MIAMI (AP) — Three-time All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp has agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins and is expected to take part in spring training.Kemp batted .200 in 20 games for the Cincinnati Reds last year before breaking a rib on April 21. He then spent time in the Mets' minor league system.Kemp, 35, is a career .285 hitter with 281 home runs in 14 seasons for four teams. He was runner-up for the NL MVP in 2011 and is a two-time Gold Glove winner.He'll join an unsettled outfield as the Marlins continue to rebuild and audition prospects next spring under owner Derek Jeter.___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CINCINNATI (AP) — Mike Moustakas watched the Reds from the visiting dugout and saw a team on the rise. He decided to become a key part in the franchise's attempt to become a winner again.The All-Star infielder completed a $64 million, four-year contract with Cincinnati on Thursday, the biggest free agent deal in franchise history.They agreed to the deal earlier in the week. Moustakas was in town to sign it and get introduced at the team's annual fan festival this weekend.“Being on the other side, playing in Milwaukee, I was able to see what these guys had and what they were bringing to the table," Moustakas said after pulling on a No. 9 Reds uniform. “I want to make this team a little better and get to the postseason. The most addictive thing is postseason baseball."Moustakas becomes the second-highest paid player on the roster behind Joey Votto, who makes $25 million each of the next four seasons. Moustakas gets $12 million next year, $14 million in 2021, $16 million in 2022 and $18 million... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Mike Moustakas watched the Reds from the visiting dugout and saw a team on the rise. He decided to become a key part in the franchise's attempt to become a winner again.The All-Star infielder completed a $64 million, four-year contract with Cincinnati on Thursday, the biggest free agent deal in franchise history.They agreed to the deal earlier in the week. Moustakas was in town to sign it and get introduced at the team's annual fan festival this weekend.“Being on the other side, playing in Milwaukee, I was able to see what these guys had and what they were bringing to the table," Moustakas said after pulling on a No. 9 Reds uniform. “I want to make this team a little better and get to the postseason. The most addictive thing is postseason baseball."Moustakas becomes the second-highest paid player on the roster behind Joey Votto, who makes $25 million each of the next four seasons. Moustakas gets $12 million next year, $14 million in 2021, $16 million in 2022 and $18 million... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — All-Star infielder Mike Moustakas completed a $64 million, four-year contract Thursday with the Cincinnati Reds, the biggest free agent deal in franchise history.They agreed to the deal earlier in the week. Moustakas was in town to sign it Thursday and get introduced at the team's annual fan festival.He gets $12 million next year, $14 million in 2021, $16 million in 2022 and $18 million in 2023. Cincinnati has a $20 million option for 2024 with a $4 million buyout.Moustakas has a $250,000 bonus for winning an MVP award, $200,000 for finishing second and $150,000 for third. He would receive $100,000 for winning a Gold Glove, and $75,000 apiece for becoming an All-Star or winning a Silver Slugger. He will donate 1% of his base salary to the Reds' charity. The Reds have become active in free agency the last two years, trying to escape a rut of six straight losing seasons. They signed Moustakas from the NL Central-rival Brewers. The 31-year-old infielder will plug the Reds'... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — All-Star infielder Mike Moustakas completed a $64 million, four-year contract Thursday with the Cincinnati Reds, the biggest free agent deal in franchise history.They agreed to the deal earlier in the week. Moustakas was in town to sign it Thursday and get introduced at the team's annual fan festival.The Reds have become active in free agency the last two years, trying to escape a rut of six straight losing seasons. They signed Moustakas from the NL Central-rival Brewers. The 31-year-old infielder will plug the Reds' hole at second base, which opened when Scooter Gennett got hurt and then was traded at midseason.Cincinnati scored the fourth-fewest runs in the NL last season despite one of the league’s most hitter-friendly ballparks. Bulking up on offense is their top priority in the offseason.“Mike is a proven performer on winning teams, and we are excited to add his power and experience to our roster," Reds owner Bob Castellini said.Moustakas hit .254 with 35 homers and... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — All-Star infielder Mike Moustakas and the Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a $64 million, four-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, the team’s first move to upgrade a lineup that struggled to score.