NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees made a second offseason addition to their starting rotation, acquiring right-hander Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday for four prospects. Pittsburgh received right-handers Roansy Contreras and Miguel Yajure, infielder Maikol Escotto and outfielder Canaan Smith. Taillon, 29, would join a rotation headed by his former Pirates teammate Gerrit Cole. It also is projected to include Deivi García, Jordan Montgomery and Corey Kluber, who has a pending $11 million, one-year contract subject to a successful physical. In addition, Luis Severino is expected to return from Tommy John surgery last Feb. 27 and Domingo Germán is expected back from a domestic violence suspension that caused him to miss last season. “Bittersweet day for me over here!” Taillon wrote on Twitter. “Trying to process everything — have SO much to say to the city of Pittsburgh and my teammates. Also have SO much to say about this incredible opportunity and to the city/fans in New... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees made the second addition to their starting rotation of the offseason, agreeing to acquire right-hander Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates for four prospects, a person familiar with the trade talks told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Sunday because the agreement was subject to approval of medical records of the involved players by the teams. Taillon, a 29-year-old right-hander, would join a rotation headed by his former Pirates teammate Gerrit Cole. It also is projected to include Deivi García, Jordan Montgomery and Corey Kluber, who has a pending $11 million, one-year contract subject to a successful physical. In addition, Luis Severino is expected to return from Tommy John surgery last Feb. 27 and Domingo Germán is expected back from a domestic violence suspension that caused him to miss last season. This deal makes it less likely the Yankees will re-sign Masahiro Tanaka, who became a free agent. New York... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The 29 free agents who have signed, with name, position, former club if different, and contract. The contract information was obtained by The Associated Press from player and management sources. AMERICAN LEAGUECHICAGO (2) — Signed Adam Eaton, of, Washington, to an $8 million, one-year contract; signed Liam Hendriks, rhp, Oakland, to a $54 million, four-year contract. DETROIT (1) — Signed Robbie Grossman, of, Oakland, to a $10 million, two-year contract. HOUSTON (2) — Signed Pedro Báez, rhp, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a $12.5 million, two-year contract; signed Jason Castro, c, Houston, to a $7 million, two-year contract. KANSAS CITY (3) — Signed Mike Minor, lhp, Oakland, to an $18 million, two-year contract; signed Carlos Santana, 1b, Cleveland, to a $17.5 million, two-year contract; re-signed Greg Holland, rhp, to a $2.75 million, one-year contract. MINNESOTA (1) — Signed JA Happ, lhp, New York Yankees, to an $8 million, one-year contract. LOS ANGELES (2) — Signed Kurt Suzuki,... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — J.A. Happ won a World Series with Philadelphia in 2008 and returned to the final round with the Phillies the following season, but he hasn't been back since. The Minnesota Twins were Happ's pick to try to experience anew the fall success that has often been missing since early in his career. The left-hander finalized an $8 million, one-year contract with the Twins on Friday, giving the two-time defending AL Central champions — who are carrying a baseball-record 18-game postseason losing streak — a steady 38-year-old for the back of their rotation. “After family, that’s number two on the list: ‘Does this team have a chance to contend?’” Happ said on a conference call with reporters. “You know they certainly do." Happ spent the past 2 1/3 seasons with the New York Yankees. Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2018 trade deadline, he went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch to finish 17-6. The Yankees then rewarded him with a $34 million, two-year contract.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The 26 free agents who have signed, with name, position, former club if different, and contract. The contract information was obtained by The Associated Press from player and management sources. AMERICAN LEAGUECHICAGO (2) — Signed Adam Eaton, of, Washington, to an $8 million, one-year contract; signed Liam Hendriks, rhp, Oakland, to a $54 million, four-year contract. DETROIT (1) — Signed Robbie Grossman, of, Oakland, to a $10 million, two-year contract. HOUSTON (2) — Signed Pedro Báez, rhp, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a $12.5 million, two-year contract; signed Jason Castro, c, Houston, to a $7 million, two-year contract. KANSAS CITY (3) — Signed Mike Minor, lhp, Oakland, to an $18 million, two-year