Lance Berkman retires after 15 years in MLB

Six-time All-Star Lance Berkman is retiring after 15 seasons in the major leagues.

Berkman almost left the game last off-season before signing with the Texas Rangers. He then had another injury-plagued season and was limited to 73 games.

The 37-year-old Berkman was Houston's first-round draft pick in 1997 out of Rice, and played 12 seasons for the Astros. He played 1,879 career games, all but 287 for Houston, finishing a .293 career hitter with 366 home runs and 1,234 RBIs.

"Lance was one of the greatest players in Astros history," his original team said in a release Wednesday night.

The Astros said they hope to honour Berkman during the upcoming season and "give the fans the chance to recognize his outstanding career."

He finished the 2010 season with the New York Yankees before two years in St. Louis, where he was part of the 2011 World Series champions.

"Just physically I've gotten to the point where I don't feel like I can compete at a level that I'm used to competing at," Berkman told KRIV-TV of Houston. "I could probably still drag my carcass out there, but I'm not interested in doing that. ... I don't want to hang on just to hang on."

Berkman said he was excited about retiring.

The Rangers declined their $12 million contract option for 2014 last October, which got Berkman a $1 million buyout. He hit .242 with six homers and 34 RBIs for the Rangers.

He went on the disabled list July 7 with a left inflammation and a sore right knee, and played only five games after coming back the final month of the season.

The six-time All-Star played only 32 games for St. Louis in 2012, when he dealt with a strained left calf and had two operations on his right knee. He hit .301 in 2011 for the Cardinals, who won the World Series that season over Texas.

Berkman had said last winter that he had gone into that off-season feeling like he was going to retire then. But he responded to the Rangers, and made $10 million last season.

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Blue Jays ask fans to keep faith at State of the Franchise

Andrew Stein and Glenn Macaulay bought into the Blue Jays hype.

Best friends since kindergarten and lifelong baseball fans, the pair were swept up in the promise of 2013 and purchased season tickets.

From the top level of Rogers Centre above home plate they watched as Toronto slumped through the spring then came alive during an 11-game winning streak only to finish last in the AL East.

Excitement isn't a word they used to describe their hopes for 2014.

"I wouldn't say worried," said Stein.

"Not optimistic," said Macaulay.

"Yeah, not optimistic," said Stein. "Maybe slightly uneasy that it's just going to be a repeat of last year."

Stein and Macaulay were among the Blue Jays season ticket holders at Rogers Centre on Wednesday for the team's annual State of the Franchise event.

Team president and CEO Paul Beeston, general manager Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons were on hand to take questions as jazz played throughout the stadium and food and drinks were handed out to fans wondering just what the state of the team is. 

'We like some of the upside of the guys that are coming back. We'd still like to add. I think we've been very open about that. I don't know what's going to happen obviously between now and the start of camp.'- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos

Anthopoulos had no surprise announcements, nor was he worried about being grilled despite promises of change going unfulfilled during a quiet off-season.

"When you don't have a good season you expect there's criticism that comes with that, that goes without saying, that's part of it," he said.

"But again, these fans, I think it's a different type of setting because these are the season-seat holders. They support the club. They love the team good and bad. Obviously we're here to be accountable and to make ourselves available to talk and answer whatever questions they might have."

Toronto's only notable acquisition has been catcher Dioner Navarro, who was brought on to replace J.P. Arencibia.

Navarro, who hit .300 with 31 home runs and 34 RBIs in 240 at-bats with the Chicago Cubs last season, barely made the splash that all-stars Jose Reyes or R.A. Dickey did when Toronto traded for them prior to last season.

"[Navarro will] be serviceable. I'm not going to buy his jersey or anything," said Stein.

The Blue Jays' real need, the one Anthopoulos promised would be his winter focus, is starting pitching.

Dickey, coming off a Cy Young season, struggled, although not as badly as Josh Johnson. J.A. Happ missed time after being hit in the head by a frightening comebacker in May, while Brandon Morrow's season ended in July with a forearm injury. Only Mark Buehrle, who also had a slow start to the season, performed to expectation.

Toronto's rotation finished with a 4.81 earned-run average last season, second worst in the majors, and the starters' 899.1 innings pitched were 28th in baseball.

But Toronto has stood pat during the off-season.

Japanese phenom Masahiro Tanaka was signed by the New York Yankees before veteran Matt Garza joined the Milwaukee Brewers. Several pitchers such as Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez still remain on the market, but Anthopoulos said progress has been slowed by free agents who cost teams draft picks.

That doesn't apply to the Blue Jays — they've got two protected first-round draft picks. But Anthopoulos remained non-committal.

"We like some of the upside of the guys that are coming back. We'd still like to add," he said. "I think we've been very open about that. I don't know what's going to happen obviously between now and the start of camp.

"Depending on how free agency goes or even the trade market, maybe it's beyond that, but we are excited about some of the guys coming back, especially some of the young guys. There's upside to the performance of a lot of these guys. But at the same time we're still going to be active and try to get a starter."

Whereas Anthopoulos could only ask fans to stick by the team, Gibbons said he's looking ahead after making peace with 2013.

"After I was home for about two weeks I said, you know what, it's time for a new season," said Gibbons.

"I've always been an optimistic guy. It's smart to look back and look at some areas to do things differently maybe to improve some things. But in the end you've got to turn the page and it's a new start here in the next two months."

Gibbons, who heard plenty of calls for his dismissal last season, isn't worried about the direction of the team. He acknowledged fans' frustrations, and that there won't be as much good will in April as there was last year.

"It sure would be nice me coming in here feeling good going to this thing having won something, but until you do that you're just hoping and dreaming. So hopefully we can do that."

What, then, is the state of the Blue Jays? Ask again on Opening Day.

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Blue Jays ask fans to keep faith at State of the Franchise

Andrew Stein and Glenn Macaulay bought into the Blue Jays hype.

Best friends since kindergarten and lifelong baseball fans, the pair were swept up in the promise of 2013 and purchased season tickets.

From the top level of Rogers Centre above home plate they watched as Toronto slumped through the spring then came alive during an 11-game winning streak only to finish last in the AL East.

Excitement isn't a word they used to describe their hopes for 2014.

"I wouldn't say worried," said Stein.

"Not optimistic," said Macaulay.

"Yeah, not optimistic," said Stein. "Maybe slightly uneasy that it's just going to be a repeat of last year."

Stein and Macaulay were among the Blue Jays season ticket holders at Rogers Centre on Wednesday for the team's annual State of the Franchise event.

Team president and CEO Paul Beeston, general manager Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons were on hand to take questions as jazz played throughout the stadium and food and drinks were handed out to fans wondering just what the state of the team is. 

'We like some of the upside of the guys that are coming back. We'd still like to add. I think we've been very open about that. I don't know what's going to happen obviously between now and the start of camp.'- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos

Anthopoulos had no surprise announcements, nor was he worried about being grilled despite promises of change going unfulfilled during a quiet off-season.

"When you don't have a good season you expect there's criticism that comes with that, that goes without saying, that's part of it," he said.

"But again, these fans, I think it's a different type of setting because these are the season-seat holders. They support the club. They love the team good and bad. Obviously we're here to be accountable and to make ourselves available to talk and answer whatever questions they might have."

Toronto's only notable acquisition has been catcher Dioner Navarro, who was brought on to replace J.P. Arencibia.

Navarro, who hit .300 with 31 home runs and 34 RBIs in 240 at-bats with the Chicago Cubs last season, barely made the splash that all-stars Jose Reyes or R.A. Dickey did when Toronto traded for them prior to last season.

"[Navarro will] be serviceable. I'm not going to buy his jersey or anything," said Stein.

The Blue Jays' real need, the one Anthopoulos promised would be his winter focus, is starting pitching.

Dickey, coming off a Cy Young season, struggled, although not as badly as Josh Johnson. J.A. Happ missed time after being hit in the head by a frightening comebacker in May, while Brandon Morrow's season ended in July with a forearm injury. Only Mark Buehrle, who also had a slow start to the season, performed to expectation.

Toronto's rotation finished with a 4.81 earned-run average last season, second worst in the majors, and the starters' 899.1 innings pitched were 28th in baseball.

But Toronto has stood pat during the off-season.

Japanese phenom Masahiro Tanaka was signed by the New York Yankees before veteran Matt Garza joined the Milwaukee Brewers. Several pitchers such as Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez still remain on the market, but Anthopoulos said progress has been slowed by free agents who cost teams draft picks.

That doesn't apply to the Blue Jays — they've got two protected first-round draft picks. But Anthopoulos remained non-committal.

"We like some of the upside of the guys that are coming back. We'd still like to add," he said. "I think we've been very open about that. I don't know what's going to happen obviously between now and the start of camp.

"Depending on how free agency goes or even the trade market, maybe it's beyond that, but we are excited about some of the guys coming back, especially some of the young guys. There's upside to the performance of a lot of these guys. But at the same time we're still going to be active and try to get a starter."

Whereas Anthopoulos could only ask fans to stick by the team, Gibbons said he's looking ahead after making peace with 2013.

"After I was home for about two weeks I said, you know what, it's time for a new season," said Gibbons.

"I've always been an optimistic guy. It's smart to look back and look at some areas to do things differently maybe to improve some things. But in the end you've got to turn the page and it's a new start here in the next two months."

Gibbons, who heard plenty of calls for his dismissal last season, isn't worried about the direction of the team. He acknowledged fans' frustrations, and that there won't be as much good will in April as there was last year.

"It sure would be nice me coming in here feeling good going to this thing having won something, but until you do that you're just hoping and dreaming. So hopefully we can do that."

What, then, is the state of the Blue Jays? Ask again on Opening Day.

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Lance Berkman retires after 15 years in MLB

Six-time All-Star Lance Berkman is retiring after 15 seasons in the major leagues.

Berkman almost left the game last off-season before signing with the Texas Rangers. He then had another injury-plagued season and was limited to 73 games.

The 37-year-old Berkman was Houston's first-round draft pick in 1997 out of Rice, and played 12 seasons for the Astros. He played 1,879 career games, all but 287 for Houston, finishing a .293 career hitter with 366 home runs and 1,234 RBIs.

"Lance was one of the greatest players in Astros history," his original team said in a release Wednesday night.

The Astros said they hope to honour Berkman during the upcoming season and "give the fans the chance to recognize his outstanding career."

He finished the 2010 season with the New York Yankees before two years in St. Louis, where he was part of the 2011 World Series champions.

"Just physically I've gotten to the point where I don't feel like I can compete at a level that I'm used to competing at," Berkman told KRIV-TV of Houston. "I could probably still drag my carcass out there, but I'm not interested in doing that. ... I don't want to hang on just to hang on."

Berkman said he was excited about retiring.

The Rangers declined their $12 million contract option for 2014 last October, which got Berkman a $1 million buyout. He hit .242 with six homers and 34 RBIs for the Rangers.

He went on the disabled list July 7 with a left inflammation and a sore right knee, and played only five games after coming back the final month of the season.

The six-time All-Star played only 32 games for St. Louis in 2012, when he dealt with a strained left calf and had two operations on his right knee. He hit .301 in 2011 for the Cardinals, who won the World Series that season over Texas.

Berkman had said last winter that he had gone into that off-season feeling like he was going to retire then. But he responded to the Rangers, and made $10 million last season.

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MLB approves protective cap for pitchers

Big league pitchers might feel safer on the mound this season.

Major League Baseball has approved a protective cap for pitchers, hoping to reduce the effects of being hit in the head by line drives.

The new hat was introduced Tuesday will be available for testing during spring training on a voluntary basis. Major leaguers and minor leaguers won't be required to wear it.

"Obviously, it'd be a change," two-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers told the MLB Network. "I'm definitely not opposed to it."

"I think it'd take a lot of getting used to," he said. "You don't look very cool, I'll be honest."

