BOSTON (AP) — Relief pitcher Jenrry Mejia, allowed back into baseball after a lifetime ban caused by three positive drug tests, has agreed to a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox.If added to the 40-man roster, the 29-year-old Dominican right-hander would receive a one-year contract at a rate of $625,000 while in the major leagues and $90,400 while in the minors.Mejia will report to Boston's minor league spring training camp. He's been out of the majors since July 2015.Boston closer Craig Kimbrel became a free agent and the Red Sox are reorganizing their bullpen.Mejia was suspended for life on Feb. 12, 2016, after his third positive test for a banned steroid. The drug agreement allowed him to apply a year later for reinstatement that would be effective a minimum of two years after the ban started, with the decision at the commissioner's discretion. Commissioner Rob Manfred gave him conditional reinstatement last July 6 and said Mejia could return to the big leagues in 2019.The... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — While his bosses with the Minnesota Twins have been constructing the roster, new manager Rocco Baldelli has been busy building relationships with the players now under his supervision.His ability and desire to do that was one of the biggest reasons why he got the job, after all."People get a feel for other people over time, and you just try to be yourself and you end up proving yourself every day," Baldelli said. "That's how we're going to build what we're going to build here."Though Baldelli committed much of the last three months to those getting-to-know-you talks with players, coaches and other Twins staff he'll be working closely with, this week has provided his first significant opportunity to conducting these conversations in person with the first pitchers and catchers workout of spring training fast approaching on Feb. 14.After spending four days with starting pitcher Jose Berrios and left fielder Eddie Rosario for meet-and-greets with fans on one leg of the team's... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The head of the baseball players' association expressed concern over a second straight offseason that has seen many Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and many other free agents remain without deals less than a month before spring training."All the dead time in the last two free-agent markets is a larger threat to our game than any supposed dead time between pitches," Tony Clark said Thursday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.Wanting to increase the pace of games and concerned about a drop in offense, management has made proposals to the union that include a pitch clock and rules changes. The players' association says it will respond, and unlike last year the union appears open to discuss the issues.Against this backdrop, just 58 of the 164 players who exercised the right to become free agents following the World Series had announced deals through Thursday afternoon. That is up from 45 of 166 on the same date last offseason, but this year's free-agent class contains... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Catcher Yasmani Grandal and the Milwaukee Brewers have finalized an $18.25 million, one-year contract.The deal, agreed to last week subject to a successful physical, includes a $16 million salary this year and a $16 million mutual option for 2020 with a $2.25 million buyout due Dec. 31. Grandal has until the third day after the World Series to decide on the option, and the Brewers have until the fifth day."Yasmani has proven that he is one of the most productive catchers in baseball, both offensively and defensively, and he fits our roster very well," Brewers general manager David Stearns said Monday. "Throughout this process, he expressed a consistent and sincere desire to join our organization."Grandal turned down a $17.9 million qualifying offer from the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers in November. He is eligible for free agency again after this year's World Series and cannot be given a qualifying offer by the Brewers.Milwaukee forfeits its third-highest draft pick this... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Catcher Yasmani Grandal and the Milwaukee Brewers have finalized an $18.25 million, one-year contract.The deal, agreed to last week subject to a successful physical, includes a $16 million salary this year and a $16 million option for 2020 with a $2.25 million buyout. Either side may turn down the option."Yasmani has proven that he is one of the most productive catchers in baseball, both offensively and defensively, and he fits our roster very well," Brewers general manager David Stearns said Monday. "Throughout this process, he expressed a consistent and sincere desire to join our organization."Grandal turned down a $17.9 million qualifying offer from the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers in November. He is eligible for free agency again after this year's World Series and cannot be given a qualifying offer by the Brewers.Milwaukee forfeits its third-highest draft pick this year, which would be about No. 104. Los Angeles gets a compensation pick after competitive balance... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Catcher Yasmani Grandal and the Milwaukee Brewers have finalized an $18.25 million, one-year contract.The deal, agreed to last week subject to a successful physical, was announced by the Brewers on Monday."Yasmani has proven that he is one of the most productive catchers in baseball, both offensively and defensively, and he fits our roster very well," Brewers general manager David Stearns said. "Throughout this process, he expressed a consistent and sincere desire to join our organization."Grandal turned down a $17.9 million qualifying offer from the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers in November. He is eligible for free agency again after this year's World Series and cannot be given a qualifying offer by the Brewers.Milwaukee forfeits its third-highest draft pick this year, which would be about No. 104. Los Angeles gets a compensation pick after competitive balance round B, about No. 79.Now 30, Grandal was an All-Star in his first season with the Dodgers in 2015. He hit .241... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Catcher Yasmani Grandal and the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to an $18.25 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the agreement, first reported by The Athletic, was subject to a successful physical.Grandal turned down a $17.9 million qualifying offer from the NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers in November. He would be eligible for free agency again after this year's World SeriesNow 30, Grandal was an All-Star in his first season with the Dodgers in 2015. He hit .241 this year with 24 homers and 68 RBIs as Los Angeles won its second straight NL pennant. He made $7.9 million.Grandal has a .240 big league career average with 113 home runs in seven seasons. He would supplant Manny Pina and Erik Katz, who combined to get the most games behind the plate for Milwaukee last season.He is the second player to reach agreement among the six who turned down qualifying... [More]

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]