contract; signed Carlos Santana, 1b, Cleveland, to a $17.5 million, two-year contract; re-signed Greg Holland, rhp, to a $2.75 million, one-year contract. MINNESOTA (1) — Signed JA Happ, lhp, New York Yankees, to an $8 million, one-year contract. LOS ANGELES (2) — Signed Kurt Suzuki,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The 25 free agents who have signed, with name, position, former club if different, and contract. The contract information was obtained by The Associated Press from player and management sources. AMERICAN LEAGUECHICAGO (2) — Signed Adam Eaton, of, Washington, to an $8 million, one-year contract; signed Liam Hendriks, rhp, Oakland, to a $54 million, four-year contract. DETROIT (1) — Signed Robbie Grossman, of, Oakland, to a $10 million, two-year contract. HOUSTON (2) — Signed Pedro Báez, rhp, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a $12.5 million, two-year contract; signed Jason Castro, c, Houston, to a $7 million, two-year contract. KANSAS CITY (3) — Signed Mike Minor, lhp, Oakland, to an $18 million, two-year contract; signed Carlos Santana, 1b, Cleveland, to a $17.5 million, two-year contract; re-signed Greg Holland, rhp, to a $2.75 million, one-year contract. MINNESOTA (1) — Signed JA Happ, lhp, New York Yankees, to an $8 million, one-year contract. LOS ANGELES (1) — Signed Kurt Suzuki,... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins and pitcher J.A. Happ finalized an $8 million, one-year contract on Friday. The 38-year-old Happ spent the past 2 1/3 seasons with the New York Yankees. Acquired from Toronto at the 2018 trade deadline, the left-hander went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch to finish 17-6. The Yankees then rewarded him with a $34 million, two-year contract. Happ was the second offseason addition by the Twins, who also added relief pitcher Hansel Robles to the team that has won the AL Central division in each of the last two years. Jake Odorizzi and Rich Hill became free agents, creating openings in the rotation behind José Berríos, Kenta Maeda and Michael Pineda. Minnesota was third in the AL in 2020 with a team ERA of 3.58. Happ went 12-8 in 2019 and struggled at the start of the pandemic-delayed 2020 season, prompting the Yankees to skip his turn. Happ gained strength as the year went on and finished with a 2-2 record and 3.47 ERA in nine starts.... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins and veteran starting pitcher J.A. Happ agreed Wednesday to an $8 million, one-year contract, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced it. The 38-year-old Happ spent the past 2 1/3 seasons with the New York Yankees. Acquired from Toronto at the 2018 trade deadline, the left-hander went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch to finish 17-6. The Yankees then rewarded him with a $34 million, two-year contract. Happ will be just the second offseason addition by the Twins, who also added relief pitcher Hansel Robles to the team that has won the AL Central division in each of the last two years. Jake Odorizzi and Rich Hill became free agents, creating openings in the rotation behind José Berríos, Kenta Maeda and Michael Pineda. Minnesota was third in the AL in 2020 with a team ERA of 3.58. Happ went 12-8 in... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees manager Aaron Boone is treating DJ LeMahieu like he's any other member of the team this offseason. And he's hopeful that when New York gathers for spring training, the reigning big league batting champion will be there. A month and a half into baseball's offseason, LeMahieu remains a free agent. Although there's mutual interest in keeping the three-time All-Star in pinstripes, no deal has emerged. Boone routinely participates in sales pitches for free agents — including during last year's talks with ace Gerrit Cole — but he said Tuesday he's giving LeMahieu space to make his own decision. “This time of year, I text with guys every few weeks, check in with guys, and I’ve treated DJ in that same manner,” Boone said. “He knows I’m here if he needs to ask me anything.” The 32-year-old LeMahieu won his second batting crown last season by hitting .364, adding 10 home runs and 27 RBIs during the pandemic-shortened 60-game season. His .421 on-base percentage and 1.011 OPS... [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]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees exercised two option years on reliever Zack Britton worth $27 million on Friday and declined 2021 options on outfielder Brett Gardner and pitcher J.A. Happ. Gardner and Happ become eligible for free agency. Gardner gets a $2.5 million buyout rather than a $10 million salary. Happ’s deal did not have a buyout. Britton, a 32-year-old left-hander, was 1-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 20 appearances, getting eight saves and filling the closer role when Aroldis Chapman was sidelined by COVID-19 from the start of the shortened season until Aug. 17. His deal calls for salaries of $13 million next year and $14 million in 2022. In addition to the team’s two-year option, Britton’s contract included a $13 million player option for 2021. Gardner, 37, has been with the Yankees since 2008 and is their last player from the 2009 World Series champions. He hit .223 with five homers and 15 RBIs in the shortened season, down from .251 with career highs of 28 homers and 74 RBIs in 2019. The... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees plan to plan to exercise two option years on reliever Zack Britton worth $27 million and to decline options on outfielder Brett Gardner and pitcher J.A. Happ. The decisions were disclosed by a person familiar with the team’s decisions who spoke on the condition of anonymity Thursday because they had not been announced. Gardner and Happ would become eligible for free agency. Gardner would get a $2.5 million buyout rather than a $10 million salary. Happ’s deal did not have a buyout. Britton, a 32-year-old left-hander, was 1-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 20 appearances, getting eight saves and filling the closer role when Aroldis Chapman was sidelined by COVID-19 from the start of the shortened season until Aug. 17. His deal calls for salaries of $13 million next year and $14 million in 2022. In addition to the team’s two-year option, Britton’s contract included a $13 million player option for 2021. Gardner, 37, has been with the Yankees since 2008 and is their last player... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees plan to plan to exercise two option years on reliever Zack Britton worth $27 million and to decline options on outfielder Brett Gardner and pitcher J.A. Happ. The decisions were disclosed by a person familiar with the team’s decisions who spoke on the condition of anonymity Thursday because they had not been announced. Gardner and Happ would become eligible for free agency. Gardner would get a $2.5 million buyout rather than a $10 million salary. Happ’s deal did not have a buyout. Britton, a 32-year-old left-hander, was 1-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 20 appearances, getting eight saves and filling the closer role when Aroldis Chapman was sidelined by COVID-19 from the start of the shortened season until Aug. 17. His deal calls for salaries of $13 million next year and $14 million in 2022. In addition to the team’s two-year option, Britton’s contract included a $13 million player option for 2021. Gardner, 37, has been with the Yankees since 2008 and is their last player... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — What figures to be a down and perhaps brutal market for baseball free agents in the offseason following the pandemic began Wednesday when a dozen players were told their contract options had been declined, among them St. Louis Cardinals Gold Glove second baseman Kolten Wong. The 30-year-old Wong will receive a $1 million buyout. Wong, a first-round pick in the 2011 draft, made his big league debut in 2013 and spent his first eight seasons with St. Louis. Wong hit. 265 with a homer and 16 RBIs in 53 games during the pandemic-shortened season, helping the Cardinals make the playoffs for the second straight year. They were eliminated by San Diego in the first round. “STL will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget all the amazing people who impacted me along the way! Much love,” Wong said Wednesday in an Instagram post. Many teams are cutting costs following a shortened regular season played with no fans in attendance due to the novel coronavirus.... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — What figures to be a down and perhaps brutal market for baseball free agents in the offseason following the pandemic began Wednesday when a dozen players were told their contract options had been declined, among them St. Louis Cardinals Gold Glove second baseman Kolten Wong. The 30-year-old Wong will receive a $1 million buyout. Wong, a first-round pick in the 2011 draft, made his big league debut in 2013 and spent his first eight seasons with St. Louis. Wong hit. 265 with a homer and 16 RBIs in 53 games during the pandemic-shortened season, helping the Cardinals make the playoffs for the second straight year. They were eliminated by San Diego in the first round. “STL will always have a special place in my heart and I will never forget all the amazing people who impacted me along the way! Much love,” Wong said Wednesday in an Instagram post. Many teams are cutting costs following a shortened regular season played with no fans in attendance due to the novel coronavirus.