LAS VEGAS (AP) — Buster Posey's recovery from right hip surgery might limit how much the San Francisco All-Star catches during spring training and at the start of the season.Posey had surgery in late August to repair a torn labrum in the hip and remove an impingement."Certainly with a guy like Buster coming off the major surgery it might impact his spring training workload and maybe even his early season workload, but for now all the indications are positive that he'll be 100 percent," new Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said at the winter meetings.The 31-year-old Posey played in just 105 games and his power numbers dipped with the hip affecting him all year. He batted .284 with five home runs and 41 RBIs.Right-hander Jeff Samardzija is beginning a throwing program after he was limited to 10 starts and 44 2/3 innings in 2018 because of recurring shoulder problems. Center fielder Steven Duggar, who suffered a season-ending left shoulder injury in late August from a hard,... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Deal the New York Yankees in for the Manny Machado tournament. And J.T. Realmuto? A lot of teams already are sitting at that table.The baseball winter meetings began in earnest along the Vegas Strip on Monday, and clubs slowly started to show their cards.Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler are attracting trade interest, the Mets say. Corey Kluber and Madison Bumgarner keep popping up in swap speculation. But still no indication of where hometown slugger Bryce Harper might go.A couple of moves got done — speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton sprinted to the Kansas City Royals, pitcher Tyson Ross went to Detroit.The Yankees, as usual, were on the prowl.Always ramping up the rivalry with the champion Boston Red Sox, the Yankees linked themselves to Machado. General manager Brian Cashman said he's been talking to the infielder's agent."So we are definitely focused in the marketplace on those areas of need and he, obviously, is available and solves that area of need," Cashman said.... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on Major League Baseball's winter meetings (all times local):5:33 p.m.The Texas Rangers have claimed infielder Carlos Asuaje off waivers from San Diego.Asuaje was designated for assignment Friday after spending parts of the past three seasons with the Padres, hitting .240 in 175 games. He also played at Triple-A El Paso last season, hitting .314 in 47 games.The 27-year-old Asuaje has played mostly second base in the major leagues, but has seen time at third base and left field as a pro. He has a .289 career batting average in the minors.Asuaje was an 11th-round pick by Boston in 2013 and was traded to San Diego two years later in the deal involving closer Craig Kimbrel.___4:15 p.m.Harold Baines knows there a lot of fans questioning whether his credentials are worthy of the Hall of Fame. He's not sweating that."Well, they can't take it away from me now, even if they don't think I should be there," he told The Associated Press.Baines was elected to Cooperstown... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says he has been talking about Manny Machado with the infielder's agent.New York shortstop Didi Gregorius is expected to miss at least half of next season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, leaving the team in search of an infielder."I've had several conversations with Dan Lozano about Manny Machado," Cashman said Monday at the winter meetings. "So we are we are definitely focused in the marketplace on those areas of need and he, obviously, is available and solves that area of need. So, not going to deny we've had a conversation. Or two."Cashman said last month that Machado would have to explain his comments that he isn't "Johnny Hustle" and his failure to run hard on the bases, which became glaring in the postseason. Cashman would not say whether he plans to meet with Machado.Bryce Harper, the other top free agent, appears to be of little interest to the Yankees, at least publicly. Asked whether he had met with the Las Vegas... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds have claimed left-hander Robby Scott off waivers from the Boston Red Sox.The 29-year-old reliever was 0-1 over nine relief appearances and 6 2/3 innings for Boston this year. He was 3-3 with a 1.36 ERA in 45 games for Triple-A Pawtucket, striking out 63 in 48 1/3 innings.Cincinnati announced the move Monday at the winter meetings.___For more AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/apf-Baseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Free agent right-hander Tyson Ross and the Detroit Tigers have reached a one-year deal for $5.75 million.The agreement came Monday at the winter meetings.Ross went a combined 8-9 with a 4.15 ERA for San Diego and St. Louis last season. He made 22 starts for the Padres, was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals in early August and pitched nine times for them, eight in relief.The 31-year-old Ross held righty hitters to a .176 batting average.Ross is 43-65 with a 3.95 ERA in nine seasons. He made his debut with Oakland in 2010 and was an All-Star with San Diego in 2014.Ross' contract includes $250,000 in roster bonuses — $50,000 for being with the major league team on opening day and $100,000 each for May 1 and June 1.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi loved what he started in Boston — emphasis on started."There were a lot of teams that reached out, wanted me to be a closer," he said. "I view myself as a starter, and that's something I've always done my entire career. And I enjoy doing that. So if I had that choice, I still wanted to be a starter."After shifting to the bullpen for three World Series relief appearances, including an epic 97-pitch outing in an 18-inning loss , Eovaldi decided last week to stay with the Red Sox for a $68 million, four-year contract ."I can't wait to see him again with us. He's going to be a huge part of this rotation," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday during a winter meetings news conference. "He's a workaholic."Eovaldi averaged nearly 98 mph with his fastball during the regular season but reached 100 mph six times in the first two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, not needing to hold back. That velocity intrigued teams as he became a free agent.Before October, Eovaldi's... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals and speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton have agreed to a $5.25 million contract for next season that includes up to $1 million in incentives, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday.The Royals hope that spacious Kauffman Stadium will allow Hamilton to better use his speed than the bandbox of Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, where he spent his first six seasons with the Reds. The person who confirmed the deal spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the deal was pending a physical.The 28-year-old Hamilton made his big league debut in 2013, then proceeded to have four consecutive seasons in which he stole at least 50 bases. That number dipped to 34 last season, when the switch-hitting Hamilton hit .236 with four homers and 29 RBIs as the Reds' everyday center fielder.The Reds ultimately did not tender Hamilton a contract after paying him $4.6 million in the second year of arbitration. The Royals now... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Baseball players may get a little more sleep when traveling after Sunday night games next year.ESPN announced Monday it is moving up the starting time of the nationally televised game by one hour, with the first pitch planned for shortly after 7 p.m. Eastern."From a travel perspective, it's amazing what (difference) one hour can make," said Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, whose World Series champions already have been selected for five Sunday night games next year.Philadelphia hosts Atlanta in the first Sunday night game next season, on March 31, the second game of a television doubleheader that begins with Texas playing the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.Among other Sunday night games next year will be a World Series rematch between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston at Fenway Park on July 14, four games between the Red Sox and New York Yankees (June 2 and Aug. 4 in the Bronx, July 28 and Sept. 8 in Boston) and the Little League Classic... [More]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Phillies manager Gabe Kapler intends to be more publicly critical of his players in his second season following his team's late fade.Philadelphia led the NL East in early August, then went 16-33 and wound up with its sixth straight losing record at 80-82."One thing that I can do immediately that I think will really resonate well with our fans in Philadelphia is ... as much as I illuminate some of the things we're doing very well, I can be a little more assertive in illuminating the things that we need to work on," he said Monday at the winter meetings. "I do think that our fans demand that we hold them accountable. I think that I've shared and demonstrated to our fans that I do that behind closed doors. And I think that many of them would like to see me create that really high bar publicly. And I'm committed to doing that."Phillies president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail reinforced that message during an offseason dinner."Andy did say that he thinks that holding... [More]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says the Kansas City Royals and outfielder Billy Hamilton have agreed to a $5.25 million contract for next season that includes up to $1 million in incentives.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the deal was pending a physical. No official announcement was expected as general managers were meeting in Las Vegas.Hamilton made $4.6 million with the Cincinnati Reds last season, when he was their everyday center fielder, but he was not tendered a contract for this season. The career .236 hitter's biggest attribute is his speed — he stole at least 50 bases four straight seasons before dipping to 34 last season.He helps to solidify what had been a shaky outfield for Kansas City last season.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Paul Goldschmidt and Robinson Cano have already switched teams this offseason, going to the Cardinals and Mets in major trades.As for Manny Machado and Bryce Harper — the jewels of the free agent market — they're still waiting.Patrick Corbin and Josh Donaldson are already signed, but there are plenty of significant free agents still available heading into the winter meetings this week. The market appears less sluggish than a year ago, and Machado and Harper will remain focal points.Here's a look at the top free agents — broken down by position — who are still available. Players are listed with their most recent teams, with their ages in parentheses:LEFT-HANDED STARTERDallas Keuchel, Astros (30)With Corbin off the board , Keuchel may be the top remaining starter on the market. He slipped a bit after his Cy Young-winning performance of 2015, but this past season was encouraging from a health standpoint. He made a career-high 34 starts and posted a 3.74 ERA.Other options: J.A. Happ hasn't... [More]

Paul Goldschmidt and Robinson Cano have already switched teams this offseason, going to the Cardinals and Mets in major trades.As for Manny Machado and Bryce Harper — the jewels of the free agent market — they're still waiting.Patrick Corbin and Josh Donaldson are already signed, but there are plenty of significant free agents still available heading into the winter meetings this week. The market appears less sluggish than a year ago, and Machado and Harper will remain focal points.Here's a look at the top free agents — broken down by position — who are still available. Players are listed with their most recent teams, with their ages in parentheses:LEFT-HANDED STARTERDallas Keuchel, Astros (30)With Corbin off the board , Keuchel may be the top remaining starter on the market. He slipped a bit after his Cy Young-winning performance of 2015, but this past season was encouraging from a health standpoint. He made a career-high 34 starts and posted a 3.74 ERA.Other options: J.A. Happ hasn't... [More]

Mike Napoli has announced his retirement after 12 years in the majors that included three trips to the World Series.The 37-year-old Napoli, who did not play last season because of a knee injury, announced his decision Saturday on Twitter .Napoli batted .246 with 267 homers and 744 RBIs over 1,392 games with the Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians. He entered the majors as a catcher before switching to first base.He had his best season in 2016 when he helped lead the Indians to the World Series. Napoli set career highs with 34 homers and 101 RBIs and was invaluable as a clubhouse leader for manager Terry Francona.He helped Boston win the Series in 2013 and reached the Fall Classic with the Rangers in 2011. Napoli was an All-Star in 2012.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BARQUISIMETO, Venezuela (AP) — Dozens of Venezuelans waited in line outside a chapel in the state of Lara on Saturday, hoping to bid farewell to former major league baseball player Luis Valbuena, who was killed in a car accident along with teammate Jose Castillo.The corpse of Castillo was moved earlier in the morning to a different central-west state.The 33-year-old Valbuena and 37-year-old Castillo were both former players for the Houston Astros.They died late Thursday when their SUV crashed as it tried to veer around an object put on the road. Officials said some bandits place or throw objects on highways to force vehicles to stop so they can rob the occupants.Yaracuy state Gov. Julio Leon Heredia said four people were detained after being found with property of the athletes.Valbuena and Castillo were teammates on the Cardenales de Lara team in the Venezuelan winter league and were returning from a game in the capital when the crash occurred en route to the city of Barquisimeto in Lara.No... [More]

BARQUISIMETO, Venezuela (AP) — Dozens of Venezuelans waited in lines outside a chapel in the state of Lara on Saturday, hoping to bid farewell to former major league baseball player Luis Valbuena, who was killed in a car accident along with teammate Jose Castillo.The corpse of Castillo was moved earlier in the morning to a different central-west state.The 33-year-old Valbuena and 37-year-old Castillo were both former players for the Houston Astros.They died late Thursday when their SUV crashed as it tried to veer around an object put on the road. Officials said some bandits place or throw objects on highways to force vehicles to stop so they can rob the occupants.Yaracuy state Gov. Julio Leon Heredia said four people were detained after being found with property of the athletes.Valbuena and Castillo were teammates on the Cardenales de Lara team in the Venezuelan winter league and were returning from a game in the capital when the crash occurred en route to the city of Barquisimeto in Lara.No others details about the incident were available.On Saturday, their deaths caused an outpouring of grief as fellow teammates, family members and fans wore shirts from the winter league and lined up to say goodbye.Retired Cardenales player Robert Perez and Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera were both in attendance.Cardenales third baseman Carlos Rivero, who survived the crash, visited the chapel wearing dark sunglasses and bore a small bruise on his forehead.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Zack Greinke and Madison Bumgarner appear to be available for teams looking to bolster starting rotations.Hometown star Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, the two top free agents, remain unsigned heading into the traditional high-point of the offseason.Catcher J.T. Realmuto, third baseman Kyle Seager could be among the position players dangled as trade bait in the suites of Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay, where executives and agents gather next week for the annual swap session, which in an age of complicated finances and medical records serves as a midpoint for talks as much as a place to finish deals.Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein predicted the week will be "really active.""It seems like there is plenty of trade talk, and there are still a lot of good free agents out there," he said. "A couple of moves have already occurred that sort of always set the stage for increased activity in the next week or so."First baseman Paul Goldschmidt... [More]

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Former major league players Luis Valbuena and Jose Castillo were killed in a car crash in Venezuela caused by highway bandits who then robbed them, officials said Friday.The 33-year-old Valbuena and 37-year-old Castillo died late Thursday when their SUV crashed as it tried to veer around an object on the road, Yaracuy state Gov. Julio Leon Heredia said on his Twitter account. Officials said some bandits place or throw objects on highways to force vehicles to stop or crash so they can rob the occupants.Heredia said four people have been detained after being found with property of the athletes.Valbuena and Castillo were teammates on the Cardenales de Lara team in the Venezuelan winter league and were returning from a game in the capital when the crash occurred en route to the city of Barquisimeto.Third baseman Carlos Rivero was in the car and survived, according to the website beisbolplay.Valbuena, an 11-year major league veteran, hit .199 with nine homers and 33... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — As with most things involving the Washington Nationals' offseason, a day that was supposed to be all about introducing Patrick Corbin morphed into a day about Bryce Harper.Washington announced its six-year contract with Corbin, a heavily back-loaded deal worth $140 million, and the All-Star lefty starter donned a No. 46 Nationals jersey as rotation-mates Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg looked on from the front row Friday. After the news conference, general manager Mike Rizzo was asked a key question:How might the big bucks he used to outbid the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies for Corbin affect the pursuit of Washington's own big-deal free agent, right fielder Harper?"I think they're independent of each other. I really do. We've gone about this business of creating a roster for 2019, and at the end of the day, we'll figure out whether that includes 'Harp' or not," Rizzo said. "We thought it was good business — we had to fix the things we needed to fix. 'Harp'... [More]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Now that he is with the St. Louis Cardinals, Paul Goldschmidt is not thinking beyond the 2019 season.The six-time All-Star was acquired from Arizona this week and will earn $14.5 million in the final season of a seven-year deal that will pay $46 million, including a $1 million assignment bonus for the trade. If he doesn't sign a new contract, he would be among the top free agents next offseason."Try not to have any distractions, so anything like that won't be on my mind," Goldschmidt said at his introductory news conference Friday. "I think the biggest thing is I'm excited to be here, excited to be part of this team and organization and just focused on getting ready for spring training and opening day and the season and trying to help us win."St. Louis has a history of acquiring sluggers and signing them to long-term contracts, such as Mark McGwire and Matt Holliday."It's always hard to pencil out these types of deals when you only have one year of control," president of... [More]