PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A person familiar with the Philadelphia Phillies' finances says the team lost $145 million during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season played without fans. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because the team hasn't officially released the figures. The Phillies are searching for a general manager to replace Matt Klentak and face important decisions regarding catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Didi Gregorius. Both players are free agents, and Phillies managing partner John Middleton said last month the league’s economic climate will impact the team’s ability to spend money in the offseason. The Phillies signed Bryce Harper to a $330 million, 13-year deal in 2019. Philadelphia finished 28-32 last season, one game shy of ending a nine-year postseason drought. The Phillies haven’t had a winning season since taking five straight division titles, two pennants and one World Series between 2007-11. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tampa Bay outfielder Randy Arozarena was released by Mexican authorities Thursday after his former partner told a judge in Yucatan state that she did not want to press charges. Arozarena had been arrested Tuesday for a situation involving custody of his daughter, just two weeks after he won the Babe Ruth award for the Most Valuable Player in the postseason. The Yucatan state prosecutors’ office confirmed Thursday that Arozarena was released because the ex-partner said any damages had been settled. Arozarena has made no public comment and it was not clear if he had a lawyer. The Yucatan state prosecutors’ office said Tuesday that Arozarena was detained “for problems relating to his ex-partner.” It was not clear if he was formally charged with any crime. Mexican law allows a two-day period for prosecutors to decide whether to bring charges. Normally suspects are held in jail pending that decision. Local media reported that Arozarena married a Colombian woman earlier this month in Merida, the Yucatan state capital. He hit .377 with 10 homers and 14 RBIs in 20 postseason games for Tampa Bay.

ATLANTA (AP) — Charlie Morton is back with the team where his big league career started. Not that he's got a lot of memories from that rookie season with the Atlanta Braves. “That was 11 years ago,” Morton said Wednesday. Actually, it was 12. “I don't remember a whole lot about it," Morton continued. "I was only with the Braves in the big leagues for about four months.” Morton returned to the Braves after agreeing to a $15 million, one-year contract, further bolstering the rotation of a team that came within one victory of reaching the World Series. While only a handful of people Morton knows are still in the organization, he was impressed by what he saw from afar. “This is as talented a group as you're going to find,” he said. “I'm excited to get in that clubhouse, be around them and get to know them.” The 37-year-old Morton lives in Bradenton, Florida and had hoped to return to the Tampa Bay Rays for a third season. But the team declined his $15 million option, so he settled for the next... [More]

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds swapped three pitchers in a four-player trade Wednesday. The Rockies acquired right-hander Robert Stephenson and minor league outfielder Jameson Hannah from the Reds for right-handed pitchers Jeff Hoffman and Case Williams, a minor leaguer. Stephenson, 27, made 10 relief appearances for the Reds last season and 59 in 2019. In five seasons with the Reds, he was 10-13 with a 5.15 ERA across 104 appearances that included 22 starts. Hoffman, also 27, went 2-1 with a 9.28 ERA in a career-high 16 relief appearances for Colorado in 2020. In five major league seasons with the Rockies, he was 10-16 with a 6.40 ERA in 68 games, including 38 starts. Colorado acquired him from the Blue Jays as part of the Troy Tulowitzki deal in 2015. Hannah, 23, didn't appear in a game in 2020. The Reds acquired him from Oakland in 2019. Williams is an 18-year-old prospect from Castle Rock, Colorado, who was selected by the Rockies in the fourth round of the 2020 first-year player draft. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena has been arrested in Mexico’s Yucatan state for a situation involving an apparent custody dispute, two weeks after he won the Babe Ruth award for the Most Valuable Player in the postseason. The Yucatan state prosecutors’ office confirmed Tuesday that Arozarena was detained “for problems relating to his ex-partner.” The office did not explain what those problems were, but video posted on social media suggested it may have involved a dispute over a child. Arozarena had not been formally charged yet. Mexican law allows a two-day period for prosecutors to decide whether to bring charges. Normally suspects are held in jail pending that decision. “We are aware of reports that Randy Arozarena was detained in Mexico," the Rays said in a brief statement. "We are gathering more information on this situation, and we have no further comment at this time.” Arozarena has made no public comment and it was not clear if he had a lawyer yet. Major... [More]

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena has been arrested in Mexico’s Yucatan state for a situation involving an apparent custody dispute, just two weeks after he won the Babe Ruth award for the Most Valuable Player in the postseason. The Yucatan state prosecutors’ office confirmed Tuesday that Arozarena was detained “for problems relating to his ex-partner.” The office did not explain what those problems were, but video posted on social media suggested it may have involved a dispute over a child. He has not been formally charged yet. Mexican law allows a two-day period for prosecutors to decide whether to bring charges. Normally suspects are held in jail pending that decision. “We are aware of reports that Randy Arozarena was detained in Mexico," the Rays said in a brief statement. "We are gathering more information on this situation, and we have no further comment at this time.” Arozarena has made no public comment and it was not clear if he had a lawyer yet. Local media reported that Arozarena married a Colombian woman earlier this month in Merida, the Yucatan state capital. He hit .377 with 10 homers and 14 RBIs in 20 postseason games for Tampa Bay.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tampa Bay outfielder Randy Arozarena has been arrested in Mexico’s Yucatan state for a situation involving an apparent custody dispute, just two weeks after he won the Babe Ruth award for the Most Valuable Player in the postseason. The Yucatan state prosecutors’ office confirmed Tuesday that Arozarena was detained “for problems relating to his ex-partner.” The office did not explain what those problems were, but video posted on social media suggested it may have involved a dispute over a child. He has not been formally charged yet. Mexican law allows a two-day period for prosecutors to decide whether to bring charges. Normally suspects are held in jail pending that decision. Arozarena has made no public comment and it was not clear if he had a lawyer yet. Local media reported that Arozarena married a Colombian woman earlier this month in Merida, the Yucatan state capital. He hit .377 with 10 homers and 14 RBIs in 20 postseason games for Tampa Bay.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves were looking for more than just experience and depth when they signed two-time All-Star Charlie Morton to a $15 million, one-year deal Tuesday. As was the case when the Braves recently signed another veteran for the rotation, Drew Smyly, general manager Alex Anthopoulos sought a power arm to help push Atlanta to the World Series. “It’s swing and miss stuff,” Anthopoulos said. “There’s a theme there with both Charlie and with Drew. Power swing-and-miss stuff, in the postseason it certainly plays.” Morton, a 37-year-old right-hander, is returning to the Braves after helping Tampa Bay reach the World Series this season. The Rays declined his $15 million option and the Braves gave him what he would have earned. The Braves relied on their young starting pitchers to move within one game of the World Series this year, falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series. Braves left-hander Max Fried finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award... [More]

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tampa Bay outfielder Randy Arozarena has been arrested in Mexico’s Yucatan state for a situation involving allegations of domestic violence, just two weeks after he won the Babe Ruth award for the Most Valuable Player in the postseason. The Yucatan state prosecutors’ office confirmed Tuesday that Arozarena was detained “for problems relating to his ex-partner.” He has not been formally charged yet. Mexican law allows a two-day period for prosecutors to decide whether to bring charges. Normally suspects are held in jail pending that decision. Arozarena has made no public comment and it was not clear if he had a lawyer yet. Local media reported that Arozarena married a Colombian woman earlier this month in Merida, the Yucatan state capital. He hit .377 with 10 homers and 14 RBIs in 20 postseason games for Tampa Bay.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tampa Bay outfielder Randy Arozarena has been arrested in Mexico’s Yucatan state for a situation involving allegations of domestic violence, just two weeks after he won the Babe Ruth award for the Most Valuable Player in postseason. The Yucatan state prosecutors’ office confirmed Tuesday that Arozarena was detained “for problems relating to his ex-partner.” He has not been formally charged yet. Mexican law allows a two-day period for prosecutors to decide whether to bring charges. Normally suspects are held in jail pending that decision. Arozarena has made no public comment and it was not clear if he had a lawyer yet. Arozarena hit .377 with 10 homers and 14 RBIs in 20 postseason games for Tampa Bay. Local media reported that Arozarena married a Colombian woman earlier this month in Merida, the Yucatan state capital.