NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees made another high-risk offseason addition to their starting rotation, acquiring right-hander Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday for four prospects. Pittsburgh received right-handers Roansy Contreras and Miguel Yajure, infielder Maikol Escotto and outfielder Canaan Smith. Taillon, 29, has not pitched since May 1, 2019, following his second Tommy John surgery. New York also has a pending $11 million, one-year deal with right-hander Corey Kluber, who has pitched just one inning since his right forearm was broken by a comebacker on May 1, 2019. He tore a muscle in his pitching shoulder in his season debut last season. They hope to join a rotation headed by Gerrit Cole, Taillon's former Pirates teammate, and projected to include Deivi García and Jordan Montgomery. In addition, Luis Severino is expected to return from Tommy John surgery last Feb. 27 and Domingo Germán is expected back from a domestic violence suspension that caused him to miss last... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees made a second offseason addition to their starting rotation, acquiring right-hander Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday for four prospects. Pittsburgh received right-handers Roansy Contreras and Miguel Yajure, infielder Maikol Escotto and outfielder Canaan Smith. Taillon, 29, would join a rotation headed by his former Pirates teammate Gerrit Cole. It also is projected to include Deivi García, Jordan Montgomery and Corey Kluber, who has a pending $11 million, one-year contract subject to a successful physical. In addition, Luis Severino is expected to return from Tommy John surgery last Feb. 27 and Domingo Germán is expected back from a domestic violence suspension that caused him to miss last season. “Bittersweet day for me over here!” Taillon wrote on Twitter. “Trying to process everything — have SO much to say to the city of Pittsburgh and my teammates. Also have SO much to say about this incredible opportunity and to the city/fans in New... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees made the second addition to their starting rotation of the offseason, agreeing to acquire right-hander Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates for four prospects, a person familiar with the trade talks told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Sunday because the agreement was subject to approval of medical records of the involved players by the teams. Taillon, a 29-year-old right-hander, would join a rotation headed by his former Pirates teammate Gerrit Cole. It also is projected to include Deivi García, Jordan Montgomery and Corey Kluber, who has a pending $11 million, one-year contract subject to a successful physical. In addition, Luis Severino is expected to return from Tommy John surgery last Feb. 27 and Domingo Germán is expected back from a domestic violence suspension that caused him to miss last season. This deal makes it less likely the Yankees will re-sign Masahiro Tanaka, who became a free agent. New York... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — It turns out that Joe Musgrove was prescient when, at 18, he got a tattoo of a baseball with the San Diego Padres' logo in it, along with his last name and the year he was born. His grandmother chewed him out, telling the teenager he had no idea if the Padres would draft him out of Grossmont High in suburban El Cajon. They didn't. A decade later, though, it's all good. The big right-hander finally is a member of his hometown Padres, who obtained him Tuesday from the rebuilding Pittsburgh Pirates in a seven-player, three-team trade that also included the New York Mets. Musgrove had some fun with his grandmother Tuesday via FaceTime. “I said, ‘Remember how stupid you made me feel when I got this at 18? I told you it would play out,'“ the right-hander said in a videoconference with reporters. ”We had a cool little moment with that." Three teams and six seasons into his big league career, Musgrove will toe the rubber at Petco Park wearing the brown and gold of a Padres team... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Joe Musgrove grew up a San Diego Padres fan and now the right-hander gets to pitch for his hometown team, which in less than a month has remade itself into perhaps one of the best in the major leagues. The Padres brought Musgrove home Tuesday, adding yet another starting pitcher via a seven-player trade involving the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets. The Padres, who believe they can contend for the World Series title, sent major league reliever David Bednar and three prospects — outfielder Hudson Head, left-hander Omar Cruz and right-hander Drake Fellows — to the rebuilding Pirates. The Padres sent left-hander Joey Lucchesi to New York, and the Pirates got catcher Endy Rodríguez from the Mets. Musgrove, who played at Grossmont High in suburban El Cajon, California, joins a rotation that includes Yu Darvish and Blake Snell, who were obtained in blockbuster trades after Christmas, and Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack. The Padres are considering using a six-man rotation... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres brought right-hander Joe Musgrove to his hometown team Tuesday, adding yet another starting pitcher in a seven-player trade involving the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets. The Padres, who believe they can contend for the World Series title, will send major league reliever David Bednar and three prospects —outfielder Hudson Head, left-hander Omar Cruz and right-hander Drake Fellows — to the Pirates. As part of the agreement, the Padres will send left-hander Joey Lucchesi to New York, and the Pirates will receive catcher Endy Rodríguez from the Mets. Musgrove, who played at Grossmont High in suburban El Cajon, California, joins a rotation that includes Yu Darvish and Blake Snell, who were obtained in blockbuster trades after Christmas. Musgrove heads from a Pirates team that had the worst record in the majors during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season to a Padres club that ended a 13-year playoff drought and believes it can make a deep postseason run... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor, Kris Bryant, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager were among 112 players who agreed to one-year contracts Friday, leaving just 13 to swap salary arbitration figures during a slow offseason in the aftermath of the financial carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The deals came on the deadline day for eligible players and teams to exchange proposed 2021 salaries. Lindor, the star shortstop acquired last week by the New York Mets from Cleveland, got the largest of the deals at $22.3 million. The Mets hope to sign him to a long-term contract that would prevent him from becoming a free agent at the end of the season. Lindor says he does not want to extend talks past when he starts spring training next month. Lindor's deal is the fourth-largest one-year contract for an arbitration-eligible player, trailing Mookie Betts ($27 million with Boston last year), Nolan Arenado ($26 million with Colorado in 2019) and Josh Donaldson ($23 million with Toronto in 2018).... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor, Kris Bryant, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager were among 112 players who agreed to one-year contracts Friday, leaving just 13 to swap salary arbitration figures during a slow offseason in the aftermath of the financial carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The deals came on the deadline day for players and teams to exchange proposed 2021 salaries. Lindor, the star shortstop acquired last week by the New York Mets from Cleveland, got the largest of the deals at $22.3 million. The Mets hope to sign him to a long-term contract that would prevent him from becoming a free agent at the end of the season. Lindor says he does not want to extend talks past when he starts spring training next month. Lindor's deal is the fourth-highest one-year contract for an arbitration-eligible player, trailing Mookie Betts ($27 million with Boston last year), Nolan Arenado ($26 million with Colorado in 2019) and Josh Donaldson ($23 million with Toronto in 2018). Bryant agreed... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor, Kris Bryant, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager were among 112 players who agreed to one-year contracts Friday, leaving just 13 to swap salary arbitration figures during a slow offseason in the aftermath of the financial carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The deals came on the deadline day for players and teams to exchange proposed 2021 salaries. Lindor, the star shortstop acquired last week by the New York Mets from Cleveland, got the largest of the deals at $22.3 million. The Mets hope to sign him to a long-term contract that would prevent him from becoming a free agent at the end of the season. Lindor says he does not want to extend talks past when he starts spring training next month. Bryant agreed to $19.5 million with the Chicago Cubs. He, too, can become a free agent after the season, falling one day shy of eligibility at the end of the 2020 season. The third baseman lost a grievance last offseason that claimed the Cubs delayed his call-up... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor, Kris Bryant, Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager were among 112 players who agreed to one-year contracts Friday, leaving just 13 to swap salary arbitration figures during a slow offseason in the aftermath of the financial carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The deals came on the deadline day for players and teams to exchange proposed 2021 salaries. Lindor, the star shortstop acquired last week by the New York Mets from Cleveland, got the largest of the deals at $22.3 million. The Mets hope to sign him to a long-term contract that would prevent him from becoming a free agent at the end of the season. Lindor says he does not want to extend talks past when he starts spring training next month. Bryant agreed to $19.5 million with the Chicago Cubs. He, too, can become a free agent after the season, falling one day shy of eligibility at the end of the 2020 season. The third baseman lost a grievance last offseason that claimed the Cubs delayed his call-up... