CINCINNATI (AP) — Speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton became a free agent when the Cincinnati Reds failed to offer a 2019 contract by Friday's deadline.The 28-year-old hit .236 with four homers and 29 RBIs this year as his stolen bases dropped to 34. He swiped 56 bases and in 2014 and increased his total by one annually in each of the next three seasons.Hamilton had a $4.6 million salary on the last-place Reds, who went 67-95. He would have been eligible for free agency after next season.Cincinnati also failed to offer contracts to outfielder-first baseman Jordan Patterson, outfielder Aristides Aquino and catcher Juan Graterol.___More AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Allard Baird believes the New York Mets are ready to win now."You need impact starting pitching and they have it here. That was one of the attractive things," he said Thursday, a day after leaving the World Series champion Boston Red Sox to become an assistant general manager under new Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen.New York's rotation is headed by NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, and it also includes Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz and Jason Vargas,But the Mets were next to last in the major leagues with a .234 batting average, just ahead of Philadelphia, and 21st with 170 home runs. Three years after winning the NL pennant, New York finished fourth in the NL East at 77-85."There are areas that we need to improve, and I know Brody is working extremely hard, as well as everybody else in the organization, to get there as quick as possible," Baird said. "I think it goes well beyond the major league club. It's the things that do not make the headlines that... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Jim Riggleman, a 66-year-old veteran of 13 seasons as a major league manager, has been hired by the New York Mets as bench coach for Mickey Callaway.Riggleman was Cincinnati's bench coach from 2016 until he became interim manager for 5½ months last season, and he led the Reds to a 64-80 record after the team's 3-15 start under Bryan Price. David Bell was hired by the Reds on Oct. 21.Riggleman, a native of Fort Dix, New Jersey, also managed the Chicago Cubs (1995-99), Seattle (2008) and Washington (2009-11). He has a 726-904 (.445) record as a big league manager.He replaces Gary DiSarcina, who is shifting to third base coach in a move announced earlier this month. Glen Sherlock moves from third to first and Ruben Amaro Jr. shifts from first to front officer adviser.New York, which announced the hiring Monday, went 77-85 in Callaway's first season as a manager, and Callaway drew scrutiny for his game management.In a 2-1, 10-inning loss at Cincinnati on May 9, Asdrubal Cabrera... [More]

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani was rocked for seven runs over 1 1/3 innings in his second major league spring training start for the Los Angeles Angels, allowing long home runs to Colorado's Ian Desmond and Nolan Arenado that went over the left-field berm on Friday.The 23-year-old Japanese two-way star made his first big league exhibition appearance since Feb. 24, when he pitched 1 1/3 innings against Milwaukee and gave up Keon Broxton's home run leading off the second.Against the Rockies, he walked NL batting champion Charlie Blackmon leading off and allowed Arenado's one-out single before escaping a first-inning jam.Desmond homered starting the second, Ohtani hit Chris Iannetta with a pitch, Mike Tauchman singled and Jordan Patterson loaded the bases when his popup dropped for a single.Blackmon hit a two-run single, DJ LeMahieu reached on a run-scoring infield single for a 4-0 lead and Arenado hit a three-run homer. Ohtani struck out Trevor Story for the second time and was removed... [More]

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani was rocked for seven runs over 1 1/3 innings in his second major league spring training start for the Los Angeles Angels, allowing long home runs to Colorado's Ian Desmond and Nolan Arenado on Friday.The 23-year-old Japanese two-way star was making his first big league exhibition appearance since Feb. 24, when he pitched 1 1/3 innings against Milwaukee and gave up Keon Broxton's home run leading off the second.Against the Rockies, he walked NL batting champion Charlie Blackmon leading off and allowed Arenado's one-out single before escaping the jam.Desmond homered starting the second, Ohtani hit Chris Iannetta with a pitch, Mike Tauchman singled and Jordan Patterson loaded the bases when his popup dropped for a single.Blackmon hit a two-run single, DJ LeMahieu reached on a run-scoring infield single for a 4-0 lead and Arenado hit a three-run homer. Ohtani struck out Trevor Story for the second time and was removed after allowing seven hits.

Patterson, 23, is slashing .298/.363/.550 across 146 plate appearances at Double-A New Britain this season.

After posting a .408 wOBA during his time earlier this season in the California League, Patterson has quelled any doubts that his numbers were merely a byproduct of playing in a hitter-friendly environment. In the much more neutral Eastern League, Patterson has not only delivered the same .408 wOBA mark thus far, but has also trimmed his strikeout rate (26.0% to 18.5%) and risen his walk rate (5.6% to 6.8%). He's provided a solid dash of power (15 doubles, six homers) and speed (eight steals) at New Britain to accompany that fantastic slash line, and looks like he has a real chance at reaching the big leagues down the line.

Patterson, 23, was promoted to Double-A New Britain earlier this week. He's gone 2-for-8 at the plate in his first two games with the club.

The lefty-hitting outfielder has joined the conversation as a potential top-10 prospect for the Rockies after dominating the California League. Patterson posted an impressive 155 wRC+ over his 339 plate appearances with High-A Modesto prior to his promotion, slugging 10 homers, 12 triples, and 26 doubles en route to producing a .304/.378/.568 batting line. Those figures were buoyed considerably by a .400 BABIP, as Patterson's walk (5.6%) and strikeout (26.0%) rates actually trended in the wrong directions from his percentages over the previous season at Low-A Asheville. Even if he was the beneficiary of some fortunate luck, Patterson was nonetheless deserving of an opportunity to face some higher-level pitching. If he can prove in the second half that his performance in the hitter-friendly confines of Modesto wasn't a fluke, Patterson could be a candidate to see a call-up to the big leagues at some point in late 2016.

Patterson, 23, is hitting .315/.384/.569 across 214 plate appearances with High-A Modesto.

Patterson's .316 average ranks second among players from all levels of the Rockies' system, and it's been supplemented by plenty of pop. Though the outfielder has only homered four times, he leads Modesto with 10 triples and is second with 18 doubles. That sort of gap power portends well for Patterson, who could earn a promotion to Double-A New Britain before season's end.

Patterson is hitting .337 with three homers and four stolen bases over 108 plate appearances at High-A Modesto.

Patterson was viewed as a fringe prospect for the Rockies heading into the season, but his early success at Modesto has his stock on the rise. The 23-year-old offers an intriguing blend of size (6-foot-4, 205 pounds), power, and speed, which gives him a chance to stand out from the rest of the crowd as he advances through the system. He likely projects as a fourth outfielder for the big club if his development continues on this sort of trajectory.