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]

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 following their four-day annual meeting.Using the threat to accept San Francisco’s offer, reliever Will Smith became the first of the 168 free agents to switch teams, agreeing Thursday 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. 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, and only eight of 90 offers have been accepted. The others were Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters, Houston outfielder Colby Rasmus and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brett Anderson after the 2015 season; New York Mets second baseman Neil Walker and Philadelphia pitcher Jeremy Hellickson following the 2016 season; and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu last offseason.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Spending on Major League Baseball payrolls dropped last season for the first time since 2010, an $18 million decrease attributable to drug and domestic violence suspensions and a player retiring at midseason.Still, even a year with flat payrolls is unusual for MLB. The only previous drops since 2002 were by $3 million in 2010 and by $32 million in 2004.Teams combined to spend $4.23 billion on major league payroll last year, according to final figures compiled by the commissioner's office and obtained by The Associated Press. The decrease followed an offseason with a weak free-agent class that failed to push the average higher.Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano lost about $11.7 million and Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo approximately $3.5 million after positive drug tests. Closer Roberto Osuna's domestic violence suspension cost him roughly $2.1 million from Toronto and Houston, and Baltimore outfielder Colby Rasmus walked away from about $1.5 million rather... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Spending on Major League Baseball payrolls dropped last season for the first time since 2010, an $18 million decrease attributable to drug and domestic violence suspensions and a player retiring at midseason.Still, even a year with flat payrolls is unusual for MLB. The only previous drops since 2002 were by $3 million in 2010 and by $32 million in 2004.Teams combined to spend $4.23 billion on major league payroll last year, according to final figures compiled by the commissioner's office and obtained by The Associated Press. The decrease followed an offseason with a weak free-agent class that failed to push the average higher.Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano lost about $11.7 million and Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo approximately $3.5 million after positive drug tests. Closer Roberto Osuna's domestic violence suspension cost him roughly $2.1 million from Toronto and Houston, and Baltimore outfielder Colby Rasmus walked away from about $1.5 million rather... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Spending on Major League Baseball payrolls dropped last season for the first time since 2010, an $18 million decrease attributable to drug and domestic violence suspensions and a player retiring at midseason.Still, even a year with flat payrolls is unusual for MLB. The only previous drops since 2002 were by $3 million in 2010 and by $32 million in 2004.Teams combined to spend $4.23 billion on major league payroll last year, according to final figures compiled by the commissioner's office and obtained by The Associated Press. The decrease followed an offseason with a weak free-agent class that failed to push the average higher.Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano lost about $11.7 million and Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo approximately $3.5 million after positive drug tests. Closer Roberto Osuna's domestic violence suspension cost him roughly $2.1 million from Toronto and Houston, and Baltimore outfielder Colby Rasmus walked away from about $1.5 million rather... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Colby Rasmus is leaving the Baltimore Orioles after struggling to play through a left hip injury for two seasons.Baltimore placed the outfielder on the restricted list after he told the club Tuesday he was leaving. Rasmus informed manager Buck Showalter of his decision prior to a game against the Phillies."Colby talked to me this afternoon and said he made the decision to go home and discontinue playing," Showalter said. "We're going to honor that. Give him the privacy he's due, and hope everything is for the best. Wish him well, and we'll see what the future brings."Rasmus was hitting .133 with one homer in 18 games this season after signing a one-year, $3 million deal in the offseason. A 2005 first-round pick of the Cardinals, Rasmus left Tampa Bay in midseason last year after dealing with similar hip problems.He hit his only homer on June 21 on the same day he was activated from the 60-day DL with a left hip flexor strain, but he was hitless in his last 11 at-bats.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Lance McCullers pitched seven strong innings, Jake Marisnick homered and the Houston Astros beat the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 on Thursday night to tie a franchise record with their 11th straight road win.McCullers (9-3) gave up three hits while striking out seven. The Astros have won his last six starts and have won 18 of 21 overall. Their 11th straight road win matched the club record set last May 14-June 5 on the way to winning the franchise's first World Series title.The Rays, who had won five straight overall and eight straight at home, had runners on first and third with none out in the eighth against reliever Chris Devenski, but Matt Duffy lined into a double play and Jake Bauers grounded out.Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his fifth save in seven opportunities.Marisnick's homer in the fifth came off Ryan Yarbrough (7-4) and was his seventh of the season. It ended the Rays' streak of 26 scoreless innings, the second-longest in franchise history.RED SOX 4,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Rizzo's three-run double and Addison Russell's two-run homer highlighted a seven-run seventh inning as the Chicago Cubs broke loose after Clayton Kershaw exited, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-5 on Thursday.The Cubs pounded out 15 hits, including four by Rizzo. Russell drove in four runs in the final regular-season meeting between the teams that played each other in the NL Championship Series the last two years.They met seven times in 10 days, with the Cubs winning four games over the two series.The Dodgers staked Kershaw to a 3-1 lead before he departed after five innings because of a pitch limit.The Cubs jumped on reliever Walker Buehler (4-2), who arrived earlier in the morning from Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he had been set for a rehab assignment. Albert Almora Jr. homered on Buehler's second pitch and Russell's sacrifice fly tied it at 3 in the sixth.Steve Cishek (2-0) got the win with 1 2/3 innings of relief.ROCKIES 9, GIANTS 8SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Infielder Tim Beckham has been activated from the disabled list by the last-place Baltimore Orioles, who finally have the starting lineup they anticipated when spring training started.Beckham batted .179 with one homer and four RBIs in 23 games before going on the DL with a groin strain in April. After undergoing core surgery, he missed two months."I don't want to think about what was going on before the injury," Beckham said Monday. "I'm here now, I'm healthy and I'm ready to play some ball."Beckham said he had been playing with pain long before he was traded from Tampa Bay to Baltimore last July."It's something I battled through for years," he said. "You have to play through injuries sometimes. That's the situation I was in at Tampa."With Beckham back, the Orioles started all their front-line players for the first time Monday night against Seattle. The lineup included Jonathan Schoop, Mark Trumbo and Colby Rasmus, all of whom have spent extensive time on the disabled... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Infielder Tim Beckham has been activated from the disabled list by the last-place Baltimore Orioles, who finally have the starting lineup they anticipated when spring training started.Beckham batted .179 with one homer and four RBIs in 23 games before going on the DL with a groin strain in April. After undergoing core surgery, he missed two months.Beckham said Monday he had been playing with pain before he came from Tampa Bay to Baltimore last July, noting, "It's something I battled through for years."With Beckham back, the Orioles started all their front-line players for the first time. The lineup against Seattle on Monday night included Jonathan Schoop, Mark Trumbo and Colby Rasmus, all of whom have spent extensive time on the disabled list.Chris Davis, who sat out eight games in an effort to shake a lengthy slump, said, "I'm glad to see everybody back."Baltimore started the day with a 23-53 record.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit a grand slam to break a scoreless tie in the sixth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the sinking New York Mets 5-2 on Friday night behind Alex Wood's effective pitching.Yasiel Puig added a solo home run in the ninth, and the defending NL champions won their 10th straight against the Mets dating to May 2016. Los Angeles has outscored New York 75-20 in those games, winning each of the past eight by at least three runs — a first in Dodgers history against any opponent, according to STATS.Wood (3-5) outdueled Zack Wheeler (2-6), allowing two runs and six hits in six innings to win his second consecutive start. The left-hander with the funky delivery struck out seven and walked one.Kenley Jansen fanned two in a perfect ninth for his 19th save.New York wasted a dazzling catch by center fielder Michael Conforto that saved a run in the third. After starting the season 11-1, the Mets lost for the 21st time in 27 games to fall a season-worst 11 games under... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — As they stagger toward the midpoint of their miserable 2018 baseball season, the Orioles own the worst record in the majors and are on pace to lose 100 games for only the third time since their move to Baltimore in 1954.Worst of all, they never saw it coming.After giving free agent Alex Cobb a four-year, $57 million contract and signing veteran right-hander Andrew Cashner, the Orioles figured they had a solid starting rotation to go with a power-laden lineup — a formula designed to produce the team's fourth postseason berth in seven years under manager Buck Showalter."We had really high hopes, as most teams do, especially in spring training," slugger Mark Trumbo said. "Our offense was really firing, and we had both Cashner and Cobb coming into the fold to go with a similar group of guys from the last couple years."Nothing has gone according to plan. Entering Friday night's game in Atlanta, the Orioles were 21-52 (10-29 on the road) and a whopping 29 ½ games behind the first-place... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and Miguel Andujar hit two-run homers off James Paxton in the first inning that sent the New York Yankees over the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Thursday for a three-game sweep.Luis Severino and the Yankees boosted the best record in the majors to 50-22. They've won four in a row and 17 of 21. Seattle has lost a season-high four straight.Severino (11-2) wasn't at his best. He gave up Kyle Seager's two-run homer in the second and permitted eight hits overall, matching a season most. He was pulled with two outs in the sixth after Ben Gamel's RBI single cut Seattle's deficit to one run.David Robertson and Dellin Betances protected the lead, and Aroldis Chapman struck out Dee Gordon on three pitches with a runner on second for his 22nd save in 23 chances.Paxton (6-2) had been 5-0 in 10 starts since April, including a no-hitter at Toronto. He went five innings and threw 107 pitches, the same total as Severino.GIANTS 3, PADRES 0SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Madison Bumgarner pitched... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and Miguel Andujar hit two-run homers off James Paxton in the first inning that sent the New York Yankees over the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Thursday for a three-game sweep.Luis Severino and the Yankees boosted the best record in the majors to 50-22. They've won four in a row and 17 of 21. Seattle has lost a season-high four straight.Severino (11-2) wasn't at his best. He gave up Kyle Seager's two-run homer in the second and permitted eight hits overall, matching a season most. He was pulled with two outs in the sixth after Ben Gamel's RBI single cut Seattle's deficit to one run.David Robertson and Dellin Betances protected the lead, and Aroldis Chapman struck out Dee Gordon on three pitches with a runner on second for his 22nd save in 23 chances.Paxton (6-2) had been 5-0 in 10 starts since April, including a no-hitter at Toronto. He went five innings and threw 107 pitches, the same total as Severino.RED SOX 9, TWINS 2MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rick Porcello allowed one... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore Orioles left-hander Zach Britton has been activated from the disabled list, six months after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon.Assuming he's finally healthy enough to resume his role as one of the best closers in the big leagues, the question now is: How long will Britton be with the Orioles?Britton's contract expires after this season, and Baltimore entered play Monday with the worst record in the major leagues (19-45).So, as he stood in front of his locker and spoke excitedly about his return to the Orioles, Britton conceded that his stay in Baltimore may not extend beyond the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline."I want to pitch well and help the team, regardless of our standing or trade discussions," he said.Asked if the next few weeks might serve as an audition for other teams, Britton replied, "I guess so, but I'm not going to think of it like that."Britton made the 2016 AL All-Star team during a season in which he converted all 47 of... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore Orioles left-hander Zach Britton has been activated from the disabled list, six months after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon.Assuming he's finally healthy enough to resume his role as one of the best closers in the big leagues, the question now is: How long will Britton be with the Orioles?Britton's contract expires after this season, and Baltimore entered play Monday with the worst record in the major leagues (19-45).So, as he stood in front of his locker and spoke excitedly about his return to the Orioles, Britton conceded that his stay in Baltimore may not extend beyond the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline."I want to pitch well and help the team, regardless of our standing or trade discussions," he said.Asked if the next few weeks might serve as an audition for other teams, Britton replied, "I guess so, but I'm not going to think of it like that."Britton made the 2016 AL All-Star team during a season in which he converted all 47 of... [More]

Yes, the baseball draft can feel like a bit of a crapshoot, but it does help to be picking near the top.This year's draft took place Monday night, with the Detroit Tigers selecting Auburn right-hander Casey Mize with the top pick . San Francisco followed by picking Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart. It could be a while before either of those players makes an impact in the majors, but if the past two decades are any indication, the top two picks are as likely as anybody to provide major value.From 1998-2017, the 20 players picked No. 1 overall have been worth a total of 313.5 wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference.com. That's more value than any other slot in the first round. The 20 players drafted at No. 2 have been worth 261.3 WAR, which is the second-most value.After the top two picks, the draft has been more hit-or-miss. For example, the No. 7 pick (222.4 WAR) has yielded significantly more value than the No. 4 pick (82.1). That's not to say that a team should rather pick... [More]

BALTIMORE (AP) — The last time the Baltimore Orioles began a season this poorly, Buck Showalter was brought in to restore order to the floundering franchise.Now, Showalter finds himself in a similar mess.Back in 2010, the Orioles stumbled to a 1-11 start and were 5-18 at the end of April. They fired manager Dave Trembley in June and continued to slide under interim manager Juan Samuel before Showalter came aboard and guided Baltimore to 34 wins in its final 57 games.Showalter has since taken the Orioles to the postseason on three occasions.This year, however, he's had to deal with a team plagued by injuries, lackluster hitting and inconsistent pitching.With guys like Anthony Santander, Danny Valencia, Chance Sisco and Craig Gentry getting significant playing time, it's no wonder Baltimore (8-20) has a minus-54 run differential and is deep in last place in the AL East.That would be acceptable if the Orioles were tanking, but they fully expected to compete for a playoff spot this season.Vice... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles have placed outfielder Colby Rasmus on the 10-day disabled list with a hip injury.He has a strained left hip flexor and is batting .095 with 13 strikeouts in 21 at-bats. Rasmus signed a one-year contract in February. .The move by the Orioles came before Saturday's game with the Yankees and hours after Baltimore beat New York 7-3 Friday night on Pedro Alvarez's 14th-inning grand slam.Baltimore recalled rookie right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis from Triple-A Norfolk. He made 14 relief appearances last year.

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Orioles have placed designated hitter Mark Trumbo and pitcher Gabriel Ynoa on the 10-day disabled list.Both moves were made Thursday and are retroactive to March 26. Trumbo has a right quadriceps strain and Ynoa has a shin injury.The Orioles also selected the contracts of four players from Triple-A Norfolk: infielders Pedro Alvarez ($1 million salary in major leagues) and Danny Valencia ($1.2 million), and outfielders Craig Gentry ($900,000) and Colby Rasmus ($3 million).Alvarez and Gentry were in Baltimore's opening day lineup against Minnesota on Thursday.Right-hander Alex Cobb was optioned to Double-A Bowie. He is working to get into pitching shape after being signed as a free agent earlier this month.To make room for the additions, the Orioles designated four pitchers for assignment: Alec Asher, Stefan Crichton, Michael Kelly and Jesus Liranzo.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball