Relief pitcher Will Harris is joining the Washington Nationals after they beat him and the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the World Series.Harris and the Nationals have agreed to a $24 million, three-year contract, the team announced Friday. The 35-year-old right-hander dominated with Houston for much of the postseason, starting October with nine consecutive scoreless innings. The Nationals finally got to him late in the World Series, and Harris allowed Howie Kendrick's go-ahead home run in Game 7.Washington went on to win its first World Series. Harris was stuck with the loss. “There’s no bitterness or anything like that from my end other than: Would I have liked it to go a different way? I mean, of course,” Harris said. “But there’s a lot of moments in my career I wish had gone a different way.” Harris acknowledged feeling uneasy when the Nationals first approached him. “That’s the first Game 7 World Series homer I’ve ever given up and I plan on it being the last,” he said. “So didn’t really... [More]

Relief pitcher Will Harris is joining the Washington Nationals after they beat him in Game 7 of the World Series against the Houston Astros.Harris and the Nationals have agreed to a $24 million, three-year contract, the team announced Friday. The 35-year-old Harris dominated with Houston for much of the postseason, starting October with nine consecutive scoreless innings. The Nationals finally got to him late in the World Series, and Harris allowed Howie Kendrick's go-ahead home run in Game 7.Washington went on to win its first World Series. Harris was stuck with the loss. The right-handed Harris had a 1.50 ERA in 68 games for the Astros last season. He had been with Houston since 2015 and was an All-Star in 2016.Harris will try to bolster a bullpen that was among the worst in baseball last season. Nationals relievers blew 29 saves and had a 5.68 ERA, both worst in the NL. Harris is likely to slot behind left-hander Sean Doolittle as the team's top setup man.___Follow Jake Seiner: https://twitter.com/Jake_Seiner___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Relief pitcher Will Harris is joining the Washington Nationals after they beat him in Game 7 of the World Series against the Houston Astros.Harris and the Nationals have agreed to a $24 million, three-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the agreement has not been announced. The 35-year-old Harris dominated with Houston for much of the postseason, starting October with nine consecutive scoreless innings. The Nationals finally got to him late in the World Series, and Harris allowed Howie Kendrick's go-ahead home run in Game 7.Washington went on to win its first World Series. Harris was stuck with the loss. The right-handed Harris had a 1.50 ERA in 68 games for the Astros last season. He had been with Houston since 2015 and was an All-Star in 2016.Harris will try to bolster a bullpen that was among the worst in baseball last season. Nationals relievers blew 29 saves and had a 5.68 ERA, both worst in the NL. Harris is likely to slot behind left-hander Sean Doolittle as the team's top setup man.___Follow Jake Seiner: https://twitter.com/Jake_Seiner___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Naturally, Stephen Strasburg thought of himself pitching for a team other than the Nationals.After winning and being MVP of the World Series, Strasburg opted out of his contract and hit the open market. The possibility was real that he'd played his last game in a Washington uniform.Instead, Strasburg followed the lead of boyhood idol Tony Gwynn by signing a $245 million, seven-year deal that could allow him to play his entire career with the Nationals. This contract has no opt-outs, no options and a full no-trade clause, Strasburg will be 38 when it expires and could become just the eighth pitcher in major league history to spend 17-plus seasons with the same franchise.“It’s really hard to come by in this game," Strasburg said Tuesday. “When you’re given an opportunity to be in one spot and grow as a person and a player, to be a part of an organization like this, you can’t really let those opportunities go by.”Hitting free agency meant Strasburg wasn't a sure bet to return,... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Naturally, Stephen Strasburg thought of himself pitching for a team other than the Nationals.After winning and being MVP of the World Series, Strasburg opted out of his contract and hit the open market. The possibility was real that he'd played his last game in a Washington uniform.Instead, Strasburg followed the lead of boyhood idol Tony Gwynn by signing a $245 million, seven-year deal that could allow him to play his entire career with the Nationals. This contract has no opt-outs, no options and a full no-trade clause, Strasburg will be 38 when it expires and could become just the eighth pitcher in major league history to spend 17-plus seasons with the same franchise.“It’s really hard to come by in this game," Strasburg said Tuesday. “When you’re given an opportunity to be in one spot and grow as a person and a player, to be a part of an organization like this, you can’t really let those opportunities go by.”Hitting free agency meant Strasburg wasn't a sure bet to return,... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Gerrit Cole quickly ended Stephen Strasburg's tenure as baseball's highest-paid pitcher.Cole agreed to a $324 million, nine-year contract with the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced. Cole's deal established marks for pitchers in total dollars, topping the $245 million, seven-year contract Stephen Strasburg finalized a day earlier to remain with the World Series champion Washington Nationals. Its $36 million average is a record for any player, beating the $35.5 million in outfielder Mike Trout's $426.5 million, 12-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels that started last season. Cole gets an even $36 million annually and can opt out after the 2024 season. He also has a full no-trade provision.After finalizing the agreement for 31-year-old Strasburg, agent Scott Boras predicted he would go even high for Cole, a 29-year-old right-hander.Cole... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Gerrit Cole quickly ended Stephen Strasburg's tenure as baseball's highest-paid pitcher.Cole agreed to a $324 million, nine-year contract with the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced. Cole's deal established marks for pitchers in total dollars, topping the $245 million, seven-year contract Stephen Strasburg finalized a day earlier to remain with the World Series champion Washington Nationals. Its $36 million average is a record for any player, beating the $35.5 million in outfielder Mike Trout's $426.5 million, 12-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels that started last season. Cole gets an even $36 million annually and can opt out after the 2024 season. He also has a full no-trade provision.After finalizing the agreement for 31-year-old Strasburg, agent Scott Boras predicted he would go even high for Cole, a 29-year-old right-hander.Cole... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Gerrit Cole and agent Scott Boras are ready for baseball's version of "Can you top this?"A day after completing a $245 million, seven-year contract for Stephen Strasburg with Washington that set a record for pitchers, Boras said Cole will command even more.Strasburg set a record for total dollars and average salary for pitchers. Citing that Cole is two years younger than the 31-year-old Strasburg and has been more durable, Boras said seeking a higher amount "would be a logical path to take.""There have been numerous offers made by clubs, and so we're actively in the middle of it," Boras said Tuesday, surrounded by a swarm of media in the hotel lobby at the winter meetings. "Normally when you have this many people involved and you're that far along, it's probable something can be done in a very short term."The New York Yankees are trying to land Cole to join a young core group that includes Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and Gary Sánchez. The Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers,... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Doing their best to keep as much of their World Series roster intact as possible, the Washington Nationals announced they re-signed catcher Yan Gomes and infielder Howie Kendrick on Tuesday, a day after bringing back Stephen Strasburg for $245 million.Gomes agreed to a $10 million, two-year contract with salaries of $4 million next year and $6 million in 2021. Kendrick is guaranteed $6.25 million under a deal that includes a $4 million salary next year and a $6.5 million mutual option for 2021 with a $2.25 million buyout.Mike Rizzo, Nationals general manager and president of baseball operations, said Tuesday there are on-going talks with representatives for third basemen Anthony Rendon and Josh Donaldson. Washington would like to bring back Rendon, a prized free agent on the open market for the first time, but must prepare a backup plan in case it doesn't happen. “We've had conversations about Anthony throughout the process. I don't get my daily update from (agent) Scott... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Gerrit Cole and agent Scott Boras are ready for baseball's version of "Can you top this?"A day after completing a $245 million, seven-year contract for Stephen Strasburg with Washington that set a record for pitchers, Boras said Cole will command even more.Strasburg set a record for total dollars and average salary for pitchers. Citing that Cole is two years younger than the 31-year-old Strasburg and has been more durable, Boras said seeking a higher amount "would be a logical path to take.""There have been numerous offers made by clubs, and so we're actively in the middle of it," Boras said Tuesday, surrounded by a swarm of media in the hotel lobby at the winter meetings. "Normally when you have this many people involved and you're that far along, it's probable something can be done in a very short term."The New York Yankees are trying to land Cole to join a young core group that includes Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and Gary Sánchez. The Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers,... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Gerrit Cole and agent Scott Boras are ready for baseball's version of "Can you top this?"A day after completing a $245 million, seven-year contract for Stephen Strasburg with Washington that set a record for pitchers, Boras said Cole will command even more.Strasburg set a record for total dollars and average salary for pitchers. Citing that Cole is two years younger than the 31-year-old Strasburg and has been more durable, Boras said seeking a higher amount "would be a logical path to take.""There have been numerous offers made by clubs, and so we're actively in the middle of it," Boras said Tuesday, surrounded by a swarm of media in the hotel lobby at the winter meetings. "Normally when you have this many people involved and you're that far along, it's probable something can be done in a very short term."The New York Yankees are trying to land Cole to join a young core group that includes Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres and Gary Sánchez. The Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers,... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Doing their best to keep as much of their World Series roster intact as possible, the Washington Nationals announced they re-signed catcher Yan Gomes and infielder Howie Kendrick on Tuesday, a day after bringing back Stephen Strasburg for $245 million.Gomes agreed to a $10 million, two-year contract with salaries of $4 million next year and $6 million in 2021. Kendrick is guaranteed $6.25 million under a deal that includes a $4 million salary next year and a $6.5 million mutual option for 2021 with a $2.25 million buyout.The 32-year-old Gomes split catching duties in 2019 with Kurt Suzuki and hit .223 with 12 homers and 43 RBIs in his first season in Washington.Kendrick, 36, batted .344 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs during the regular season, then was a major reason the Nationals won the franchise's first championship. He is expected to spend time at first base and second base next season.He hit a grand slam in the 10th inning of Washington's Game 5 victory of the NL Division... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Doing their best to keep as much of their World Series roster intact as possible, the Washington Nationals announced they re-signed catcher Yan Gomes and infielder Howie Kendrick on Tuesday, a day after bringing back Stephen Strasburg for $245 million.Gomes agreed to a $10 million, two-year deal, while Kendrick will earn $6.5 million next season under a contract that includes a mutual option for 2021.The 32-year-old Gomes split catching duties in 2019 with Kurt Suzuki and hit .223 with 12 homers and 43 RBIs in his first season in Washington.Kendrick, 36, batted .344 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs during the regular season, then was a major reason the Nationals won the franchise's first championship. He is expected to spend time at first base and second base next season.He hit a grand slam in the 10th inning of Washington's Game 5 victory of the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, earned MVP honors in the NL Championship Series sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals,... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Stephen Strasburg returned to the Washington Nationals with a record contract on the first day of the winter meetings, a deal that puts fellow free agent pitcher Gerrit Cole in position for an even larger payday. Washington and the World Series MVP agreed to a $245 million, seven-year contact, a deal of surprising size and length for a 31-year-old right-hander with an injury filled resume.Strasburg received the highest deal for a pitcher in both total dollars and average annual value at $35 million. The largest contract for a pitcher had been David Price's $217 million, seven-year deal with Boston that began in 2016. The highest average value had been Zack Greinke's $34.4 million as part of a $206.5 million, six-year agreement with Arizona prior to the 2016 season.“For me, it was an early Christmas present,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “Just watching his whole career, to think that he's going to end it here with the team he started with is awesome for him and... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Stephen Strasburg returned to the Washington Nationals with a record contract on the first day of the winter meetings, a deal that puts fellow free agent pitcher Gerrit Cole in position for an even larger payday. Washington and the World Series MVP agreed to a $245 million, seven-year contact, a deal of surprising size and length for a 31-year-old right-hander with an injury filled resume.Strasburg received the highest deal for a pitcher in both total dollars and average annual value at $35 million. The largest contract for a pitcher had been David Price's $217 million, seven-year deal with Boston that began in 2016. The highest average value had been Zack Greinke's $34.4 million as part of a $206.5 million, six-year agreement with Arizona prior to the 2016 season.“For me, it was an early Christmas present,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “Just watching his whole career, to think that he's going to end it here with the team he started with is awesome for him and... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Stephen Strasburg returned to the Washington Nationals with a record contract on the first day of the winter meetings, a deal that puts fellow free agent pitcher Gerrit Cole in position for an even larger payday. Washington and the World Series MVP agreed to a $245 million, seven-year contact, a deal of surprising size and length for a 31-year-old right-hander with an injury filled resume.Strasburg received the highest deal for a pitcher in both total dollars and average annual value at $35 million. The largest contract for a pitcher had been David Price's $217 million, seven-year deal with Boston that began in 2016. The highest average value had been Zack Greinke's $34.4 million as part of a $206.5 million, six-year agreement with Arizona prior to the 2016 season.“For me, it was an early Christmas present,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “Just watching his whole career, to think that he's going to end it here with the team he started with is awesome for him and... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Stephen Strasburg is returning to Washington with a record contract, and fellow free agent pitcher Gerrit Cole could be in line for an even larger payday. The World Series MVP and the Nationals agreed to a $245 million, seven-year contract Monday, the first significant announcement at this week's winter meetings.A 31-year-old right-hander, Strasburg received the highest deal for a pitcher in both total dollars and average annual value at $35 million. The largest contract for a pitcher had been David Price's $217 million, seven-year deal with Boston that began in 2016. The highest average value had been Zack Greinke's $34.4 million as part of a $206.5 million, six-year agreement with Arizona prior to the 2016 season.“We would not have won the 2019 World Series or accomplished everything we have these last 10 seasons if not for Stephen’s many contributions,” Nationals owner Mark Lerner said in a statement.Strasburg gets $35 million annually, with $80 million deferred — about... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Postseason star Howie Kendrick and the World Series champion Washington Nationals agreed to a $6.25 million, one-year contract, according to two people with knowledge of the negotiations.Speaking on condition of anonymity Friday because the deal was still pending a successful physical exam, the people confirmed to The Associated Press that an agreement was in place for Kendrick to return to Washington for what will be his 15th season in the majors. One of the people said the contract includes a mutual option for 2021.The 36-year-old Kendrick, who was a free agent, provides Washington with a middle-of-the-order bat and some flexibility in the field. He primarily plays at first base now, but started games at every infield position except shortstop in 2019.The righty batter hit .344 with 17 homers and 62 RBIs in 121 regular-season games before all of his postseason contributions provided some real pop in the postseason. He hit a tiebreaking grand slam off Joe Kelly in the... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Postseason star Howie Kendrick and the World Series champion Washington Nationals agreed to a $6.25 million, one-year contract, according to two people with knowledge of the negotiations.Speaking on condition of anonymity Friday because the deal was still pending a successful physical exam, the people confirmed to The Associated Press that an agreement was in place for Kendrick to return to Washington for what will be his 15th season in the majors. One of the people said the contract includes a mutual option for 2021.The 36-year-old Kendrick, who was a free agent, provides Washington with a middle-of-the-order bat and some flexibility in the field. He primarily plays at first base now, but started games at every infield position except shortstop in 2019.The righty batter hit .344 with 17 homers and 62 RBIs in 121 regular-season games before all of his postseason contributions provided some real pop in the postseason. He hit a tiebreaking grand slam off Joe Kelly in the... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Postseason star Howie Kendrick and the World Series champion Washington Nationals agreed in principle to a $6.25 million, one-year contract, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.Speaking on condition of anonymity Friday because the deal was still pending a successful physical exam, the person confirmed to The Associated Press that an agreement was in place for Kendrick to return to Washington for what will be his 15th season in the majors. The 36-year-old Kendrick, who was a free agent, provides Washington with a middle-of-the-order bat and some flexibility in the field. He primarily plays at first base now, but started games at every infield position except shortstop in 2019.The righty batter hit .344 with 17 homers and 62 RBIs in 121 regular-season games before all of his postseason contributions provided some real pop in the postseason. He hit a tiebreaking grand slam off Joe Kelly in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the NL Division Series to lead the... [More]