ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The AL East-leading Boston Red Sox acquired right-hander Hansel Robles from Minnesota and left-hander Austin Davis from Pittsburgh in a pair of trades Friday. Boston sent infielder-outfielder Michael Chavis to the Pirates and minor league right-hander Alex Scherff to the Twins. Robles made 45 appearances for the Twins this season, going 3-4 with 10 saves and a 4.91 ERA. He has appeared in 358 major league games overall. Davis has made 65 relief appearances with the Philadelphia Phillies (2018-20) and Pirates (2020-21), posting a 5.65 ERA. The left-hander has appeared in 10 games with Pittsburgh and 13 in the minors this year. Chavis hit .190 with two home runs and six RBIs in 31 games for the Red Sox this season. Scherff has spent time this season with Double-A Portland and High-A Greenville, going 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA. The Red Sox were relatively quiet before Friday's trade deadline compared to the other playoff contenders in the AL East. Second-place Tampa Bay picked up veteran slugger Nelson Cruz and outfielder Jordan Luplow, while the New York Yankees added left-handed hitters Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo to help balance a right-handed dominated lineup. Toronto added closer Brad Hand on Thursday and starting pitcher José Berríos on Friday. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired pitchers Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy, bolstering their staff in a deadline trade Friday in which they got the Texas Rangers' top starter and closer in exchange for rookie right-hander Spencer Howard and two other pitching prospects. Texas also sent pitching prospect Hans Crouse, a second-round draft pick four years ago, and cash to the Phillies. Howard (0-2, 5.72 ERA), who was Philadelphia’s second-round pick in 2017, is going to Texas with right-handers Kevin Gowdy and Josh Gessne. Gibson (6-3, 2.87 ERA) was a first-time All-Star this season, but the 33-year-old right-hander lost his last three starts for Texas. Kennedy had 16 saves in 17 opportunities for the last-place Rangers, and the 36-year-old right-hander hasn’t issued a walk in his last 11 appearances, a span of 45 batters dating to June 4. Philadelphia went into Friday night's game at Pittsburgh with a 51-51 record. The Phillies were second in the NL East, 3 1/2 games behind the New York Mets.... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors today: ___ CLOCK IS TICKING Ace Max Scherzer and star shortstop Trea Turner could be moving from the Washington Nationals to the Los Angeles Dodgers as the 4 p.m. EDT trade deadline approaches. The Dodgers and Nationals were close to deal late Thursday night after a day full of trades. Washington sent slugger Kyle Schwarber to Boston, closer Brad Hand to Toronto and reliever Daniel Hudson to San Diego. The New York Yankees acquired Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo after completing another trade to get All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers. Already with an eight-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox acquired second baseman Cesar Hernandez from the Indians, and then got reliever Ryan Tepera from the Cubs. Left-hander Danny Duffy went from Kansas City to the Dodgers. Seattle got right-hander Diego Castillo from Tampa Bay Rays, and he likely will take over the closer role vacated when the Mariners... [More]

The New York Yankees acquired Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo for two minor leaguers Thursday in their second major trade this week for desperately needed left-handed bats. Chicago will pay the Yankees $5,652,403 as part of the trade, covering all but $202,435 of the remainder of Rizzo's $16.5 million salary, which comes to a prorated share of the $570,500 minimum. The swap came ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline Friday at 4 p.m. Earlier in the day, the Yankees announced they had gotten All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from Texas. Rizzo is batting .248 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs. The 31-year-old had been a fixture at Wrigley Field for a decade, and helped the Cubs break their long World Series drought with a championship in 2016. Popular in the clubhouse and with Cubs fans, Rizzo didn't play in a 7-4 loss at home to Cincinnati on Thursday. The three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner can become a free agent after the season. New York is fourth in the AL... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Desperate for a powerful, left-handed bat to park balls in the short porch at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees got two of them. Hours after announcing their trade to acquire All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from Texas, the playoff-chasing Yankees worked out a deal for longtime Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo on Thursday. The swaps came on a day the Yankees lost at Tampa Bay 14-0, leaving them far behind Boston in the AL East and fourth in the chase for two wild-card spots. Team officials, including owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman, have been holding meetings in nearby Tampa, Florida. “Part of the reason I’m here is because Hal always goes for it, and so does Brian,” Yankees ace Gerrit Cole said after the lopsided loss. “Continue to push chips in. I trust that they’re going to do what’s best for the organization, what’s best to win. I trust they’re going to try and make us better one way or another, and they did.” The Yankees made the moves... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Desperate for a powerful, left-handed bat to park balls in the short porch at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees got two of them. Hours after announcing their trade to acquire All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from Texas, the playoff-chasing Yankees worked out a deal for longtime Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo on Thursday. The swaps came on a day the Yankees lost at Tampa Bay 14-0, leaving them far behind Boston in the AL East and fourth in the chase for two wild-card spots. Team officials, including owner Hal Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman, have been holding meetings in nearby Tampa, Florida. “Part of the reason I’m here is because Hal always goes for it, and so does Brian,” Yankees ace Gerrit Cole said after the lopsided loss. “Continue to push chips in. I trust that they’re going to do what’s best for the organization, what’s best to win. I trust they’re going to try and make us better one way or another, and they did.” The Yankees made the moves... [More]

The New York Yankees acquired Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and cash for two minor leaguers Thursday in their second major trade this week for desperately needed left-handed bats. The swap came ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline Friday at 4 p.m. Earlier in the day, the Yankees announced they had gotten All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from Texas. Rizzo is batting .248 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs. The 31-year-old had been a fixture at Wrigley Field for a decade, and helped the Cubs break their long World Series drought with a championship in 2016. Popular in the clubhouse and with Cubs fans, Rizzo didn't play in a 7-4 loss at home to Cincinnati on Thursday. The three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner is making $16.5 million this year and can become a free agent after the season. New York is fourth in the AL wild-card chase for two spots. The Yankees lost 14-0 at Tampa Bay on Thursday. The Cubs have been in a prolonged slide that dropped them below .500,... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Friday: ___ CLOCK IS TICKING Time is running out for playoff contenders to bolster their rosters through a trade, and there likely will be more players changing teams before the 4 p.m. EDT deadline. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer was among those still on the trading block. The right-hander made what might have been his last start for the Washington Nationals, allowing one run and three hits in six innings to win the the opener of a doubleheader Thursday. He then watched the second game against Philadelphia from the dugout. There was a lot of movement Thursday, with the selling Nationals sending closer Brad Hand to Toronto. Shortstop Trea Turner, currently out because of COVID-19 protocols, could also be headed out of Washington. The New York Yankees acquired Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo after completing another trade to get All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers. Already with an eight-game lead over Cleveland... [More]

The New York Yankees have acquired Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and cash in a trade for prospects, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement. The swap came a day before the Major League Baseball trade deadline, and was the Yankees' second major move this week. Earlier in the day, they announced they had gotten All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from Texas. Rizzo is batting .248 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs. The 31-year-old had been a fixture at Wrigley Field for a decade, and helped the Cubs break their long World Series drought with a championship in 2016. The three-time All-Star didn't play in the Cubs' 7-4 loss to Cincinnati on Thursday. He is making $16.5 million this year and can become a free agent after the season. Both Rizzo and Gallo are both left-handed hitters, which the Yankees had been desperately lacking. New York began the day fourth in the AL wild-card chase for two spots and then lost 14-0 at Tampa Bay. ___ AP Baseball Writer Ben Walker contributed to this report. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Yankees have answered questions about how they would proceed heading into Friday's trade deadline. They are big-time buyers. All-Star slugger Joey Gallo's trade to New York from the Texas Rangers was completed Thursday, giving the heavily right-handed Yankees a much-needed powerful lefty bat. New York acquired Gallo and left-hander Joely Rodriguez from the Rangers for minor league right-hander Glenn Otto and infielders Ezequiel Duran, Trevor Hauver and Josh Smith. The Yankees will receive $2,722,865 from the Rangers plus another $500,000 in January that is conditioned on Rodriguez’ 2022 option buyout being paid. With switch-hitting center fielder Aaron Hicks hurt, second baseman Rougned Odor and outfielder Brett Gardner have been the only left-handed hitters to see substantial playing time. “Sign me up for the guy that’s on base almost 40% of the time and has power and provides the kind of potential balance for our lineup,” Boone said before New York lost... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Yankees have answered questions about how they would proceed heading into Friday's trade deadline. They are big-time buyers. All-Star slugger Joey Gallo's trade to New York from the Texas Rangers was completed Thursday, giving the heavily right-handed Yankees a much-needed powerful lefty bat. New York acquired Gallo, left-hander Joely Rodriguez and cash from the Rangers for minor league right-hander Glenn Otto and infielders Ezequiel Duran, Trevor Hauver and Josh Smith. With switch-hitting center fielder Aaron Hicks hurt, second baseman Rougned Odor and outfielder Brett Gardner have been the only left-handed hitters to see substantial playing time. “Sign me up for the guy that’s on base almost 40% of the time and has power and provides the kind of potential balance for our lineup,” Boone said before New York lost 14-0 to Tampa Bay. “And on top of it, he’s a two-way player. This is a guy that really defends, can run and do all those things. It’s hard to argue... [More]

New York Yankees outfielder Joey Gallo is expected to make his debut with the team on Friday against the Marlins, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. The deal to trade Gallo and pitcher Joely Rodriguez to the Yankees was finalized this morning, and now he'll join the team in Miami on Friday for his debut. Over 95 games with Texas this year, Gallo is slashing .223/.379/.490 with 25 homers, six steals, 55 RBI and 57 runs scored. He'll provide a much needed boost to the Yankees' lineup going forward.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Yankees have answered questions about how they would proceed heading into Friday's trade deadline. They are big-time buyers. All-Star slugger Joey Gallo's trade to New York from the Texas Rangers was completed Thursday, giving the heavily right-handed Yankees a much-needed powerful lefty bat. New York acquired Gallo, left-hander Joely Rodriguez and cash from the Rangers for minor league right-hander Glenn Otto and infielders Ezequiel Duran, Trevor Hauver and Josh Smith. With switch-hitting center fielder Aaron Hicks hurt, second baseman Rougned Odor and outfielder Brett Gardner have been the only left-handed hitters to see substantial playing time. “Sign me up for the guy that’s on base almost 40% of the time and has power and provides the kind of potential balance for our lineup,” Boone said before New York played Tampa Bay. “And on top of it, he’s a two-way player. This is a guy that really defends, can run and do all those things. It’s hard to argue that... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Yankees have answered questions about how they would proceed heading into Friday's trade deadline. They are big-time buyers. All-Star slugger Joey Gallo's trade to New York from the Texas Rangers was completed Thursday, giving the heavily right-handed Yankees a much-needed powerful lefty bat. New York acquired Gallo, left-hander Joely Rodriguez and cash from the Rangers for minor league right-hander Glenn Otto and infielders Ezequiel Duran, Trevor Hauver and Josh Smith. With switch-hitting center fielder Aaron Hicks hurt, second baseman Rougned Odor and outfielder Brett Gardner have been the only left-handed hitters to see substantial playing time. “Sign me up for the guy that’s on base almost 40% of the time and has power and provides the kind of potential balance for our lineup,” Boone said before New York played Tampa Bay. “And on top of it, he’s a two-way player. This is a guy that really defends, can run and do all those things. It’s hard to argue that... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — All-Star slugger Joey Gallo's trade to the New York Yankees from the Texas Rangers was completed Thursday, giving the heavily right-handed Yankees a much-needed powerful lefty bat. New York acquired Gallo, left-hander Joely Rodriguez and cash from the Texas Rangers for minor league right-hander Glenn Otto and infielders Ezequiel Duran, Trevor Hauver and Josh Smith. With switch-hitting center fielder Aaron Hicks hurt, second baseman Rougned Odor and outfielder Brett Gardner have been the only left-handed hitters to see substantial playing time. “I think we’re a lot better today,” Boone said before the Yankees played Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old Gallo is hitting .223 with 25 homers, 55 RBIs and a major league-leading 74 walks. While he has played right field for Texas, Boone envisions Bruce playing a lot in left for the Yankees, who have Aaron Judge as their regular right fielder. “We’re excited to add an All-Star,” Boone said. Gallo is owed $2.2 million from his... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — New York manager Aaron Boone on Thursday confirmed that the Yankees have acquired All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers. Gallo gives the heavily right-handed Yankees a much-needed powerful lefty bat. With switch-hitting center fielder Aaron Hicks hurt, second baseman Rougned Odor and outfielder Brett Gardner have been the only left-handed hitters to see substantial playing time. “I think we’re a lot better today,” Boone said before the Yankees played Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old Gallo is hitting .223 with 25 homers, 55 RBIs and a major league-leading 74 walks. While he has played right field for Texas, Boone envisions Bruce playing a lot in left for the Yankees, who have Aaron Judge as their regular right fielder. “We’re excited to add an All-Star,” Boone said. Gallo is owed $2.2 million from his $6.2 million salary. He is eligible for arbitration next winter and can became a free agent after the 2022 season. The two-time All-Star is a career .211 hitter in seven seasons, but launches a lot of longballs. He hit 41 home runs in 2017 and 40 in 2018. The Yankees began the day 8 1/2 games behind Boston in the AL East and trailing Tampa Bay, Oakland and Seattle in the wild-card race for two spots. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what’s happening around the majors today: ___ GALLO, ESCOBAR ON MOVE The baseball trade deadline is fast approaching, and teams are starting to get busy before Friday’s 4 p.m. EDT cutoff. The New York Yankees made Wednesday’s biggest splash, reaching a deal to get All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers. The 27-year-old has 25 homers this season. The NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers got All-Star third baseman Eduardo Escobar from the Diamondbacks for two prospects. Also, the Athletics continued to be active in the market, acquiring outfielder Starling Marte from the Marlins. The 32-year-old Marte is hitting .306 this season with seven homers. Wednesday's other notable deals: The Reds acquired reliever Mychal Givens from the Rockies, and the Astros added reliever Yimi García from the Marlins. NATIONALS VIRUS The Washington Nationals hope to play a doubleheader in Philadelphia, a day after their game against the Phillies was postponed when four players and eight staffers... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Judge went from being a late scratch to hitting a tiebreaking single in a two-run 10th inning to help the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays for the second straight day, 3-1 on Wednesday night. Judge was taken out of the lineup about 30 minutes before the scheduled first pitch. Although no announcement was made about why, the All-Star right fielder struck out in the fifth pinch-hitting for Estevan Florial. Judge returned to the team Tuesday after going on the COVID-19 injured list July 16. New York also had a big night off the field. The Yankees reached a deal to get All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers, a person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move had not yet been announced and was subject to approval of medical records of the players involved. Greg Allen was hit by a pitch from Pete Fairbanks (3-4) leading off the 10th, putting runners on first and second. Judge... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Judge went from being a late scratch to hitting a tiebreaking single in a two-run 10th inning to help the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays for the second straight day, 3-1 on Wednesday night. Judge was taken out of the lineup about 30 minutes before the scheduled first pitch. Although no announcement was made about why, the All-Star right fielder struck out in the fifth pinch-hitting for Estevan Florial. Judge returned to the team Tuesday after going on the COVID-19 injured list July 16. New York also had a big night off the field. The Yankees reached a deal to get All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers, a person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move had not yet been announced and was subject to approval of medical records of the players involved. Greg Allen was hit by a pitch from Pete Fairbanks (3-4) leading off the 10th, putting runners on first and second. Judge... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Judge went from being a late scratch to hitting a tiebreaking single in a two-run 10th inning to help the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays for the second straight day, 3-1 on Wednesday night. Judge was taken out of the lineup about 30 minutes before the scheduled first pitch. Although no announcement was made about why, the All-Star right fielder struck out in the fifth pinch-hitting for Estevan Florial. Judge returned to the team Tuesday after going on the COVID-19 injured list July 16. New York also had a big night off the field. The Yankees reached a deal to get All-Star slugger Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers, a person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move had not yet been announced and was subject to approval of medical records of the players involved. Greg Allen was hit by a pitch from Pete Fairbanks (3-4) leading off the 10th, putting runners on first and second. Judge... [More]