ATLANTA (AP) — Pitcher Chris Martin and the Altanta Braves have agreed to a $14 million, two-year contract, a deal that brings back the right-hander after he closed 2019 with the club.The 33-year-old Martin was acquired by Atlanta from the Texas Rangers for left-hander Kolby Allard at the July 31 trade deadline.Martin was 1-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 20 games with the Braves. He had 22 strikeouts and one walk in 17 2/3 innings.Martin will earn $7 million in each year of the deal and agreed to a provision to donate $70,000 annually to charity. His signing comes on the same day the Braves introduced left-hander Will Smith, who agreed to a $40 million, three-year contract.The 6-foot-8 Martin has a 4.51 ERA for his big league career in 144 games, all in relief, with Colorado, the New York Yankees, Texas and Atlanta.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — The Braves are not promising Will Smith the closer’s role.Smith isn’t complaining.During his first news conference with his new team Tuesday, Smith said he’s fine with pitching in any inning. The Georgia native said he’s just happy to move close to home and to pitch “for an organization I grew up watching with my family.”A 30-year-old left-hander, Smith wore No. 47 as a kid because that was Atlanta left-hander Tom Glavine’s number.Smith agreed to a $40 million, three-year contract with the Braves on Thursday following an All-Star season with San Francisco. The free agent turned down a $17.8 million qualifying from San Francisco and agreed to a deal that includes a $13 million annual salaries and a $13 million club option for 2023 with a $1 million buyout.The Braves continued to work on their bullpen by signing right-hander Chris Martin to a two-year, $14 million deal later Tuesday. Martin finished the 2019 season with Atlanta.Smith’s former clubhouse neighbor with the Giants,... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have signed Chris Martin to a two-year, $14 million deal, bringing the right-hander back after he closed out 2019 with the club.The 33-year-old Martin was acquired by Atlanta from the Texas Rangers for left-hander Kolby Allard at the July 31 trade deadline.Martin was 1-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 20 games with the Braves. He had 22 strikeouts and one walk in 17 2/3 innings.Martin will earn $7 million in each year of the deal. His signing comes on the same day the Braves introduced left-hander Will Smith, who signed a three-year, $40 million deal.The 6-foot-8 Martin has a 4.51 ERA for his career in 144 games, all in relief, with Colorado, the Yankees, Texas and Atlanta.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred hopes the investigation into sign stealing by the Houston Astros will be complete by next season and says he has authority to impose discipline beyond the loss of amateur draft picks.Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers says that when he was with Houston in 2017, the Astros stole signs during home games by using a camera positioned in center field, The Athletic reported last week."Any allegation that relates to a rule violation that could affect the outcome of a game or games is the most serious matter — it relates to the integrity of the sport,” Manfred said Tuesday ahead of an owners' meeting. "People want the game played consistent with our rules, and feel it's important that we figure out exactly what happened here and take steps to make sure that it doesn't happen in the future by imposing appropriate discipline.”Manfred fined the Boston Red Sox in September 2017 for using an Apple Watch to steal signals from New York Yankees catchers.... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Braves are not promising Will Smith the closer’s role.Smith isn’t complaining.During his first news conference with his new team on Tuesday, Smith said he’s fine with pitching in any inning. The Georgia native said he’s just happy to move close to home and to pitch “for an organization I grew up watching with my family.”A 30-year-old left-hander, Smith wore No. 47 as a kid because that was Atlanta left-hander Tom Glavine’s number.Smith agreed to a $40 million, three-year contract with the Braves on Thursday following an All-Star season with San Francisco. The free agent turned down a $17.8 million qualifying from San Francisco and agreed to a deal that includes a $13 million annual salaries and a $13 million club option for 2023 with a $1 million buyout.Smith’s former clubhouse neighbor with the Giants, Mark Melancon, was 11 for 11 in saves opportunities with the Braves in 2019 following a midseason trade from San Francisco.Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred hopes the investigation into sign stealing by the Houston Astros will be complete by next season and says he has authority to impose discipline beyond the loss of amateur draft picks.Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers says that when he was with Houston in 2017, the Astros stole signs during home games by using a camera positioned in center field, The Athletic reported last week."Any allegation that relates to a rule violation that could affect the outcome of a game or games is the most serious matter — it relates to the integrity of the sport,” Manfred said Tuesday ahead of an owners' meeting. "People want the game played consistent with our rules and feel it's important that we figure out exactly what happened here and take steps to make sure that it doesn't happen in the future by imposing appropriate discipline.”Manfred fined the Boston Red Sox in September 2017 for using an Apple Watch to steal signals from New York Yankees catchers.... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves are not promising Will Smith the closer’s role.Smith isn’t complaining.At his first news conference with his new team on Tuesday, Smith said he’s fine with pitching in any inning. Smith, a Georgia native, said he’s just happy to move close to home and to pitch “for an organization I grew up watching with my family.”Smith, a left-hander, said he wore No. 47 as a kid because that was Braves left-hander Tom Glavine’s number.Smith, 30, signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Braves Thursday, following an All-Star season with San Francisco. The free-agent deal includes a $13 million option for the 2023 season, with a $1 million buyout.Smith’s former clubhouse neighbor with the Giants, Mark Melancon, was 11 for 11 in saves opportunities with the Braves in 2019 following a midseason trade from San Francisco.Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Melancon is expected to enter spring training as the closer. The GM noted the decision will be made... [More]

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred hopes the investigation into sign stealing by the Houston Astros will be completed by next season and says he has broad authority to impose discipline beyond fines, the loss of amateur draft picks and taking away international signing bonus pool allocation.Oakland pitcher Mike Fiers said that when he was with Houston in 2017, the Astros stole signs during home games by using a camera positioned in center field, The Athletic reported last week.Speaking Tuesday ahead of an owners' meeting, Manfred says an "allegation that relates to a rule violation that could affect the outcome of a game or games is the most serious matter — it relates to the integrity of the sport."Manfred says of Major League Baseball’s probe: "I have no reason to believe that it extends beyond the Astros at this point in time" and adds "I certainly would hope that we would be done before we start playing baseball again."Discipline could extend beyond fines and amateur signings. Manfred says his “authority under the major league constitution would be broader than those things, as well."___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — Yuli Gurriel has agreed to an $8.3 million, one-year contract with the Houston Astros, a $300,000 raise from his originally scheduled salary for next season.Gurriel hit .298 and set career bests with 31 homers and 104 RBIs as the Astros won the American League pennant for the second time in three seasons. He hit .310 with one homer and five RBIs in the seven-game World Series loss to Washington.The 35-year-old first baseman, who defected from Cuba, agreed in July 2016 to a $47.5 million, five-year contract with the Astros that included an $8 million salary for 2020. That deal allowed Gurriel to void the remainder of his contract when he became eligible for salary arbitration for the first time, and he reached that eligibility this offseason with 3 years, 43 days of major league service.His new contract allows him to become a free agent after the 2020 season, preserving a right also contained in his original major league contract. It also includes the same award bonus provisions: $100,000 for MVP, $50,000 for second and $25,000 for third; $50,000 for World Series MVP, and $25,000 each for League Championship Series MVP, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove and being selected an All-Star.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Cherington earned three World Series rings with the Boston Red Sox, the last as general manager of the 2013 club that raced from worst to first.The challenge that lies ahead for Cherington with the Pittsburgh Pirates will be different.The market is smaller. So are the resources Cherington can draw from. The chance to supplement the major league roster with expensive free agents — as Cherington did in Boston — likely will not exist. Yet the 45-year-old does not appear to be intimidated by the financial realities his new job presents. Two decades in the business have taught him that while budgets may vary, the tenets of successful teams do not.“Obviously the bigger the payroll, it gives you more margin for error on certain types of decisions,” Cherington said Monday, when the Pirates announced he had been hired to succeed Neal Huntington. “But if you peel back in Boston and what really drove winning, I think, in most of the best years was really good work in scouting... [More]

BERLIN (AP) — When Max Kepler makes an acrobatic catch for the Minnesota Twins, perhaps he owes a bit to his parents.Back in his hometown of Berlin, the 26-year-old outfielder paid tribute to his parents, professional ballet dancers Kathy Kepler and Marek Rozycki.“I used to sit in the wings and watch them perform,” he said Monday during an interview with The Associated Press. “I was there with my sister, once, twice a month, watching them do their thing. So I think I subconsciously I learned a lot from just the way they go about themselves on a professional level.”Kepler is in Germany for a five-day Major League Baseball promotional tour. He reminisced about Little League ball in the German capital. He said his dad gave tips on preparation and recovery, his mom on motivation.“They’re my support team,” he said. “They’ve pushed me through thick and thin, ups and downs. There have been a lot of times where I’ve doubted myself, just continuing to play baseball. They’re the main factor for me... [More]

BERLIN (AP) — When Max Kepler makes an acrobatic catch for the Minnesota Twins, perhaps he owes a bit to his parents.Back in his hometown of Berlin, the 26-year-old outfielder paid tribute to his parents, professional ballet dancers Kathy Kepler and Marek Rozycki.“I used to sit in the wings and watch them perform,” he said Monday during an interview with The Associated Press. “I was there with my sister, once, twice a month, watching them do their thing. So I think I subconsciously I learned a lot from just the way they go about themselves on a professional level.”Keper is in Germany for a five-day Major League Baseball promotional tour. He reminisced about Little League ball in the German capital. He said his dad gave tips on preparation and recovery, his mom on motivation.“They’re my support team,” he said. “They’ve pushed me through thick and thin, ups and downs. There have been a lot of times where I’ve doubted myself, just continuing to play baseball. They’re the main factor for me... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jake Odorizzi watched Dallas Keuchel remain on the free-agent market until June and didn’t want to take a chance of lingering without a contract. So he accepted the Minnesota Twins’ $17.8 million qualifying offer for a one-year contact and put himself in position to become a free agent again after the 2020 season.“When it came down to it, the decision came down to me pretty much betting on myself and returning to a place I know very well and enjoyed and continue to improve on what I did last year and then re-entering the market next offseason with a different class,” Odorizzi said Friday, a day after accepting the offer just before the deadline.While this year’s free-agent class includes Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, Zack Wheeler and Madison Bumgarner, next year’s is a less accomplished group headed by Trevor Bauer, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, Marcus Stroman, José Quintana and Jake Arrieta.If Odorizzi had turned down the Twins’ offer and signed with another team... [More]

Patrick Corbin was an exception last offseason.Amid a slow free agent market — some stars didn’t sign until after the start of spring training — Corbin’s search for a new home was over in December when he received a $140 million, six-year contract from Washington.That worked out pretty well for both team and player. Corbin was a key part of the Nationals’ starting rotation this year, and he threw three scoreless innings in relief in Game 7 of the World Series, helping the team win its first World Series title.Now, another offseason is in full swing. It’s hard to say whether teams will be more aggressive in pursuing free agents, hoping to land the next Corbin, but the Atlanta Braves already made a significant move, signing reliever Will Smith away from San Francisco.Here’s a look at the top free agents still available, broken down by position. Players are listed with their most recent teams, with their ages in parentheses:LEFT-HANDED STARTERHyun-Jin Ryu, Dodgers (32)The runner-up for the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — It had never been so difficult for Mike Trout to arrive at the ballpark, get his mind and body ready, and perform at the level baseball fans have come to expect.And still, nobody did it better in the American League.Trout overcame injury and tragedy to win his third AL MVP award Thursday night, getting 17 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros was second, and that duo combined for all the first- and second-place votes. Trout also won the award in 2014 and ’16.“This year was probably the toughest year,” Trout said.Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger made it a Southern California sweep, beating out the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich for the NL prize. Bellinger got 19 of 30 first-place votes, Yelich got 10, and Washington’s Anthony Rendon got one while finishing third. Yelich won the award last year.Trout had season-ending foot surgery in September while the Angels languished to a fourth-place... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout has overcome injury and tragedy to win his third AL MVP award.Trout got 17 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed Thursday night. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros was second with the other 13 first-place votes. That duo combined for all the first- and second-place votes.Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger made it an LA sweep, beating out the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich for the NL prize. Bellinger got 19 of 30 first-place votes, Yelich got 10, and Washington’s Anthony Rendon got one while finishing third. Yelich won the award last year.Trout had season-ending foot surgery in September. The outfielder played just 134 games but still set a career high with 45 homers. He batted .291, led the majors with a .438 on-base percentage and drove in 104 runs. It was just enough to avoid another second-place finish — he’s tied for the record with four runner-ups.The 28-year-old shined even... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout has overcome injury and tragedy to win his third AL MVP Award.Trout got 17 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed Thursday night. Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros was second with the other 13 first-place votes. That duo combined for all the first- and second-place votes.Trout had season-ending foot surgery in September. The outfielder played just 134 games but still set a career high with 45 homers. He batted .291, led the majors with a .438 on-base percentage and drove in 104 runs.The 28-year-old shined even following the death of close friend and teammate Tyler Skaggs on July 1. Trout smashed a 454-foot homer wearing Skaggs’ No. 45 in the team’s first game back, when LA pitchers threw a combined no-hitter.Trout is the 10th three-time MVP and joins an elite group: Barry Bonds, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and Mike Schmidt. Bonds is the only player with more than three MVPs — he won seven.Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger beat out the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich for the NL prize. Yelich won the award last year.___Follow Jake Seiner: https://twitter.com/Jake_Seiner___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger has beaten out the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich to win NL MVP.Bellinger got 19 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America revealed Thursday night. Yelich got 10 first-place votes, and Washington’s Anthony Rendon got one while finishing third.The 24-year-old Bellinger and his loose, left-handed swing launched 47 home runs with a .305 average, 115 RBIs and a 1.035 OPS.He was the best player on the NL’s top team in the regular season, propelling Los Angeles to 106 wins. He’s the 10th different Dodgers player to win MVP and first since Clayton Kershaw in 2014.Bellinger teared up after learning he’d been chosen, getting emotional especially after hugging his father — former big leaguer Clay Bellinger.The AL prize was set to be awarded later Thursday.___Follow Jake Seiner: https://twitter.com/Jake_Seiner___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have bolstered their shaky bullpen by signing left-hander reliever Will Smith to a three-year, $40 million contract on Thursday.The free-agent deal announced Thursday includes a $13 million option for the 2023 season, with a $1 million buyout.The 30-year-old Smith went 6-0 with a 2.76 ERA and a career-best 34 saves for the San Francisco Giants this past season. He made the All-Star team for the first time.The NL East champion Braves were looking to upgrade the bullpen after going through several closers last season, including Luke Jackson, Shane Greene and Mark Melancon.Smith is Atlanta’s fourth free-agent signing of the offseason but the first to change teams. The Braves re-signed outfielder Nick Markakis, catcher Tyler Flowers and reliever Darren O’Day.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Pitcher Jake Odorizzi accepted a $17.8 million qualifying offer to stay with the Minnesota Twins and first baseman José Abreu took the same amount to remain with the Chicago White Sox as general managers headed home Thursday following their four-day annual meeting.Using the threat to accept San Francisco’s offer as leverage, reliever Will Smith became the first of the 168 free agents to switch teams, agreeing to a $40 million, three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves.Just 10 free agents received the offers on Nov. 4, and their former teams will receive draft-pick compensation if they sign elsewhere before the amateur draft in June. Players who did not accept included pitchers Gerrit Cole (Houston), Stephen Strasburg (Washington), Zack Wheeler (New York Mets) and Madison Bumgarner (San Francisco) along with third basemen Anthony Rendon (Washington) and Josh Donaldson (Atlanta) and outfielder Marcell Ozuna (St. Louis).Qualifying offers began after the 2012 season,... [More]