The safety plates made by isoBLOX are sewn into the hat and custom fitted. They weigh an extra six to seven ounces — a baseball weighs about five ounces, by comparison — and offer protection to the forehead, temples and sides of the head. They make the hats about a half-inch thicker in the front and around an inch thicker on the sides.

Several pitchers have been hit in the head by line drives in the recent years. Brandon McCarthy sustained a brain contusion and skull fracture after being struck in 2012 and Doug Fister was hit during the World Series that October.

Toronto's J.A. Happ and Toronto's Alex Cobb were sidelined after being hit last season.

McCarthy tweeted that he had already tried out the fortified cap and that it was "headed in right direction but not game ready."

Said star closer Grant Balfour: "I am always appreciative of anything that will make the game safer. That being said, I may try it. Just not sure yet until I see it. Has to fit with a cap and be comfortable."

"We talked to a lot of guys who had been through this, and they provided a wealth of information to help us," said Bruce Foster, CEO of the 4Licensing Corporation, parent company of isoBLOX. "We went through a myriad of different designs to develop this."

Extensive testing

Foster said the cap went through extensive testing and provided protection from line drives up to 90 miles per hour (145 kilometres per hour) in the front of the head and 85 mph (137 km/h) on the side.

Line drives in the majors have been clocked at even faster rates.

While the hat is "slightly bigger" than a regular baseball cap, Foster said: "It's not going to be a Gazoo hat."

Several years ago, MLB introduced larger batting helmets that offered increased safety. But big leaguers mostly rejected them, saying they looked funny and made them resemble the Great Gazoo, a character on The Flintstones cartoon series.

In recent seasons, pitchers have said they would try padded caps, provided they weren't too cumbersome.

"You see guys get hit with line drives. I know in the last couple of years there have been several of them. So it happens. You want to be wary of it," all-star closer Glen Perkins of the Minnesota Twins said. "Player safety is important. I think finding a solution is good."

"But by the sounds of what they have, I don't know if that's entirely feasible to go out there with basically a helmet on your head and pitch. Without seeing it or trying it on, I hate to make a blanket judgment. But just thinking out loud, that seems a little bit much. Just the bulkiness," he said.

Prototypes

In December 2012, MLB medical director Dr. Gary Green presented ideas on protective headgear to executives, doctors and trainers. The prototypes under study included some made of Kevlar, the high-impact material often worn by military and law enforcement and NFL players for body armour.

Several companies tried without success to make a product that would be approved by MLB and the players' union. While isoBLOX was first to get the OK, other firms still might submit proposals.

Foster said the cap's design diffuses the impact of being hit, rather than only absorbing the shock. The technology will be available on the retail market for ball players of all ages in a form of a skull cap.

A memo from MLB will advise teams that the caps are available in spring training, and pitchers who express interest in testing will be fitted. MLB has the right to mandate that minor leaguers wear it, but has no plans now to do that.

Perkins pointed out that a regular hat weighed about three ounces.

"More protection is good. With the weight, I don't know if it's practical or not. I guess that's why they're going to have them at spring training," he said. "I'm sure I'll try one on and go out and field some grounders or something. But as far as pitching, I couldn't imagine pitching in like a catcher's helmet."

"I think it will be one of those things that people will wear them when they have to wear them. Maybe a guy here or a guy there," he said.

MLB didn't make the use of helmets or protective cap inserts mandatory for batters until the National League required them for the 1956 season. Helmets weren't required until the 1971 season and, even then, they weren't mandatory for players already in the big leagues. An earflap on the side of the head facing the pitcher was required for new players starting in 1983.

"It's nice to see any sport take precautions to prevent injury," San Francisco reliever Javier Lopez said. "As a pitcher we are the closest to the action in the field of play and batted balls can get on you quickly. That being said, I look forward to seeing what the finished product looks like. And if it helps just one pitcher, then it's worth it. It's always nice to have safety nets."

Added Boston reliever Craig Breslow: "I'm not certain how many players will be testing the new equipment, but I think all at least appreciate the effort."

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Ex-Twins pitcher Andrew Albers joins Korean team

Canadian pitcher Andrew Albers is putting his major league career on hold for at least one season.

The Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization officially signed the left-hander to a one-year contract worth $700,000 US on Wednesday, according to the Yonhap News Agency. He also receives a $100,000 signing bonus.

Albers, 28, is the first player to join the KBO since it abolished a $300,000 salary cap on non-Korean players earlier this month.

In 10 starts with the Minnesota Twins last season, he had a 2-5 record and 4.05 earned-run average.

"It'd be a really neat experience," Albers told reporters recently of pitching in Korea."It would probably be something that would be a lot of fun, to try and go and play baseball on a completely different continent."

Albers's immediate future with the Twins was in question after the team signed free-agent hurlers Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes this off-season to join a projected rotation that also includes Kevin Correia, Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey.

Albers's agent Blake Corosky says there are a number of reasons why Korea is a good fit.

"We're talking about a young man who's never earned more than $25,000 in any league playing professional baseball until last year," he told reporters recently. "So, the monetary side is something to consider for sure."

Corosky says the move would also make Albers a free agent, something that wouldn't happen with the Twins until 2019.

While pondering his baseball future over the winter, Albers returned to the classroom for a fourth consecutive year as a substitute teacher at John Paul II Collegiate in his native North Battleford, Sask. Albers is a graduate of the school.

He has also been touring schools in his home province to tell youngsters about the value of hard work and pursuing dreams for a series of Dream and Believe Camps sponsored by the Saskatoon-based mining company Cameco.

Albers is the eighth Saskatchewan native to play in the majors and first in 21 years.

Drafted by San Diego in the 10th round of the 2008 amateur draft, he auditioned for Minnesota more than two years ago and signed on March 10, 2011 after the Padres released him.

Last season, Albers set a few Twins records, including eight-plus shutout innings in his major league debut and 17 1/3 shutout innings to start his MLB career.

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Brewers sign Canadian free-agent infielder Pete Orr

Pete Orr probably will have to wait until after big-league spring training to earn a promotion to the Milwaukee Brewers, his fourth major league team.

