ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Relief pitcher Cody Allen and the Los Angeles Angels have finalized a one-year contract for $8.5 million.The Angels announced the signing Sunday.Allen had a career-high 4.70 ERA for Cleveland last season, going 4-6 with 27 saves in 70 games. The 30-year-old righty is the Indians' franchise leader with 149 saves.The Angels posted a total of 35 saves last year, ranking 12th in the American League. Blake Parker led the team with 14 saves, wasn't offered a contract after the season and signed with Minnesota.Starters Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill joined with the Angels earlier in the offseason.Right-hander Miguel Almonte was designated for assignment. Almonte, 25, was 0-0 with a 10.29 ERA in eight games for the Angels last year.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — To St. Louis pitcher John Brebbia, this fussin' and feudin' between the Cardinals and Chicago Cubs is a perfect winter warmup."Honestly, people were kind of forgetting baseball season was coming up," Brebbia said Sunday. "So I think it was a good way to remind everyone that Cardinals-Cubs are going to be back in action soon.""No more of this football or whatever it's called now," he said. "It's our time."The whole thing started innocently enough at a Cubs fan event Friday when retired pitcher Ryan Dempster, in a playful talk-show format, asked Chicago star Kris Bryant about the Gateway City."Who would want to play in St. Louis? So boring. It's so boring," Bryant said. "I always get asked like, 'Where do you like to play? Where do you not like to play?' St. Louis is on the list where I don't like to play."Quipped Dempster: "I remember when I was getting traded, and they asked me, 'Hey, how about St. Louis?' I said, 'Zero chance, pal. No way.' I wouldn't even go there as... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Joe Maddon's future is a big question hovering over the Chicago Cubs heading into the season.President of baseball operations Theo Epstein thinks everything is going to work out just fine."My bet is that it goes extraordinarily well with Joe and the whole group and that he's here for a long time to come," Epstein said.Maddon, who turns 65 next month, is under contract for one more year after Epstein and the Cubs decided against offering him an extension over the winter. They want to see how the team rebounds from a disappointing finish last year.Chicago posted at least 92 wins and made the playoffs in each of Maddon's first four seasons as manager. It won the World Series in 2016 for its first championship since 1908.But the Cubs blew a five-game lead in the NL Central last September. They lost to Milwaukee in a tiebreaker for the division title and then dropped the NL wild-card game against Colorado.Cracks in the relationship between Maddon and the front office seemed to... [More]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals hope a healthy Andrew Miller can help reverse their recent luck with new relievers.Coming off a series of injuries, Miller got a two-year deal with the Cardinals last month. Recent relief signings haven't worked out too well for St. Louis — Brett Cecil, Luke Gregerson and Greg Holland weren't able to replicate their past success.At the annual Cardinals Winter Warm Up on Saturday, team President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said he was enthused about Miller."He wants the ball," Mozeliak said. "One of our stated goals this offseason was to improve our bullpen. Andrew Miller is one of the premier relievers in the major leagues, and his addition certainly strengthens our bullpen."He has pitched on the biggest stages in the world. He has pitched at an elite level. His character, his competitiveness and his leadership. All of this has led us to pursuing him this offseason," he said.Miller, a veteran of 13 seasons in the majors, has been one of... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — If Kris Bryant knows anything about where Bryce Harper is going in free agency, he is staying quiet for the moment.Bryant does know at least one thing that should delight fans of the Chicago Cubs."The shoulder is perfectly healed. Feels great," Bryant said. "Everything about it feels right back to where I was before."A healthy Bryant could go a long way to helping erase the sting of a disappointing finish to last season. Chicago blew a five-game lead in the NL Central in September, lost to Milwaukee in a tiebreaker for the division title and then was eliminated by Colorado in the NL wild-card game.Bryant and company had to watch as the Brewers and Rockies celebrated on consecutive October days at Wrigley Field."It's kind of good for us to go through that, get our teeth kicked in a little bit on our field, game 163 and then the wild-card game," Bryant said Friday on the first day of the Cubs' annual fan convention."I think ultimately we'll all learn from it, and yeah, come... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Addison Russell's future with the Chicago Cubs is a tentative proposition.President of baseball operations Theo Epstein says Russell is getting a "conditional second chance" with the Cubs after he was suspended for 40 games last October for violating Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy. Even the slightest misstep likely would mean the end of his time with the team."We are going to take it one day at a time," Epstein said Friday on the first day of the Cubs' annual fan convention. "If he continues to meet the high standards we've laid out for him, put the work in, he will be eligible to return to the Cubs after serving his full suspension."Russell, who turns 25 on Wednesday, isn't allowed to attend this weekend's festivities because of his punishment, but he is expected to be with the team for spring training. The troubled shortstop is eligible to return on May 3 against St. Louis, barring any postponements.Russell was disciplined after his ex-wife Melisa Reidy... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Avisail Garcia can earn up to $6 million as part of his one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.The team announced the deal Friday, an agreement that guarantees $3.5 million this season.He can earn $250,000 each for 350, 400, 450, 500, 550 and 600 plate appearances, and $1 million for 650.Garcia, coming off arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, hit a career-high 19 home runs last season but slumped to .236 with 49 RBIs in 93 games after batting a career-best .330 with 18 homers and 80 RBIs in 136 games in 2017, when he was an All-Star."I'm 100 percent now ... ready to go," Garcia said during a conference call, adding that he was attracted to the Rays because they're a competitive team and the Tampa Bay area is close to his offseason home in Miami.The 27-year-old has a .271 career big league average with 76 home runs and 302 RBIs on seven seasons with the White Sox and Detroit Tigers.Garcia said injuries impacted his performance in 2018, but he's confident... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Avisail Garcia earn up to $6 million as part of his one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.The team announced the deal Friday, an agreement that guarantees $3.5 million this season.He can earn $250,000 each for 350, 400, 450, 500, 550 and 600 plate appearances, and $1 million for 650.Garcia, coming off arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, hit a career-high 19 home runs last season but slumped to .236 with 49 RBIs in 93 games after batting a career-best .330 with 18 homers and 80 RBIs in 136 games in 2017, when he was an All-Star.The 27-year-old has a .271 career big league average with 76 home runs and 302 RBIs on seven seasons with the White Sox and Detroit Tigers.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — After seven seasons with the Cleveland Indians, Cody Allen is looking to rebound with a new team.Allen and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $8.5 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal, first reported by The Athletic, is subject to a successful physical. The agreement includes $2.5 million in available bonuses.A 30-year-old right-hander, Allen had spent his entire career with Cleveland and is the franchise's leader in saves with 149. He struggled last season, posting a career-high 4.70 ERA while going 4-6 with 27 saves in 70 appearances. He split the closer's role after Cleveland traded for Brad Hand on July 19. Allen was 2-2 with six saves and five blown saves his last 19 appearances and had only two save opportunities — which he converted — in his final 13 regular-season games.Allen has a 2.98 career ERA and had five straight... [More]

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says closer Cody Allen and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to an $8.5 million, one-year contract.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the agreement was subject to a successful physical. The deal, first reported by The Athletic, includes $2.5 million in available bonuses.Allen, a 30-year-old right-hander, had spent his entire career with the Cleveland Indians and is the franchise's leader in saves with 149. He struggled last season, posting a career-high 4.70 ERA while going 4-6 with 27 saves in 70 appearances.He has a 2.98 career ERA and had five straight seasons of a sub-3.00 ERA from 2013-17.Anaheim signed starters Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill earlier in the offseason.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mets 1969 World Series champion Ed Kranepool and Yankees manager Aaron Boone will be honored at next month's Thurman Munson awards dinner.They will be joined Feb. 5 by Yankees Didi Gregorius and Miguel Andujar, along with Giants two-time Super Bowl champion Zak DeOssie.The Munson awards are presented annually for success on and off the field. The 74-year-old Kranepool, who is awaiting a kidney donor, will receive his award from teammate Ron Swoboda.Munson, the late Yankees captain and catcher, died in a private plane crash in 1979. The event benefits AHRC New York City Foundation, which assists children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

NEW YORK (AP) — While shying away from high-priced free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, the New York Yankees are boosting their bullpen.Reliever Adam Ottavino and the Yankees agreed to a $27 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal is subject to a successful physical.Ottavino is a 33-year-old New Yorker who went to Berkeley Carroll High School in Brooklyn and Northeastern University. He wore No. 0 with Colorado, a number not likely to be assigned by the tradition-bound Yankees.He had a career-high 112 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings last year for the Colorado Rockies, going 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA in 75 relief appearances. The right-hander reduced his fastball percentage, relying primarily on sliders and sinkers. He walked 36.Taken 30th overall by St. Louis in the 2006 amateur draft, Ottavino made his big league debut with the Cardinals in 2010 and was... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, a Puerto Rico native who has been outspoken about its need for hurricane relief, indicated on Thursday that he may skip the World Series celebration at the White House over President Donald Trump's policies toward the island.Cora previously said he would make the traditional champion's visit to Washington to argue for more help for the American island that was devastated by Hurricane Maria. But in the wake of reports this week that Trump tried to redirect funds from Puerto Rico to Florida and Texas, Cora repeatedly prefaced his comments on Thursday with, "If I go ....""We'll see what happens," Cora said before the annual dinner of the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "There's a lot of stuff going on right now as far as the government and the shutdown and all that. If I go, I'll represent Puerto Rico the right way."Once a routine, non-partisan perk of winning it all, the traditional champions' visit to Washington... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, a Puerto Rico native who has been outspoken about its need for hurricane relief, indicated on Thursday that he may skip the World Series celebration at the White House over President Donald Trump's policies toward the island.Cora previously said he would make the traditional champion's visit to Washington to argue for more help for the American island that was devastated by Hurricane Maria. But in the wake of reports this week that Trump tried to redirect funds from Puerto Rico to Florida and Texas, Cora repeatedly prefaced his comments on Thursday with, "If I go ....""We'll see what happens," Cora said before the annual dinner of the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "There's a lot of stuff going on right now as far as the government and the shutdown and all that. If I go, I'll represent Puerto Rico the right way."Once a routine, non-partisan perk of winning it all, the traditional champions' visit to Washington... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — While shying away from high-priced free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, the New York Yankees are boosting their bullpen.Reliever Adam Ottavino and the Yankees agreed to a $27 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal is subject to a successful physical.Ottavino is a 33-year-old New Yorker who went to Berkeley Carroll High School in Brooklyn and Northeastern University. He wore No. 0 with Colorado, a number not likely to be assigned by the tradition-bound Yankees.He had a career-high 112 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings last year for the Colorado Rockies, going 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA in 75 relief appearances. The right-hander reduced his fastball percentage, relying primarily on sliders and sinkers. He walked 36.Taken 30th overall by St. Louis in the 2006 amateur draft, Ottavino made his big league debut with the Cardinals in 2010 and was... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says reliever Adam Ottavino and the New York Yankees have agreed to a $27 million, three-year contract.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the deal was subject to a successful physical.Ottavino is a 33-year-old New Yorker who went to Berkeley Carroll High School in Brooklyn. The right-hander had a career-high 112 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings last year for Colorado, going 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA in 75 relief appearances.He will join Dellin Betances and Zach Britton as setup men in the Yankees' bullpen for closer Aroldis Chapman. He is the second free agent to leave the Rockies for the Yankees this offseason, following infielder DJ LeMahieu.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a one-year, $3.75 million contract with former New York Mets infielder Wilmer Flores, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the agreement had not been announced. The deal includes a $6 million club option for 2020 with a $500,000 buyout.The 27-year-old Flores spent his entire six-year career playing a variety of infield positions with the Mets. He played 83 of 126 games at first base last season, hitting .267 with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs.The Diamondbacks traded All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to St. Louis, but will likely shift Jake Lamb from third to first.The Diamondbacks also acquired infielder/outfielder Tim Locastro from the New York Yankees for minor league left-hander Ronald Roman.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers right-hander Shawn Tolleson has retired after a setback in the former closer's attempted comeback from Tommy John surgery.Tolleson made the announcement Wednesday, three days before his 31st birthday. He strained his right flexor tendon during a throwing session last week.He made the last of his 215 major league appearances with the Rangers on July 27, 2016. He missed the rest of that season with back issues before signing with Tampa Bay as a free agent. Elbow soreness during spring training led to ligament reconstruction surgery in May 2017, and he spent all of last year rehabbing after returning to Texas on a minor league deal.Tolleson pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2012-13) and Texas (2014-16). He had 35 saves for the AL West champion Rangers in 2015.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Kansas City Royals pitcher Eric Skoglund was suspended Monday for the season's first 80 games after testing positive for two performance-enhancing substances.The commissioner's office said the positive tests were for selective androgen receptor modulators S-22 (Ostarine) and LGD-4033 (Ligandrol).Royals general manager Dayton Moore said in a statement Skoglund "unknowingly made a mistake" and "we remain proud of who Eric is as a person and will support him as an organization."Skoglund was 1-6 with a 5.14 ERA last season. The 26-year-old lefty was in the rotation in April and May, missed the next three months because of an elbow sprain and pitched well in September.The 6-foot-7 Skoglund made his big league debut in 2017, going 1-2 with a 9.50 ERA in seven games. He was a candidate to begin this season in the rotation, a year after the Royals went 58-104 and finished last in the AL Central.Skoglund is the first player to be suspended this year under the major league drug program.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — DJ LeMahieu is putting away his mittens and packing more mitts.A star second baseman for Colorado, LeMahieu is set to join a crowded New York Yankees infield."I was told to bring a lot of gloves," he said Wednesday on a conference call.That's fine with LeMahieu, who became a free agent after the season and got a $24 million, two-year contract with the Yankees.LeMahieu was a three-time Gold Glover for the Rockies and hasn't played anywhere else the last four seasons. He has made 24 starts at third base in past years and also dabbled at first base and shortstop.LeMahieu said he's "pretty comfortable playing multiple positions."New York has plenty of infielders — and, the Yankees being the Yankees, no one is willing to completely rule them out of making a late play for All-Star free agent Manny Machado.Second baseman Gleyber Torres and third baseman Miguel Andujar were among the top rookies in the majors last year. Shortstop Didi Gregorius could return this summer after offseason... [More]