WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Adams is returning to a Nationals team he believes is better than the one he was traded from and has the potential to make even more moves this offseason.Adams finalized a $4 million, one-year deal on Tuesday that includes a $3 million salary for next season and a $4 million mutual option for 2020 with a $1 million buyout. The 30-year-old first baseman is back with Washington after being traded to St. Louis in August for $50,000.The move by general manager Mike Rizzo fills a void with a left-handed hitter who's expected to split time at first base with Ryan Zimmerman."I'm kind of at a loss for words just because I'm excited for this opportunity," Adams said on a conference call. "The team is definitely better than it was last year with the acquisitions that Rizz has made so far this offseason, and I don't think that we're done yet, either. It's an exciting time for fans and we're excited to get things rolling in 2019."Rizzo bolstered the starting rotation by signing... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Adams is returning to a Nationals team he believes is better than the one he was traded from and has the potential to make even more moves this offseason.Adams agreed to terms Tuesday on a $4 million, one-year deal with a mutual option for 2020. The 30-year-old first baseman is back with Washington after being traded to St. Louis in August for $50,000. The move by general manager Mike Rizzo fills a void with a left-handed hitter who's expected to split time at first base with Ryan Zimmerman."I'm kind of at a loss for words just because I'm excited for this opportunity," Adams said on a conference call. "The team is definitely better than it was last year with the acquisitions that Rizz has made so far this offseason, and I don't think that we're done yet, either. It's an exciting time for fans and we're excited to get things rolling in 2019."Rizzo bolstered the starting rotation by signing left-hander Patrick Corbin to a $140 million, six-year contract and shored... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Nationals have finalized a $4 million, one-year deal with first baseman Matt Adams that includes a mutual option for 2020.General manager Mike Rizzo announced the contract Tuesday. Washington and Adams agreed last weekend pending a successful physical.Adams returns to the Nationals after they traded him to St. Louis in August for $50,000. At the time of the trade, he considered the possibility of going back to Washington in 2019.The 30-year-old said Tuesday he's excited about the moves Rizzo has already made, signing left-handed starter Patrick Corbin and catcher Kurt Suzuki and acquiring catcher Yan Gomes from Cleveland, and would be happy if the Nationals brought back star outfielder Bryce Harper.Adams is a career .266 hitter and had 21 home runs and 57 RBIs last season with the Nationals and Cardinals. He fills a void for Washington as a left-handed bat who is expected to split time at first base with Ryan Zimmerman.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Free agent first baseman Matt Adams has an agreement to return to the Washington Nationals, pending a successful physical exam.A person familiar with the deal confirmed to The Associated Press that Adams and the Nationals agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract with a mutual option for 2020. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the club had not made an announcement.Adams was traded by Washington to St. Louis in August for $50,000. He hit .158 with three home runs and nine RBIs in 27 games with the Cardinals.The 30-year-old Adams is expected to split time at first base again with Ryan Zimmerman. The agreement was first reported by the Athletic.Getting Adams is the latest move this offseason for Washington, which signed left-handed starter Patrick Corbin and catcher Kurt Suzuki, traded for catcher Yan Gomes and is waiting to see what happens with star outfielder Bryce Harper.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Paul Goldschmidt and Robinson Cano have already switched teams this offseason, going to the Cardinals and Mets in major trades.As for Manny Machado and Bryce Harper — the jewels of the free agent market — they're still waiting.Patrick Corbin and Josh Donaldson are already signed, but there are plenty of significant free agents still available heading into the winter meetings this week. The market appears less sluggish than a year ago, and Machado and Harper will remain focal points.Here's a look at the top free agents — broken down by position — who are still available. Players are listed with their most recent teams, with their ages in parentheses:LEFT-HANDED STARTERDallas Keuchel, Astros (30)With Corbin off the board , Keuchel may be the top remaining starter on the market. He slipped a bit after his Cy Young-winning performance of 2015, but this past season was encouraging from a health standpoint. He made a career-high 34 starts and posted a 3.74 ERA.Other options: J.A. Happ hasn't... [More]

Paul Goldschmidt and Robinson Cano have already switched teams this offseason, going to the Cardinals and Mets in major trades.As for Manny Machado and Bryce Harper — the jewels of the free agent market — they're still waiting.Patrick Corbin and Josh Donaldson are already signed, but there are plenty of significant free agents still available heading into the winter meetings this week. The market appears less sluggish than a year ago, and Machado and Harper will remain focal points.Here's a look at the top free agents — broken down by position — who are still available. Players are listed with their most recent teams, with their ages in parentheses:LEFT-HANDED STARTERDallas Keuchel, Astros (30)With Corbin off the board , Keuchel may be the top remaining starter on the market. He slipped a bit after his Cy Young-winning performance of 2015, but this past season was encouraging from a health standpoint. He made a career-high 34 starts and posted a 3.74 ERA.Other options: J.A. Happ hasn't... [More]

The St. Louis Cardinals were barreling toward their third consecutive missed postseason when they made the decision to part ways with manager Mike Matheny and turn the reins over to Mike Shildt.They still wound up missing the playoffs.But oh, what a run they made.A club that was hovering around .500 when Matheny was dumped in July set a record for consecutive series wins, and climbed into the playoff race well into September. St. Louis was finally eliminated on the season's penultimate day, but the organization was left feeling much better about the future."We've been in postseason mode since virtually the All-Star break," Shildt said, "so you appreciate what went well, and you appreciate and grow through experiences and you grow together. There's a lot of takeaways, and the good news is we'll take advantage of it. I can promise you that."Shildt, who never played the game beyond college, was so impressive in righting the course as a first-time manager that the Cardinals stripped him of... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo indicated during a session with reporters Wednesday that first-year manager Dave Martinez will return next season."I haven't considered any other scenario," Rizzo responded when asked if Martinez would be back.The Nationals, expected to contend for a third straight NL East title, entered Wednesday with a 69-70 record, 7 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the East and eight games back in the wild card.In addition to injuries to players including Daniel Murphy, Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg and Sean Doolittle, Martinez's work as a rookie skipper has come under scrutiny."I think Davey's doing a great job in managing this team," Rizzo said. "He's managed them through a lot of trials and tribulations that a lot of first-year managers haven't had to go through, and to have a team playing with the exuberance and energy level that they're playing at at this point I think is a testament to Davey and the staff and the way that they feel about him... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their bullpen on Friday, acquiring right-hander Ryan Madson from the Washington Nationals for a minor league pitcher.The five-time defending NL West champions have Kenley Jansen as their closer, but he's been shaky since coming off the disabled list, allowing seven earned runs in four innings over four appearances.Madson was 5-5 with five saves and a 4.08 ERA in 69 games for Washington. The 38-year-old recently came off the DL after being sidelined by nerve irritation that caused pain in his neck and back."Feels like a fresh start, especially to a year I've struggled a little bit," Madson said as he was leaving Nationals Park. "Now none of that matters. All that matters is from this point forward and helping that team win games. That's it."Madson, who helped Philadelphia and Kansas City win World Series titles, was acquired by the Nationals with fellow reliever Sean Doolittle from Oakland in July 2017."Just push the ball to Kenley and... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers have bolstered their bullpen, acquiring right-hander Ryan Madson from the Washington Nationals for a minor league pitcher.The playoff-contending Dodgers made the trade Friday. They have Kenley Jansen as their closer, but he's been shaky since coming off the disabled list, allowing seven earned runs in four innings over four appearances.Madson was 5-5 with five saves and a 4.08 ERA in 69 games for Washington. The 38-year-old recently came off the disabled list after being sidelined by nerve irritation that caused pain in his neck and back."Feels like a fresh start, especially to a year I've struggled a little bit," Madson said as he was leaving Nationals Park. "Now none of that matters. All that matters is from this point forward and helping that team win games. That's it."Madson, who helped Philadelphia and Kansas City win World Series titles, was acquired by the Nationals with fellow reliever Sean Doolittle from Oakland in July 2017."Just push... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers have bolstered their bullpen, acquiring right-hander Ryan Madson from the Washington Nationals for a minor league pitcher.The playoff-contending Dodgers made the trade Friday. They have Kenley Jansen as their closer, but he's been shaky since coming off the disabled list.Madson was 5-5 with five saves and a 4.08 ERA in 69 games for Washington. The 38-year-old recently came off the disabled list after being sidelined by nerve irritation that caused pain in his neck and back.Madson, who helped Philadelphia and Kansas City win World Series titles, was acquired by the Nationals with fellow reliever Sean Doolittle from Oakland in July 2017. For his career, Madson is 61-48 with a 3.45 ERA and 91 saves.Los Angeles (72-62) began the day two games behind Arizona in the NL West and 2 ½ games back in the wild card chase.Washington, which unloaded second baseman Daniel Murphy and first baseman Matt Adams at the July 31 trade deadline, received right-handed pitcher Andrew Istler from the Dodgers. Istler, 25, went 4-4 with a 2.37 ERA in 41 games (one start) between three levels of Los Angeles' minor league system.Additionally, the Nationals recalled left-handed pitcher Sammy Solis from Triple-A Syracuse.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matt Adams could see something special going on with the St. Louis Cardinals from the opposing side of the field with the Washington Nationals.He recognized the solid pitching and timely hitting that have made the Cardinals baseball's hottest team in the dog days of August. So Adams couldn't believe his luck when he found out St. Louis had claimed him off waivers earlier this week.The move brings Adams back to the organization that drafted him in 2009. More importantly, he's on a team that has gone from wild-card hopeful to threatening the NL Central-leading Cubs."They're playing with a fire and taking every pitch like it's the last pitch they'll ever play," Adams said. "How they go about their daily business is something special to watch."St. Louis has undergone quite a transformation since firing manager Mike Matheny on July 14.At that time, the Cardinals were 47-46 and trailed the Cubs by 7 ½ games. After sweeping the Dodgers on Wednesday to win their eighth consecutive... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:PRIZE FIGHTTop contenders for the NL Cy Young Award square off when Aaron Nola (14-3, 2.24 ERA) and the Phillies face Max Scherzer (16-5, 2.11) and the Nationals in their series finale. Nola is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts this season against Washington, which has won consecutive games against Philadelphia since trading away Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams. The second-place Phillies are three games behind Atlanta in the NL East, while the Nationals are 7½ games back.PAIR OF ACESIn another marquee matchup on the mound, it's Jacob deGrom (8-7, 1.71 ERA) and the Mets hosting Madison Bumgarner (4-5, 3.05) and the Giants for a Citi Field matinee. Also a leading candidate for the NL Cy Young, deGrom is coming off his third career complete game and first this season last Saturday in a 3-1 win at Philadelphia. Bumgarner is 5-0 with a 0.47 ERA in five starts at Citi Field. He last faced New York in the 2016 NL wild-card game, pitching a four-hit... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:PRIZE FIGHTTop contenders for the NL Cy Young Award square off when Aaron Nola (14-3, 2.24 ERA) and the Phillies face Max Scherzer (16-5, 2.11) and the Nationals in their series finale. Nola is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts this season against Washington, which has won consecutive games against Philadelphia since trading away Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams. The second-place Phillies are three games behind Atlanta in the NL East, while the Nationals are 7½ games back.PAIR OF ACESIn another marquee matchup on the mound, it's Jacob deGrom (8-7, 1.71 ERA) and the Mets hosting Madison Bumgarner (4-5, 3.05) and the Giants for a Citi Field matinee. Also a leading candidate for the NL Cy Young, deGrom is coming off his third career complete game and first this season last Saturday in a 3-1 win at Philadelphia. Bumgarner is 5-0 with a 0.47 ERA in five starts at Citi Field. He last faced New York in the 2016 NL wild-card game, pitching a four-hit... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:PRIZE FIGHTTop contenders for the NL Cy Young Award square off when Aaron Nola (14-3, 2.24 ERA) and the Phillies face Max Scherzer (16-5, 2.11) and the Nationals in their series finale. Nola is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts this season against Washington, which has won consecutive games against Philadelphia since trading away Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams. The second-place Phillies are three games behind Atlanta in the NL East, while the Nationals are 7½ games back.PAIR OF ACESIn another marquee matchup on the mound, it's Jacob deGrom (8-7, 1.71 ERA) and the Mets hosting Madison Bumgarner (4-5, 3.05) and the Giants for a Citi Field matinee. Also a leading candidate for the NL Cy Young, deGrom is coming off his third career complete game and first this season last Saturday in a 3-1 win at Philadelphia. Bumgarner is 5-0 with a 0.47 ERA in five starts at Citi Field. He last faced New York in the 2016 NL wild-card game, pitching a four-hit... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Center fielder Greg Allen made two superb catches to help fellow rookie Shane Bieber hold down Boston, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Red Sox 6-3 Tuesday night in a matchup of AL division leaders.Melky Cabrera homered for the second straight game and Yan Gomes also connected for Cleveland. The Indians have won nine of 10, including the first two of the four-game series at Fenway Park.Boston, with the best record in the majors, has lost three in a row for just the second time this season.Allen doubled, singled and drove in a run. But he made the biggest impact with his glove.First, Allen raced back and slammed into the padded wall to take away an extra-base hit from Xander Bogaerts leading off the fifth inning. Then, with the Red Sox trying to rally in the seventh, Mitch Moreland hit a long drive toward the dirt triangle in deep center. Allen slid to a stop as he caught the ball over his shoulder — it was a sacrifice fly and finished Bieber, but thwarted Boston's momentum.Bieber... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:RALLY MURPHYThe Cubs have scored exactly one run in five straight games, all via solo homers, but they're hoping new addition Daniel Murphy can help string together some hits. The NL Central leaders bolstered their struggling lineup by acquiring Murphy in a trade with Washington on Tuesday, and he may join the club for a night game at Detroit. The 33-year-old Murphy was the NL Championship Series MVP when the Mets swept the Cubs in 2015, hitting .529 with four homers and six RBIs."It's going to be more fun to watch him hit," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He kind of devastated us in 2015."'PEN PAINYankees closer Aroldis Chapman is likely to have an MRI after he experienced pain Tuesday in the same left knee where he dealt with tendinitis earlier this season. Chapman was pulled in the 12th inning of a win over Miami after averaging just 96 mph on his fastball, the lowest of any outing for him since 2013, according to ESPN Stats & Info.... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Wednesday:RALLY MURPHYThe Cubs have scored exactly one run in five straight games, all via solo homers, but they're hoping new addition Daniel Murphy can help string together some hits. The NL Central leaders bolstered their struggling lineup by acquiring Murphy in a trade with Washington on Tuesday, and he may join the club for a night game at Detroit. The 33-year-old Murphy was the NL Championship Series MVP when the Mets swept the Cubs in 2015, hitting .529 with four homers and six RBIs."It's going to be more fun to watch him hit," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He kind of devastated us in 2015."'PEN PAINYankees closer Aroldis Chapman is likely to have an MRI after he experienced pain Tuesday in the same left knee where he dealt with tendinitis earlier this season. Chapman was pulled in the 12th inning of a win over Miami after averaging just 96 mph on his fastball, the lowest of any outing for him since 2013, according to ESPN Stats &... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matt Adams is bringing his power bat back to the St. Louis Cardinals more than a year after they traded him away.The playoff-contending Cardinals got the 29-year-old first baseman and left fielder from the Washington Nationals on Tuesday for $50,000.Adams hit .257 with 18 homers and 48 RBI in 249 at-bats after signing with Washington in the offseason. The lefty-swinging Adams made his big league debut with the Cardinals in 2012 and stayed with them until being traded to Atlanta in May 2017.Interim manager Mike Shildt said Adams will join the team at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday and be activated for the series finale against Los Angeles."We're talking about a guy who's a proven big league, accomplished hitter," Shildt said. "Done it for us for years. Done it since he's left us. He's definitely a perfect fit for what we're trying to accomplish here."Adams joins a surging Cardinals team that is 15-4 in August, the most wins in the majors. They entered Tuesday night 3 ½ games behind the NL Central-leading Cubs. Adams left the slumping Nationals, who are 7 ½ games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East."He's super-excited and we're excited to have him back," Shildt said.Adams will be a free agent at the end of the season.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Essentially throwing in the towel on a disappointing season, the Washington Nationals traded second baseman Daniel Murphy to the Chicago Cubs and first baseman Matt Adams to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.Despite a roster that boasts such stars as Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper, Washington went into a three-game series at home against Philadelphia with a losing record of 62-63, 7½ games behind the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves.General manager Mike Rizzo and ownership gambled at the July trade deadline, standing pat and expressing faith in the roster as constituted. The Nationals trounced the New York Mets 25-4 that night, but are 9-10 since, including a 2-5 road trip through Chicago and St. Louis that featured a 4-3 loss at Wrigley Field on a two-out, walk-off grand slam."We felt that coming off that road trip and into this most recent homestand was a time that was a litmus test for us ... and we felt that the timing was right to make the vital decisions that we had... [More]