The 34-year-old infielder from Richmond Hill, Ont., agreed to a minor league contract on Monday that doesn't include an invite to major league spring training.

While Orr will report to the parent team on the first day of spring training, he'll be part of the Brewers' invitation-only minor league minicamp.

Orr spent parts of the three previous seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, who released him just days after the end of the 2013 regular season.

Orr had a .200 batting average (4-for-20) in 15 games for the Phillies last season.

He was promoted from the triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs of the International League in late August after hitting .258 in 95 contests with 31 runs batted in.

In 2012, Orr hit .315 in 35 games with Philadelphia while filling in for injured second baseman Chase Utley.

He struggled to begin last season at triple-A, posting a .164 batting average through April. Orr didn't have his first multi-hit game until May 17.

He began to see regular playing time at second base in late May when the Phillies summoned prospect Cesar Hernandez, only to return him to Lehigh Valley a few weeks later.

By the all-star break, Orr had appeared in only 62 of the IronPigs' 98 contests, mostly at shortstop, where he started the season splitting time with Michael Martinez.

In the second half, he raised his batting average 26 points and had a career-best 14-game hitting streak.

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MLB approves protective cap for pitchers

Big league pitchers might feel safer on the mound this season.

Major League Baseball has approved a protective cap for pitchers, hoping to reduce the effects of being hit in the head by line drives.

The new hat was introduced Tuesday will be available for testing during spring training on a voluntary basis. Major leaguers and minor leaguers won't be required to wear it.

The safety plates made by isoBLOX are sewn into the hat and custom fitted. They weigh an extra six to seven ounces — a baseball weighs about five ounces, by comparison — and offer protection to the forehead, temples and sides of the head.

Several pitchers have been hit in the head by line drives in the recent years. Brandon McCarthy sustained a brain contusion and skull fracture after being struck in 2012 and Doug Fister was hit during the World Series that October.

Toronto's J.A. Happ and Toronto's Alex Cobb were sidelined after being hit last season.

"We talked to a lot of guys who had been through this, and they provided a wealth of information to help us," said Bruce Foster, CEO of the 4Licensing Corporation, parent company of isoBLOX. "We went through a myriad of different designs to develop this."

Foster said the cap went through extensive testing and provided protection from line drives up to 90 mph (145 km/h) in the front of the head and 85 mph (137 km/h) on the side.

Line drives in the majors have been clocked at even faster rates.

The hat is "slightly bigger" than a regular baseball cap, Foster said. He added: "It's not going to be a Gazoo hat."

Several years ago, MLB introduced larger batting helmets that offered increased safety. But big leaguers mostly rejected them, saying they looked funny and made them resemble the Great Gazoo, a character on the "The Flintstones" cartoon series.

In December 2012, MLB medical director Dr. Gary Green presented ideas on protective headgear to executives, doctors and trainers. The prototypes under study included some made of Kevlar, the high-impact material often worn by military and law enforcement and NFL players for body armour.

Several companies tried without success to make a product that would be approved by MLB. While isoBLOX was first to get the OK, other firms still might submit proposals.

Foster said the cap's design diffuses the impact of being hit, rather than only absorbing the shock. The technology will be available on the retail market for ballplayers of all ages.

A memo from MLB will advise teams that the caps are available in spring training. Pitchers who express interest in testing will be fitted.

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Tour of Yankee Stadium's Monument Park

Video

CBC Sports Posted: Jan 26, 2014 7:20 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 26, 2014 7:20 PM ET

Hockey Night in Canada commentator Elliotte Friedman brings you inside the historic Monument Park at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Friedman visited the monuments of Yankee legends like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Mariano Rivera; as well as the team's museum inside the park.

Watch the full tour above.

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

Submission Policy

Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines.

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Matt Garza, Brewers reach contract agreement

Free agent pitcher Matt Garza signed a four-year contract with Milwaukee on Sunday, strengthening the top of the rotation and boosting the Brewers' hopes following a disappointing season.

The Brewers made the announcement, saying the contract included a vesting option for the 2018 season. Earlier in the afternoon, team owner Mark Attanasio was on stage during a question-and-answer session at a fan event and said a deal was in place.

"Matt is an established top-of-the-rotation pitcher who provides our staff with experience and quality depth," general manager Doug Melvin said.

A person familiar with the negotiations, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the contract, told The Associated Press the four-year deal was worth $50 million US with an extra $1 million per year in reachable performance bonuses for a starter.

The 30-year-old righty went 10-6 with a 3.82 ERA last season for the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers. He missed most of the first two months while recovering from an injury that affected his side and back.

Garza will join Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse as Milwaukee's top starters. He is 67-67 with a 3.84 ERA in eight seasons with Minnesota, Tampa Bay, the Cubs and Texas.

Garza was looking forward to pitching — and hitting — back in the NL Central.

"It's fun. I like the Central, I like pitching in the Central," Garza said in a conference call. "I like swinging the bat in the big parks."

The move also adds depth to the staff and puts less pressure on young pitcher such as Wily Peralta and Tyler Thornburg in the back end of the rotation.

"We've said now for a couple of years that we're focusing on pitching and pitching depth," Attanasio told reporters. "You can never have enough pitching depth, and I would argue we have as much pitching depth as we've had [in] my 10 seasons of ownership."

Garza was the MVP of the 2008 AL championship series, beating Boston twice while with Tampa Bay. He also has thrown the only no-hitter in Rays' history, on July 26, 2010, against Detroit.

His signing had been rumoured for days, though the Brewers were seemingly a surprise suitor for Garza's services. The team issued a statement Thursday that they were in talks with Garza but hadn't reached a deal then.

"These deals can go to the 11th hour and then not come together," Attanasio said. "So you don't know until you know."

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Alex Anthopoulos still looking to upgrade Blue Jays

Alex Anthopoulos was a busy man last off-season.

The Toronto Blue Jays general manager made a series of bold moves that reshaped the club ahead of what would turn out to be a disastrous 2013 campaign.

The lead-up to the 2014 season has been relatively quiet in comparison, with the Blue Jays' biggest splash coming when they cut ties with catcher J.P Arencibia and replaced him with free-agent Dioner Navarro.

While that deal wasn't not on the same level as the headline-grabbing acquisitions of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey, Anthopoulos says he won't be adding any pieces through trade or free agency unless it fits into the team's model. 

'We made a lot of big moves early last off-season. It wasn't by design, it just worked out that way. We've had a lot of dialogue. There's still a lot of players out there, just haven't been able to line up with respect to a price, whether it's trade or free-agent cost.'- Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos

"We made a lot of big moves early last off-season. It wasn't by design, it just worked out that way," Anthopoulos said Friday. "We've had a lot of dialogue. There's still a lot of players out there, just haven't been able to line up with respect to a price, whether it's trade or free-agent cost.

"We do have the ability on some trade fronts to just say 'Yes'. We know what the asking prices are — just not willing to pay that price. From a free-agent standpoint ... we have been given a price and we just don't necessarily see the value right now."

The starting rotation continues to be a point of emphasis after a miserable 2013 that saw Toronto finish last in the American League East after starting the season as World Series favourites.

Free agent starters Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez are still on the open market, but Anthopoulos said there's a chance that the rotation could be filled out from within.

"We have a lot of candidates and a lot of options. Someone like Brandon Morrow coming back [from injury] is a huge boost for us, some of our young kids that are coming back are certainly going help," he said. "We still have dialogue and try to upgrade but we do have some upside to some of the guys that are coming back."

Anthopoulos, who was in town for a luncheon with the single-A Vancouver Canadians, also touched on the New York Yankees' signing of Japanese starter Masahiro Tanaka earlier this week.

The 25-year-old right-hander inked a seven-year deal worth $155 million US dollars with Toronto's AL East rivals that also includes a $20-million dollar payment to his club team.

The Blue Jays, who have an internal policy of not signing player contracts longer than five years, were rumoured to be in the running for Tanaka's services early on in the process.

"Obviously he's a great starter and there was a lot speculation on where the dollars would go just based on the previous two Japanese starters [Daisuke Matsuzaka and Yu Darvish]," said Anthopoulos. "I think it was expected that he would go north of [their price tags] — $175 million, I don't know if anybody predicted that.

"He's very talented and the Yankees certainly got better."

Anthopoulos said the Blue Jays use the five-year limit on contracts as "a guideline" but tend to shy away from longer-term deals because they offer clubs very little wiggle room.

"We've held firm on our five-year policy in terms of contracts. When free agents are signing for seven, eight years, then normally that's where we tap out," he said. "We definitely have the resources financially in terms of annual value and salaries and things like that. I think we've proven that with some of the players we have acquired. But just the length of term — very rarely do those seven-, eight-year deals work out."

Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons will be feeling the heat if the Blue Jays stumble out of the gate as the they did in 2013. Fans flocked to Rogers Centre with dreams of a return to the team's glory years of the early 1990s that included two World Series titles, but were instead bitterly disappointed with the product on the field.

With pitchers and catchers set to report for spring training on Feb. 17, a repeat in 2014 surely won't fly.

"You're always anxious to try to improve the club and to add to it, but you don't necessarily have to guard against it when you know there's a deal that just doesn't make any sense," said Anthopoulos. "We just don't want to force a deal and do it for the sake of doing it.

"We want to make moves that we think are going to help the club. If we have to go more years and dollars than we believe in, people might get excited now but a few months into it we may be regretting that deal and be hamstrung with a contract that we don't want."

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Tigers' Justin Verlander set to play catch Monday

The Detroit Tigers enter spring training with a level of optimism befitting their three straight AL Central titles.

There are a few concerns, though. For one thing, the team's two biggest stars are coming off surgery.

Slugger Miguel Cabrera seems fine after battling through a number of injuries toward the end of last season, and ace Justin Verlander is expected to play catch Monday, less than three weeks after having core muscle repair surgery.

"Miggy, by all accounts, feels great. He's been OK'd to do pretty much everything," said Brad Ausmus, who begins his managerial career with the Tigers this season. "Justin obviously, because it's certainly more recent, it's a little bit more of a grey area. He, again, all the reports from [trainer] Kevin Rand, he's doing great."

General manager Dave Dombrowski says he doesn't anticipate Verlander missing any starts this season, but he can't promise anything. Verlander had surgery Jan. 9 after hurting himself in December during off-season conditioning.

"If it's the natural healing process, which it is at this point, I think he will be ready," Dombrowski said.

The Tigers held their annual TigerFest event at Comerica Park on Saturday, although Cabrera and Verlander weren't there. Cabrera did talk for a bit earlier in the week, at the start of the team's winter caravan.

"I'm feeling great right now," Cabrera said. "Let's see what's going to happen this year — try to get my work done in spring training and try to be ready for the season."

The Tigers revealed after last season that Cabrera had been limited down the stretch by a tear in his groin. He still hit .348 with 44 home runs and 137 RBIs, winning his second straight MVP award. Cabrera batted .262 with two home runs in 11 post-season games before Detroit was eliminated by Boston in the AL championship series.

He had surgery in late October.

Cabrera will be moving from third base back to first this year after first baseman Prince Fielder was traded to Texas in the off-season.

"I was happy at third, happy at first," Cabrera said. "It doesn't matter where they put me. I want to play baseball, I want to win some games and I want to play every day, that's what I want."

Verlander went 13-12 last year with a 3.46 ERA for the AL Central champions. He has been Detroit's opening day starter for the last six seasons.

Verlander has been one of baseball's most durable pitchers, starting at least 30 games for eight straight seasons and topping 200 innings for seven in a row. The Tigers want him on the mound, obviously, but they also don't want him to rush back.

"We need Justin to be honest," Ausmus said. "I think Justin takes a lot of pride in not missing a start, but he has to be honest about how he feels, because we don't want to push him past that breaking point."

Pitching coach Jeff Jones says he'd never want Verlander to lose his intensity and drive.

"I'd rather have that than a guy that's not really willing to push himself," Jones said.

