LAS VEGAS (AP) — Reliever Joe Kelly agreed Thursday to a $25 million, three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced.A 30-year-old right-hander who was born in Anaheim, California, Kelly was 4-2 with a 4.39 ERA and two saves in 73 games this year for the World Series champion Boston Red Sox. Kelly pitched in all five World Series games against the Dodgers this year and did not allow a run, striking out 10 in six innings. He gave up one earned run in nine postseason appearances with 13 strikeouts and no walks.According to Brooks Baseball, his fastball averaged 98.7 mph this year. The Red Sox acquired him from St. Louis in July 2014.Kelly broke a rib of the Dodgers' Hanley Ramirez when he hit him with a pitch in the 2013 NL Championship Series opener. Kelly hit the New York Yankees' Tyler Austin on the back with a pitch last April 11, four innings after Austin spiked Red Sox shortstop Brock Holt when he slid into second base with a high right foot. That set off a brawl and Kelly was suspended for six games.Kelley's departure leaves a gap in a Boston bullpen expected to lose closer Craig Kimbrel, who became a free agent. He will be a setup man in Los Angeles for closer Kenley Jansen.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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) — 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]

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]

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]

BOSTON (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi's marathon relief performance in Game 3 of the World Series is a moment that will resonate in Red Sox history.Boston rewarded him with a $68 million, four-year contract."We're very happy to have Nathan back with us," Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a statement as the deal was announced Thursday. "He did a tremendous job for us last season, playing a significant role in helping us win the division and the World Series. His performance in the postseason was outstanding, both as a starting pitcher and as a reliever."A 28-year-old right-hander who has had a pair of Tommy John surgeries, Eovaldi was acquired by Boston from Tampa Bay on July 25. He went 3-3 with a 3.33 ERA down the stretch. He made four starts against the Yankees, going 2-0 with a 0.39 ERA, and beat the New York in Game 3 of the AL Division Series, when he gave up one run in seven innings.In six postseason appearances, including two starts, Eovaldi went 2-1 with a... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi's marathon relief performance in Game 3 of the World Series is a moment that will resonate in Red Sox history.Boston rewarded him with a $68 million, four-year contract."We're very happy to have Nathan back with us," Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a statement as the deal was announced Thursday. "He did a tremendous job for us last season, playing a significant role in helping us win the division and the World Series. His performance in the postseason was outstanding, both as a starting pitcher and as a reliever."A 28-year-old right-hander who has had a pair of Tommy John surgeries, Eovaldi was acquired by Boston from Tampa Bay on July 25. He went 3-3 with a 3.33 ERA down the stretch. He made four starts against the Yankees, going 2-0 with a 0.39 ERA, and beat the New York in Game 3 of the AL Division Series, when he gave up one run in seven innings.In six postseason appearances, including two starts, Eovaldi went 2-1 with a... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu was the only player to accept among the seven given $17.9 million qualifying offers by their former teams on Nov. 2.Ryu accepted the offer before Monday's deadline and is considered a signed player. He is just the sixth to accept among the 80 qualifying offers made since the process began in 2012.A 31-year-old left-hander, Ryu was 7-3 with a 1.97 ERA in 15 starts, sidelined from May 2 to Aug. 15 by a groin injury.Among those who didn't accept were outfielder Bryce Harper (Washington), closer Craig Kimbrel (Boston), left-handers Patrick Corbin (Arizona) and Dallas Keuchel (Houston), outfielder A.J. Pollock (Arizona) and catcher Yasmani Grandal (Dodgers).If a player who turned down a qualifying offer signs a major league contract with another club before the June amateur draft, his former club will receive a draft pick as compensation at the end of the first round.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Agent John Boggs stood in the lobby at the hotel hosting the general managers' meetings and talked about last winter, when dozens of free agents remained unsigned after spring training began, causing prices to plummet as opening day approached."It's the greatest thing for the owners because they've got a lot of players that are wanting to play and have a lot of game left in them, and all of a sudden are just sitting there dying to get an opportunity again, and so it's a gigantic Macy's basement sale," he said. "I hope it is an aberration because I think there's a lot of good players that are being deprived of getting an opportunity to continue their careers."As the offseason starts, teams and agents aren't sure whether the market will revert to its previous pace or whether clubs will try to wait out players again.Miami's efforts to trade Giancarlo Stanton and Shohei Ohtani's decision to leave Japan for the major leagues created roadblocks after the 2017 season."I... [More]

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Agent John Boggs stood in the lobby at the hotel hosting the general managers' meetings and talked about last winter, when dozens of free agents remained unsigned after spring training began, causing prices to plummet as opening day approached."It's the greatest thing for the owners because they've got a lot of players that are wanting to play and have a lot of game left in them, and all of a sudden are just sitting there dying to get an opportunity again, and so it's a gigantic Macy's basement sale," he said. "I hope it is an aberration because I think there's a lot of good players that are being deprived of getting an opportunity to continue their careers."As the offseason starts, teams and agents aren't sure whether the market will revert to its previous pace or whether clubs will try to wait out players again.Miami's efforts to trade Giancarlo Stanton and Shohei Ohtani's decision to leave Japan for the major leagues created roadblocks after the 2017 season."I... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Washington outfielder Bryce Harper and Boston closer Craig Kimbrel were among just seven free agents who received $17.9 million qualifying offers from their former clubs Friday, when Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw agreed to a $93 million, three-year contract rather than test the market.Left-handers Patrick Corbin (Arizona), Dallas Keuchel (Houston) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (Los Angeles Dodgers) also received qualifying offers as did outfielder A.J. Pollock (Diamondbacks) and catcher Yasmani Grandal (Dodgers).Players have until Nov. 12 to accept. If a team makes a qualifying offer to a player who signs a major league contract with another club before the June amateur draft, his former club would receive a draft pick as compensation at the end of the first round.Only five of 73 players given qualifying offers have accepted since the process began in 2012.The Chicago Cubs exercised their $20 million option on left-hander Cole Hamels, who went 4-3 with a 2.36 ERA in 12... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Washington outfielder Bryce Harper and Boston closer Craig Kimbrel were among just seven free agents who received $17.9 million qualifying offers from their former clubs Friday, when Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw agreed to a $93 million, three-year contract rather than test the market.Left-handers Patrick Corbin (Arizona) Dallas Keuchel (Houston) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (Los Angeles Dodgers) also received offers as did outfielder A.J. Pollock (Diamondbacks) and catcher Yasmani Grandal (Dodgers).Players have until Nov. 12 to accept. If a team makes a qualifying offer to a player who signs a major league contract with another club before the June amateur draft, his former club would receive a draft pick as compensation at the end of the first round.Just five of 73 players given qualifying offers have accepted since the process began in 2012.The Chicago Cubs exercised their $20 million option on left-hander Cole Hamels, who went 4-3 with a 2.36 ERA in 12 starts after... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The last time Dave Dombrowski built a World Series champion, he had to start dismantling it before the celebratory champagne had a chance to dry.He's hoping to defend the title for real next year."It is significantly different than the last time," he said on Thursday, four days after the Red Sox won their fourth title in 15 years and Dombrowski earned a ring to go with the one he won with the binge-and-purge Florida Marlins of the late 1990s."This will be the first time in my career that we will be going to spring training as the defending champions," said Dombrowski, who avoided the term after selling off the stars that won it all in Miami in 1997. "Sometimes when guys become free agents they receive offers they can't refuse. But we'd like to keep this team together."After winning the Series in five games on Sunday night, flying back to Boston on Monday and then holding their increasingly routine duck boat parade through the city on Wednesday, the Red Sox are the last team... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local):10:20 p.m.Steve Pearce hit a tying homer in the eighth and a three-run double in the ninth, and the Boston Red Sox rallied from a four-run deficit in the seventh inning for a 9-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night and a 3-1 World Series lead.The improbable surge all started with pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland's three-run homer in the seventh, shortly after Yasiel Puig's three-run homer in the sixth had put the Dodgers up 4-0.Pinch-hitter Rafael Devers singled in Brock Holt with the tiebreaking run in the ninth, with also included Xander Bogaert's RBI single.Craig Kimbrel gave up Enrique Hernandez's two-run homer in the bottom half before getting the final three outs.David Price starts for the Red Sox on Sunday against Clayton Kershaw, tying to close out Boston's fourth title in 15 seasons.___8:19 p.m.Thanks to Steve Pearce, we're tied again in the late innings at Dodger Stadium. Anyone up to play... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on Game 4 of the World Series (all times local):9:08 p.m.Steve Pearce hit a tying homer in the eighth and a three-run double in the ninth, and the Boston Red Sox rallied from a four-run deficit in the seventh inning for a 9-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night and a 3-1 World Series lead.The improbable surge all started with pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland's three-run homer in the seventh, shortly after Yasiel Puig's three-run homer in the sixth had put the Dodgers up 4-0.Pinch-hitter Rafael Devers singled in Brock Holt with the tiebreaking run in the ninth, with also included Xander Bogaert's RBI single.Craig Kimbrel gave up Enrique Hernandez's two-run homer in the bottom half before getting the final three outs.Chris Sale starts for the Red Sox on Sunday against Clayton Kershaw, tying to close out Boston's fourth title in 15 seasons.___8:19 p.m.Thanks to Steve Pearce, we're tied again in the late innings at Dodger Stadium. Anyone up to play 18?Pearce... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Manny Machado's lack of hustle is starting to stand out more than his offense this postseason.The star shortstop had a little too much self-confidence in the sixth inning Friday night when he thought he homered for the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 3 of the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. Instead, Machado ended up admiring what turned out to be a 368-foot single as it bounced off the wall in left field.Had Machado run it out, it might have been a double. It also turned out to be his only hit as he went 1 for 7 in the Dodgers' 3-2 win in 18 innings early Saturday that trimmed their Series deficit to 2-1."I looked up at first and thought it wasn't going and then I saw it take up and thought it was going to go out," Machado said. "That was very, very, very, very, very poor baserunning by me."It is not the first time this postseason that Machado's effort level has become an issue. He was criticized for not hustling during a groundout in Game 2 of the NL Championship... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi seemed to have a rubber arm. Maybe that second Tommy John surgery turned him into a bionic pitcher.Before this week, the 28-year-old right-hander had never pitched on consecutive days in his major league career.Now he was on the mound for the third time in four days for the Boston Red Sox. In the World Series. Throwing 98 mph in his seventh inning of relief.Fastballs and cutters. Occasional sliders and splits. Inning after inning.In an era when managers turn pitchers into one batter specialists, Eovaldi was a throwback to the days when Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale took the Dodger Stadium mound and expected to finish what they started.On his 97th pitch of the night — five shy of his season high — he allowed Max Muncy's opposite-field homer to left on a cutter, ending the longest World Series game ever after 18 innings that took 7 hours, 20 minutes. The Dodgers' 3-2 win cut Los Angeles' World Series deficit to 2-1.After pitching the eighth inning to preserve... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Manny Machado's lack of hustle is starting to stand out more than his offense this postseason.The star shortstop had a little too much self-confidence in the sixth inning Friday night when he thought he homered for the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 3 of the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. Instead, Machado ended up admiring what turned out to be a 368-foot single as it bounced off the wall in left field.Had Machado run it out, it might have been a double. It also turned out to be his only hit as he went 1 for 7 in the Dodgers' 3-2 win in 18 innings early Saturday that trimmed their Series deficit to 2-1.It is not the first time this postseason that Machado's baserunning has become an issue. He was criticized for not hustling during a groundout in the fourth inning of Game 2 of the NL Championship Series against Milwaukee.There was also a pair of hard slides into Milwaukee shortstop Orlando Arcia in Game 3 while Arcia was attempting to turn double plays.Machado... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Now Alex Cora's in trouble.Boston's manager went for a commanding lead in the World Series, using David Price and Nathan Eovaldi out of the bullpen in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.His moves almost worked, but second baseman Ian Kinsler slipped on the infield and made a throwing error that allowed the tying run to score in the 13th inning.Los Angeles went on to win 3-2 in a World Series-record 18 innings, cutting the Red Sox advantage to 2-1.Now Cora faces a short pitching staff for the rest of the weekend. All those brash moves now seem rash.Boston tied a World Series record by using 23 players and nine pitchers.Eovaldi, Cora's Game 4 starter, entered in the 12th inning. Cora had envisioned possibly using Eovaldi in the eighth inning as a bridge to closer Craig Kimbrel."You never know, a walk, a hit and a tie game, but it's a chance we're taking," Cora said.Eovaldi threw 97 of Boston's 283 pitches over six-plus innings. It was his third appearance in four days... [More]