DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers and catcher Austin Romine agreed to a $4.15 million, one-year contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and was pending a successful physical. The 31-year-old Romine has backed up Gary Sánchez for the New York Yankees the past four seasons. Praised mostly for his defense and management of the pitching staff, Romine has steadily improved as a hitter. He batted .281 with eight home runs and a .748 OPS in 72 games last season.Romine made $1.8 million last season. He will likely become Detroit's starter, with Grayson Greiner the primary backup.Romine is the younger brother of Andrew Romine, who was a utility player for Detroit from 2014-17.In 2017, Austin Romine and Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera were at the center of a nasty brawl between the Tigers and Yankees. Cabrera shoved Romine, and the two wrestled each other to the ground.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A mostly dreary winter meetings lacking spectacular swaps will be remembered as the Scott Boras show.Baseball's most prominent agent dominated each of the three full days of meetings with a nine-figure contract, deals for Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon that totaled $814 million.Just two trades were announced: The San Francisco Giants acquired shortstop Zack Cozart and infield prospect Will Wilson from the Los Angeles Angels for a player to be named or cash, and the Chicago White Sox obtained outfielder Nomar Mazara from the Texas Rangers for outfield prospect Steele Walker."I think it's hard to say that there hasn't been a trend," new Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said. "It's important not to get too focused on artificial timetables. You want to be prepared to do something when you think it's going to help you, but you don't want to force anything."The podium and dais remained in nearly pristine condition, hosting just one player announcement:... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Oakland acquired minor league outfielder Buddy Reed from San Diego on Thursday to complete the Dec. 2 trade that sent second baseman Jurickson Profar to the Padres for catcher Austin Allen.Reed will be a non-roster invitee with the A's this spring.Reed batted .228 with a career-high 14 home runs and 50 RBIs in 121 games for Double-A Amarillo last year. He also walked a career-high 42 times for a .310 on-base percentage and ranked seventh in the Texas League with 23 stolen bases. The 24-year-old right-handed hitter is rated as the Padres' 25th best prospect by mlb.com. He was a second-round pick in the 2016 draft and is a .249 career hitter with 33 home runs, 160 RBIs and 101 stolen bases in 382 games in four seasons as a professional.___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers agreed to a one-year contract for $5,125,000 with pitcher Corey Knebel, who is returning from Tommy John surgery.A 28-year-old right-hander, Knebel hurt his elbow during spring training and had surgery April 3. He had been eligible for salary arbitration and will have the same salary as in 2019.His deal includes a $50,000 bonus for comeback player of the year along with other award bonuses.Knebel had 39 saves in 2017, when he was an All-Star, and 16 the following season.His deal was announced Tuesday.___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Major League Baseball will start testing for opioids and cocaine, but only players who do not cooperate with their treatment plans will be subject to discipline.Marijuana will be removed from the list of drugs of abuse and will be treated the same as alcohol as part of changes announced Thursday to the joint drug agreement between MLB and the players' association. In addition, suspensions for marijuana use will be dropped from the minor league drug program.Opioids are classified as a drug of abuse under the joint big league program, which began in late 2002 and until now has limited testing to performance-enhancing substances and banned stimulants. Talks to add testing for opioids began following the death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who was found dead in his hotel room in the Dallas area July 1 before the start of a series against the Texas. A medical examiner's office said the 27-year-old died after choking on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Former AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and the New York Mets have agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the agreement had not been announced.A right-hander who turns 31 on Dec. 27, Porcello joins a rotation that includes Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz.Porcello grew up in New Jersey and went to Seton Hall Prep in West Orange.He was 14-12 with a 5.52 ERA in 32 starts last year, his fifth and final season with Boston. His best year for the Red Sox was 2016, when he went 22-4 and won the AL Cy Young.“He's done it," general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said. "He's been battle tested. He's performed in the playoffs. He's got rings on his fingers.”Porcello has a 149-118 record and 4.36 ERA in 11 big league seasons, the first six with Detroit.New York also has a pending one-year contract with right-hander Michael Wacha. With Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman also preparing to come to spring training as starters, the Mets have eight potential starters vying for five spots in spring training.“I think we're probably the deepest starting pitching rotation in baseball,” Van Wagenen said. ___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Major league teams are getting an extra roster spot in 2020, and clubs went fishing for options at the Rule 5 draft Thursday.The Detroit Tigers selected right-hander Rony Garcia from the New York Yankees with the first pick at the winter meetings draft of unprotected minor leaguers. Eleven players were selected during the major league portion, and clubs must keep those players on the major league roster for all of next season or else offer them back to their original team for half of the $100,000 selection fee. Good news for this year's batch of big league hopefuls: More jobs are available.Active rosters are growing by one to 26 next season through Aug. 31, with expanded September rosters slimmed from 40 to 28. It's an opportunity for players like Garcia, a 21-year-old starter with a four-pitch mix who spent most of last season at Double-A.“Had a variety of people see him and think it's a good fit for us,” said Dave Littlefield, Tigers vice president of player development.Not... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers and catcher Austin Romine agreed to a $4.15 million, one-year contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and was pending a successful physical. The 31-year-old Romine has backed up Gary Sánchez for the New York Yankees the past four seasons. Praised mostly for his defense and management of the pitching staff, Romine has steadily improved as a hitter. He batted .281 with eight home runs and a .748 OPS in 72 games last season.Romine made $1.8 million last season. He will likely become Detroit's starter, with Grayson Greiner the primary backup.Romine is the younger brother of Andrew Romine, who was a utility player for Detroit from 2014-17.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Major League Baseball will start testing for opioids and cocaine, but only players who do not cooperate with their treatment plans will be subject to discipline.Marijuana will be removed from the list of drugs of abuse and will be treated the same as alcohol as part of changes announced Thursday to the joint drug agreement between MLB and the players' association. In addition, suspensions for marijuana use will be dropped from the minor league drug program.Opioids are classified as a drug of abuse under the joint big league program, which began in late 2002 and until now has limited testing to performance-enhancing substances and banned stimulants. Talks to add testing for opioids began following the death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who was found dead in his hotel room in the Dallas area July 1 before the start of a series against the Texas. A medical examiner's office said the 27-year-old died after choking on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Outfielder Brett Gardner is staying with the New York Yankees after the best offensive season of his career, agreeing to a one-year contract that guarantees $12.5 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday became the agreement had not be announced.Gardner gets a $2 million signing bonus and an $8 million salary for next season. The Yankees have a $10 million option for 2021 with a $2.5 million buyout.He earned $7.5 million last season, when he hit .251 and set career highs with 28 homers and 74 RBIs. He is a rare left-handed bat in a Yankees lineup dominated by right-handed hitters.“The constant that he is means a lot to the organization as well as the production on the field," assistant general manager Mike Fishman said.Originally slated to be a fourth outfielder, Gardner saw increased playing time because of injuries to others and played center for much of the season while Aaron Hicks... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Former AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and the New York Mets have a agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the agreement had not been announced.A right-hander who turns 31 on Dec. 27, Porcello joins a rotation that includes Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz.Porcello grew up in New Jersey and went to Seton Hall Prep in West Orange.He was 14-12 with a 5.52 ERA in 32 starts last year, his fifth and final season with Boston. His best year for the Red Sox was 2016, when he went 22-4 and won the AL Cy Young.“He's done it," general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said. "He's been battle tested. He's performed in the playoffs. He's got rings on his fingers.”Porcello has a 149-118 record and 4.36 ERA in 11 big league seasons, the first six with Detroit.New York also has a pending one-year contract with right-hander Michael Wacha. With Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman also preparing to come to spring training as starters, the Mets have eight potential starters vying for five spots in spring training.“I think we're probably the deepest starting pitching rotation in baseball,” Van Wagenen said. ___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Outfielder Brett Gardner is staying with the New York Yankees after the best offensive season of his career, agreeing to a one-year contract that guarantees $12.5 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday became the agreement had not be announced.Gardner gets a $2 million signing bonus and an $8 million salary for next season. The Yankees have a $10 million option for 2021 with a $2.5 million buyout.He earned $7.5 million last season, when he hit .251 and set career highs with 28 homers and 74 RBIs. He is a rare left-handed bat in a Yankees lineup dominated by right-handed hitters.Originally slated to be a fourth outfielder, Gardner saw increased playing time because of injuries to others and played center for much of the season while Aaron Hicks was injured. Hicks had Tommy John surgery after the season and is not expected to return until summer.Gardner turned 36 in August and is the senior... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Former AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and the New York Mets have a agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the agreement had not been announced.A right-hander who turns 31 on Dec. 27, Porcello joins a rotation that includes Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz.Porcello grew up in New Jersey and went to Seton Hall Prep in West Orange.He was 14-12 with a 5.52 ERA in 32 starts last year, his fifth and final season with Boston. His best year for the Red Sox was 2016, when he went 22-4 and won the AL Cy Young.Porcello has a 149-118 record and 4.36 ERA in 11 big league seasons, the first six with Detroit.New York also has a pending one-year contract with right-hander Michael Wacha.