Verlander was expected to need six weeks of rehab before being evaluated again. The first workout for Detroit's pitchers and catchers at spring training is scheduled for Feb. 14.

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MLB free agency: Best of what's left

Only 20 days remain until Major League Baseball spring training camps officially open, and there are still a number of impact players remaining on the market.

With the recent completion of Masahiro Tanaka's ​7-year, $155-million US deal with the Yankees, and the Brewers and Matt Garza rumoured to be close to a reported four-year, $52-million agreement, it looks as though more free-agent deals could be on the horizon.  

This gallery shows the big fish who are still out there waiting to be reeled in by an MLB team.

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Alex Anthopoulos still looking to upgrade Blue Jays

Alex Anthopoulos was a busy man last off-season.

The Toronto Blue Jays general manager made a series of bold moves that reshaped the club ahead of what would turn out to be a disastrous 2013 campaign.

The lead-up to the 2014 season has been relatively quiet in comparison, with the Blue Jays' biggest splash coming when they cut ties with catcher J.P Arencibia and replaced him with free-agent Dioner Navarro.

While that deal wasn't not on the same level as the headline-grabbing acquisitions of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey, Anthopoulos says he won't be adding any pieces through trade or free agency unless it fits into the team's model. 

'We made a lot of big moves early last off-season. It wasn't by design, it just worked out that way. We've had a lot of dialogue. There's still a lot of players out there, just haven't been able to line up with respect to a price, whether it's trade or free-agent cost.'- Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos

"We made a lot of big moves early last off-season. It wasn't by design, it just worked out that way," Anthopoulos said Friday. "We've had a lot of dialogue. There's still a lot of players out there, just haven't been able to line up with respect to a price, whether it's trade or free-agent cost.

"We do have the ability on some trade fronts to just say 'Yes'. We know what the asking prices are — just not willing to pay that price. From a free-agent standpoint ... we have been given a price and we just don't necessarily see the value right now."

The starting rotation continues to be a point of emphasis after a miserable 2013 that saw Toronto finish last in the American League East after starting the season as World Series favourites.

Free agent starters Ervin Santana or Ubaldo Jimenez are still on the open market, but Anthopoulos said there's a chance that the rotation could be filled out from within.

"We have a lot of candidates and a lot of options. Someone like Brandon Morrow coming back [from injury] is a huge boost for us, some of our young kids that are coming back are certainly going help," he said. "We still have dialogue and try to upgrade but we do have some upside to some of the guys that are coming back."

Anthopoulos, who was in town for a luncheon with the single-A Vancouver Canadians, also touched on the New York Yankees' signing of Japanese starter Masahiro Tanaka earlier this week.

The 25-year-old right-hander inked a seven-year deal worth $155 million US dollars with Toronto's AL East rivals that also includes a $20-million dollar payment to his club team.

The Blue Jays, who have an internal policy of not signing player contracts longer than five years, were rumoured to be in the running for Tanaka's services early on in the process.

"Obviously he's a great starter and there was a lot speculation on where the dollars would go just based on the previous two Japanese starters [Daisuke Matsuzaka and Yu Darvish]," said Anthopoulos. "I think it was expected that he would go north of [their price tags] — $175 million, I don't know if anybody predicted that.

"He's very talented and the Yankees certainly got better."

Anthopoulos said the Blue Jays use the five-year limit on contracts as "a guideline" but tend to shy away from longer-term deals because they offer clubs very little wiggle room.

"We've held firm on our five-year policy in terms of contracts. When free agents are signing for seven, eight years, then normally that's where we tap out," he said. "We definitely have the resources financially in terms of annual value and salaries and things like that. I think we've proven that with some of the players we have acquired. But just the length of term — very rarely do those seven-, eight-year deals work out."

Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons will be feeling the heat if the Blue Jays stumble out of the gate as the they did in 2013. Fans flocked to Rogers Centre with dreams of a return to the team's glory years of the early 1990s that included two World Series titles, but were instead bitterly disappointed with the product on the field.

With pitchers and catchers set to report for spring training on Feb. 17, a repeat in 2014 surely won't fly.

"You're always anxious to try to improve the club and to add to it, but you don't necessarily have to guard against it when you know there's a deal that just doesn't make any sense," said Anthopoulos. "We just don't want to force a deal and do it for the sake of doing it.

"We want to make moves that we think are going to help the club. If we have to go more years and dollars than we believe in, people might get excited now but a few months into it we may be regretting that deal and be hamstrung with a contract that we don't want."

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Tom Glavine says A-Rod suing MLBPA 'hard to believe'

Hall of Fame pitcher says slugger 'grasping at straws' in lawsuit

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 23, 2014 6:36 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 23, 2014 6:36 PM ET

Hall of Famer Tom Glavine says Alex Rodriguez appears to be "grasping at straws" in his lawsuit against the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Glavine was a longtime union leader and participated in negotiations during the 1994-95 strike. He says knowing the people in the union as he does, he finds it "hard to believe" that Rodriguez is claiming they didn't do their job when they represented him in the grievance that lowered his 211-game suspension to 162 games.

Rodriguez sued the MLBPA and Major League Baseball last week in an effort to overturn the penalty.

Glavine was in Boston on Thursday to receive the prestigious Fuchs award from the local chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The award is named for the former Boston Braves owner and given for long and meritorious service to baseball.

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Brewers in talks with free agent Matt Garza

Reports of 4-year, $52-million US deal with pitcher surfaced Thursday

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 23, 2014 7:52 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 23, 2014 7:57 PM ET

The Brewers say they're in talks with free agent Matt Garza to fortify their pitching staff.

Milwaukee issued a statement Thursday evening following reports of a $52 million US, four-year agreement between the Brewers and the 30-year-old right-hander, pending a physical.

The statement says "despite media reports, negotiations between the Brewers and Matt Garza are ongoing, but there is no deal yet."

Garza would join Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse to form what could be a solid rotation top. Garza went 10-6 with a 3.82 ERA last year for the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers, striking out 136 in 155 1-3 innings.

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Yankees land coveted Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka

Masahiro Tanaka's baseball journey is taking him from Japan to New York.

The Yankees, according to co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, have agreed to a seven-year deal with the Japanese starting pitcher worth $155 million US.

The agreement calls for $22 million in each of the first six seasons and $23 million in 2020. It also includes a full no-trade clause and opt-out clause after the fourth season, allowing Tanaka to test free agency after his age-28 season.

Tanaka receives a $35,000 moving allowance, an annual $100,000 housing allowance to be used in New York or near the team's spring training facility in Tampa, Fla., and an interpreter of the pitcher's choice at an $85,000 yearly salary. In addition to his own flight to the U.S. for each season, Tanaka annually will be provided four first-class round trip tickets between New York and Japan.

Major league teams had until 5 p.m. ET on Friday to sign the star 25-year-old, whom the Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League agreed to post in late December.

The two Chicago teams, Cubs and White Sox, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks were known to have made bids for Tanaka, who sported a 24-0 record and 1.27 earned-run average in 212 innings last season.

The Yankees, Dodgers and Cubs were said to be finalists for the right-hander, with New York bumping offer from six years to seven to secure a deal.

The Toronto Blue Jays reportedly submitted a bid on Tanaka, but were out of the running once contract length surpassed five years.

Recent reports suggested Tanaka's wife preferred to be on the West Coast, perhaps leading to the Yankees' willingness to extend the term of the contract.

'We're going to do what we've got to do to win.'- Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner

New York has been very active this off-season, adding outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran along with catcher Brian McCann after missing the playoffs for just the second time in 19 years.

Including Tanaka, the four big deals total $438 million.

"We're going to do what we've got to do to win," Steinbrenner told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "We had to make sure we had enough pitching to go together with our new lineup."

In early December, the Yankees re-signed pitcher Hiroki Kuroda for one year, filling one of three holes in the rotation behind CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova. David Phelps and Michael Pineda are among the pitchers who will battle for the fifth-starter's job at spring training next month.

New York had great success in the Japanese market when it signed outfielder Hideki Matsui, a star from 2003-09 who was the World Series MVP in his final season in pinstripes. But the Yankees had failures with Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa, pitchers who failed to file up to their potential.

His deal pushes the Yankees' payroll for purposes of the luxury tax over $203 million. Barring trades, there is little chance New York will get under the $189 million tax threshold.

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner had been saying for two years that getting under the tax threshold in 2014 was a goal but wouldn't get in the way of fielding a contending team.

"There has been criticism of myself and my brother the last couple years that, gee, if our dad was still in charge, we'd be spending this and spending that and doing whatever it takes to win," Hank Steinbrenner said, referring to late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. "He didn't have revenue sharing, at least for most of his time.

"That's what these people in the sports media don't seem to get. If it wasn't for revenue sharing, we'd have a payroll of $300 million a year if we wanted to. So we're doing this despite having to pay all that revenue sharing."

Tanaka's contract is the fifth-largest ever for a pitcher, trailing Clayton Kershaw (seven years, $210M with Dodgers), Verlander (seven years, $180M with Detroit) , Felix Hernandez (seven years, $175M with Seattle) & Sabathia's original deal (eight years, $160M with Yankees).

In addition to his contract, New York is required to pay Rakuten a posting fee, now capped at $20 million US under a deal reached earlier this off-season between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball.

Under the old, no-limit system, the Texas Rangers paid over $50 million for the right to negotiate with Yu Darvish before the 2012 season.

During the previous agreement, Boston obtained Daisake Matsuzaka from the Seibu Lions before the 2007 season for $51,111,111.11 and agreed to a $52 million, six-year contract. Texas got Darvish from the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters before the 2012 season for $51,703,411 and gave him a $56 million, six-year deal.

Darvish finished second in 2013 Cy Young Award voting as the top pitcher in the American League.

So what do the Yankees have in Tanaka?

There are some who believe he will be more of a groundball pitcher than strikeout artist.

What we know is he throws his four-seam fastball in the low-90s, but he can ramp it up to 95-96 miles per hour. His money pitch is a swing-and-miss splitter, while also possessing a two-seamer and slider.

Tanaka has shown outstanding control in Japan, posting a 4.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in seven seasons. He also averaged 1.9 walks per nine innings and has limited home runs, giving up 0.5 per nine innings.

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Canadian pitcher Andrew Albers could be headed to S. Korea

After an impressive Major League Baseball debut with the Minnesota Twins, Andrew Albers might be heading to Asia.

Albers' agent confirms the North Battleford player has been approached to play with the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization for a year.

Last year, Albers wowed the Twins in his debut game, making national news when he pitched eight and 1/3 scoreless innings. The next game, he pitched a complete shutout.

Albers said he's excited by the prospect of playing in Korea.

"It'd be a really neat experience," he said. "It would probably be something that would be a lot of fun, to try and go and play baseball on a completely different continent."

Albers' agent Blake Corosky says there are a number of reasons why Korea is a good fit.

"We're talking about a young man who's never earned more than $25,000 in any league playing professional baseball until last year," he said. "So, the monetary side is something to consider for sure." 

Corosky says the move would also make Albers a free agent, something that wouldn't happen with the Twins until 2019.

On the flipside, he says his client has a lot to offer the South Korean team.

"Andrew's a little bit older of a young man, has sort of been though some adversity already," he said. "And there's no real worry, as far as they're concerned, about going over there and competing almost immediately."

It's not a done deal just yet. The Eagles still need to come to an agreement to buy out his contract with the Twins. However, Corosky says it's looking positive.

"Andrew has basically said he's willing to go, it does make sense, and the Twins have been absolutely tremendous with us as far as understanding why we may consider something like this," he said.

As far as playing in Korea, Albers imagines the fundamentals of the game are still the same.

"I'm sure the bases are 90-feet apart, and the mound's still 60-feet, six inches," he said. "Those are the important things, and in that regard, baseball doesn't change too much."