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Not much is wrong with the New York Yankees in the view of manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman. While stung by a five-game loss to Tampa Bay in the AL Division Series, the Yankees leadership does not appear to anticipate large-scale changes for 2021. Catcher Gary Sánchez’s job could be in danger after a third straight down season, but Gleyber Torres’ hold on shortstop is solid despite shaky defense. Starting pitching will be a focus for improvement. “As much as we constantly are going to try to improve here, and there’s going to be tweaks to the roster as a result of that, I think it’s also important to note just how still close we are to being the last team standing,” Boone said Wednesday. “I understand the frustrations of the fan base, but I think if you really look at it, it’s razor thin, the difference between us and say the team that’s going to win the World Series this year.” New York had its second straight injury-filled season but was mostly healthy... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner apologized to the team’s fans for its postseason failure, much like his father did 39 years earlier. The Yankees were eliminated with a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, losing 3-2 in the Division Series. They have won the World Series once since 2000, in 2009. “I’m very disappointed, obviously,” Steinbrenner said Tuesday on ESPN New York radio. “We invested a lot of time, energy, money into the team last offseason, and we all felt that we had a team that could win a championship, and we failed to do that. We didn’t even come close. So right now, at this point in time, all I can do is apologize to our fans. They deserved a better outcome than they got. Period. I mean, they just did.” George Steinbrenner issued a similar statement following the team’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a six-game World Series in 1981. ?I want to sincerely apologize to the people of New York and to the fans of the New York Yankees everywhere for the performance... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors today: ___ HELLO AGAIN Houston and Tampa Bay are set to open their AL Championship Series in San Diego, with Astros left-hander Framber Valdez opposing 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. The Rays are seeking revenge after Houston beat them in five games in the AL Division Series last year. The Astros are in the ALCS for the fourth straight year, looking for a third trip to the World Series in that span. After going 29-31 during the regular season, Houston is 5-1 in the playoffs after eliminating AL West champion Oakland in four games in the ALDS at Dodger Stadium. The Rays are trying to get to their second World Series after losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. They went the distance in their ALDS against the Yankees, advancing with a 2-1 victory Friday night on Mike Brosseau’s dramatic eighth-inning home run off Aroldis Chapman. CLOSED OUT In a season that’s gone exceedingly well for the Los Angeles Dodgers, a late problem that... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Luke Voit, backwards cap atop his head, was disgusted and dismayed. Eyes downcast, he summed up the New York Yankees’ 11th straight season without a title, the team’s widest expanse of failure since the desert between the Reggie Jackson era and the Derek Jeter renaissance. “I hate this feeling. It sucks, the third year in a row going through it,” the major league home run champion said. “So I’m going to use it in every workout, every BP session, cage session I have and be ready for spring training this year.” The 2020 season was so different, with the novel coronavirus pandemic cutting the schedule from 162 games to 60, sparking a summer camp of training part two and causing Yankee Stadium’s stands to fill with echoes on game nights rather than the usual boisterous fans. But the denouement was similar to 2019's. Aroldis Chapman gave up a home run that eliminated New York from the playoffs, this time Mike Brosseau’s eighth-inning drive in Division Series Game 5 against Tampa... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manager Kevin Cash and the Tampa Bay Rays introduced the concept of an opener to modern baseball two years ago. With a chance to close out their AL Division Series against the Yankees on Thursday night, they were bitten by their own creation. The Rays fell behind in the second inning of Game 4 and never caught up after rookie opener Ryan Thompson gave up two hits, three walks and two runs over 1 2/3 innings in just his second career start. The Rays couldn't come back in a 5-1 loss in San Diego, their homer-happy lineup limited to just three hits by a sublime collective pitching performance from the Yankees. But just as New York almost certainly regretted using an opener in Game 2 when Deivi García and J.A. Happ both got tagged, the Rays are probably wishing they had simply allowed Ryan Yarbrough to start instead of opening with Thompson, a 28-year-old right-handed reliever appearing in his third career playoff game. Game 5 is likely to be much less complicated: Although... [More]