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the agreement had not been announced.For the second consecutive offseason, the active Reds are splurging as they try to shake themselves out of a rut of six straight losing seasons. Their first move involves getting a player from the NL Central-rival Milwaukee Brewers. The 31-year-old Moustakas could fill the Reds’ hole at second base that opened when Scooter Gennett got hurt and then was traded last season.Cincinnati scored the fourth-fewest runs in the NL last season despite one of the league’s most hitter-friendly ballparks. Bulking up on offense, stabilizing the outfield and overhauling the bullpen are the Reds’ priorities in the offseason.Moustakas is a first step toward... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — All-Star infielder Mike Moustakas and the Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a $64 million, four-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, the team’s first move to upgrade a lineup that struggled to score.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the agreement had not been announced.For the second straight offseason, the Reds are making a splurge in free agency as they try to shake themselves out of a rut of six straight losing seasons. Their first move involves getting a player from the NL Central-rival Milwaukee Brewers. The 31-year-old could fill the Reds’ hole at second base that opened when Scooter Gennett got hurt and then was traded last season.Cincinnati scored the fourth-fewest runs in the NL last season despite one of the league’s most hitter-friendly ballparks. Bulking up on offense, stabilizing the outfield and overhauling the bullpen are the Reds’ priorities in the offseason.Moustakas is a first step toward... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — All-Star infielder Mike Moustakas and the Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a $64 million, four-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, the team’s first move to upgrade a lineup that struggled to score.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the agreement had not been announced.For the second straight offseason, the Reds are making a splurge in free agency as they try to shake themselves out of a rut of six straight losing seasons. Their first move involves getting a player from the NL Central-rival Milwaukee Brewers. The 31-year-old could fill the Reds’ hole at second base that opened when Scooter Gennett got hurt and then was traded last season.Cincinnati scored the fourth-fewest runs in the NL last season despite one of the league’s most hitter-friendly ballparks. Bulking up on offense, stabilizing the outfield and overhauling the bullpen are the Reds’ priorities in the offseason.Moustakas is a first step toward... [More]

A list of players who hit home runs in their first World Series at-bat:Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals, 2019Eduardo Nunez, Boston Red Sox, 2018Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2018Chris Taylor, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2017Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies, 2008Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox, 2007Bobby Kielty, Boston Red Sox, 2007Geoff Blum, Chicago White Sox, 2005Mike Lamb, Houston Astros, 2005David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox, 2004Troy Glaus, Anaheim Angels, 2002Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants, 2002x-Andruw Jones, Atlanta Braves, 1996Fred McGriff, Atlanta Braves, 1995Ed Sprague, Toronto Blue Jays, 1992Eric Davis, Cincinnati Reds, 1990Bill Bathe, San Francisco Giants, 1989Jose Canseco, Oakland Athletics, 1988Mickey Hatcher, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1988Jim Dwyer, Baltimore Orioles, 1983Bob Watson, New York Yankees, 1981Amos Otis, Kansas City Royals, 1980Doug DeCinces, Baltimore Orioles, 1979Jim Mason, New York Yankees, 1976x-Gene Tenace, Oakland Athletics, 1972Don Buford, Baltimore Orioles, 1969Mickey Lolich, Detroit Tigers, 1968Jose Santiago, Boston Red Sox, 1967Brooks Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, 1966Don Mincher, Minnesota Twins, 1965Roger Maris, New York Yankees, 1960Elston Howard, New York Yankees, 1955Dusty Rhodes, New York Giants, 1954George Selkirk, New York Yankees, 1936Mel Ott, New York Giants, 1933George Watkins, St. Louis Cardinals, 1930Joe Harris, Washington Senators, 1925Chick Fewster, New York Yankees, 1921___x-homered first two at-bats

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds have fired hitting coach Turner Ward after one season.President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams announced Ward's dismissal Tuesday.Ward was hired as part of first-year manager David Bell's staff last offseason after three years as hitting coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Cincinnati finished the season 75-87, an eight-game improvement from 2018 after adding veteran hitters Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp — both from the Dodgers — plus three starting pitchers. While the pitching improved, the offense was mostly worse.In a year when power surged around the majors, the Reds upped their home run total from 172 to 227 but declined in nearly every other category. They dipped in batting average and on-base percentage, struck out more often and narrowly improved their output from 696 runs to 701. A number of key players regressed, notably star Joey Votto, who hit .261 with 15 home runs.Williams thanked Ward in a statement but added that "as we reflected on this season, it became clear that we lacked the alignment we were seeking with our offensive approach."