HOUSTON (AP) — Catcher Jason Castro has agreed to a $7 million, two-year contract with the Houston Astros, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Thursday because the deal had not been announced. The agreement is pending completion of a successful physical. This will be Castro’s second stint with the team after he was selected in the first round of the 2008 amateur draft by the Astros and spent his first six MLB seasons with the team. The 33-year-old gives Houston another veteran catcher to play behind starter Martín Maldonado. Castro played for both the Angels and the Padres last season where he appeared in 27 games and hit .188 with two homers and nine RBIs. He spent the previous three seasons with the Twins where he played 208 games and hit .229. Castro had his best years with the Astros where he 617 games and was named to the All-Star game in 2013. He hit .232 with 62 homers and 212 RBIs in his six seasons in Houston. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Utilityman Daniel Robertson has agreed to a $900,000, one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers that allows him to earn an additional $400,000 in performance bonuses. Robertson batted .333 with no homers and two RBIs in 17 games with the San Francisco Giants last season while making appearances at shortstop, second base, third base and the outfield. His contract was purchased from Tampa Bay on Aug. 23, and he had $157,808 in prorated earnings during the shortened season. “I feel like the game’s kind of evolving that way,” Robertson said Thursday. “Organizations like to carry a couple of guys that are kind of that Swiss Army knife, who can do a bunch of things. I feel like five years ago, maybe a little bit longer, you had that one kind of guy, that (Ben) Zobrist kind of guy. The game’s evolving and there’s more guys that are putting themselves in that kind of situation or position.” Robertson, who turns 27 on March 22, had spent the previous three seasons with Tampa... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Utilityman Daniel Robertson has agreed to a $900,000, one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers that allows him to earn an additional $400,000 in performance bonuses. Robertson batted .333 with no homers and two RBIs in 17 games with the San Francisco Giants last season while making appearances at shortstop, second base, third base and the outfield. His contract was purchased from Tampa Bay on Aug. 23, and he had $157,808 in prorated earnings during the shortened season. “I feel like the game’s kind of evolving that way,” Robertson said Thursday. “Organizations like to carry a couple of guys that are kind of that Swiss Army knife, who can do a bunch of things. I feel like five years ago, maybe a little bit longer, you had that one kind of guy, that (Ben) Zobrist kind of guy. The game’s evolving and there’s more guys that are putting themselves in that kind of situation or position.” Robertson, who turns 27 on March 22, had spent the previous three seasons with Tampa... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Catcher Jason Castro has agreed to a $7 million, two-year contract with the Houston Astros, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Thursday because the deal had not been announced. The agreement is pending completion of a successful physical. This will be Castro’s second stint with the team after he was selected in the first round of the 2008 amateur draft by the Astros and spent his first six MLB seasons with the team. The 33-year-old gives Houston another veteran catcher to play behind starter Martín Maldonado. Castro played for both the Angels and the Padres last season where he appeared in 27 games and hit .188 with two homers and nine RBIs. He spent the previous three seasons with the Twins where he played 208 games and hit .229. Castro had his best years with the Astros where he 617 games and was named to the All-Star game in 2013. He hit .232 with 62 homers and 212 RBIs in his six seasons in Houston. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The 21 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 (1) — Signed Pedro Báez, rhp, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a $12.5 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. LOS ANGELES (1) — Signed Kurt Suzuki, c, Washington, to a $1.5 million, one-year contract. TAMPA BAY (2) — Re-signed Mike Zunino, c, to a $3 million, one-year contract; signed Michael Wacha, rhp,... [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]

HOUSTON (AP) — Outfielder Michael Brantley has agreed to a $32 million, two-year contract with the Houston Astros, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the contract, which is pending a successful physical, had not been announced. Brantley spent the last two seasons in Houston after playing for Cleveland for his first 10 MLB seasons. Brantley hit .300 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 46 games in last year’s pandemic-shortened season. He had three home runs and 11 RBIs in 13 playoff games last year as the Astros came a win shy of reaching the World Series for the second straight season. He earned $5,555,555 in prorated pay from a $15 million salary as part of a $32 million, two-year deal that included a $2 million signing bonus. Brantley is a four-time All-Star and a 2014 Silver Slugger award winner. He has a .297 average with 114 homers and 640 RBIs in his career. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to contracts with free agent pitchers Kirby Yates and Tyler Chatwood, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the club had not yet announced the moves. Yates agreed to a $5.5 million, one-year deal with $4.5 million in potential performance bonuses. Chatwood agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract with incentives that could take it to $5.5 million. Yates, a right-hander who turns 34 on March 25, is coming off surgery in August to remove bone chips from his right elbow. He led the major leagues in saves in 2019 with 41 for San Diego and earned a place on the National League All-Star team. Slowed by elbow soreness, he had two saves in six games with a 12.46 ERA during last year's pandemic-shortened season. Yates earned $2,615,741 prorated from a salary of $7,062,500 last year. Chatwood, a 31-year-old righthander, went 2-2 with a 5.30 ERA in five starts with the Chicago Cubs last year. He earned $4,814,815 prorated from a $13 million salary. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Reliever Wade Davis is returning to the Kansas City Royals, the team he helped pitch to the 2015 World Series title. Davis and the Royals agreed Wednesday to a minor league contract, and the 35-year-old right-hander will go to spring training trying to earn a spot on the major league roster. If added to the 40-man roster, Davis would get a one-year contract paying at a rate of $1.25 million while in the major leagues and $200,000 while in the minors. In the majors he could earn $925,000 for games: $50,000 apiece for 22 and each additional two through 30; $75,000 apiece for 34 and each additional two through 40; and $125,000 each for 55, 60 and 66. Davis is a three-time All-Star who had 47 saves for the Royals from 2013-16. Kansas City acquired him from Tampa Bay in December 2012, converted him to a full-time reliever in 2013 and traded him to the Chicago Cubs after the 2016 season. He pitched the final out of the 2015 World Series against the New York Mets, throwing... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Reliever Wade Davis is returning to the Kansas City Royals, the team he helped pitch to the 2015 World Series title. Davis and the Royals agreed Wednesday to a minor league contract, and the 35-year-old right-hander will go to spring training trying to earn a spot on the major league roster. Davis is a three-time All-Star who had 47 saves for the Royals from 2013-16. Kansas City acquired him from Tampa Bay in December 2012, converted him to a full-time reliever in 2013 and traded him to the Chicago Cubs after the 2016 season. He pitched the final out of the 2015 World Series against the New York Mets, throwing a called third strike past Wilmer Flores. He spent one season in Chicago, completing a $12.6 million, four-year contract with three options that wound up totaling $35.1 million in salary. He then signed a $52 million, three-year contract with Colorado. Davis had an NL-high 43 saves in 2018 and 15 in 2019, then made just five appearances with two saves during last year’s pandemic-shortened season, when his ERA shot up to 20.77. The Rockies released him in September. Davis has 139 saves in 12 major league seasons, going 63-52 with a 3.81 ERA. He is 4-0 with eight saves over 30 games in postseason play. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

TORONTO (AP) — All-Star outfielder George Springer became the most prominent among baseball’s free agents to reach an agreement this offseason, a $150 million, six-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal was subject to a successful physical. It would be the largest contract in team history. Springer, who turned 31 in September, is a three-time All-Star who has spent his entire seven-season career with Houston and was the World Series MVP when the Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games for their first title in 2017. The championship was later tainted when it was discovered Houston illicitly stole signs that season. Springer hit .265 with 14 homers and 32 RBIs during the shortened 2020 season, earning a prorated $7,777,778 from a $21 million salary. He has a .270 career average with 174 home runs and 458 RBIs, including career bests of... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Left-hander José Quintana has agreed to an $8 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement is subject to a successful physical. Los Angeles was looking to boost its rotation following a fourth-place finish in the AL West at 26-34, 10 games behind first-place Oakland. Angels’ starters had a 5.52 ERA in the shortened 2020 season, 29th among the 30 major league teams and ahead of only Detroit’s 6.37. Quintana joins a rotation projected to include left-hander Andrew Heaney and right-handers Shohei Ohtani, Dylan Bundy and Griffin Canning. Quintana was limited to one start and three relief appearances during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when he started late after surgery July 2 to repair nerve damage caused by a cut on the thumb of his pitching hand. The Cubs said Quintana was hurt while washing dishes at his home... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Outfielder George Springer became the most prominent among baseball’s free agents to reach an agreement, a $150 million, six-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal was subject to a successful physical. The deal would be the largest contract in team history. Springer, who turned 31 in September, is a three-time All-Star who spent his entire seven-season career with Houston and was World Series MVP when the Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games for their first title in 2017. The championship was later tainted when it was discovered Houston illicitly stole signs that season. He hit .265 with 14 homers and 32 RBIs in the shortened 2020 season, earning a prorated $7,777,778 from a $21 million salary. Springer has a .270 career average with 174 home runs and 458 RBIs, including career bests of a a .292 average with 39 homers... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Outfielder George Springer became the most prominent among baseball’s free agents to reach an agreement, a $150 million, six-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal was subject to a successful physical. Springer, who turned 31 in September, is a three-time All-Star who spent his entire seven-season career with Houston and was World Series MVP when the Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games for their first title in 2017. The championship was later tainted when it was discovered Houston illicitly stole signs that season. He hit .265 with 14 homers and 32 RBIs in the shortened 2020 season, earning a prorated $7,777,778 from a $21 million salary. Springer has a .270 career average with 174 home runs and 458 RBIs, including career bests of a a .292 average with 39 homers and 96 RBIs in 2019. A slow free agent market saw only 21 of 181 players who became free agents following the World Series enter Tuesday with finalized agreements. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — It turns out that Joe Musgrove was prescient when, at 18, he got a tattoo of a baseball with the San Diego Padres' logo in it, along with his last name and the year he was born. His grandmother chewed him out, telling the teenager he had no idea if the Padres would draft him out of Grossmont High in suburban El Cajon. They didn't. A decade later, though, it's all good. The big right-hander finally is a member of his hometown Padres, who obtained him Tuesday from the rebuilding Pittsburgh Pirates in a seven-player, three-team trade that also included the New York Mets. Musgrove had some fun with his grandmother Tuesday via FaceTime. “I said, ‘Remember how stupid you made me feel when I got this at 18? I told you it would play out,'“ the right-hander said in a videoconference with reporters. ”We had a cool little moment with that." Three teams and six seasons into his big league career, Musgrove will toe the rubber at Petco Park wearing the brown and gold of a Padres team... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Don Sutton, a Hall of Fame pitcher who was a stalwart of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation spanning an era from Sandy Koufax to Fernando Valenzuela, died Tuesday. He was 75. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, said Sutton died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, after a long struggle with cancer. The Atlanta Braves, for whom Sutton was a long-time broadcaster, said he died in his sleep. A four-time All-Star, Sutton had a career record of 324-256 and an ERA of 3.26 while pitching for the Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, California Angels and the Dodgers again in 1988, his final season. The durable Sutton never missed a turn in the rotation in 756 big league starts. Only Cy Young and Nolan Ryan made more starts than Sutton, who never landed on the injured list in his 23-year career. A master of changing speeds and pitch location, Sutton recorded just one 20-win season but earned 10 or more wins in every year except 1983... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — The usual dizzying offseason whirl of trades and signings have been replaced with a more pedestrian approach by the Seattle Mariners this year. General manager Jerry Dipoto said Tuesday that’s by design and an indication of where he believes the Mariners are with their roster entering the next stage of their rebuilding plan. “We don’t feel like we’ve been quiet, or slow,” Dipoto said. “If that’s what it seems to you all, I apologize. I know it’s not our normal rate of activity, but that is more where we are in our build, truly. We’ve added quite a bit to our team already.” That's not to say Dipoto won’t be busy over the next month before the Mariners report for spring training in Arizona. While the primary focus going into the 2021 season is going to be the continued development of Seattle’s young stars — highlighted by AL rookie of the year Kyle Lewis — and the eventual arrival of some top prospects, Dipoto still has a needs to fill before the start of the season. Primarily,... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Right-hander Hunter Wood has signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers that includes an invitation to major league spring training. Wood spent last season as part of Cleveland's 60-man player pool but didn't appear in any big league games. He had a 3.32 ERA in 66 games from 2017-19 with Tampa Bay and Cleveland. The Rangers announced Wood's signing on Tuesday. Tampa Bay selected Wood in the 29th round of the 2013 amateur draft ,and he made his big league debut with the Rays in 2017. He was traded to Cleveland in July 2019 and made 17 appearances the rest of that season for the Indians. Texas also have signed four additional international free agents, increasing its total to 23 since last week. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Cherington is tearing it all down. All of it. It's the only way the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager sees a way forward. The process Cherington began when he took over 15 months ago is picking up speed after the Pirates sent starting pitcher Joe Musgrove to the San Diego Padres as part of a three-team trade that brought five prospects to Pittsburgh. It's a process that will likely have little short-term impact at the big-league level for a club that finished the truncated 2020 season with the worst record in the majors. Still, it's one Cherington is convinced is the surest way to create sustainable success for a franchise that's fallen on hard times since reaching the playoffs three straight seasons from 2013-15. The Pirates need young talent. A lot of it. And while Cherington is well aware betting on teenagers and early 20-somethings doesn't necessarily guarantee anything, the more of them the club has under its umbrella, the better chance some turn into impactful... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Joe Musgrove grew up a San Diego Padres fan and now the right-hander gets to pitch for his hometown team, which in less than a month has remade itself into perhaps one of the best in the major leagues. The Padres brought Musgrove home Tuesday, adding yet another starting pitcher via a seven-player trade involving the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets. The Padres, who believe they can contend for the World Series title, sent major league reliever David Bednar and three prospects — outfielder Hudson Head, left-hander Omar Cruz and right-hander Drake Fellows — to the rebuilding Pirates. The Padres sent left-hander Joey Lucchesi to New York, and the Pirates got catcher Endy Rodríguez from the Mets. Musgrove, who played at Grossmont High in suburban El Cajon, California, joins a rotation that includes Yu Darvish and Blake Snell, who were obtained in blockbuster trades after Christmas, and Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack. The Padres are considering using a six-man rotation... [More]