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees made a pair of big moves on the free agent market, reaching a deal with right-hander Corey Kluber worth $11 million for one year and agreeing to a $90 million, six-year contract to keep AL batting champion DJ LeMahieu, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because each agreement is subject to a successful physical. Kluber, the 2014 and 2017 AL Cy Young Award winner, won 56 games for Cleveland over the 2016-18 seasons, then missed the rest of the 2019 season after he was hit on the right forearm that May 1 by a comebacker off the bat of Miami’s Brian Anderson. He finished 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA in seven starts. Traded after the season to Texas, Kluber tore a muscle in his right shoulder in his Rangers debut on July 26, finishing his season after one inning. The injury did not require surgery, and he held a workout for scouts on Wednesday. Kluber, who turns 35 on April 10, is a... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees made a pair of big moves on the free agent market, reaching a deal with right-hander Corey Kluber worth $11 million for one year and agreeing to a $90 million, six-year contract to keep AL batting champion DJ LeMahieu, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because each agreement is subject to a successful physical. Kluber, the 2014 and 2017 AL Cy Young Award winner, won 56 games for Cleveland over the 2016-18 seasons, then missed the rest of the 2019 season after he was hit on the right forearm that May 1 by a comebacker off the bat of Miami’s Brian Anderson. He finished 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA in seven starts. Traded after the season to Texas, Kluber tore a muscle in his right shoulder in his Rangers debut on July 26, finishing his season after one inning. The injury did not require surgery, and he held a workout for scouts on Wednesday. Kluber, who turns 35 on April 10, is a... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees manager Aaron Boone is treating DJ LeMahieu like he's any other member of the team this offseason. And he's hopeful that when New York gathers for spring training, the reigning big league batting champion will be there. A month and a half into baseball's offseason, LeMahieu remains a free agent. Although there's mutual interest in keeping the three-time All-Star in pinstripes, no deal has emerged. Boone routinely participates in sales pitches for free agents — including during last year's talks with ace Gerrit Cole — but he said Tuesday he's giving LeMahieu space to make his own decision. “This time of year, I text with guys every few weeks, check in with guys, and I’ve treated DJ in that same manner,” Boone said. “He knows I’m here if he needs to ask me anything.” The 32-year-old LeMahieu won his second batting crown last season by hitting .364, adding 10 home runs and 27 RBIs during the pandemic-shortened 60-game season. His .421 on-base percentage and 1.011 OPS... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees pitchers Zack Britton and Gerrit Cole, free agent catcher Jason Castro, Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor and free agent shortstop Marcus Semien were elected Friday to the executive subcommittee of the Major League Baseball Players Association. They join St. Louis pitcher Andrew Miller, free agent pitcher James Paxton and Washington pitcher Max Scherzer on the union’s highest-ranking member body. The newcomers replace Elvis Andrus, Cory Gearrin, Chris Iannetta, Collin McHugh and Daniel Murphy on the executive subcommittee. Lindor and Semien were elected alternate association player representatives, Britton a pension committee representative, and Cole an alternate pension committee representatives. Britton, Cole, Paxton and Scherzer are clients of agent Scott Boras. Semien is represented by the Wasserman agency, Lindor by SportsMeter, Miller by Frontline Athlete Management and Castro by ISE Baseball. Cole at $324 million over eight years and Scherzer at $210 million over six seasons are among baseball's highest-paid players. Britton has a $53 million, three-year deal and Miller a $34.5 million, three-year contract. Lindor is eligible for arbitration after making $17.5 million. Semien had a $13 million salary last season, Paxton $12.5 million and Castro $6.85 million. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports ¶

Total points on a 7-4-3-2-1 basisPlayer1st2nd3rd4th5thTotShane Bieber, Indians30----210Kenta Maeda, Twins-1842492Hyun-Jin Ryu, Blue Jays-475451Gerrit Cole, Yankees-2610450Dallas Keuchel, White Sox-545446Lance Lynn, Rangers-134122Lucas Giolito, White Sox--32518Chris Bassitt, Athletics--21210Dylan Bundy, Angels--1-25Liam Hendriks, Athletics---135Framber Valdez, Astros----11

