ATLANTA (AP) — His name is all over the baseball record book and, indeed, Hank Aaron could do it all. Sure, he's remembered mostly for dethroning the Babe to become baseball's home run king on the way to 755, but don't forget about the .300 average, or the graceful way he fielded his position, or the deceiving speed he showed on the basepaths. Yet, when talking about the true measure of the man, there was far more to “Hammerin’ Hank” than his brilliance between the lines. Exuding grace and dignity, Aaron spoke bluntly but never bitterly on the many hardships thrown his way — from the poverty and segregation of his Alabama youth to the ugly, racist threats he faced during his pursuit of one of America's most hallowed records. He wasn't hesitant about speaking out on the issues of the day, whether it was bemoaning the lack of Blacks in management positions, or lobbying against putting Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame, or calling on those involved in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal to... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — His name is all over the baseball record book and, indeed, Hank Aaron could do it all. Sure, he's remembered mostly for dethroning the Babe to become baseball's home run king on the way to 755, but don't forget about the .300 average, or the graceful way he fielded his position, or the deceiving speed he showed on the basepaths. Yet, when talking about the true measure of the man, there was far more to “Hammerin’ Hank” than his brilliance between the lines. Exuding grace and dignity, Aaron spoke bluntly but never bitterly on the many hardships thrown his way — from the poverty and segregation of his Alabama youth to the ugly, racist threats he faced during his pursuit of one of America's most hallowed records. He wasn't hesitant about speaking out on the issues of the day, whether it was bemoaning the lack of Blacks in management positions, or lobbying against putting Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame, or calling on those involved in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal to... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Utilityman Daniel Robertson has agreed to a $900,000, one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers that allows him to earn an additional $400,000 in performance bonuses. Robertson batted .333 with no homers and two RBIs in 17 games with the San Francisco Giants last season while making appearances at shortstop, second base, third base and the outfield. His contract was purchased from Tampa Bay on Aug. 23, and he had $157,808 in prorated earnings during the shortened season. He would earn 50,000 each for 250 plate appearances and each additional 50 through 550. “I feel like the game’s kind of evolving that way,” Robertson said Thursday. “Organizations like to carry a couple of guys that are kind of that Swiss Army knife, who can do a bunch of things. I feel like five years ago, maybe a little bit longer, you had that one kind of guy, that (Ben) Zobrist kind of guy. The game’s evolving and there’s more guys that are putting themselves in that kind of situation or position.”... [More]

Reaction to the death of one-time home run king Hank Aaron. He died Friday at the age of 86: “Thank you for everything you ever taught us, for being a trailblazer through adversity and setting an example for all of us African-American ballplayers who came after you. Being able to grow up and have the idols and role models I did, help shape me for a future I could have never dreamed of.” — Barry Bonds, who broke Aaron's home run record of 755, on Twitter ___ “Not long ago, he and I were walking the streets of Washington, D.C, together and talking about how we’ve been the best of friends for more than 60 years. Then Hank said, ‘Who would have ever thought all those years ago that a Black kid from Mobile, Alabama, would break Babe Ruth’s home run record and a Jewish kid from Milwaukee would become the commissioner of baseball?’ Aaron was beloved by his teammates and by his fans. He was a true Hall of Famer in every way.” — Former Commissioner Bud Selig ___ “Hank symbolized the very best of... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Blue Jays finalized a $5.5 million, one-year contract with right-hander Kirby Yates and a $3 million, one-year deal with right-hander Tyler Chatwood. Yates, who turns 34 on March 25, is coming off surgery in August to remove bone chips from his right elbow. He led the major leagues in saves in 2019 with 41 for San Diego and earned a place on the National League All-Star team. Slowed by elbow soreness, he had two saves in six games with a 12.46 ERA during last year’s pandemic-shortened season. Yates earned $2,615,741 prorated from a salary of $7,062,500 last year. He can earn $4.5 million in performance bonuses based on relief appearances: $750,000 each for 20, 25, 30 and 35; $125,000 apiece for 40, 45 and 50; $250,000 each for 55, 60, and 65; and $375,000 for 70. Chatwood, 31, went 2-2 with a 5.30 ERA in five starts with the Chicago Cubs last year. He earned $4,814,815 prorated from a $13 million salary. He missed most of 2014 and all of 2015 following Tommy John surgery. He can earn $2.5 million in performance bonuses bases on innings: $125,000 each for 40, 50, 55 and 60; $250,000 apiece for 85 and 100; and $500,000 each for 120, 130 and 140. Toronto is coming off a season when it made its first playoff appearance since 2016. The Blue Jays were eliminated in the first postseason round by eventual AL champion Tampa Bay. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record and gracefully left his mark with 755 homers and a legacy as one of baseball’s greatest all-around players, died Friday. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves, Aaron's longtime team, said he died peacefully in his sleep. No cause was given. Aaron made his last public appearance just 2 1/2 weeks ago, when he received the COVID-19 vaccine. He said he wanted to help spread the word to Black Americans that the vaccine was safe. “I feel quite proud of myself for doing something like this," he said. "It’s just a small thing that can help zillions of people in this country.” “Hammerin’ Hank” set a wide array of career hitting records during a 23-year career spent mostly with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, including RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases. But the Hall of Famer will be remembered for one swing above all others, the one that made him baseball’s home-run king. It was... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record and gracefully left his mark with 755 homers and a legacy as one of baseball’s greatest all-around players, died Friday. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves, Aaron’s longtime team, said he died peacefully in his sleep. No cause was given. Aaron made his last public appearance just 2 1/2 weeks ago, when he received the COVID-19 vaccine. He said he wanted to help spread the word to Black Americans that the vaccine is safe. “Hammerin’ Hank” set a wide array of career hitting records during a 23-year career spent mostly with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, including RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases. But the Hall of Famer will be remembered for one swing above all others, the one that made him baseball’s home-run king. It was a title he would hold for more than 33 years, a period during which the Hammer slowly but surely claimed his rightful place as one of America’s most... [More]

Reaction to the death of one-time home run king Hank Aaron. He died Friday at the age of 86: “Not long ago, he and I were walking the streets of Washington, D.C, together and talking about how we’ve been the best of friends for more than 60 years. Then Hank said, ‘Who would have ever thought all those years ago that a Black kid from Mobile, Alabama, would break Babe Ruth’s home run record and a Jewish kid from Milwaukee would become the commissioner of baseball?’ Aaron was beloved by his teammates and by his fans. He was a true Hall of Famer in every way.” — Former Commissioner Bud Selig ___ “Hank symbolized the very best of our game, and his all-around excellence provided Americans and fans across the world with an example to which to aspire. His career demonstrates that a person who goes to work with humility every day can hammer his way into history — and find a way to shine like no other.” — Commissioner Rob Manfred ___ “I can’t imagine what Hank Aaron went through in his lifetime.... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Cubs added a veteran catcher, agreeing to a $1.5 million, one-year contract with Austin Romine, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Friday. The person confirmed the agreement on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been finalized. Chicago had been looking for a backup catcher since the Cubs traded Victor Caratini to San Diego last month. Miguel Amaya is among the organization's top prospects, but he finished his last minor league season at the Class-A level. The 32-year-old Romine hit .238 with two homers and 17 RBIs in 37 games with Detroit last year, earning $1,537,037 in prorated pay from a $4.15 million salary. He played parts of eight seasons with the New York Yankees before signing with the Tigers as a free agent. Romine had his most productive season with New York in 2018, batting .244 with a career-high 10 homers and 42 RBIs in 77 games. Chicago has Willson Contreras in place as starting catcher, but he has been mentioned in trade rumors. The Cubs are retooling under President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer, but they are hoping to stay in the mix in the NL Central after winning the division in 2020. ___ Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Jurickson Profar is staying with the San Diego Padres, agreeing to a $21 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the agreement is subject to a successful physical. Profar, who turns 28 on Feb. 20, was acquired by San Diego from Oakland in December 2019 and hit a career-best .278 in the pandemic-shortened season with seven homers and 25 RBIs. He mostly split time at second base and left field but also played two games in right field and one each in center and at first base. He earned $2,111,111 in prorated pay from a $5.7 million salary. Profar has a .238 average with 59 homers and 222 RBIs in seven major league seasons with Texas (2012-13, 2016-18), Oakland (2019) and San Diego. He missed 2014 and 2015 due to a shoulder injury. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record and gracefully left his mark with 755 homers and a legacy as one of baseball’s greatest all-around players, died Friday. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves, Aaron's longtime team, said he died peacefully in his sleep. No cause was given. Aaron made his last public appearance just 2 1/2 weeks ago, when he received the COVID-19 vaccine. He said he wanted to help spread the word to Black Americans that the vaccine was safe. “I feel quite proud of myself for doing something like this," he said. "It’s just a small thing that can help zillions of people in this country.” “Hammerin’ Hank” set a wide array of career hitting records during a 23-year career spent mostly with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, including RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases. But the Hall of Famer will be remembered for one swing above all others, the one that made him baseball’s home-run king. It was... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Cubs added a veteran catcher, agreeing to a $1.5 million, one-year contract with Austin Romine, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Friday. The person confirmed the agreement on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been finalized. Chicago had been looking for a backup catcher since the Cubs traded Victor Caratini to San Diego last month. Miguel Amaya is among the organization's top prospects, but he finished his last minor league season at the Class-A level. The 32-year-old Romine hit .238 with two homers and 17 RBIs in 37 games with Detroit last year, earning $1,537,037 in prorated pay from a $4.15 million salary. He played parts of eight seasons with the New York Yankees before signing with the Tigers as a free agent. Romine had his most productive season with New York in 2018, batting .244 with a career-high 10 homers and 42 RBIs in 77 games. Chicago has Willson Contreras in place as starting catcher, but he has been mentioned in trade rumors. The Cubs are retooling under President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer, but they are hoping to stay in the mix in the NL Central after winning the division in 2020. ___ Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins and pitcher J.A. Happ finalized an $8 million, one-year contract on Friday. The 38-year-old Happ spent the past 2 1/3 seasons with the New York Yankees. Acquired from Toronto at the 2018 trade deadline, the left-hander went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch to finish 17-6. The Yankees then rewarded him with a $34 million, two-year contract. Happ was the second offseason addition by the Twins, who also added relief pitcher Hansel Robles to the team that has won the AL Central division in each of the last two years. Jake Odorizzi and Rich Hill became free agents, creating openings in the rotation behind José Berríos, Kenta Maeda and Michael Pineda. Minnesota was third in the AL in 2020 with a team ERA of 3.58. Happ went 12-8 in 2019 and struggled at the start of the pandemic-delayed 2020 season, prompting the Yankees to skip his turn. Happ gained strength as the year went on and finished with a 2-2 record and 3.47 ERA in nine starts.... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record and gracefully left his mark as one of baseball’s greatest all-around players, died Friday. He was 86. The Atlanta Braves, Aaron's longtime team, said he died peacefully in his sleep. No cause was given. Aaron made his last public appearance just 2 1/2 weeks ago, when he received the COVID-19 vaccine. He said he wanted to help spread the to Black Americans that the vaccine was safe. “I don’t have any qualms about it at all, you know. I feel quite proud of myself for doing something like this," he said. "It’s just a small thing that can help zillions of people in this country.” “Hammerin’ Hank” set a wide array of career hitting records during a 23-year career spent mostly with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, including RBIs, extra-base hits and total bases. But the Hall of Famer will be remembered for one swing above all others, the one that made him baseball’s home-run... [More]