———More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Major League Baseball will start testing for opioids and cocaine, but only players who do not cooperate with their treatment plans will be subject to discipline.Marijuana will be removed from the list of drugs of abuse and will be treated the same as alcohol as part of changes announced Thursday to the joint drug agreement between MLB and the players' association.Opioids are classified as a drug of abuse under the joint program, which began in late 2002 and until now has limited testing to performance-enhancing substances and banned stimulants. Talks to add testing for opioids began following the death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who was found dead in his hotel room in the Dallas area July 1 before the start of a series against the Texas. A medical examiner's office said the 27-year-old died after choking on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his body.Under the changes, MLB will test for opioids, Fentanyl,... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Former AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and the New York Mets have a agreed to a $10 million, one-year contract, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the agreement had not been announced.A right-hander who turns 31 on Dec. 27, Porcello joins a rotation that includes Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz.Porcello grew up in New Jersey and went to Seton Hall Prep in West Orange.He was 14-12 with a 5.52 ERA in 32 starts last year, his fifth and final season with Boston. His best year for the Red Sox was 2016, when he went 22-4 and won the AL Cy Young.Porcello has a 149-118 record and 4.36 ERA in 11 big league seasons, the first six with Detroit.New York also has a pending one-year contract with right-hander Michael Wacha.———More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Third baseman Anthony Rendon and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a $245 million, seven-year contract Wednesday, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and was subject to a successful physical. Rendon gets a $4 million signing bonus payable by Dec. 31 and salaries of $25.5 million next season, $27.5 million in 2021, $36 million in 2022 and $38 million each year from 2023-26. He would receive a $250,000 bonus for World Series MVP, $150,000 for League Championship Series MVP, $125,000 for election as an All-Star starter and $100,000 for selection as a reserve.Rendon is the third prized free agent to strike a big-money deal at this week's baseball winter meetings. He'll join three-time MVPs Mike Trout and Albert Pujols on a team that's made just one postseason appearance in the past decade. The Angels had missed out on free agent right-hander Gerrit Cole,... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Third baseman Anthony Rendon and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a $245 million, seven-year contract Wednesday, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and was subject to a successful physical. Rendon is the third prized free agent to strike a big-money deal at this week's baseball winter meetings. He'll join three-time MVPs Mike Trout and Albert Pujols on a team that's made just one postseason appearance in the past decade. The Angels had missed out on free agent right-hander Gerrit Cole, who agreed to a record $324 million, nine-year contract with the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, a person familiar with the deal told the AP. “With our flexibility, if we miss a big player, there’s still very talented players that are accessible in the free agent and trade market right now," Angels general manager Billy Eppler said earlier Wednesday. Rendon, who has... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Once Shohei Ohtani completes the final phase of his recovery from Tommy John surgery later this month, the Los Angeles Angels will confer with surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache and the team's medical staff to determine how to proceed with the Japanese two-way star's throwing program.Ohtani threw another bullpen session Wednesday and has worked up to about 50 pitches, general manager Billy Eppler said. The team may decide to keep pushing him from the mound or flat ground, but he may also take time off before ramping up again for spring training.“The first step is going to be get through what he needs to get through and then talk to Dr. ElAttrache and talk to our medical personnel and come up with a plan," Eppler said. “He's throwing now at this time of year at more intensity than other pitchers are and other starters.“So my question that I'm going to ask is going to be: ‘What’s best for Shohei? Is it to just continue throwing, is it to continue throwing on a mound, continue throwing... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Anthony Rendon is joining the Los Angeles Angels, quickly following mega-deals for Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg in a trifecta of nine-figure contracts for agent Scott Boras at a wild winter meetings.With baseball still buzzing over Cole's $324 million, nine-year agreement with the New York Yankees, Rendon found his own free-agent riches, reaching a $245 million, seven-year deal Wednesday night to play third base in an Angels lineup that features three-time MVP Mike Trout.Strasburg opened the annual gathering on Monday when the Washington Nationals announced a nearly identical $245 million, seven-year contract to keep the World Series MVP.That set a record for the largest deal given a pitcher, topping David Price's $217 million, seven-year agreement with the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2016 season.Strasburg's standard lasted just a day, shattered Tuesday night when Cole agreed to pitch in pinstripes after two outstanding seasons with Houston.Then on the last full day... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Third baseman Anthony Rendon and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a $245 million, seven-year contract Wednesday, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and was subject to a successful physical. Rendon is the third prized free agent to strike a big-money deal at this week's baseball winter meetings. He'll join three-time MVPs Mike Trout and Albert Pujols on a team that's made just one postseason appearance in the past decade. The Angels had missed out on free agent right-hander Gerrit Cole, who agreed to a record $324 million, nine-year contract with the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, a person familiar with the deal told the AP. “With our flexibility, if we miss a big player, there’s still very talented players that are accessible in the free agent and trade market right now," Angels general manager Billy Eppler said earlier Wednesday. Rendon, who has... [More]