___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CINCINNATI (AP) — The bases were loaded and the 27,774 fans were on their feet begging for a hit that would allow retiring broadcaster Marty Brennaman to proclaim one final, glorious time: "This one belongs to the Reds!"It never happened. Jose Peraza flied out routinely to end the eighth-inning rally, leaving fans crestfallen over yet another wasted opportunity in a season full of them. The Reds lost their final home game 5-3 to the Brewers."And that has been the essence of this ballclub the entire season," Brennaman summed up.Marty nailed it.The Reds tried an unorthodox strategy to become relevant in 2019. Rather than keeping with their plan of rebuilding with young players, they became movers and shakers in the offseason, bringing in veterans who were in the final years of their deals.Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood, Tanner Roark and Sonny Gray came aboard, with Gray agreeing to a contract extension while the others were a season away from free agency. The Reds accomplished their overriding... [More]

Aug. 111907 — In the second game of a doubleheader, shortened by agreement, Ed Karger of the St. Louis Cardinals pitched a seven-inning perfect game, beating the Boston Braves 4-0.1926 — Tris Speaker of Cleveland hit his 700th career double but the Indians lost to the Chicago White Sox, 7-2. The double came in the third inning off Joe Edwards.1929 — Babe Ruth hit his 500th career home run in the second inning off Willis Hudlin at Cleveland's League Park. The homer was Ruth's 30th of the year, but it wasn't enough as the Indians beat the Yankees 6-5.1951 — Robin Roberts of the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Giants 4-0, dropping the Giants 13 1/2 games behind the first-place Brooklyn Dodgers.1961 — Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves scattered six hits to beat the Chicago Cubs, 2-1, for his 300th career victory.1970 — Philadelphia's Jim Bunning beat the Houston Astros 6-5 to become the first pitcher to win 100 games in both leagues since Cy Young.1986 — Cincinnati player-manager... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler has been placed on the 10-day injured list because of shoulder fatigue, which could complicate efforts by the out-of-contention team to trade the right-hander before the July 31 deadline.New York made the move retroactive to Friday, and Wheeler will be eligible to be activated July 22.Wheeler last started July 7 and the Mets said Monday the injury was discovered following the All-Star break. Steven Matz will start in Wheeler's place Tuesday night at Minnesota.Wheeler is 6-6 with a 4.69 ERA in 19 starts this season, striking out 130 and walking 34 in 119 innings. The 29-year-old, 39-36 in five big league seasons, is eligible for free agency after the World Series.New York (42-51) won two of three at Miami last weekend in a matchup of the teams with the two poorest records in the National League.NOTES: Veteran outfielder Matt Kemp was released by Triple-A Syracuse last weekend. The 34-year-old Kemp, a three-time All-Star, was 8 for 34 (.235) with a home run for Syracuse after agreeing to a minor league contract with the Mets in late May. He was released May 4 by Cincinnati after being sidelined since April 23 with a broken left rib.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals traded Homer Bailey to the Oakland Athletics for minor league infielder Kevin Merrell on Sunday after scratching the veteran right-hander about 45 minutes before his scheduled start of their series finale against Detroit.The 33-year-old Bailey has rebounded this season with the Royals after signing a minor league deal in February. He is 7-6 with a 4.80 ERA, but he's been especially good over his past seven starts, giving the A's some additional help as they seek a playoff run in the second half.The A's began the day six back in the AL West and just ahead of Cleveland for a wild-card spot."We're trying to get incrementally better wherever we can," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said "Before he got hurt obviously was an electric arm and it seems like he's coming back to form at this point. I think it makes our rotation better and that's the objective."Bailey joins a rotation that has been battered by numerous injuries and a suspension to nine-game... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals traded Homer Bailey to the Oakland Athletics for minor league infielder Kevin Merrell on Sunday after scratching the veteran right-hander about 45 minutes before his scheduled start of their series finale against Detroit.The 33-year-old Bailey has rebounded this season with the Royals after signing a minor league deal in February. He is 7-6 with a 4.80 ERA, but he's been especially good over his past seven starts, giving the A's some additional help as they seek a playoff run in the second half.The A's began the day six back in the AL West and just ahead of Cleveland for a wild-card spot."Homer did a tremendous job of fitting in and doing what he needed to do to become a more consistent pitcher again," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "This is a good baseball deal for everybody."The rebuilding Royals signed Bailey with the intention of flipping him ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, and he is almost certainly the start of several... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals traded Homer Bailey to the Oakland Athletics for minor league infielder Kevin Merrell on Sunday after scratching the veteran right-hander about 45 minutes before his scheduled start of their series finale against Detroit.The 33-year-old Bailey has rebounded this season with the Royals after signing a minor league deal in February. He is 7-6 with a 4.80 ERA, but he's been especially good over his past seven starts, giving the A's some additional help as they seek a playoff run in the second half.The A's began the day six back in the AL West and just ahead of Cleveland for a wild-card spot.The rebuilding Royals signed Bailey with the intention of flipping him ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, and he is almost certainly the start of several transactions.Royals general manager Dayton Moore has made it known that only a select few players, such as infielders Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi, are unavailable as contenders begin to come calling."You're... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Former three-time All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp has been released by the New York Mets.Kemp signed a minor league contract with the Mets on May 24 and played in eight games for Triple-A Syracuse, hitting .235 with one home run and three RBIs."We're going to exhaust every effort we can to find the best players we can and we've got a couple of veteran guys we have tried out, some work, some don't," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said.The 34-year-old Kemp made the NL All-Star team last season in his second stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers, finishing with a .290 batting average, 21 home runs and 85 RBIs.He was traded to Cincinnati in the offseason as part of a deal with Yasiel Puig and appeared in 20 games for the Reds this season, hitting .200 with one home run and five RBIs before sustaining a broken rib after colliding into the outfield wall during a game in San Diego on April 21."I like Matt," said Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly, who was Kemp's manager for four seasons... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — For a day, Will Smith was in for quite a treat — teammates with Clayton Kershaw, Freddie Freeman and Christian Yelich.Soon, the San Francisco reliever could be playing with one of them for real.Smith went into the All-Star Game on Tuesday night well aware his days with the last-place Giants might be dwindling."If I get traded, it'll be the fourth time," the left-hander said. "After the first one, you're kind of numb to it."Fellow All-Star pitchers Marcus Stroman, Shane Greene and Brad Hand also are possible trade targets as the July 31 deadline approaches.Hand is an old hand at this. The San Diego Padres sent the left-hander to Cleveland just two days after the 2018 All-Star Game, during the break."I didn't really think I was going to get traded last year," Hand said Monday. "It's part of what we signed up for. ... There's really nothing you can do about it unless you have a no-trade clause.""I mean obviously there's a select handful of guys whose names are always thrown... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Looking to replenish their depth, the banged-up New York Mets agreed to minor league contracts Friday with veteran outfielder Matt Kemp and pitcher Ervin Santana.Each move is pending a successful physical, and both players are expected to report to the club's spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida.The 34-year-old Kemp, who made his third All-Star team last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was released May 4 by Cincinnati. He batted .200 with a home run and five RBIs for the Reds and had been sidelined since April 23 with a broken left rib."Obviously, still pretty high ceiling," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said following a 9-8 loss to Detroit. "He's been playing well the last couple years. He had a good year very recently. So we're going to send him down to Florida, very similar to Santana, and get him in playing shape and see what we've got. Just another piece that at some point may be able to help us."The 36-year-old Santana, a two-time All-Star, became... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Looking to replenish their depth, the banged-up New York Mets agreed to minor league contracts Friday with veteran outfielder Matt Kemp and pitcher Ervin Santana.Each move is pending a successful physical, and both players are expected to report to the club's spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida.The 34-year-old Kemp, who made his third All-Star team last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was released May 4 by Cincinnati. He batted .200 with a home run and five RBIs for the Reds and had been sidelined since April 23 with a broken left rib.The 36-year-old Santana, a two-time All-Star, became a free agent on April 29, three days after he was designated for assignment by the White Sox, who signed him for a $4.3 million salary this year. He was 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA in three starts for Chicago this season."It's just another depth piece for us and one that has some upside to it, because when he gets rolling, he can be a pretty good pitcher," Mets manager Mickey... [More]