LAS VEGAS (AP) — As Brian Cashman tried to close a $34 million, two-year deal to keep left-hander J.A. Happ, the New York Yankees general manager made clear Wednesday he could shift his focus from pitching to high-priced free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado at any moment."We are prepared to pivot and react at any moment if things change," Cashman said. "You know where my current focuses are, but at the same time we're a fully operational Death Star."Cashman has said all offseason he has more than enough outfielders. Harper's agent, Scott Boras, said earlier in the day the Yankees had not told him they were uninterested in his top free agent of the offseason. Employing yet another of his increasingly flamboyant metaphors, Boras said the amount of teams currently seeking Harper is not nearly as noteworthy as those bidding at negotiations' end.Happ is a more imminent target for a rotation projected to include Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and James Paxton, acquired from... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — An All-Star starter to the relief-reliant Rays, a Tanner-for-Tanner trade and a Scott Boras sighting. Intrigue at the winter meetings, but not much impact.Not yet, anyway.Charlie Morton was the top name to switch teams Wednesday, joining Tampa Bay for a $30 million, two-year deal after going 15-3 with Houston last season. Reliever Jeurys Familia returned to the New York Mets after they traded him away and first baseman Justin Bour headed to the Los Angeles Angels.And in the majors' first swap of players with the first name of Tanner, the Washington Nationals sent Tanner Roark to Cincinnati for Tanner Rainey in a trade of right-handers.Roark led the National League with 15 losses, but expected he would be part of a prime rotation that recently added All-Star Patrick Corbin to stars Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg."I felt like we would have a pretty good staff over there in D.C. but they thought otherwise and I don't know what their plans are," Roark said on a conference... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — As Brian Cashman tried to close a deal to keep left-hander J.A. Happ, the New York Yankees general manager made clear Wednesday he could shift his focus from pitching to high-priced free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado at any moment."We are prepared to pivot and react at any moment if things change," Cashman said. "You know where my current focuses are, but at the same time we're a fully operational Death Star."Cashman has said all offseason he has more than enough outfielders. Harper's agent, Scott Boras, said earlier in the day the Yankees had not told him they were uninterested in his top free agent of the offseason. Employing yet another of his increasingly flamboyant metaphors, Boras said the amount of teams currently seeking Harper is not nearly as noteworthy as those bidding at negotiations' end.Happ is a more imminent target for a rotation projected to include Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and James Paxton, acquired from Seattle in a trade. A... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen and the Philadelphia Phillies finalized a back-loaded $50 million, three-year contract on Wednesday, a deal that includes a team option for 2022.McCutchen gets $10 million next season, $17 million in 2020 and $20 million in 2021. The Phillies have a $15 million option for 2022 with a $3 million buyout.The 32-year-old was an All-Star each season from 2011-15, topping .300 in batting average from 2012-14. He was the NL MVP in 2013.McCutchen spent nine years with Pittsburgh before he was traded to San Francisco last winter. He was dealt to the New York Yankees on Aug. 31 and hit .255 with 20 homers and 65 RBIs in 155 games overall this year.McCutchen has 223 homers, a .287 average and 790 RBIs in 10 major league seasons.He would get a $100,000 bonus for winning another MVP, $50,000 for finishing second in the voting and $25,000 for third. He would get $100,000 for World Series MVP, and $50,000 each for League Championship Series MVP, Gold... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Major League Baseball's winter meetings (all times local):6:10p.m.A person with direct knowledge of the negotiations tells The Associated Press that free agent first baseman Justin Bour has reached agreement with the Los Angeles Angels.The deal is pending a physical said the person, speaking on condition of anonymity because nothing had been finalized.The 30-year-old Bour hit 20 homers and drove in 59 runs with the Marlins and Phillies last season. He batted .227 combined over 141 games, missing time with an oblique strain.— AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley reporting.___4:27 p.m.The Nationals and Reds have swapped right-handed pitchers named Tanner. Washington sent Tanner Roark to Cincinnati for Tanner Rainey.Roark has pitched six seasons in the majors, all for the Nationals. He went 9-15 last season with a 4.34 ERA.Rainey spent most of the season with Triple-A Louisville, going 7-2 with a 2.65 ERA and three saves in 44 appearances. He didn't have a decision... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — An All-Star starter to the relief-reliant Rays, a Tanner-for-Tanner trade and a Scott Boras sighting. Intrigue at the winter meetings, but not much impact.Not yet, anyway.Charlie Morton was the top name to switch teams Wednesday, joining Tampa Bay for a $30 million, two-year deal after going 15-3 with Houston last season.And in the majors' first swap of players with the first name of Tanner, the Washington Nationals sent Tanner Roark to Cincinnati for Tanner Rainey in a trade of right-handers.Roark led the National League with 15 losses, but expected he would be part of a prime rotation that recently added All-Star Patrick Corbin to stars Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg."I felt like we would have a pretty good staff over there in D.C. but they thought otherwise and I don't know what their plans are," Roark said on a conference call.Fans all over, meanwhile, waited to hear where the likes of free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado and trade targets Corey Kluber and... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen and the Philadelphia Phillies have finalized to a $50 million, three-year contract, a deal that includes a team option for 2022.The 32-year-old was an All-Star each season from 2011-15, topping .300 in batting average from 2012-14. He was the NL MVP in 2013.McCutchen spent nine years with Pittsburgh before he was traded to San Francisco last winter. He was dealt to the New York Yankees on Aug. 31 and hit .255 with 20 homers and 65 RBIs in 155 games overall this year.McCutchen has 223 homers, a .287 average and 790 RBIs in 10 major league seasons.Philadelphia remains interested in Bryce Harper, the top free agent on the market, but has a surplus of outfielders, including Odubel Herrera, Nick Williams, Aaron Altherr and Roman Quinn.Rhys Hoskins is moving from left field to first base after the team traded Carlos Santana to Seattle for infielder Jean Segura last week.Herrera, a former All-Star, is a trade candidate. He struggled in the second half last season and finished with career lows in batting average (.255) and on-base percentage (.310).Philadelphia pursued Patrick Corbin and is still seeking a left-handed starter.___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Major League Baseball's winter meetings (all times local):4:27 p.m.The Nationals and Reds have swapped right-handed pitchers named Tanner. Washington sent Tanner Roark to Cincinnati for Tanner Rainey.Roark has pitched six seasons in the majors, all for the Nationals. He went 9-15 last season with a 4.34 ERA.Rainey spent most of the season with Triple-A Louisville, going 7-2 with a 2.65 ERA and three saves in 44 appearances. He didn't have a decision and posted a 24.43 ERA in eight outings for the Reds.Roark made $6,475,000 last year and is eligible for arbitration. He can be a free agent after next season. The Nationals signed free All-Star Patrick Corbin to a $140 million, six-year deal last week.___3:25 p.m.Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera might play only a game or two each week at the start of spring training as he returns from season-ending biceps surgery.Manager Ron Gardenhire says he'll go day by day with Cabrera when the exhibition season begins.... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Major League Baseball's winter meetings (all times local):3:25 p.m.Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera might play only a game or two each week at the start of spring training as he returns from season-ending biceps surgery.Manager Ron Gardenhire says he'll go day by day with Cabrera when the exhibition season begins. There's no plan yet as to how much action the two-time AL MVP might see at first base."We'll figure it out as we go along," Gardenhire said.Cabrera turns 36 in April. He hit three home runs in 38 games and didn't play after June 12 because of the problem in his left biceps.___2:02 p.m.All-Star pitcher Charlie Morton has reached a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.A person familiar with the agreement tells The Associated Press the contract is for two years and $30 million. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been officially announced.The 35-year-old Morton was a first-time All-Star last season when he went 15-3 for Houston.... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Major League Baseball's winter meetings (all times local):2:02 p.m.All-Star pitcher Charlie Morton has reached a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.A person familiar with the agreement tells The Associated Press the contract is for two years and $30 million. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been officially announced.The 35-year-old Morton was a first-time All-Star last season when he went 15-3 for Houston. He had a 3.13 ERA in a career-high 30 starts.Morton helped the Astros win their first championship in 2017. He started and won Game 7 of the AL Championship Series against the Yankees, then was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers with four innings of relief.The right-hander joins a Rays staff led by AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. The Tampa Bay rotation was beset by injuries this year, and the team often used relief pitchers as starters in their "opener" strategy on their way to 90 wins.___1:34... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Major League Baseball's winter meetings (all times local):1:34 p.m.Agent Scott Boras says there are teams ready to move right now on Bryce Harper.But still no word on where the free agent slugger might end up — or when.Boras was at the winter meetings before noon, holding court for the media in what's become an annual tradition at this gathering.Harper was the prime topic. Boras represents the star, who lives here in Las Vegas."Bryce is open to a lot of different venues, so it's really about what a lot of owners have said to him about their commitments and what they want to do long term," Boras said.And it could be a swift process, although not all Boras clients wind up signing quickly."So, we're really at a point where you could be meetings away from a deal," Boras said. "And then again, you could be in the situation where it's just further meetings and conversation."The 26-year-old Harper had a career-high 100 RBIs while hitting 34 home runs and batting... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Major League Baseball's winter meetings (all times local):4:04 p.m.The big-budget Boston Red Sox aren't looking to cut payroll after winning the World Series.Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is dismissing reports that he's trying to trade some high-priced players, such as pitcher Rick Porcello."We're not looking to move anybody. We're not driven to move anybody," he said.The Red Sox had the highest payroll in the majors for the first time in the free agent era. It was nearly $239 million in late August on Boston's way to a team-record 108 wins in the regular season.Dombrowski says he thinks the team payroll will be over $246 million next year.___3:55 p.m.The Oakland Athletics have reached agreement with catcher Chris Herrmann on a $1 million, one-year contract.General manager David Forst had put getting a catcher among his top to-do items, and the A's found one at the winter meetings.The 31-year-old Herrmann played 36 games for Seattle... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Major League Baseball's winter meetings (all times local):3:26 p.m.The St. Louis Cardinals have traded third baseman Patrick Wisdom to the Texas Rangers for infielder/outfielder Drew Robinson.The 27-year-old Wisdom made his major league debut last season, hitting .260 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 32 games. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Memphis, hitting .288 with 15 homers and 61 RBIs.The 26-year-old Robinson batted .183 with three homers and nine RBIs in 47 games for Texas. He is from Las Vegas, where this trade was announced during the winter meetings.___3:19 p.m.Former Texas pitcher Brandon McCarthy has been hired by the Rangers as special assistant to the general manager.McCarthy ended his 14-year career by going 6-3 in 15 starts for the Braves last season. He pitched three years for Texas early in his career.The Rangers say the 35-year-old McCarthy will be involved in all aspects of pitching development at the major and minor league level.___2:02... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Major League Baseball's winter meetings (all times local):2:02 p.m.Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais hopes his team can find success rebuilding with youth much the way the AL West rival Oakland Athletics have done.A flurry of offseason trades by general manager Jerry Dipoto sent so many stars out of the Pacific Northwest in the past month.Gone is the core of Seattle's old lineup: ace James Paxton, infielder Robinson Cano, catcher Mike Zunino. Infielder Jean Segura and right-handers Juan Nicasio and Edwin Diaz. Outfielder Guillermo Heredia and lefty setup man James Pazos, too.Whew! See why Mariners fans might understandably be a little apprehensive about the transformation, even after an 89-73 season that failed to end a nearly two-decade playoff drought — they were third in the AL West and missed the playoffs for a 17th straight season."We've made a few changes, but we had to make a decision organizationally where we were at," Servais said at the winter... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Major League Baseball's winter meetings (all times local):1:22 p.m.All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $50 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement, which includes a club option for 2022, is subject to a successful physical.The 32-year-old McCutchen was an All-Star each season from 2011-15, topping .300 in batting average from 2012-14. He was the NL MVP in 2013.McCutchen spent nine years with Pittsburgh before he was traded to San Francisco last winter. He was dealt to the New York Yankees on Aug. 31 and hit .255 with 20 homers and 65 RBIs in 155 games overall this year.McCutchen has 223 homers, a .287 average and 790 RBIs in 10 major league seasons.Philadelphia remains interested in Bryce Harper, the top free agent on the market, but has a surplus of outfielders, including Odubel... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $50 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the agreement, which includes a club option for 2022, is subject to a successful physical.The 32-year-old McCutchen was an All-Star each season from 2011-15, topping .300 in batting average from 2012-14. He was the NL MVP in 2013.McCutchen nine years with Pittsburgh before he was traded to San Francisco last winter. He was dealt to the New York Yankees on Aug. 31 and hit .255 with 20 homers and 65 RBIs in 155 games overall this year.McCutchen has 223 homers, a .287 average and 790 RBIs in 10 major league seasons.Philadelphia remains interested in Bryce Harper, the top free agent on the market, but has a surplus of outfielders, including Odubel Herrera, Nick Williams, Aaron Altherr and Roman Quinn.Rhys Hoskins is moving from... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says he has been talking about Manny Machado with the infielder's agent.New York shortstop Didi Gregorius is expected to miss at least half of next season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, leaving the team in search of an infielder."I've had several conversations with Dan Lozano about Manny Machado," Cashman said Monday at the winter meetings. "So we are we are definitely focused in the marketplace on those areas of need and he, obviously, is available and solves that area of need. So, not going to deny we've had a conversation. Or two."Cashman said last month that Machado would have to explain his comments that he isn't "Johnny Hustle" and his failure to run hard on the bases, which became glaring in the postseason. Cashman would not say whether he plans to meet with Machado.Bryce Harper, the other top free agent, appears to be of little interest to the Yankees, at least publicly. Asked whether he had met with the Las Vegas... [More]

Paul Goldschmidt and Robinson Cano have already switched teams this offseason, going to the Cardinals and Mets in major trades.As for Manny Machado and Bryce Harper — the jewels of the free agent market — they're still waiting.Patrick Corbin and Josh Donaldson are already signed, but there are plenty of significant free agents still available heading into the winter meetings this week. The market appears less sluggish than a year ago, and Machado and Harper will remain focal points.Here's a look at the top free agents — broken down by position — who are still available. Players are listed with their most recent teams, with their ages in parentheses:LEFT-HANDED STARTERDallas Keuchel, Astros (30)With Corbin off the board , Keuchel may be the top remaining starter on the market. He slipped a bit after his Cy Young-winning performance of 2015, but this past season was encouraging from a health standpoint. He made a career-high 34 starts and posted a 3.74 ERA.Other options: J.A. Happ hasn't... [More]

Paul Goldschmidt and Robinson Cano have already switched teams this offseason, going to the Cardinals and Mets in major trades.As for Manny Machado and Bryce Harper — the jewels of the free agent market — they're still waiting.Patrick Corbin and Josh Donaldson are already signed, but there are plenty of significant free agents still available heading into the winter meetings this week. The market appears less sluggish than a year ago, and Machado and Harper will remain focal points.Here's a look at the top free agents — broken down by position — who are still available. Players are listed with their most recent teams, with their ages in parentheses:LEFT-HANDED STARTERDallas Keuchel, Astros (30)With Corbin off the board , Keuchel may be the top remaining starter on the market. He slipped a bit after his Cy Young-winning performance of 2015, but this past season was encouraging from a health standpoint. He made a career-high 34 starts and posted a 3.74 ERA.Other options: J.A. Happ hasn't... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Zack Greinke and Madison Bumgarner appear to be available for teams looking to bolster starting rotations.Hometown star Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, the two top free agents, remain unsigned heading into the traditional high-point of the offseason.Catcher J.T. Realmuto, third baseman Kyle Seager could be among the position players dangled as trade bait in the suites of Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay, where executives and agents gather next week for the annual swap session, which in an age of complicated finances and medical records serves as a midpoint for talks as much as a place to finish deals.Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein predicted the week will be "really active.""It seems like there is plenty of trade talk, and there are still a lot of good free agents out there," he said. "A couple of moves have already occurred that sort of always set the stage for increased activity in the next week or so."First baseman Paul Goldschmidt... [More]