Rays manager Kevin Cash stepped out of the dugout, and Blake Snell turned his head to curse. So too, no doubt, did fans watching on TV back in Tampa, Florida. Cash pulled Snell after 73 pitches and 5 1/3 sterling innings Tuesday night, turning Game 6 of the World Series over to his vaunted bullpen — a move that backfired immediately as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 3-1 victory to wrap up their first championship in 32 years. “I guess I regret it because it didn’t work out,” Cash said, later adding, “personally, I thought Blake had done his job and then some.” Cash was immediately criticized — by fans, broadcasters and players around the majors. “So who gets to pull the manager?” Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard tweeted. The decision, driven by advanced analytics, could come to define Cash, just as past pitching moves have followed other managers when they didn’t work out. A look back at other October mishaps: ___ 1951 NL PENNANT PLAYOFF GAME 3 Who knows? Bobby Thomson’s famed “Shot... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Houston Astros spent this odyssey of a season as baseball's biggest villains. When Aledmys Diaz flied out with a runner on first to end Game 7 of the AL Championship Series, the bad guys finally lost. Ridiculed, roasted and ripped all year long after the revelation of the franchise's sign-stealing tactics in previous seasons, the Astros still summoned enough October heart and poise to reach the brink of another World Series. Manager Dusty Baker's club even came agonizingly close to matching the biggest playoff comeback in baseball history in a wild ALCS. “The legacy of this group is that these guys are ballplayers, and these guys are men," said Baker, who took over the team in January. “They’ve been through a whole bunch other than on the ballfield, and these guys can forget whatever problems that they’ve had that’s out there and come together as a group. These guys will be forever friends.” Houston fell behind early and never caught up in a 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay in... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Houston Astros spent this odyssey of a season as baseball's biggest villains. When Aledmys Diaz flied out with a runner on first to end Game 7 of the AL Championship Series, the bad guys finally lost. Ridiculed, roasted and ripped all year long, the Astros still summoned enough October heart and poise to reach the brink of another World Series. Manager Dusty Baker's club even came agonizingly close to matching the biggest playoff comeback in baseball history in a wild ALCS. Although they couldn't quite conjure one more incredible postseason feat, this playoff run should be a source of pride for these Astros long after the boos stop. Although if fans are allowed back in most stadiums in 2021, this tarnished franchise probably won't hear the end of 2020 anytime soon. Houston fell behind early and never caught up in a 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay in Game 7 on Saturday night, coming up short of an astonishing series comeback after three consecutive victories. After winning two... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner apologized to the team’s fans for its postseason failure, much like his father did 39 years earlier. The Yankees were eliminated with a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, losing 3-2 in the Division Series. They have won the World Series once since 2000, in 2009. “I’m very disappointed, obviously,” Steinbrenner said Tuesday on ESPN New York radio. “We invested a lot of time, energy, money into the team last offseason, and we all felt that we had a team that could win a championship, and we failed to do that. We didn’t even come close. So right now, at this point in time, all I can do is apologize to our fans. They deserved a better outcome than they got. Period. I mean, they just did.” George Steinbrenner issued a similar statement following the team’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a six-game World Series in 1981. ?I want to sincerely apologize to the people of New York and to the fans of the New York Yankees everywhere for the performance... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today: ___ SHAKY ‘STROS Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros face a 2-0 hole against Tampa Bay in the AL Championship Series and have hardly looked like a club that’s won two of the past three AL pennants. Altuve made two throwing errors from second base during a 4-2 defeat in Game 2, including a short-hop toss that preceded a three-run homer by Manuel Margot. After the second error — both from shallow right field as part of infield shifts — Altuve and shortstop Carlos Correa began to swap positions in the formation. “You just hope he isn’t getting the yips, because invariably they come in bunches,” said manager Dusty Baker, who gave Altuve a hug in the dugout after the second error. “Everything comes in bunches. I just told him to flush it. This guy has been awesome for us. You’ve got to flush it and move on, or else it multiplies. I’m sure he’ll do that.” The Astros have also had a lousy go with runners on base. They’re 3 for 16 in the series... [More]