LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired pitcher Garrett Cleavinger from the Phillies in a three-way trade Tuesday involving Tampa Bay and Philadelphia. The Dodgers will send minor league infielder Dillon Paulson and a player to be named or cash to Tampa Bay, while the Rays will send left-handed pitcher José Alvarado to Philadelphia to complete the transaction. Cleavinger, a 26-year-old left-hander, made his major league debut last season for the Phillies, tossing two-thirds of an inning with one strikeout on Sept. 17 against the Mets. In five minor league seasons with the Phillies, Cleavinger posted a 19-12 record with a 4.08 ERA and 294 strikeouts in 140 games. He spent all 2019 with Double-A Reading, with a 3-2 record in 34 appearances. He struck out 83. Cleavinger was originally drafted in the third round in 2015 out of Oregon. Paulson played in 175 minor-league games with the Dodgers, hitting a combined .253 with 26 homers and 125 RBIs. In 2019, he split time between Low-A... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers have signed Japanese pitcher Kohei Arihara to a $6.2 million, two-year contract. The right-hander gets $3.6 million in 2021 and $2.6 million in 2022 and can earn $50,000 in performance bonuses each year: $25,000 apiece for 24 and 28 starts. He spent six years with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan's Pacific League. The Rangers will pay a $1.2 million posting fee for Arihara, of which $600,000 is due by Jan. 9, an additional $300,000 by Dec. 26, 2021, and the final $300,000 by June 26, 2022. The 28-year-old was 8-9 with a 3.46 ERA in 20 starts for Hokkaido during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in Japan. He led the Pacific League with three complete games and was second in innings with 132 2/3. “The addition of Kohei Arihara strengthens the depth in our starting rotation,” Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said. “He has had success in Japan over the last six years with a breakout season in 2019." Arihara, the Pacific... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers signed utility player Charlie Culberson to a minor league deal Monday and invited the veteran to big league spring training. The 31-year-old Culberson played for Atlanta the past three seasons. He batted .143 in nine games during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, was designated for assignment in September and rejoined the Braves as part of their postseason roster before becoming a free agent after the season. Culberson is a career .249 hitter with 23 homers in 427 games over eight seasons. He is versatile defensively, with experience at every position except catcher and center field. The Rangers also announced minor league deals for outfielder Elier Hernandez, left-hander Sal Mendez and right-handers Tim Dillard, Jesus Linarez and Collin Wiles ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Two months ago, Blake Snell got yanked off the mound with a two-hit shutout going in the final game of the World Series. Now, the Tampa Bay Rays are ready to ship him out of town. The San Diego Padres are close to completing a blockbuster trade to acquire Snell from the defending AL champions. The teams have an agreement in place and the star pitcher was told he’ll be sent to the Padres — subject to the review of medical records, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press late Sunday night on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. According to The Athletic and ESPN, the Rays would receive 21-year-old pitcher Luis Patiño, catcher Francisco Mejía, pitching prospect Cole Wilcox and catching prospect Blake Hunt in return. The Athletic was first to report the players headed from San Diego to Tampa Bay if the trade is finalized. Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, was 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 starts during the pandemic-shortened... [More]

The San Diego Padres are close to completing a blockbuster trade to acquire star pitcher Blake Snell from the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays. The teams have an agreement in place and Snell was told he’ll be sent to the Padres — subject to the review of medical records, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press late Sunday night on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. According to The Athletic and ESPN, the Rays would receive 21-year-old pitcher Luis Patiño, catcher Francisco Mejía, pitching prospect Cole Wilcox and catching prospect Blake Hunt in return. The Athletic was first to report the players headed from San Diego to Tampa Bay if the trade is finalized. Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner, was 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 starts during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He had 63 strikeouts in 50 innings. Snell went 2-2 in the AL playoffs, then racked up 18 strikeouts in 10 innings and compiled a 2.70 ERA during... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Phil Niekro threw a pitch that baffled hitters and catchers. Heck, he didn’t even know where it was going most of the time. But the knuckleball carried Niekro to more than 300 wins, earned him a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame and gave him a nickname that stuck for the rest of his life. Knucksie. The longtime stalwart of the Atlanta Braves rotation died after a lengthy fight with cancer, the team announced Sunday. He was 81. The Braves said Niekro died Saturday night in his sleep. He lived in the Atlanta suburb of Flowery Branch, where a main thoroughfare bears his name. He was the seventh Hall of Famer to die this year, the most sitting members to pass away in a calendar year, according to spokesman Jon Shestakofsky. The others were Lou Brock, Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan and Tom Seaver “These names, and these men, will be remembered forever in Cooperstown,” Shestakofsky said. Niekro won 318 games over his 24-year career, which finally ended in 1987 at... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco broke a bone in his right wrist playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. The Pirates said Saturday that Polanco has a small nondisplaced fracture of the triquetrum bone and that the wrist will be immobilized for a short time. The team did not say how the injury occurred. The 29-year-old Polanco is expected to be 100% by the start of spring training. Polanco batted just .153 with seven homers and 22 RBIs during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season after testing positive for the coronavirus during the team's summer camp. Polanco was hitting .197 with two homers in 21 games for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican League prior to the injury. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers have signed Japanese pitcher Kohei Arihara to a $6.2 million, two-year contract. The right-hander gets $3.6 million in 2021 and $2.6 million in 2022 and can earn $50,000 in performance bonuses each year. He spent six years with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan's Pacific League. The Rangers will pay a $1.2 million posting fee for Arihara, of which $600,000 is due by Jan. 9, an additional $300,000 by Dec. 26, 2021, and the final $300,000 by June 26, 2022. The 28-year-old was 8-9 with a 3.46 ERA in 20 starts for Hokkaido during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in Japan. He led the Pacific League with three complete games and was second in innings with 132 2/3. “The addition of Kohei Arihara strengthens the depth in our starting rotation,” Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said. “He has had success in Japan over the last six years with a breakout season in 2019." Arihara, the Pacific League’s rookie of the year in 2015,... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo says the team isn’t ruling out a reunion with Ryan Zimmerman after acquiring slugger Josh Bell to play first base this week. The Nationals acquired Bell, a 2019 All-Star, from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday for two pitching prospects, and Bell was introduced to Washington reporters on a video call Saturday. Rizzo praised the switch-hitting Bell for his talent and his makeup, saying the 28-year-old “exemplifies everything we’re trying to do here in Washington.” Bell batted .277 with 37 homers and 116 RBIs but struggled through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. “This fulfills a big part of our wish list in getting this middle-of-the-lineup bat,” Rizzo said. It also leaves the door open for Zimmerman to return after the 36-year-old opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns about his family’s safety amid the pandemic. He told The Washington Post this month he would like to return in 2021 for a 16th big league season... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Texas Rangers have signed Japanese pitcher Kohei Arihara to a $6 million, two-year contract. The right-hander spent six years with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball. The Rangers paid a $1.2 million posting fee for Arihara, who can earn $50,000 in performance bonuses each year. The 28-year-old Arihara was 8-9 with a 3.46 ERA in 20 starts for Hokkaido during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in Japan. He led the Pacific League with three complete games and was second in innings with 132 2/3. “The addition of Kohei Arihara strengthens the depth in our starting rotation,” Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said. “He has had success in Japan over the last six years with a breakout season in 2019." Arihara, the Pacific League’s rookie of the year in 2015, had a career-high 15 wins in 2019, tied for the overall lead in Japan, and was second in ERA at 2.46 in 24 starts. He is 60-50 with a 3.74 ERA in 129 career appearances,... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Bell embraced everything about being a Pittsburgh Pirate. He understood as the club retooled following the departure of stars Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole that he would serve as the de facto face of the franchise. It's a responsibility Bell ran toward. He became heavily involved in the community. He developed a bond with the family of Hall of Fame first baseman Willie “Pops” Stargell. He blossomed into an All-Star in 2019 looking every bit the cornerstone the Pirates could rebuild around. And now he's gone. The Pirates sent the 28-year-old Bell to Washington on Thursday, giving the Nationals the middle-of-the-order bat general manager Mike Rizzo said was an offseason priority for the perennial NL East contenders. Washington sent pitching prospects Wil Crowe and Eddy Yean to Pittsburgh for Bell, a move Pirates general manager Ben Cherington called necessary to give Pittsburgh the organizational depth it needs to build something successful down the road. “In order... [More]

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Bell is heading to the Washington Nationals. The Pittsburgh Pirates traded the slugging first baseman to Washington on Thursday for pitching prospects Will Crowe and Eddy Yean. The 28-year-old Bell was an All-Star in 2019 following a torrid first half in which he hit .302 with 27 home runs and 84 RBIs. That form has been elusive over the last year-plus. Bell hit .233 with 10 home runs during an injury-shortened second half of 2019 and hit just eight homers while batting a career-low .233 in 57 games for the Pirates in 2020. Pittsburgh finished 19-41, the worst record in the majors. Bell believed he could be the cornerstone for Pittsburgh as the Pirates looked to retool under general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton, both of whom came aboard following the team's disastrous second-half collapse in 2019 that led to a top-to-bottom revamp in the organization. Instead, Bell will join the Nationals, just 14 months removed from a World Series title. He is... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Red Sox have signed right-hander Matt Andriese to a $2.1 million, one-year deal to bolster the back end of their starting rotation. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom announced the agreement Wednesday. Andriese will earn a $1.85 million salary for 2021 and has a $3.5 million club option for 2022 with a $250,000 buyout. Andriese could earn up to $7.6 million over two seasons. The 31-year-old Andriese made one start and 15 relief appearances for the Los Angeles Angels in 2020, posting a 4.50 ERA. Andriese has been a starter and reliever throughout his career, including during four seasons with AL East-rival Tampa Bay. The option includes an escalator of up to $1 million for innings — $250,000 each for 120, 130, 140 and 150. He can also earn $500,000 in performance bonuses based on innings, $125,000 for 120, 130, 140 and 150. Also Wednesday, the Cincinnati Reds claimed catcher Deivy Grullón off waivers from the Red Sox. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — The Red Sox have signed right-hander Matt Andriese to a $2.1 million, one-year deal to bolster the back end of their starting rotation. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom announced the agreement Wednesday. Andriese will earn a $1.85 million salary for 2021 and has a $3.5 million club option for 2022 with a $250,000 buyout. Andriese could earn up to $7.6 million over two seasons. The 31-year-old Andriese made one start and 15 relief appearances for the Los Angeles Angels in 2020, posting a 4.50 ERA. Andriese has been a starter and reliever throughout his career, including during four seasons with AL East-rival Tampa Bay. The option includes an escalator of up to $1 million for innings — $250,000 each for 120, 130, 140 and 150. He can also earn $500,000 in performance bonuses based on innings, $125,000 for 120, 130, 140 and 150. Boston also claimed catcher Deivy Grullón off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers have claimed utilityman Tim Lopes off waivers from the Seattle Mariners. Lopes, 26, batted .238 with two homers and 15 RBIs in 46 games for Seattle last season. He posted a .278 on-base percentage and a .364 slugging percentage. He hit .270 with one homer and 12 RBIs in 41 games in 2019. He had a .359 on-base percentage and a .360 slugging percentage that year. Lopes has primarily played left field and right field, but he also has experience at second base and third base. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — Reliever Nick Wittgren avoided salary arbitration with the Cleveland Indians by agreeing Tuesday to a $2 million, one-year contract. The right-hander has become a dependable piece in Cleveland's bullpen for manager Terry Francona. Wittgren went 2-0 with a 3.42 ERA in 25 games last season. He is 7-1 with a 2.99 ERA in 80 games over two seasons for Cleveland, which acquired him in a trade with Miami in 2019. The Indians have primarily used Wittgren in a setup role, and that likely will continue despite the club deciding not to re-sign closer Brad Hand. Francona, though, has hinted about using others in save situations and Wittgren could be in that mix. Wittgren was slated to make $1,125,000 in 2020, but he earned a prorated salary of $416,667 for the pandemic-shortened season. The Indians have three players still eligible to swap arbitration figures Jan. 15 if no deal is reached: shortstop Francisco Lindor, catcher Austin Hedges and right-hander Phil Maton. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets and Noah Syndergaard agreed to a $9.7 million, one-year contract Tuesday for next season, when the injured right-hander hopes to return from Tommy John surgery. The Mets and Syndergaard avoided arbitration by settling on the same salary Syndergaard was set to make in 2020. He ended up earning $3,592,593 when the season was shortened to 60 games by the coronavirus pandemic. Syndergaard had reconstructive right elbow surgery in March, shortly after spring training was suspended by Major League Baseball because of the coronavirus. He missed the entire regular season and should be on track to return in the middle of the 2021 season. The Mets have nine players still eligible to swap arbitration figures Jan. 15 if no deal is reached: hitters Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, Brandon Nimmo, Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith, along with pitchers Miguel Castro, Edwin Díaz, Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) — Reliever Nick Wittgren avoided salary arbitration with the Cleveland Indians by agreeing Tuesday to a $2 million, one-year contract. The right-hander has become a dependable piece in Cleveland's bullpen for manager Terry Francona. Wittgren went 2-0 with a 3.42 ERA in 25 games last season. He is 7-1 with a 2.99 ERA in 80 games over two seasons for Cleveland, which acquired him in a trade with Miami in 2019. The Indians have primarily used Wittgren in a setup role, and that likely will continue despite the club deciding not to re-sign closer Brad Hand. Francona, though, has hinted about using others in save situations and Wittgren could be in that mix. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Right-hander Anthony DeSclafani agreed to defer half his $6 million salary with the San Francisco Giants. DeSclafani will receive four payments of $750,000 each in 2022 on Jan. 15, Jan. 31, Feb. 15 and March 1, according to terms of the deal announced Wednesday and obtained by The Associated Press. He can earn $250,000 in performance bonuses for innings: $62,500 each for 140, 160, 180 and 200. All earned bonuses would be deferred and split into four payments on the same dates as the deferred salary. DeSclafani went 1-2 with a 7.22 ERA in 33 2/3 innings over nine games — seven starts — with Cincinnati last season. The 30-year-old DeSclafani could help fill a vacancy in the rotation given the departures of Jeff Samardzija and Drew Smyly from the Giants, who missed the playoffs on the final day of Kapler’s first season as manager. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball payrolls plunged to $1.75 billion during the pandemic-shortened season from $4.22 billion, and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers led with $98.6 million — the smallest for the top spender in 20 years. Base wages for 40-man rosters tumbled to $1.54 billion, according to information sent from Major League Baseball to teams on Friday night and obtained by The Associated Press. That was down from $3.99 billion in 2019. Prorated portions of signing bonuses totaled $120.6 million, down slightly from $122.8 million. Earned bonuses fell to $25 million from $26.9 million. Buyouts of unexercised 2021 options came to $58.2 million, more than double the $26.9 million for buyouts of unexercised 2020 options, a sign of expense-cutting amid the revenue loss. Los Angeles won its first title since 1988 as it topped spending for the first time since 2017, when the Dodgers led for the fourth year in a row. The total had not been that low of the top spender... [More]