Travis Shaw’s second stint with the Milwaukee Brewers is off to an encouraging start. The Brewers announced Tuesday they have added Shaw to their 40-man roster, making him one of the leading candidates for playing time at third base. Shaw, who played for Milwaukee from 2017-19 and spent last season with Toronto, signed a minor league deal last month. The contract included terms stating he could request his release if the Brewers didn’t notify him by Monday whether they intended to put him on the 40-man roster. “It’s pretty much everything I expected, pretty much everything they told me going into the process so nothing changes,” Shaw said Tuesday from the Brewers’ spring training site in Phoenix. “Nothing is surprising. It’s all in a good spot.” Shaw, who turns 31 on April 16, has a one-year contract paying him $1.5 million while in the majors and $250,000 in the minors. He can earn up to $1.5 million in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $50,000 each for 250, 275 and 300, $75,000... [More]

Travis Shaw’s second stint with the Milwaukee Brewers is off to an encouraging start. The Brewers announced Tuesday they have added Shaw to their 40-man roster, making him one of the leading candidates for playing time at third base. Shaw, who played for Milwaukee from 2017-19 and spent last season with Toronto, signed a minor league deal last month. The contract included terms stating he could request his release if the Brewers didn’t notify him by Monday whether they intended to put him on the 40-man roster. “It’s pretty much everything I expected, pretty much everything they told me going into the process so nothing changes,” Shaw said Tuesday from the Brewers’ spring training site in Phoenix. “Nothing is surprising. It’s all in a good spot.” Shaw, who turns 31 on April 16, has a one-year contract paying him $1.5 million while in the majors and $250,000 in the minors. He also can earn up to $1.5 million in performance bonuses for reaching various benchmarks in plate appearances. The... [More]

Whether they did it by design or responded to the market forces at work, the Milwaukee Brewers found an intriguing way to try gaining an edge over their NL Central rivals. Rather than focusing on an offense that slumbered for much of last season, they added position players better known for fielding prowess. By signing former St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong and ex-Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the Brewers have four former Gold Glove winners on their roster. “One of the ways we’re going to prevent runs this year is with defense,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We’ve invested in that this year. There is scoring runs and there is preventing runs. We’re going to try to be really good at preventing runs this year.” Wong was a Gold Glove second baseman each of the last two years. Bradley won a Gold Glove in 2018 and was a finalist in 2014, 2016 and 2019. They join a lineup already featuring 2014 Gold Glove left fielder Christian Yelich and 2019 Gold Glove center... [More]

Whether they did it by design or responded to the market forces at work, the Milwaukee Brewers found an intriguing way to try gaining an edge over their NL Central rivals. Rather than focusing on an offense that slumbered for much of last season, they added position players better known for fielding prowess. By signing former St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong and ex-Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the Brewers have four former Gold Glove winners on their roster. “One of the ways we’re going to prevent runs this year is with defense,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We’ve invested in that this year. There is scoring runs and there is preventing runs. We’re going to try to be really good at preventing runs this year.” Wong was a Gold Glove second baseman each of the last two years. Bradley won a Gold Glove in 2018 and was a finalist in 2014, 2016 and 2019. They join a lineup already featuring 2014 Gold Glove left fielder Christian Yelich and 2019 Gold Glove center... [More]

Whether they did it by design or responded to the market forces at work, the Milwaukee Brewers found an intriguing way to try gaining an edge over their NL Central rivals. Rather than focusing on an offense that slumbered for much of last season, they added position players better known for fielding prowess. By signing former St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong and ex-Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the Brewers have four former Gold Glove winners on their roster. “One of the ways we’re going to prevent runs this year is with defense,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We’ve invested in that this year. There is scoring runs and there is preventing runs. We’re going to try to be really good at preventing runs this year.” Wong was a Gold Glove second baseman each of the last two years. Bradley won a Gold Glove in 2018 and was a finalist in 2014, 2016 and 2019. They join a lineup already featuring 2014 Gold Glove left fielder Christian Yelich and 2019 Gold Glove center... [More]