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves were looking for more than just experience and depth when they signed two-time All-Star Charlie Morton to a $15 million, one-year deal Tuesday. As was the case when the Braves recently signed another veteran for the rotation, Drew Smyly, general manager Alex Anthopoulos sought a power arm to help push Atlanta to the World Series. “It’s swing and miss stuff,” Anthopoulos said. “There’s a theme there with both Charlie and with Drew. Power swing-and-miss stuff, in the postseason it certainly plays.” Morton, a 37-year-old right-hander, is returning to the Braves after helping Tampa Bay reach the World Series this season. The Braves relied on their young starting pitchers to move within one game of the World Series this year, falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series. Braves left-hander Max Fried finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award voting. Rookie sensation Ian Anderson and Kyle Wright also boosted the rotation after Atlanta... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves added another veteran arm to their rotation Tuesday, signing two-time All-Star Charlie Morton to a $15 million, one-year deal. The 37-year-old right-hander is returning to the Braves after helping Tampa Bay reach the World Series this season. The announcement comes after left-hander Drew Smyly signed an $11 million, one-year deal with the Braves on Nov. 16. Smyly, 31, became the first of the 181 free agents to switch teams. Morton was 2-2 with a 4.74 ERA in nine starts with Tampa Bay in 2020. He was 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in four postseason starts as the Rays advanced to the World Series. He was an All-Star in 2018 and 2019 and helped the Houston Astros win the World Series in 2017. Morton is 93-89 with a 4.08 ERA in 13 seasons. Since 2017, he is 47-18 with a 3.34 ERA. He was drafted by Atlanta in 2002 and made his major league debut with the Braves in 2008 before he was traded to Pittsburgh in 2009. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets have abandoned their search for a president of baseball operations and will instead focus on hiring a general manager who will report to team president Sandy Alderson. In the meantime, Alderson told Luis Rojas on Monday he will return for a second season as manager. “A person who’s able to relate to his players both in terms of their professional work as well as their personal lives,” Alderson said. “I think he’s exceptional in that regard. I think that on the professional side of managing a game, I think that he will be better. We need to make sure that he has all the necessary resources to be better and make good decisions based not only on his own judgment but information that’s available. He’s very open to that.” Alderson returned to the team Nov. 6 when Steven Cohen completed his $2.42 billion purchase from the Wilpon and Katz families and that day fired general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. Alderson said then he wanted to hire a president of baseball... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets have abandoned their search for a president of baseball operations and will instead focus on hiring a general manager who will report to team president Sandy Alderson. In the meantime, Alderson told Luis Rojas on Monday he will return for a second season as manager. “A person who’s able to relate to his players both in terms of their professional work as well as their personal lives,” Alderson said. “I think he’s exceptional in that regard. I think that on the professional side of managing a game, I think that he will be better. We need to make sure that he has all the necessary resources to be better and make good decisions based not only on his own judgment but information that’s available. He’s very open to that.” Alderson returned to the team Nov. 6 when Steven Cohen completed his $2.42 billion purchase from the Wilpon and Katz families and that day fired general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. Alderson said then he wanted to hire a president of baseball... [More]

While the window is just opening on Jed Hoyer's time as the Chicago Cubs' president of baseball operations, it's closing on the Cubs' championship-winning core. The Cubs gave Hoyer a five-year contract on Monday that runs through the 2025 season, one week after his friend and mentor Theo Epstein stepped down as team president. The 46-year-old Hoyer was promoted from general manager to replace Epstein, who oversaw drought-busting championships with both Boston and Chicago. Hoyer takes over a team in the middle of expensive multiyear deals with outfielder Jason Heyward and starting pitchers Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks. And four players who were essential contributors to Chicago's 2016 World Series title — Javier Báez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber — all are eligible to become free agents after next season. “You always have one eye on the present and one eye on the future. Given the service-time realities we mentioned, that eye may be more focused on the future than usual,”... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Jed Hoyer has a new contract to go with his new position with the Chicago Cubs. The team announced Monday it had agreed to a five-year deal with Hoyer that runs through the 2025 season. The 46-year-old Hoyer was promoted to president of baseball operations when Theo Epstein stepped down last week. “My family and I believe he is going to be an incredible baseball operations president,” team chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement, “and Cubs fans have one of the best in the business leading the team to continue our commitment to sustained success.” Hoyer could end up shepherding the Cubs' roster through significant turnover. Ricketts has spoken about his desire to avoid paying baseball's luxury tax for big-spending clubs, and the team is still in the middle of expensive multiyear deals for outfielder Jason Heyward and starting pitchers Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks. Core players Javier Báez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber will all become free agents after next... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have designated pitcher Trevor Williams and utility player José Osuna for assignment. The team made the moves on Friday to create room on the 40-man roster for infield prospect Rodolfo Castro and starting pitching prospect Max Kranick. The 28-year-old Williams spent five seasons with the Pirates, the last four as a member of the starting rotation. Williams went 31-37 with a 4.43 ERA in 106 career appearances in Pittsburgh. He put together a spectacular second half in 2018, going 7-3 with a 1.38 ERA over his final 12 starts. The popular right-hander, however, was unable to build off that stretch in 2019 due in part to injuries and he struggled in 2020 while playing on a team that finished with the worst record in the majors. Williams went 9-17 with a 5.60 ERA during his final two seasons with the Pirates, including a 2-8 mark with a 6.18 ERA last season, giving up a National League-high 15 home runs. “We felt like it was unlikely we were going to... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have designated outfielder Hunter Renfroe for assignment, helping clear room on the 40-man roster for three young prospects who were not part of the team’s run to the World Series. Renfroe, 28, appeared in 42 games with 34 starts during the pandemic-shortened regular season and hit the first grand slam in Rays postseason history during the team’s wild-card playoff sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays. Renfroe batted .156 with eight homers and 22 RBIs in his first season with Tampa Bay. He started six of 12 games he played in the postseason, batting .174 with two homers and seven RBIs. The Rays acquired Renfroe from San Diego last offseason, sending outfielder Tommy Pham and infielder Jake Cronenworth to the Padres. Cronenworth tied for second in NL Rookie of the Year balloting. The club also designated infielder/outfielder Brian O’Grady. The 28-year-old spent most of 2020 at Tampa Bay’s alternate training site in Port Charlotte, Florida. He appeared in two games over two brief stints with the Rays. The moves Friday helped create room on the 40-man roster for outfielder Josh Lowe, right-handed pitcher Drew Strotman and infielder Taylor Walls. Lowe and Walls were part of Tampa Bay’s 60-man player and spent the summer at the alternate training site. Strotman was not part of the 60-man pool but pitched in the instructional league in October. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets have signed right-hander Sam McWilliams, who’s spent six years in the minor leagues with three other organizations. The Mets announced the one-year contract Friday. The 25-year-old will get $750,000 in the majors and $195,000 in the minors. The 6-foot-7 McWilliams was in Tampa Bay’s 60-player pool this year, He is 30-35 with a 3.85 ERA in his career, making 94 starts and 15 relief appearances. McWilliams pitched in the Philadelphia and Arizona systems before making it to Triple-A with Tampa Bay in 2019. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman's suspension for throwing near the head of Tampa Bay's Mike Brosseau was reduced from three games to two after he appealed the decision. Major League Baseball announced the result of the appeal on Thursday. It was heard by special assistant to the commissioner John McHale Jr. Chapman will serve the suspension at the beginning of next season. His original punishment was announced by Chris Young, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president of baseball operations. Chapman threw a 101 mph fastball near Brosseau's head on his first pitch to the pinch hitter with two outs in the ninth inning of a 5-3 victory over the Rays on Sept. 1. Umpires convened before issuing warnings to both benches, and Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash was ejected after coming onto the field to argue. Chapman struck out Brosseau to end it, and Brosseau began walking toward the visiting dugout before turning back to exchange words with someone on the Yankees. The dugouts and benches emptied and players gathered near home plate, but they mostly kept their distance before dispersing to their respective clubhouses. Brosseau got his revenge in the postseason, homering off Chapman in the eighth inning of Tampa Bay's 2-1 victory in the decisive Game 5 of their AL Division Series on Oct. 9. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports