NEW YORK (AP) — Oakland's Bob Melvin was voted Manager of the Year for the third time, winning the American League honor Tuesday after leading the Athletics to the playoffs despite the lowest opening-day payroll in the major leagues.Atlanta's Brian Snitker won the National League award following the Braves' surprising first-place finish.Melvin received 18 first-place votes, 19 seconds and one third for 121 points from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He is the eighth manager to win three or more times and is one shy of the record shared by Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa. Melvin won with Oakland in 2012 and took the NL honor with Arizona in 2007.His A's went 97-65 — a 22-win improvement over 2017 — even with a $68.6 million payroll when the season began. They overcame a 34-36 start to go a big league-best from June 16 on, even though Jharel Cotton, A.J. Puk, Sean Manaea, Brett Anderson and several other starting pitchers got hurt. They lost to the New York Yankees in the AL wild-card... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright has had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee for an injury that kept him out of the World Series.The team says Dr. Riley Williams operated Monday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Williams also performed a debridement to remove damaged tissue.Wright was removed from the Division Series roster following the opener against the New York Yankees, a day after reinjuring his left knee during a workout.An All-Star in 2016, Wright started the 2018 season late following recovery from left knee surgery and a 15-game domestic violence suspension. The 34-year-old right-hander made four starts and six relief appearances, went back on the disabled list in late June because of the knee, then returned in September.Wright went 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA in four starts and 16 relief appearances.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Yes, the narrative of Joe Mauer's career was missing a championship chapter. That plotline stalled for a few years while the star was set back by injuries.Still, this story of the Minnesota native with the smooth left-handed swing who played for the Twins the entire time sure was made for a movie.Six weeks after Mauer symbolically donned his catcher's gear for one last crouch behind the plate in the final inning of the season , Mauer formalized his goodbye to the game at a tear-filled-yet-cheerful news conference to wrap up a 15-year major league career at age 35."I've been fortunate enough to have the personal accolades, and I really do believe that's a byproduct of how the team does, and those things just come along with it," Mauer said. "But I'd want to be known as a great teammate, a great person, and a guy who gave it everything he had."Even the closing credits were memorable.Mauer carefully flipped through a stack of note cards over a 15-minute thank-you on Monday... [More]

HOUSTON (AP) — Starter Dallas Keuchel has declined the one-year qualifying offer the Houston Astros offered him.Keuchel could still sign with the Astros, but if he signs with another team before next year's draft the Astros will receive a compensation draft pick in the 2019 draft.Monday was the deadline for players who received qualifying offers to accept or decline them.Keuchel, the 2015 American League Cy Young winner, was drafted by the Astros in 2009 and has spent his entire career in Houston.He went 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA in an AL-leading 34 starts last season and is 76-63 with a 3.66 ERA in 192 games in his career.The 30-year-old left-hander's best season came the year he won the Cy Young when he won a career-high 20 games with a career-low 2.48 ERA in 33 starts.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Joe Mauer is leaving the playing field after a 15-year major league career, but not Minnesota or the Twins.Mauer formalized his goodbye to the game on Monday at a news conference packed with people he's close to.With his wife, Maddie, due any day with the couple's third child, Mauer's focus in retirement for now will be fatherhood. He said he'll stay connected to his hometown team in some capacity and will raise his kids in Minnesota.Mauer joined the organization in 2001 as the first overall pick in the draft out of Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul. His eyes watered and his voice cracked as he thanked then-general manager Terry Ryan for taking him. Mauer was even more emotional when mentioning his gratitude to family members.___More AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

HOUSTON (AP) — It's a girl for supermodel Kate Upton and her husband Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander.Upton used her Instagram site to announce the birth of the couple's first child — Genevieve Upton Verlander — and the date Nov. 7. The site features a black-and-white photo of an infant with her hand to her mouth.Further details about the baby and where the child was born weren't released.Upton and Verlander wed last November in Italy, after the pitching ace helped the Astros win their first World Series. Upton in July announced the pregnancy, also on Instagram, in a post with the hashtag "pregnant in Miami."

HOUSTON (AP) — It's a girl for supermodel Kate Upton and her husband Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander.Upton used her Instagram site to announce the birth of the couple's first child — Genevieve Upton Verlander — and the date Nov. 7. The site features a black-and-white photo of an infant with her hand to her mouth.Further details about the baby and where the child was born weren't released.Upton and Verlander wed last November in Italy, after the pitching ace helped the Astros win their first World Series. Upton in July announced the pregnancy, also on Instagram, in a post with the hashtag "pregnant in Miami."

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chase Utley has been released by the Los Angeles Dodgers so he can officially retire after 16 years in the major leagues.The veteran second baseman said in July he would retire at season's end in order to be a full-time dad to his two young sons. He turns 40 next month.Utley played his first 13-plus seasons with Philadelphia, where he was a key member of the 2008 World Series championship team. He helped the Phillies win five straight NL East titles from 2007-11.The six-time All-Star was traded to the Dodgers in 2015, where he was a valued clubhouse presence while his on-field role was reduced to part-time.Utley hit .275 with 259 home runs and 1,885 hits in his career. He also was hit by pitches 204 times.The Dodgers made the move Friday.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chase Utley has been released by the Los Angeles Dodgers so he can officially retire after 16 years in the major leagues.The veteran second baseman said in July he would retire at season's end in order to be a full-time dad to his two young sons. He turns 40 next month.Utley played his first 13-plus seasons with Philadelphia, where he was a key member of the 2008 World Series championship team. He helped the Phillies win five straight NL East titles from 2007-11.The six-time All-Star was traded to the Dodgers in 2015, where he was a valued clubhouse presence while his on-field role was reduced to part-time.Utley hit .275 with 259 home runs and 1,885 hits in his career. He also was hit by pitches 204 times.The Dodgers made the move Friday.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Joe Mauer is retiring after 15 major league seasons, six All-Star games, three Gold Glove awards, three batting titles and 2,123 career hits, all with his hometown Minnesota Twins."Thank you, Minnesota Twins, and thank you, fans, for making my career as special and memorable as it was," Mauer wrote in a full-page ad that will run Sunday in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press. "Because of you I can leave the game I love with a full and grateful heart."Mauer's eight-year, $184 million contract expired the day after the World Series ended, creating a natural parting from the game he grew up with in St. Paul, less than 10 miles from the downtown Minneapolis ballparks he called home with the Twins."The decision came down to my health and my family," Mauer wrote. "The risk of a concussion is always there, and I was reminded of that this season when I missed 30 games as a result of diving for a foul ball. That's all it took this time around and it was all... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Joe Mauer is retiring after 15 major league seasons, six All-Star games, three Gold Glove awards, three batting titles and 2,123 career hits, all with his hometown Minnesota Twins."Thank you, Minnesota Twins, and thank you, fans, for making my career as special and memorable as it was," Mauer wrote in a full-page ad that will run Sunday in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "Because of you I can leave the game I love with a full and grateful heart."Mauer's eight-year, $184 million contract expired the day after the World Series ended, creating a natural parting from the game he grew up with in St. Paul, less than 10 miles from the downtown Minneapolis ballparks he called home with the Twins."The decision came down to my health and my family," Mauer wrote. "The risk of a concussion is always there, and I was reminded of that this season when I missed 30 games as a result of diving for a foul ball. That's all it took this time around and it was all I need to bring me back to... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Twins star Joe Mauer has decided to retire after 15 seasons.The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Friday that Mauer has taken out an ad in its Sunday paper to announce his retirement. The newspaper reported that Mauer, who missed significant time this season with a concussion, says in the ad that his decision "came down to my health and my family.""Thank you, Minnesota Twins, and thank you, fans, for making my career as special and memorable as it was," Mauer writes in the ad, the Star Tribune reported. "Because of you I can leave the game I love with a full and grateful heart."Mauer is 35 and his eight-year, $184 million contract expired after this season.Mauer's adviser, Ron Shapiro, declined to comment on the report."I will let Joe confirm that when he is prepared to confirm it," Shapiro told The Associated Press.A Twins spokesman didn't immediately respond to messages.In his 15 major league seasons, Mauer has appeared in six All-Star games, won three Gold... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trevor Rosenthal could earn $30 million over two years if he becomes the Washington Nationals' closer and regularly finishes games.Coming back from Tommy John surgery, Rosenthal finalized a one-year contract this week that guarantees him $7 million.The deal announced last weekend includes a $6 million salary for next season and a $10 million mutual option for 2020 with a $1 million buyout to be paid if the team declines the option. There also is a $15 million conditional player option for 2020 that Rosenthal can exercise if he has 50 games pitched or 30 games finished next year.Rosenthal can earn $500,000 each for 25, 30, 35 and 40 games pitched next year, $1 million apiece for 45 and 50, $1 million each for 20, 30 and 40 games finished, and $2 million apiece for 50 and 60. There is an $8 million maximum.If the mutual option for 2020 is exercised, he could earn $6 million in performances that year for games finished: $2 million each for 30, 40 and 50.He would get a $1... [More]

TOKYO (AP) — Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto isn't letting trade rumors become a distraction either at home or in Japan, where he is currently part of an MLB All-Star tour.Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill has dismissed talk about trading Realmuto, but the catcher's agent, Jeff Berry, predicted his client will be with a different team by spring training."It's not a discussion for me to have, honestly," Realmuto said Friday. "It's not my decision whether I get traded or not. It's up to the Marlins. Whatever they want to do with me, that's up to them. So for me, there is really no discussion to be had. My job is to show up and play baseball."Hill declined to say whether Realmuto informed the Marlins he won't sign a long-term contract with them.The Astros, Angels, Athletics, Braves, Mets and Nationals are among the teams seeking an upgrade behind the plate."To be honest, I am trying not to think about that too much right now," Realmuto said. "I'm just out here trying... [More]

TOKYO (AP) — Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto isn't letting trade rumors become a distraction either at home or in Japan, where he is currently part of an MLB All-Star tour.Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill has dismissed talk about trading Realmuto, but his agent, Jeff Berry, predicted that his client will be with a different team by spring training."It's not a discussion for me to have, honestly," Realmuto said Friday. "It's not my decision whether I get traded or not. It's up to the Marlins. Whatever they want to do with me, that's up to them. So for me, there is really no discussion to be had. My job is to show up and play baseball."Hill declined to say whether Realmuto informed the Marlins he won't sign a long-term contract with them.The Astros, Angels, A's, Braves, Mets and Nationals are among the teams seeking an upgrade behind the plate."To be honest, I am trying not to think about that too much right now," Realmuto said. "I'm just out here trying to have a... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Aside from that fearsome left-handed swing everybody knew, Willie McCovey provided an example of humility in how he lived for many of his San Francisco Giants teammates year after year."McCovey was our leader," Gaylord Perry said as his fellow Hall of Famer was remembered in a celebration of his life Thursday at AT&T Park.McCovey died Oct. 31 at age 80 after suffering from ongoing health issues.Hall of Famers, former teammates and winners of the Willie Mac Award named for him attended on a picture-perfect day. McCovey's 44 was written into the infield dirt next to his position at first base.The San Francisco Fire Department paid tribute with a spraying show from a boat in his namesake McCovey Cove in the bay beyond the right-field arcade. Bouquets of flowers were left on McCovey's statue across the water.A first baseman and left fielder who won NL Rookie of the Year in 1959 and MVP 10 years later, McCovey was a .270 career hitter with 521 home runs and 1,555 RBIs... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Mallex Smith was made a promise by Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto when he was acquired for a second time by the Mariners after an initial tenure that lasted less than two hours."Dipoto didn't guarantee anything, but he said I at least have 78 minutes," Smith joked. "We'll see."Smith is back with the Mariners as part of a five-player deal between Seattle and Tampa Bay on Thursday that landed the Rays catcher Mike Zunino and outfielder Guillermo Heredia.The swap continued a lengthy trade history between the teams and came as a surprise to Zunino, who said he had recent conversations with Seattle manager Scott Servais looking ahead to 2019."I was shocked. To see your name in trade talks, let alone this early in the offseason, was beyond my expectations," Zunino said.Smith, 25, stole a career-best 40 bases this year and was caught 12 times. He hit .296, tied for the major league lead with 10 triples and had 40 RBIs. He is not eligible for free agency until after the 2022... [More]

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Months before the start of spring training, the New York Yankees' injury list is lengthening.Catcher Gary Sanchez had surgery on his left shoulder Thursday, which could slow him during spring training but is not likely to keep him out of the lineup on opening day."His shoulder has bothered him off and on since '17," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday. "He's been treated conservatively with it. He had an injection towards the end of '17. He had two in '18. He just resumed workouts and still felt a little bit lingering from it."Cashman made the announcement at the general managers' meetings, hours after the Yankees finalized an $8 million, one-year contract with CC Sabathia. The 38-year-old left-hander said 2019 will be his final season.New York announced last month that Didi Gregorius will miss much of next season after Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament in the shortstop's right elbow.An All-Star in 2017 who slumped badly this year, Sanchez... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Mallex Smith was made a promise by Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto when he was acquired for a second time by the Mariners after an initial tenure that lasted less than two hours."Dipoto didn't guarantee anything, but he said I at least have 78 minutes," Smith joked. "We'll see."Smith is back with the Mariners as part of a five-player deal between Seattle and Tampa Bay on Thursday that landed the Rays catcher Mike Zunino and outfielder Guillermo Heredia.The swap continued a lengthy trade history between the teams and came as a surprise to Zunino, who said he had recent conversations with Seattle manager Scott Servais looking ahead to 2019."I was shocked. To see your name in trade talks, let alone this early in the offseason, was beyond my expectations," Zunino said.Smith, 25, stole a career-best 40 bases this year and was caught 12 times. He hit .296, tied for the major league lead with 10 triples and had 40 RBIs. He is not eligible for free agency until after the 2022... [More]