The Milwaukee Brewers’ big trade from the fall of 2019 certainly didn’t work out in the short term. They’re still hopeful it will help them over the long run. The Brewers acquired infielder Luis Urías and left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from San Diego in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to the Padres. Urías and Lauer struggled in 2020 while Grisham and Davies flourished. But a new season represents a fresh start for both Urías and Lauer. The Brewers are giving the 23-year-old Urías a chance to win their starting shortstop job. If Urías (prounounced oo-REE-us) has a solid season as a full-time player, it could lead to some reassessments of a trade that seemed lopsided in San Diego’s favor last fall. Urías says he isn’t putting any extra pressure on himself to prove the Brewers made the right move in acquiring him. But he understands what’s at stake. “Obviously I want to prove something, that I can really play,” Urías said Monday from the Brewers’... [More]

The Milwaukee Brewers’ big trade from the fall of 2019 certainly didn’t work out in the short term. They’re still hopeful it will help them over the long run. The Brewers acquired infielder Luis Urías and left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from San Diego in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to the Padres. Urías and Lauer struggled in 2020 while Grisham and Davies flourished. But a new season represents a fresh start for both Urías and Lauer. The Brewers are giving the 23-year-old Urías a chance to win their starting shortstop job. If Urías (prounounced oo-REE-us) has a solid season as a full-time player, it could lead to some reassessments of a trade that seemed lopsided in San Diego’s favor last fall. Urías says he isn’t putting any extra pressure on himself to prove the Brewers made the right move in acquiring him. But he understands what’s at stake. “Obviously I want to prove something, that I can really play,” Urías said Monday from the Brewers’... [More]

With spring training in full swing, third baseman Travis Shaw returned to the Milwaukee Brewers while former All-Star third baseman Jake Lamb and pitchers Ian Kennedy and Julio Teheran found new teams. Shaw signed a minor league contract with the Brewers on Tuesday, giving them one more option for their unsettled situation at third base. Shaw was invited to spring training. “I think he fits into a need that we have,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He has an opportunity to earn something. That’s how it was presented to Travis, and I think that’s what excited him about the opportunity.” Kennedy, 36, signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, and will be in major league spring training with a chance to be compete for a spot in their bullpen. Lamb signed a $1 million, one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves that is not guaranteed. The signing adds another veteran bat to an already deep competition for bench spots in spring training. The 30-year-old Teheran got a minor league... [More]

Travis Shaw is back in Milwaukee to give the Brewers one more option for their unsettled situation at third base. The Brewers announced Tuesday that Shaw has signed a minor league contract that includes an invitation to major league camp. “I think he fits into a need that we have,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He has an opportunity to earn something. That’s how it was presented to Travis, and I think that’s what excited him about the opportunity.” If added to the 40-man roster, Shaw would get a one-year contract paying $1.5 million while in the major leagues and $250,000 while in the minors. He could earn $1.5 million in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $50,000 each for 250, 275 and 300, $75,000 apiece for 325, 350 and 375, $125,000 for 400, $150,000 for 425, $250,000 for 450 and $300,000 each for 475 and 502. If not added to the roster by March 15, Shaw would be released unless put on within 72 hours of a formal request. Shaw, who turns 31 on April 16, last played for... [More]