Reaction to the death of one-time home run king Hank Aaron. He died Friday at the age of 86: “Not long ago, he and I were walking the streets of Washington, D.C, together and talking about how we’ve been the best of friends for more than 60 years. Then Hank said: ‘Who would have ever thought all those years ago that a black kid from Mobile, Alabama, would break Babe Ruth’s home run record and a Jewish kid from Milwaukee would become the commissioner of baseball?’ Aaron was beloved by his teammates and by his fans. He was a true Hall of Famer in every way.” — Former Commissioner Bud Selig ___ “Hank symbolized the very best of our game, and his all-around excellence provided Americans and fans across the world with an example to which to aspire. His career demonstrates that a person who goes to work with humility every day can hammer his way into history — and find a way to shine like no other.” — Commissioner Rob Manfred ___ “I can’t imagine what Hank Aaron went through in his lifetime.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jurickson Profar is staying with the San Diego Padres, agreeing to a $21 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the agreement is subject to a successful physical. Profar, who turns 28 on Feb. 20, was acquired by San Diego from Oakland in December 2019 and hit a career-best .278 in the pandemic-shortened season with seven homers and 25 RBIs. He mostly split time at second base and left field but also played two games in right field and one each in center and at first base. He earned $2,111,111 in prorated pay from a $5.7 million salary. Profar has a .238 average with 59 homers and 222 RBIs in seven major league seasons with Texas (2012-13, 2016-18), Oakland (2019) and San Diego. He missed 2014 and 2015 due to a shoulder injury. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — Well-traveled right-hander Anthony Bass agreed to terms Friday on a deal with the Miami Marlins and is expected to compete for a role as their closer. Bass led the Toronto Blue Jays with seven saves last season, when he went 2-3 with a 3.51 ERA in 26 games. Bass has pitched for six major league teams and has a career ERA of 4.32 with 15 saves in nine seasons. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CHICAGO (AP) — White Sox star Tim Anderson has landed a spot on the cover of a video game. He wants a World Series ring to go with it. Anderson sees no reason why the White Sox can't win it all after loading up on the heels of a breakthrough playoff season. “Anything's possible,” he said. “That's always been the goal, to win the World Series, right? Never gonna shy away from that. ... I know what we can do.” Anderson spoke Thursday, hours after Major League Baseball announced he is the cover athlete for “RBI Baseball 21.” The dynamic shortstop is the first White Sox player to be on the cover of the video game series, with the latest edition due out in March. It's more attention for a franchise opening eyes after being overlooked even in its own city. “To get to this spot definitely shows that we’ve been working,” he said. “I think all the work is showing — how hard we’ve worked behind the scenes and not just what you guys see. I’m definitely happy with the position we’re in. We’re in the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The 23 free agents who have signed, with name, position, former club if different, and contract. The contract information was obtained by The Associated Press from player and management sources. AMERICAN LEAGUECHICAGO (2) — Signed Adam Eaton, of, Washington, to an $8 million, one-year contract; signed Liam Hendriks, rhp, Oakland, to a $54 million, four-year contract. DETROIT (1) — Signed Robbie Grossman, of, Oakland, to a $10 million, two-year contract. HOUSTON (1) — Signed Pedro Báez, rhp, Los Angeles Dodgers, to a $12.5 million, two-year contract. KANSAS CITY (3) — Signed Mike Minor, lhp, Oakland, to an $18 million, two-year contract; signed Carlos Santana, 1b, Cleveland, to a $17.5 million, two-year contract; re-signed Greg Holland, rhp, to a $2.75 million, one-year contract. LOS ANGELES (1) — Signed Kurt Suzuki, c, Washington, to a $1.5 million, one-year contract. TAMPA BAY (2) — Re-signed Mike Zunino, c, to a $3 million, one-year contract; signed Michael Wacha, rhp,... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — The Blue Jays finalized a $5.5 million, one-year contract with right-hander Kirby Yates and a $3 million, one-year deal with right-hander Tyler Chatwood. Yates, who turns 34 on March 25, is coming off surgery in August to remove bone chips from his right elbow. He led the major leagues in saves in 2019 with 41 for San Diego and earned a place on the National League All-Star team. Slowed by elbow soreness, he had two saves in six games with a 12.46 ERA during last year’s pandemic-shortened season. Yates earned $2,615,741 prorated from a salary of $7,062,500 last year. Chatwood, 31, went 2-2 with a 5.30 ERA in five starts with the Chicago Cubs last year. He earned $4,814,815 prorated from a $13 million salary. He missed most of 2014 and all of 2015 following Tommy John surgery. Toronto is coming off a season when it made its first playoff appearance since 2016. The Blue Jays were eliminated in the first postseason round by eventual AL champion Tampa Bay. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports