LOS ANGELES (AP) — Left-hander Alex Wood has agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers.The seven-time defending NL West champions announced the deal Wednesday night with Wood, who spent last season with Cincinnati after the Dodgers traded him away in December 2018.The contract is laden with performance incentives for the 29-year-old veteran. Wood gets a $4 million base salary, but he can earn up to $3.5 million more on a points system.He gets one point for a game in which he gets 10 outs or more, and he will receive $250,000 each for earning 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 points. After that, he would get $500,000 apiece for earning 22, 24, 26 and 28 points.He also could earn $2.5 million in innings incentives. He will get $500,000 apiece for pitching 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 innings.Wood made just seven starts for the Reds last season while struggling to overcome a back injury. He didn't make his season debut until July 28.But Wood was a solid starter and... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers acquired first baseman/outfielder Sam Travis from Boston on Wednesday in a trade that sent left-hander Jeffrey Springs to the Red Sox.The addition of Travis came on the same day the Rangers announced the signing of Todd Frazier, another right-handed hitter who can play first base. Texas plans to use Frazier primarily at third.The 26-year-old Travis has spent all six years of his professional career with the Boston organization. He was a second-round pick in the 2014 amateur draft.Travis made the opening day roster for the first time last year and appeared in a career-high 59 games over four stints with the Red Sox, hitting .215 with six home runs and 16 RBIs. He made 20 starts at first base and 11 in left field.The 27-year-old Springs was designated for assignment when the Rangers signed Frazier and catcher Robinson Chirinos. He made his major league debut in 2018 before appearing in 25 games over three stints last season. Springs has a 4.90 ERA in 43 career outings.To make room for Springs, the Red Sox designated left-hander Bobby Poyner for assignment. The 27-year-old made 13 relief appearances over three stints with Boston in 2019. Like Springs, Poyner made his big league debut in 2018.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers have formally reunited with catcher Robinson Chirinos and added third baseman Todd Frazier after completing one-year deals with the free agents.Chirinos and Frazier both got contracts that included club options for 2021. The deals were announced by the team Wednesday. Left-handed pitchers Kyle Bird and Jeffrey Springs were designated for assignment to clear spots on the 40-man roster. The Rangers have seven days to trade, release, or outright the players to the minor leagues. The 35-year-old Chirinos gets a $5.5 million salary this season, and his deal includes a $6.5 million club option for 2021 that includes a $1 million buyout. Frazier will make $3.5 million, and the Rangers have a $5.75 million option on the two-time All-Star for 2021 with a $1.5 million buyout. After Chirinos played 442 games with the Rangers from 2013-18, the team declined a $4.5 million option and he became a free agent. He spent last season on a $5.75 million deal with AL... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — While the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox took decisive action in jettisoning their managers after Major League Baseball concluded they were involved in nefarious sign stealing, the New York Mets have stayed silent on Carlos Beltrán's future.Houston fired AJ Hinch one hour after baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred released his findings Monday. Boston's management took 29 1/2 hours to announce Alex Cora's departure on Tuesday.Beltrán remains in limbo, with the Mets refusing to say whether their new manager stays or goes. In Manfred's nine-page statement, Beltrán was the only player identified as a participant in the cheating scheme.“They have to fire Carlos Beltrán,” a former New York Yankees teammate, Mark Teixeira, said Wednesday on ESPN, where he works as an analyst. "There's no way that Carlos Beltrán, especially in the pressure cooker of New York, there's no way he can be the manager of the Mets. ... You cannot have that guy lead your team. The New York papers, the Daily... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Left-hander Stephen Tarpley was traded from the New York Yankees to the Miami Marlins on Wednesday for third baseman James Nelson and $50,000 payable on Feb. 15.Tarpley was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Saturday to clear a roster spot when outfielder Brett Gardner's contract was finalized. The 26-year-old Tarpley was 1-0 with two saves and a 5.88 ERA last year in one start and 30 relief appearances. He was acquired by the Yankees in the 2016 trade that sent right-hander Iván Nova to Pittsburgh.Nelson, 22, was a 15th-round draft pick in 2016 and hit .228 with 13 doubles, four homers and 36 RBIs in 121 games last season for Class A Jupiter of the Florida State League.———More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — While the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox took decisive action in jettisoning their managers after Major League Baseball concluded they were involved in nefarious sign stealing, the New York Mets have stayed silent on Carlos Beltrán's future.Houston fired AJ Hinch one hour after baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred released his findings Monday. Boston's management took 29 1/2 hours to announce Alex Cora's departure on Tuesday.Beltrán remains in limbo, with the Mets refusing to say whether their new manager stays or goes. In Manfred's nine-page statement, Beltrán was the only player identified as a participant in the cheating scheme.“They have to fire Carlos Beltrán,” a former New York Yankees teammate, Mark Teixeira, said Wednesday on ESPN, where he works as an analyst. "There's no way that Carlos Beltrán, especially in the pressure cooker of New York, there's no way he can be the manager of the Mets. ... You cannot have that guy lead your team. The New York papers, the Daily... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Left-hander Stephen Tarpley was traded from the New York Yankees to the Miami Marlins on Wednesday for third baseman James Nelson and cash.Tarpley was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Saturday to clear a roster spot when outfielder Brett Gardner's contract was finalized. The 26-year-old Tarpley was 1-0 with two saves and a 5.88 ERA last year in one start and 30 relief appearances. He was acquired by the Yankees in the 2016 trade that sent right-hander Iván Nova to Pittsburgh.Nelson, 22, was a 15th-round draft pick in 2016 and hit .228 with 13 doubles, four homers and 36 RBIs in 121 games last season for Class A Jupiter of the Florida State League.———More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers have formally reunited with catcher Robinson Chirinos and added third baseman Todd Frazier after completing one-year deals with the free agents.Chirinos and Frazier both got contracts that included club options for 2021. The deals were announced by the team Wednesday. Left-handed pitchers Kyle Bird and Jeffrey Springs were designated for assignment to clear spots on the 40-man roster. The Rangers have seven days to trade, release, or outright the players to the minor leagues. The 35-year-old Chirinos gets a $5.5 million salary this season, with a $6.5 million club option for 2021 that includes a $1 million buyout. Frazier will make $3.5 million, and the two-time All-Star's 2021 club option has a $1.5 million buyout. After Chirinos played 442 games with the Rangers from 2013-18, the team declined a $4.5 million option and he became a free agent. He spent last season on a $5.75 million deal with AL West rival Houston, where he caught AL Cy Young winner... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Eric Cressey thinks some injuries can be prevented. After a season in which medical updates overshadowed scouting reports, the New York Yankees hope so.Cressey was hired by the Yankees in the new role of director of player health and performance, a move made after New York had 30 players make a combined 39 trips to the injured list last year. New York set a big league record for sidelined players, topping the 28 on the 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers."You always want to separate bad processes from bad outcomes," Cressey said during a conference call Tuesday. "Players are going to be hit by pitches, but there are definitely things that we can do on the processes side of things to provide a level of individualization in the way that we assess players, in the way that we listen to players and solicit their feedback on what's worked for them."The 38-year-old founded Cressey Sports Performance in 2007 and will continue as president of the company, which specializes in kinesiology and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Eric Cressey thinks some injuries can be prevented. After a season in which medical updates overshadowed scouting reports, the New York Yankees hope so.Cressey was hired by the Yankees in the new role of director of player health and performance, a move made after New York had 30 players make a combined 39 trips to the injured list last year. New York set a big league record for sidelined players, topping the 28 on the 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers."You always want to separate bad processes from bad outcomes," Cressey said during a conference call Tuesday. "Players are going to be hit by pitches, but there are definitely things that we can do on the processes side of things to provide a level of individualization in the way that we assess players, in the way that we listen to players and solicit their feedback on what's worked for them."The 38-year-old founded Cressey Sports Performance in 2007 and will continue as president of the company, which specializes in kinesiology and... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Alex Cora has already been identified as a ringleader in an illegal system of sign stealing when he was with the Houston Astros.The Red Sox didn't wait to see what punishment Major League Baseball might give him for possibly bringing a similar scheme with him to Boston.Cora was fired by the team he led to the 2018 World Series title on Tuesday night, one day after baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said he was “an active participant” in the Astros' cheating when he was a bench coach in Houston.Manfred mentioned Cora by name 11 times in a nine-page report, saying he "originated and executed" the scheme in which Houston used a center field camera to decode catchers' signals to pitchers, then banged on a trash can to relay the signs to batters so they would know what type of pitch was coming. The Astros fired manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, making that announcement an hour after Manfred suspended them for the 2020 season for their roles in the cheating scheme.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Eric Cressey thinks some injuries can be prevented. After a season in which medical updates overshadowed scouting reports, the New York Yankees hope so.Cressey was hired by the Yankees in the new role of director of player health and performance, a move made after New York had 30 players make a combined 39 trips to the injured list last year. New York set a big league record for sidelined players, topping the 28 on the 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers."You always want to separate bad processes from bad outcomes," Cressey said during a conference call Tuesday. "Players are going to be hit by pitches, but there are definitely things that we can do on the processes side of things to provide a level of individualization in the way that we assess players, in the way that we listen to players and solicit their feedback on what's worked for them."The 38-year-old founded Cressey Sports Performance in 2007 and will continue as president of the company, which specializes in kinesiology and... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins and 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson have agreed to a $92 million, four-year contract, according to a person familiar with the deal.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal had not been announced. The contract includes a club option for a fifth season that would bring the total value to $100 million.The 34-year-old third baseman returned after an injury-spoiled 2018 split between Toronto and Cleveland to bat .259 with 37 homers, 94 RBIs and a .900 OPS for Atlanta last year. He earned $23 million on a one-year deal with the Braves, his lone season in the NL in a decade-long major league career. Donaldson, a three-time All-Star who broke in with Oakland as a catcher in 2010, averaged 37 home runs and 100 RBIs over his three full seasons with the Blue Jays from 2015-17. They traded him to the Indians for a minor league player in a rental deal at the deadline on Aug. 31, 2018.So after striking out on the... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins and 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson have agreed to a $92 million, four-year contract, according to a person familiar with the deal.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal had not been announced. The contract includes an $8 million club option for 2024.The 34-year-old third baseman returned after an injury-spoiled 2018 split between Toronto and Cleveland to bat .259 with 37 homers, 94 RBIs and a .900 OPS for Atlanta last year. He earned $23 million on a one-year deal with the Braves, his lone season in the NL in a decade-long major league career. Donaldson, a three-time All-Star who broke in with Oakland as a catcher in 2010, averaged 37 home runs and 100 RBIs over his three full seasons with the Blue Jays from 2015-17. They traded him to the Indians for a minor league player in a rental deal at the deadline on Aug. 31, 2018.So after striking out on the top-tier starting pitchers on the market, settling... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Miguel Sanó’s tenure with Minnesota has flashed all the potential the Twins envisioned when they started scouting him as a 13-year-old in the Dominican Republic.Sanó’s progress, highlighted by those prodigious home runs, have also been offset by hefty strikeout totals, injuries that have kept him from playing more than 116 games in any of his five major league seasons, and the weight accompanying his big frame that has taken constant work to keep under control.With Sanó and the Twins facing the prospect of arbitration, the two sides agreed to a $30 million, three-year contract last week that was finalized on Tuesday. The move demonstrated the team’s belief in his measured progress while also reminding there is more room from growth for the 26-year-old third baseman.“My agent called me and told me, ‘You’ve got a deal on the table. Do you want it?,’” Sanó said at Target Field on Tuesday. “I said, ‘Yeah, let’s go take it.’ Because I don’t think about the money. I think about... [More]

AJ Hinch won’t be managing in the big leagues any time soon, if at all. Alex Cora joined him Tuesday in the unemployment line, and it’s hard to believe anyone will ever give him another job that involves being a leader of men.The punishments fit the crime, and for that baseball commissioner Rob Manfred deserves a pat on the back. Give another one to Astros owner Jim Crane, who did his part to clean up an increasingly smelly mess in Houston by immediately firing both his manager and general manager.But that doesn’t bring real justice. It can’t.Not to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are now at 32 years and counting without a World Series title.Not to Clayton Kershaw, whose postseason failings were magnified in Game 5 at Minute Maid Park when the Dodgers ace was raked for six runs and didn’t make it out of the fifth inning.And certainly not to Yu Darvish, whose reputation — and nearly his career — got trashed when he was routed by the Astros in two games of the 2017 World Series.Yes, the official... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Miguel Sanó’s tenure with Minnesota has flashed all the potential the Twins envisioned when they started scouting him as a 13-year-old in the Dominican Republic.Sanó’s progress, highlighted by those prodigious home runs, have also been offset by hefty strikeout totals, injuries that have kept him from playing more than 116 games in any of his five major league seasons, and the weight accompanying his big frame that has taken constant work to keep under control.With Sanó and the Twins facing the prospect of arbitration, the two sides agreed to a $30 million, three-year contract last week that was finalized on Tuesday. The move demonstrated the team’s belief in his measured progress while also reminding there is more room from growth for the 26-year-old third baseman.“My agent called me and told me, ‘You’ve got a deal on the table. Do you want it?,’” Sanó said at Target Field on Tuesday. “I said, ‘Yeah, let’s go take it.’ Because I don’t think about the money. I think about... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers agreed to terms Monday on a $1.5 million, one-year deal with Iván Nova, keeping the right-hander in the AL Central after he spent last season with the Chicago White Sox.Nova, who turned 33 on Sunday, went 11-12 with a 4.72 ERA last season, making a career-high 34 starts. He is 89-76 with a 4.32 ERA in 10 big league seasons with the White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees.Detroit's deal with Nova includes $500,000 in performance bonuses: $250,000 each for 10 starts and 75 innings pitched. In recent years, the rebuilding Tigers have typically added pitchers on short-term deals, who can then become trade candidates if they pitch well. Nova fits that trend.Earlier this offseason, the Tigers signed catcher Austin Romine, who was a teammate of Nova's with the Yankees.The Tigers also designated left-hander Matt Hall for assignment.Nova went 16-4 with the Yankees in 2011, but he has not had an ERA under 4.00 since 2013.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHOENIX (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have acquired relief pitcher Matt Andriese from the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league pitcher Jeremy Beasley.The 30-year-old Andriese is a five-year big league veteran who has spent the past 1 1/2 seasons with the D-backs after being traded by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. The right-hander had a 5-5 record last season and a 4.71 ERA in 54 appearances and recently avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a $1,395,000, one-year deal for 2020.The 24-year-old Beasley split time between Double-A and Triple-A last season. He had a 6-7 record with a 4.06 ERA in 22 starts in Double-A and a 1-0 record with a 7.90 ERA in three starts in Triple-A. Beasley, a right-hander, is a former 30th-round draft pick out of Clemson. ___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Daniel Hudson thought the door was closed on returning to the Nationals when they signed fellow reliever Will Harris.But Hudson wanted to be back with Washington, and general manager Mike Rizzo shared the same sentiment. So, Hudson and the team agreed to an $11 million, two-year deal that was finalized Tuesday.Hudson gets $5 million this year and $6 million in 2021. He can earn $1 million annually in performance bonuses for games finished: $200,000 each for 30, 40, 45, 50 and 55.Not long ago, the bullpen was a major weakness. Now, the reigning World Series champions can deal from a position of strength by turning to Hudson, Harris and holdover Sean Doolittle.“Recreating what we had is going to be tough, but I feel like I want to try to be a part of that,” Hudson said on a conference call with reporters. “The window to continue winning in D.C. is definitely still open, and I'd like to be a part of that still.”Hudson is back after a successful half season and more that ended... [More]