Travis Shaw is back in Milwaukee to give the Brewers one more option for their unsettled situation at third base. The Brewers announced Tuesday that Shaw has signed a minor league contract that includes an invitation to major league camp. “I think he fits into a need that we have,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He has an opportunity to earn something. That’s how it was presented to Travis, and I think that’s what excited him about the opportunity.” Shaw, who turns 31 on April 16, last played for the Brewers from 2017-19. That three-year stint included some notable highs and lows. He had 31 homers, 101 RBIs and an .862 OPS in 2017. Shaw followed that up with 32 homers, 86 RBIs and an .825 OPS in 2018. But he tailed off dramatically in 2019, hitting just .157 with a .281 on-base percentage, .270 slugging percentage, seven homers and 16 RBIs in 86 games. “The Brewers have seen me at my absolute best and they’ve also seen me in my absolute worst in 2019,” Shaw said Tuesday from the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. were cut loose by the Chicago Cubs after helping the team win its first World Series title in more than a century, among a record 59 players who became free agents as part of the fallout from the coranavirus pandemic when their teams declined to offer them 2021 contracts by Wednesday night’s deadline. Cincinnati reliever Archie Bradley, Atlanta outfielder Adam Duvall, Colorado outfielder David Dahl and Minnesota outfielder Eddie Rosario also were let go by their clubs, who did not want to allow those players to become eligible for salary arbitration in February, which would have been their right had they been tendered contracts. The total cut was one more than the previous high at the tender deadline, ahead of the 2004 season. Schwarber earned $2,596,296 in prorated pay from his $7.01 million salary last season but hit .188 with 11 homers in 59 games, down from 38 homers, 92 RBIs and a .250 batting average in 155 games in 2019. Almora... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. were cut loose by the Chicago Cubs after helping the team win its first World Series title in more than a century, among 59 players who became free agents as part of the fallout from the coranavirus pandemic when their teams declined to offer them 2021 contracts by Wednesday night’s deadline. Cincinnati reliever Archie Bradley, Atlanta outfielder Adam Duvall, Colorado outfielder David Dahl and Minnesota outfielder Eddie Rosario also were let go by their clubs, who did not want to allow those players to become eligible for salary arbitration in February, which would have been their right had they been tendered contracts. Schwarber earned $2,596,296 in prorated pay from his $7.01 million salary last season but hit .188 with 11 homers in 59 games, down from 38 homers, 92 RBIs and a .250 batting average in 155 games in 2019. Almora batted .167 in 28 games last season and earned $1,667,667 prorated from $4.5 million, down from a .236 average,... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers traded reliever Corey Knebel to the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday for a player to be named or cash. The Brewers also announced they did not offer 2021 contracts to left-hander Alex Claudio, outfielder Ben Gamel and utilityman Jace Peterson. The team reached one-year deals with shortstop Orlando Arcia ($2 million), first baseman Daniel Vogelbach ($1.4 million) and catchers Omar Narváez ($2.5 million) and Manny Piña ($1.65 million). In another move, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press the Brewers agreed to terms on a major league contract with catcher Luke Maile. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the deal had not been announced. Milwaukee faced a Wednesday night deadline on whether to tender Knebel a contract for next year. Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said the deal with the Dodgers was completed before that deadline. The 29-year-old Knebel was an... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. were cut loose by the Chicago Cubs after helping the team win its first World Series title in more than a century, among 59 players who became free agents as part of the fallout from the coranavirus pandemic when their teams failed to offer them 2021 contracts by Wednesday night’s deadline. Cincinnati reliever Archie Bradley, Atlanta outfielder Adam Duvall, Colorado outfielder David Dahl and Minnesota outfielder Eddie Rosario also were let go by their clubs, who did not want to allow those players to become eligible for salary arbitration in February, which would have been their right had they been tendered contracts. Schwarber earned $2,596,296 in prorated pay from his $7.01 million salary last season but hit .188 with 11 homers in 59 games, down from 38 homers, 92 RBIs and a .250 batting average in 155 games in 2019. Almora batted .167 in 28 games last season and earned $1,667,667 prorated from $4.5 million, down from a .236 average,... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers acquired reliever Corey Knebel from the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday for a player to be named or cash. Milwaukee had been facing a Wednesday night deadline on whether to offer Knebel a 2021 contract. Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said the deal was completed before that deadline. The 29-year-old Knebel was an All-Star in 2017 and a key part of the Brewers' bullpen during their run to the 2018 NL Championship Series. The right-hander missed the 2019 season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and struggled after returning last season. “Corey had a tremendous career as a Brewer,” Stearns said. “He pitched in some of the biggest games in the history of this franchise, and he pitched incredibly well in those games. ... Corey's meant a lot to this franchise. He's earned the respect of a lot of people around the Brewers, and we wish him very well." Knebel's best season came in 2017,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. were cut loose by the Chicago Cubs after helping the team win its first World Series title in more than a century, among 59 players who became free agents as part of the fallout from the coranavirus pandemic when their teams failed to offer them 2021 contracts by Wednesday night’s deadline. Cincinnati reliever Archie Bradley, Atlanta outfielder Adam Duvall, Colorado outfielder David Dahl and Minnesota outfielder Eddie Rosario also were let go by their clubs, who did not want to allow those players to become eligible for salary arbitration in February, which would have been their right had they been tendered contracts. Schwarber earned $2,596,296 in prorated pay from his $7.01 million salary last season but hit .188 with 11 homers in 59 games, down from 38 homers, 92 RBIs and a .250 batting average in 155 games in 2019. Almora batted .167 in 28 games last season and earned $1,667,667 prorated from $4.5 million, down from a .236 average,... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers acquired reliever Corey Knebel from the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday for a player to be named or cash. Milwaukee had been facing a Wednesday night deadline on whether to offer Knebel a 2021 contract. Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said the deal was completed before that deadline. The 29-year-old Knebel was an All-Star in 2017 and a key part of the Brewers' bullpen during their run to the 2018 NL Championship Series. The right-hander missed the 2019 season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow and struggled after returning last season. “Corey had a tremendous career as a Brewer,” Stearns said. “He pitched in some of the biggest games in the history of this franchise, and he pitched incredibly well in those games. ... Corey's meant a lot to this franchise. He's earned the respect of a lot of people around the Brewers, and we wish him very well." Knebel's best season came in 2017,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramírez pushed the Cleveland Indians into the playoffs with one swing and strengthened his case for the AL MVP award. Ramírez hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning, giving Cleveland a 5-3 win over the Chicago White Sox that clinched a postseason berth Tuesday night. Ramírez’s drive to right off José Ruiz scored César Hernández and Francisco Lindor, setting off a wild celebration at home plate as the Indians reached the postseason for the fourth time in five years. Lindor had pulled Cleveland within one on a two-out double that plated Roberto Perez, who began the inning on second base. After Matt Foster (5-1) walked Hernández, Ruiz entered and gave up the game-ending drive. BRAVES 11, MARLINS 1 ATLANTA (AP) — Bryse Wilson pitched five scoreless innings, Marcell Ozuna drove in five runs with four hits that included two homers and Atlanta clinched its third straight NL East title. Atlanta hit five homers, including drives by Dansby Swanson and Freddie... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Tim Anderson hit two of Chicago’s five solo homers, and the White Sox — already guaranteed a playoff spot — took another step toward the AL Central title by overpowering the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 on Saturday night. Chicago has won eight of its last 10 games, securing at least a wild card and its first postseason appearance since 2008. José Abreu hit his fifth homer in eight games as the White Sox piled them up, including three in a row in the eighth off Robert Stephenson. Abreu has 18 homers overall. The Reds managed six hits as they had their season-high winning streak snapped at six games. Cincinnati (26-27) wasted a chance to move above .500 for the first time since its season-opening win over the Tigers. Nomar Mazara was in a 3-for-25 slump with 11 strikeouts when he connected off Trevor Bauer (4-4) in the fifth inning for his first homer. One out later, Anderson’s ninth homer made it 2-0. Bauer went seven innings and gave up five hits while throwing 107 pitches. Matt... [More]

Brewers first. Avisail Garcia hit by pitch. Christian Yelich walks. Avisail Garcia to second. Ryan Braun homers to left field. Christian Yelich scores. Avisail Garcia scores. Keston Hiura walks. Daniel Vogelbach grounds out to first base, Tommy Edman to Paul Goldschmidt. Keston Hiura to third. Jedd Gyorko out on a sacrifice fly to deep left field to Tyler O'Neill. Keston Hiura scores. Orlando Arcia strikes out swinging.4 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 0 left on. Brewers 4, Cardinals 0.Brewers sixth. Orlando Arcia singles to shallow infield. Luis Urias strikes out swinging. Jacob Nottingham homers to left field. Orlando Arcia scores. Avisail Garcia grounds out to shortstop, Paul DeJong to Paul Goldschmidt. Christian Yelich walks. Ryan Braun grounds out to shortstop, Paul DeJong to Paul Goldschmidt.2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. Brewers 6, Cardinals 0.