Tigers in the second round in 2011. McCann debuted in September 2014 and spent his first five seasons with Detroit. He became a free agent when the Tigers failed to offer a 2019 contract by the Nov. 30 deadline.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox answered one of their offseason questions on Friday, agreeing to a $2.5 million, one-year contract with catcher James McCann.The White Sox had an opening at the position after trading Omar Narvaez to Seattle on Nov. 30 for reliever Alex Colome. They also lost Kevan Smith when he was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels in October.Zack Collins and Seby Zavala are coming up through the minors, but the addition of McCann allows the White Sox to move slowly with the catching prospects. They also have Welington Castillo on their major league roster.A person with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Associated Press the deal for McCann on condition of anonymity because the contract is pending a physical. Yahoo Sports first reported the agreement.The 28-year-old McCann hit .220 with eight homers and 39 RBIs in 118 games last season with Detroit. The rebuilding Tigers didn't offer him a contract for the 2019 season, making him a free agent.McCann was selected by the White Sox in the 31st round of the 2008 draft, but he decided to go to the University of Arkansas instead. He then was drafted by the Tigers in the second round in 2011.McCann made his major league debut in September 2014 and spent his first five seasons with Detroit, batting .240 with 40 homers and 177 RBIs in 452 games. He set career highs with 13 homers and 49 RBIs in 2017.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox answered one of their offseason questions on Friday, agreeing to a $2.5 million, one-year contract with catcher James McCann.The White Sox had an opening at the position after trading Omar Narvaez to Seattle on Nov. 30 for reliever Alex Colome. They also lost Kevan Smith when he was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels in October.Zack Collins and Seby Zavala are coming up through the minors, but the addition of McCann allows the White Sox to move slowly with the catching prospects. They also have Welington Castillo on their major league roster.A person with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Associated Press the deal for McCann on condition of anonymity because the contract is pending a physical. Yahoo Sports first reported the agreement.The 28-year-old McCann hit .220 with eight homers and 39 RBIs in 118 games last season with Detroit. The rebuilding Tigers didn't offer him a contract for the 2019 season, making him a free agent.McCann was selected by the White Sox in the 31st round of the 2008 draft, but he decided to go to the University of Arkansas instead. He then was drafted by the Tigers in the second round in 2011.McCann made his major league debut in September 2014 and spent his first five seasons with Detroit, batting .240 with 40 homers and 177 RBIs in 452 games. He set career highs with 13 homers and 49 RBIs in 2017.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SEATTLE (AP) — Mariners fans have waited longer than any supporters in North America for a return to the postseason.General manager Jerry Dipoto is asking Seattle to wait a little bit more.Dipoto continued a whirlwind reshaping of the Mariners' roster Monday by sending Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets and Jean Segura, James Pazos and Juan Nicasio to Philadelphia. In exchange, Seattle received a bundle of prospects and freed up significant salary space for after the 2020 season."This is what a reset looks like," Dipoto said.Dipoto believes the flurry of moves he's made in the past few weeks can get the Mariners into contention by 2021, calling the strategy a "step back" rather than a rebuild, even though it could take longer than a couple of seasons for Seattle to return to relevancy.The Mariners have been the busiest team in baseball, making wholesale changes to begin the offseason. Salary and experience are being swapped for youth and hope, with an eye on opening a competitive... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Reliever Alex Colome was acquired by the Chicago White Sox from the payroll-shedding Seattle Mariners on Friday for catcher Omar Narvaez.The White Sox also declined to offer contracts to outfielder Avisail Garcia and Matt Davidson, allowing the pair to become free agents. And they agreed to a $1.55 million, one-year deal with outfielder Leury Garcia.Colome has 96 saves in six seasons with Tampa Bay and Seattle, earned $5.3 million this year and is eligible for salary arbitration. The 29-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2016 and became the first Rays pitcher to lead the league in saves in 2017 with 47. He was dealt to the Mariners last May.Colome was 7-5 with a 3.04 ERA and 12 saves in 17 chances last season, including 5-0 with a 2.53 ERA in 47 appearances for Seattle. He is eligible for free agency after the 2020 season.Narvaez, 26, hit .275 with nine homers and 30 RBIs last season, his third with the White Sox.Avisail Garcia — an All-Star in 2017 — was limited to 93 games last season because of discomfort in his right knee that led to surgery in October. He went from batting.330 to .236.Davidson hit .228 with 20 homers and 62 RBIs last season while being used primarily as a designated hitter and at first base. Leury Garcia batted .271 with four home runs and 32 RBIs in 82 games.___More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Reliever Alex Colome was acquired by the Chicago White Sox from the payroll-shedding Seattle Mariners on Friday for catcher Omar Narvaez.Colome has 96 saves in six seasons with Tampa Bay and Seattle, earned $5.3 million this year and is eligible for salary arbitration. The 29-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2016 and became the first Rays pitcher to lead the league in saves in 2017 with 47. He was dealt to the Mariners last May.Colome was 7-5 with a 3.04 ERA and 12 saves in 17 chances last season, including 5-0 with a 2.53 ERA in 47 appearances for Seattle. He is eligible for free agency after the 2020 season.Narvaez, 26, hit .275 with nine homers and 30 RBIs last season, his third with the White Sox.___More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — Reliever Alex Colome was acquired by the Chicago White Sox from the payroll-shedding Seattle Mariners for catcher Omar Narvaez.Colome has 96 saves in six seasons with Tampa Bay and Seattle, earned $5.3 million this year and is eligible for salary arbitration. The 29-year-old right-hander was an All-Star in 2016 and became the first Rays pitcher to lead the league in saves in 2017 with 47. He was dealt to the Mariners last May.Colome was 7-5 with a 3.04 ERA and 12 saves in 17 chances last season, including 5-0 with a 2.53 ERA in 47 appearances for Seattle. He is eligible for free agency after the 2020 season.Narvaez, 26, hit .275 with nine homers and 30 RBIs last season, his third with the White Sox.The trade was announced Friday.___More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SEATTLE (AP) — The Mariners have declined outfielder Denard Span's $12 million contract option for next year in favor of a $4 million buyout, making the 34-year-old a free agent.Span was acquired by Seattle last May in a trade with Tampa Bay and became one of the Mariners most consistent hitters. Span hit .272 with 15 doubles, seven home runs and 30 RBIs in 94 games with the Mariners, often batting in the middle of Seattle's order. He played 87 of those games in the outfield, almost all in left field.Span agreed to a $31 million, three-year contract with San Francisco before the 2016 season and earned an additional $4.75 million in performance bonuses and escalators that raised his earnings under the deal to $35.75 million.He was traded to Tampa Bay from San Francisco last offseason and relished the chance to play where he grew up. But with Seattle needing a left-handed bat after the suspension of Robinson Cano as it tried to contend for a playoff spot, he was traded to the Mariners along with reliever Alex Colome for a pair of minor leaguers.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) — The Houston Astros clinched another AL West title and reached 100 wins for the second straight season, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 Tuesday night behind Alex Bregman's two-run homer.Houston improved to 100-57 and was assured of first place hours later when second-place Oakland (95-63) lost at Seattle. The Astros will open the Division Series at home against Cleveland on Oct. 5.The Astros need three wins in their final five games to break the franchise record for victories in a season, set in 1998.Houston is 18-4 in September and 54-22 on the road, both best in the major leagues.Roberto Osuna needed just six pitches in the ninth for his 20th save in 21 chances. Earlier Tuesday, assault charges against Osuna were dropped because the complainant, who lives in Mexico, made clear she would not travel to Toronto to testify.Josh James (2-0) allowed one run and four hits in five innings in his third big league start.Bregman went 2 for 5 and extended his club-record streak of... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals needed something to get them going on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers.Out of nowhere — again — a squirrel appeared.In an episode sure to revive St. Louis fans' memories of the 2011 Rally Squirrel, this game at Comerica Park was scoreless going into the seventh inning. That's when a squirrel took up residence between second and third base.There was a delay and, with some prompting, the critter moved into foul territory and eventually made its escape in right field.The Cardinals wound up scoring five times in the inning and avoided a series sweep with a 5-2 victory. St. Louis has a one-game lead for the second NL wild card spot.During the 2011 NL Division Series, a squirrel cut across the diamond at Busch Stadium, running right past home plate during a game against Philadelphia. The Cards went on to win the playoff series and later the championship — their World Series rings even depicted a squirrel.The Cardinals John Gant (7-5) allowed two runs on... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals needed something to get them going on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers.Out of nowhere — again — a squirrel appeared.In an episode sure to revive St. Louis fans' memories of the 2011 Rally Squirrel, this game at Comerica Park was scoreless going into the seventh inning. That's when a squirrel took up residence between second and third base.There was a delay and, with some prompting, the critter moved into foul territory and eventually made its escape in right field.The Cardinals wound up scoring five times in the inning and avoided a series sweep with a 5-2 victory. St. Louis has a one-game lead for the second NL wild card spot.During the 2011 NL Division Series, a squirrel cut across the diamond at Busch Stadium, running right past home plate during a game against Philadelphia. The Cards went on to win the playoff series and later the championship — their World Series rings even depicted a squirrel.The Cardinals John Gant (7-5) allowed two runs on... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — DETROIT (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals needed something to get them going on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers.Out of nowhere — again — a squirrel appeared.In an episode sure to revive St. Louis fans' memories of the 2011 Rally Squirrel, this game at Comerica Park was scoreless going into the seventh inning. That's when a squirrel took up residence between second and third base.There was a delay and, with some prompting, the critter moved into foul territory and eventually made its escape in right field.The Cardinals wound up scoring five times in the inning and avoided a series sweep with a 5-2 victory. St. Louis has a one-game lead for the second NL wild card spot.During the 2011 NL Division Series, a squirrel cut across the diamond at Busch Stadium, running right past home plate during a game against Philadelphia. The Cards went on to win the playoff series and later the championship — their World Series rings even depicted a squirrel.The Cardinals John Gant (7-5) allowed... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — DETROIT (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals needed something to get them going on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers.Out of nowhere — again — a squirrel appeared.In an episode sure to revive St. Louis fans' memories of the 2011 Rally Squirrel, this game at Comerica Park was scoreless going into the seventh inning. That's when a squirrel took up residence between second and third base.There was a delay and, with some prompting, the critter moved into foul territory and eventually made its escape in right field.The Cardinals wound up scoring five times in the inning and avoided a series sweep with a 5-2 victory. St. Louis has a one-game lead for the second NL wild card spot.During the 2011 NL Division Series, a squirrel cut across the diamond at Busch Stadium, running right past home plate during a game against Philadelphia. The Cards went on to win the playoff series and later the championship — their World Series rings even depicted a squirrel.The Cardinals John Gant (7-5) allowed... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich drove in the winning run with the bases loaded in the ninth after beating a throw from third to avoid a double play, and the Milwaukee Brewers opened an important three-game series with the Chicago Cubs with a 4-3 win Monday.The .316 hitter hit a 1-2 fastball from Jesse Chavez right at third baseman Kris Bryant, who touched third for the second out of the ninth before firing to first. The speedy Yelich reached safely just before the throw landed in the glove of the outstretched Anthony Rizzo, allowing Keon Broxton to score the game-winner from third.Cubs reliever Steve Cishek (4-3) loaded the bases in the ninth with a walk, passed ball and two hit batters.The second-place Brewers pulled within four games of the NL Central-leading Cubs.Milwaukee tied the score 3-3 after pinch-hitter Mike Moustakas drew a four-pitch walk with two outs in the eighth from Carl Edwards Jr.Anthony Rizzo hit a two-out, two-run homer off tough left-hander Josh Hader in the eighth.Jeremy... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Sonny Gray made the most of a foray into the starting rotation by taking a three-hitter into the seventh inning, and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 Saturday night for a doubleheader sweep.In the opener, rookie Miguel Andujar homered and had four RBIs, J.A. Happ (15-6) won his fifth straight start and New York rolled to a 10-3 victory.Gray (10-8) gave up three hits, a walk and struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander had been exiled to the bullpen after yielding seven runs in a loss to Baltimore on Aug. 1.Gray allowed only one runner past second base in helping the Yankees notch their seventh win in eight games to pull seven games behind first-place Boston in the AL East.Austin Romine homered, had three hits and scored three runs for the Yankees, who led 4-0 after four innings against Andrew Cashner (4-12).Andujar had two hits in each game to raise his batting average to .300. He leads AL rookies in batting, multihit games (43) and RBIs (70).RAYS... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Sonny Gray made the most of a foray into the starting rotation by taking a three-hitter into the seventh inning, and the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 Saturday night for a doubleheader sweep.In the opener, rookie Miguel Andujar homered and had four RBIs, J.A. Happ (15-6) won his fifth straight start and New York rolled to a 10-3 victory.Gray (10-8) gave up three hits, a walk and struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander had been exiled to the bullpen after yielding seven runs in a loss to Baltimore on Aug. 1.Gray allowed only one runner past second base in helping the Yankees notch their seventh win in eight games to pull seven games behind first-place Boston in the AL East.Austin Romine homered, had three hits and scored three runs for the Yankees, who led 4-0 after four innings against Andrew Cashner (4-12).Andujar had two hits in each game to raise his batting average to .300. He leads AL rookies in batting, multihit games (43) and RBIs (70).RAYS... [More]