CHICAGO (AP) — Theo Epstein understands the fans' frustration. He feels it, too, at times.The Chicago Cubs went from 95 wins in 2018 to 84 last year, finished third in the NL Central behind St. Louis and Milwaukee and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. But when it comes to big moves this offseason, well, they have a new manager. Otherwise, they've been keeping the bat on their shoulder.“I understand the frustration,” said Epstein, the Cubs' president of baseball operations. “There’s a lot of days I’m frustrated, too, where you look out and there’s a great fit on a player who you know you can recruit and might sign a reasonable deal that he’s worth. And you can’t get that player. And that’s frustrating. But that’s the reality.”So is this:Fans who expected multiple World Series championships from the core group that helped win it all in 2016 and brought home the Cubs' first title since 1908 are restless. The trade rumors involving stars such as third baseman Kris Bryant, and... [More]

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have a list of characteristics they want in their next manager, but they haven't yet landed on a name. Their fans have one in mind.Three days after the Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora for his involvement in a cheating scandal, supporters pleaded for Boston's front office to hire former catcher and team captain Jason Varitek at a town hall event Friday during the team's winter festival.Members of the team's leadership group were hit with “Hire 'Tek!” chants throughout the night, and principal owner John Henry was interrupted several times by fans voicing their support. Henry paused and nodded in acknowledgement, and new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom used the opportunity to appease the crowd.“I think if you poll the audience, they would just get this done right now,” Bloom said to big applause.Varitek, who was not in attendance, spent 15 seasons with the Red Sox from 1997 to 2011 and was part of two World Series title teams. He is currently... [More]

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have a list of characteristics they want in their next manager, but they haven't yet landed on a name. Their fans have one in mind.Three days after the Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora for his involvement in a cheating scandal, supporters pleaded for Boston's front office to hire former catcher and team captain Jason Varitek at a town hall event Friday during the team's winter festival.Members of the team's leadership group were hit with “Hire 'Tek!” chants throughout the night, and principal owner John Henry was interrupted several times by fans voicing their support. Henry paused and nodded in acknowledgement, and new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom used the opportunity to appease the crowd.“I think if you poll the audience, they would just get this done right now,” Bloom said to big applause.Varitek, who was not in attendance, spent 15 seasons with the Red Sox from 1997 to 2011 and was part of two World Series title teams. He is currently... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Reliever Craig Stammen finalized a $9 million, two-year contract Friday to remain with the San Diego Padres, who hold an option for a third season that could make the deal worth $12 million.Stammen, who turns 36 on March 9, had been a free agent. He will earn $4 million each of the next two seasons, and the Padres' option is for $4 million with a $1 million buyout. He can earn $500,000 annually in performance bonuses: $100,000 each for 40, 45, 40, 44 and 60 games pitched.Stammen led the Padres with 76 appearances last season, going 8-7 with four saves and a 3.29 ERA.He allowed four consecutive home runs to the Washington Nationals, his former team, in a 5-2 loss on June 9.In parts of 10 big league seasons, he is 44-37 with five saves and a 3.63 ERA.Stammen spent his first seven seasons with the Nationals. He signed with the Padres prior to the 2017 season.To make room for Stammen on the 40-man roster, left-hander Nick Margevicius was designated for assignment. Margevicius made his big league debut in last year, going 2-6 with a 6.79 ERA in 17 appearances, including 12 starts. ___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have acquired left-hander Matt Hall from Detroit for minor league catcher Jhon Nuñez. The 26-year-old Hall made 16 relief appearances for the Tigers last season and five the year before, posting an 0-1 record with a 9.48 ERA in all. A sixth-round draft pick in 2015, he is 33-15 with a 2.97 ERA in 122 appearances in the minors.Nuñez, 25, batted .280 with five home runs and 21 RBIs in 64 games in Double-A last year. In seven seasons, he's hit .260 with 10 homers 199 RBIs while throwing out 33.4% baserunners attempting to steal.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have acquired left-hander Matt Hall from Detroit for minor league catcher Jhon Nuñez. The 26-year-old Hall made 16 relief appearances for the Tigers last season and five the year before, posting an 0-1 record with a 9.48 ERA in all. A sixth-round draft pick in 2015, he is 33-15 with a 2.97 ERA in 122 appearances in the minors.Nuñez, 25, batted .280 with five home runs and 21 RBIs in 64 games in Double-A last year. In seven seasons, he's hit .260 with 10 homers 199 RBIs while throwing out 33.4% baserunners attempting to steal.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

When future generations are documenting baseball history, Mike Fiers will surely be remembered as one of the game's most significant figures.Not necessarily for what he did on the field, though tossing a pair of no-hitters is certainly a worthy achievement.Let's just hope all his fellow players give him a big tip of the cap when he takes the mound this season.After all, Fiers blew the lid off one of the most nefarious schemes in the history of the national pastime, a scandal that ranks right up there with the Black Sox and the Steroids Era.There will surely be some who view him as a back-stabbing snitch for going public with revelations that Houston cheated its way to a World Series title in 2017 by stealing signs, who will whisper — or even say right out loud — that he violated one of baseball's cardinal rules by revealing the secrets of the clubhouse.We already got a sampling of that line of thought from ESPN analyst and New York Mets adviser Jessica Mendoza, who said Thursday the pitcher... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Technology unleashed baseball's Analytics Era, and now it's holding the sport prisoner.AJ Hinch, Alex Cora and Carlos Beltrán are casualties, a triple play of hubris. At the cutting edge with the Houston Astros, now they have been cut. Their sign-stealing system exposed, all three managers were deposed within a whirlwind 72 hours this week that raised questions about the prevalence of the sport's rule breakers.What's next in a game grappling with innovation and plagued by paranoia? Video rooms and dugouts are now monitored by Major League Baseball, like proctors pacing an exam room to stifle students' temptation to cheat. Bench and bullpen telephones are monitored, Big Brother in the commissioner's office listening in to assure compliance. Television feeds in clubhouses were ordered to be delayed by a minimum 8 seconds last year to prevent prying eyes from decoding signals in real time.Should hitters be blocked from reviewing their plate appearances between at-bats? Sure,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Technology unleashed baseball's Analytics Era, and now it's holding the sport prisoner.AJ Hinch, Alex Cora and Carlos Beltrán are casualties, a triple play of hubris. At the cutting edge with the Houston Astros, now they have been cut. Their sign-stealing system exposed, all three managers were deposed within a whirlwind 72 hours this week that raised questions about the prevalence of the sport's rule breakers.What's next in a game grappling with innovation and plagued by paranoia? Video rooms and dugouts are now monitored by Major League Baseball, like proctors pacing an exam room to stifle students' temptation to cheat. Bench and bullpen telephones are monitored, Big Brother in the commissioner's office listening in to assure compliance. Television feeds in clubhouses were ordered to be delayed by a minimum 8 seconds last year to prevent prying eyes from decoding signals in real time.Should hitters be blocked from reviewing their plate appearances between at-bats? Sure,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Technology unleashed baseball's Analytics Era, and now it's holding the sport prisoner.AJ Hinch, Alex Cora and Carlos Beltrán are casualties, a triple play of hubris. At the cutting edge with the Houston Astros, now they have been cut. Their sign-stealing system exposed, all three managers were deposed within a whirlwind 72 hours this week that raised questions about the prevalence of the sport's rule breakers.What's next in a game grappling with innovation and plagued by paranoia? Video rooms and dugouts are now monitored by Major League Baseball, like proctors pacing an exam room to stifle students' temptation to cheat. Bench and bullpen telephones are monitored, Big Brother in the commissioner's office listening in to assure compliance. Television feeds in clubhouses were ordered to be delayed by a minimum 8 seconds last year to prevent prying eyes from decoding signals in real time.Should hitters be blocked from reviewing their plate appearances between at-bats? Sure,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Technology unleashed baseball's Analytics Era, and now it's holding the sport prisoner.AJ Hinch, Alex Cora and Carlos Beltrán are casualties, a triple play of hubris. At the cutting edge with the Houston Astros, now they have been cut. Their sign-stealing system exposed, all three managers were deposed within a whirlwind 72 hours this week that raised questions about the prevalence of the sport's rule breakers.What's next in a game grappling with innovation and plagued by paranoia? Video rooms and dugouts are now monitored by Major League Baseball, like proctors pacing an exam room to stifle students' temptation to cheat. Bench and bullpen telephones are monitored, Big Brother in the commissioner's office listening in to assure compliance. Television feeds in clubhouses were ordered to be delayed by a minimum 8 seconds last year to prevent prying eyes from decoding signals in real time.Should hitters be blocked from reviewing their plate appearances between at-bats? Sure,... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — George Springer, the World Series MVP of the tainted 2017 Houston Astros, and the team settled on a $21 million, one-year contract Thursday.Springer had asked for $22.5 million in salary arbitration last week and the Astros offered $17.5 million, making the settlement $1 million over the midpoint. He made $12.15 million last year.The 30-year-old outfielder set career highs last season, hitting 39 home runs with 96 RBIs while batting .292. He was an All-Star for the third straight season.Springer led Houston to its first World Series title in 2017, hitting five homers in the seven-game win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He connected in the final four games of the matchup.This week, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred released a report that detailed a cheating scheme by the Astros in the 2017 regular season and postseason to steal catchers' signals using video feeds and relay them to their hitters Houston manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended... [More]

ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza says pitcher Mike Fiers should have gone to Major League Baseball before he told a journalist about his allegation the Houston Astros had been using a camera to steal signs.Mendoza, a New York Mets adviser in addition to her media job, said Thursday on ESPN's “Golic and Wingo” that Fiers should have kept the information confined to teammates and the league. The right-hander spent 2 1/2 seasons with the Astros, including their 2017 championship season. He signed with Detroit in 2018 and was traded to Oakland — Houston's AL West rival — later that season.“Going public, yeah. I get it, if you’re with the Oakland A’s and you’re on another team, heck yeah you better be telling your teammates, ‘Heads up, if you hear some noises while you’re pitching, like, this is what’s going on.’ For sure. But to go public, yeah, it didn’t sit well with me," Mendoza said on the broadcast. “Honestly, it made me sad for the sport that that’s how this all got found out.“This wasn’t... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — George Springer, the World Series MVP of the tainted 2017 Houston Astros, and the team settled on a $21 million, one-year contract Thursday.Springer had asked for $22.5 million in salary arbitration last week and the Astros offered $17.5 million, making the settlement $1 million over the midpoint. He made $12.15 million last year.The 30-year-old outfielder set career highs last season, hitting 39 home runs with 96 RBIs while batting .292. He was an All-Star for the third straight season.Springer led Houston to its first World Series title in 2017, hitting five homers in the seven-game win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He connected in the final four games of the matchup.This week, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred released a report that detailed a cheating scheme by the Astros in the 2017 regular season and postseason to steal catchers' signals using video feeds and relay them to their hitters Houston manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — George Springer, the World Series MVP of the tainted 2017 Houston Astros, and the team settled on a $21 million, one-year contract Thursday.Springer had asked for $22.5 million in salary arbitration last week and the Astros offered $17.5 million. He made $12,150,000 last year.The 30-year-old outfielder set career highs last season, hitting 39 home runs with 96 RBIs while batting .292. He was an All-Star for the third straight season.Springer led Houston to its first World Series title in 2017, hitting five homers in the seven-game win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He connected in the final four games of the matchup.This week, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred released a report that detailed a cheating scheme by the Astros in the 2017 regular season and postseason to steal catchers' signals using video feeds and relay them to their hitters Houston manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended by MLB and then fired by the team.Alex Cora, the bench... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Beltrán is out as manager of the New York Mets before a single game, the latest fallout from the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal that has rocked Major League Baseball. The Mets announced the decision Thursday in a news release, saying Beltrán and the team “agreed to mutually part ways.” The move came two days after Boston cut ties with manager Alex Cora, who was Houston’s bench coach in 2017 when Beltrán played for the Astros. A day before that, manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were fired by Houston soon after they were suspended for the 2020 season by Commissioner Rob Manfred for their roles in the cheating scheme. Next to fall was Beltrán, the only Astros player mentioned by name Monday when MLB issued its findings from an investigation into the club’s conduct. No players were disciplined, but the nine-page report said Beltrán was among the group involved in the team's illicit use of electronics to pilfer signs during Houston's run to the 2017... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Beltrán is out as manager of the New York Mets before a single game, the latest fallout from the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal that has rocked Major League Baseball. The Mets announced the decision Thursday in a news release, saying Beltrán and the team “agreed to mutually part ways.” The move came two days after Boston cut ties with manager Alex Cora, who was Houston’s bench coach in 2017 when Beltrán played for the Astros. A day before that, manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were fired by Houston soon after they were suspended for the 2020 season by Commissioner Rob Manfred for their roles in the cheating scheme. Next to fall was Beltrán, the only Astros player mentioned by name Monday when MLB issued its findings from an investigation into the club’s conduct. No players were disciplined, but the nine-page report said Beltrán was among the group involved in the team's illicit use of electronics to pilfer signs during Houston's run to the 2017... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Left-hander Stephen Tarpley was traded from the New York Yankees to the Miami Marlins on Wednesday for third baseman James Nelson and $50,000 payable on Feb. 15.Tarpley was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Saturday to clear a roster spot when outfielder Brett Gardner's contract was finalized. The 26-year-old Tarpley was 1-0 with two saves and a 5.88 ERA last year in one start and 30 relief appearances. He was acquired by the Yankees in the 2016 trade that sent right-hander Iván Nova to Pittsburgh.Nelson, 22, was a 15th-round draft pick in 2016 and hit .228 with 13 doubles, four homers and 36 RBIs in 121 games last season for Class A Jupiter of the Florida State League.———More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Left-hander Stephen Tarpley was traded from the New York Yankees to the Miami Marlins on Wednesday for third baseman James Nelson and cash.Tarpley was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Saturday to clear a roster spot when outfielder Brett Gardner's contract was finalized. The 26-year-old Tarpley was 1-0 with two saves and a 5.88 ERA last year in one start and 30 relief appearances. He was acquired by the Yankees in the 2016 trade that sent right-hander Iván Nova to Pittsburgh.Nelson, 22, was a 15th-round draft pick in 2016 and hit .228 with 13 doubles, four homers and 36 RBIs in 121 games last season for Class A Jupiter of the Florida State League.———More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Alex Cora has already been identified as a ringleader in an illegal system of sign stealing when he was with the Houston Astros.The Red Sox didn't wait to see what punishment Major League Baseball might give him for possibly bringing a similar scheme with him to Boston.Cora was fired by the team he led to the 2018 World Series title on Tuesday night, one day after baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said he was “an active participant” in the Astros' cheating when he was a bench coach in Houston.Manfred mentioned Cora by name 11 times in a nine-page report, saying he "originated and executed" the scheme in which Houston used a center field camera to decode catchers' signals to pitchers, then banged on a trash can to relay the signs to batters so they would know what type of pitch was coming. The Astros fired manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, making that announcement an hour after Manfred suspended them for the 2020 season for their roles in the cheating scheme.... [More]