Albers is heading to Minneapolis to accept a Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award. He'll also be attending Twins Fest, a chance for Minnesota fans to meet players.

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MLB players wanted Alex Rodriguez out of union: report

Several angry major league players wanted Alex Rodriguez kicked out of their union after he sued it last week, but staff lawyers told them expulsion was not allowed.

The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrator's decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season.

Details were first reported Tuesday by Yahoo Sports and later confirmed to The Associated Press by a person familiar with the call. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.

The union and Rodriguez spokesman Ron Berkowitz declined comment.

All players in the major leagues are members of the union and pay $65 daily in dues, or $11,895 if a player is in the big leagues for a full season. Baseball's labour contract specifies the union is "the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for all major league players."

The union will incur costs of defending the lawsuit by the New York Yankees third baseman, who claimed in the suit it "breached its duty of fair representation to Mr. Rodriguez."

Rodriguez was suspended for 211 games by baseball Commissioner Bud Selig on Aug. 5, and the union filed a grievance contending the discipline was without "just cause." The penalty was reduced to 162 games plus the 2014 post-season by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz, who concluded Rodriguez violated baseball's drug agreement each year from 2010-12 and twice obstructed MLB's investigation in violation of the sport's labour contract.

Rodriguez agreed to a $275 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees after the 2007 season. Horowitz's decision cost Rodriguez $22.13 million of his $25 million salary this year; the three-time AL MVP is owed $61 million by the Yankees from 2015-17.

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Yankees land coveted Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka

Masahiro Tanaka's baseball journey is taking him from Japan to New York.

The Yankees, according to team co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner, have agreed to a seven-year deal with the Japanese starting pitcher worth $155 million US.

The deal is also believed to include an opt-out clause after the fourth season, allowing Tanaka to test free agency after his age-28 season.

Major league teams had until 5 p.m. ET on Friday to sign the star 25-year-old, whom the Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League agreed to post in late December.

The two Chicago teams, Cubs and White Sox, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks were known to have made bids for Tanaka, who sported a 24-0 record and 1.27 earned-run average in 212 innings last season.

The Yankees, Dodgers and Cubs were said to be finalists for the right-hander, with New York bumping offer from six years to seven to secure a deal.

Recent reports suggested Tanaka's wife preferred to be on the West Coast, perhaps leading to the Yankees' willingness to extend the term of the contract.

New York has been very active this off-season, adding outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran along with catcher Brian McCann.

Steinbrenner said Wednesday that "we had to make sure we had enough pitching to go together with our new lineup."

In early December, the Yankees re-signed pitcher Hiroki Kuroda for one year, filling one of three holes in the rotation behind CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova. David Phelps and Michael Pineda are among the pitchers who will battle for the fifth-starter's job at spring training next month.

Tanaka's contract is the fifth-largest ever, behind Clayton Kershaw (seven years, $210M with Dodgers), Verlander (seven years, $180M with Detroit) , Felix Hernandez (seven years, $175M with Seattle) & Sabathia's original deal (eight years, $160M with Yankees).

In addition to his contract, New York is required to pay Rakuten a posting fee, now capped at $20 million US under a deal reached earlier this off-season between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball.

Under the old, no-limit system, the Texas Rangers paid over $50 million for the right to negotiate with Yu Darvish before the 2012 season.

During the previous agreement, Boston obtained Daisake Matsuzaka from the Seibu Lions before the 2007 season for $51,111,111.11 and agreed to a $52 million, six-year contract. Texas got Darvish from the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters before the 2012 season for $51,703,411 and gave him a $56 million, six-year deal.

Darvish finished second in 2013 Cy Young Award voting as the top pitcher in the American League.

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Mets get pitchers John Lannan, Gee under contract

Lefty expected to compete for 5th-starter's job in spring

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 20, 2014 11:51 AM ET Last Updated: Jan 20, 2014 12:04 PM ET

John Lannan has agreed to a minor league contract with the New York Mets and is expected to compete for the fifth starter's job at spring training.

The 29-year-old left-hander was 3-6 with a 5.33 earned-run average last year in 14 starts for Philadelphia. He was sidelined from April 17 to June 17 by a strained tendon in his left knee and didn't pitch after Aug. 14 because of chronic tendinitis that needed surgery.

Lannan, who was born in Long Beach, N.Y., and attended Chaminade High School in Mineola, has a 45-58 record and a 4.12 ERA in seven big league seasons.

New York also settled its arbitration case with right-hander Dillon Gee, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $3,625,000 US, the midpoint between the $4.05 million he had requested and the $3.2 million he had been offered Friday.

First baseman-outfielder Lucas Duda is the last New York player remaining in arbitration.

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Jays agree to minor league deal with Ricardo Nanita

OF was a 14th-round pick of the Chicago White Sox in 2003

The Canadian Press Posted: Jan 20, 2014 9:04 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 20, 2014 9:05 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to terms with outfielder Ricardo Nanita on a minor-league deal Monday with an invitation to spring training.

Nanita, 32, hit .258 with six homers and 25 runs-batted with double-A New Hampshire and triple-A Buffalo last year. He has spent four seasons in the Blue Jays' system.

Nanita was a 14th-round pick of the Chicago White Sox in 2003 and has a career average of .296 over 11 minor-league seasons.

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Blue Jays get Rasmus, Cecil, Rogers under contract

Salary arbitration avoided with 1-year deals

The Canadian Press Posted: Jan 17, 2014 12:11 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 17, 2014 12:11 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have avoided salary arbitration with outfielder Colby Rasmus and pitchers Brett Cecil and Esmil Rogers, signing them to one-year deals.

Rasmus will make $7 million US next season, while Rogers will earn $1.85 million and Cecil will take home $1.3 million.

Rasmus tied a career high with a .276 batting average last season, hitting 22 homers and driving in 66 runs.

Cecil, a left-handed middle relieved, was named to the American League all-star team in 2013. He went 5-1 with a 2.82 earned-run average and 70 strikeouts.

Rogers, a right-handed starter, went 5-9 with a 4.77 ERA and 96 strikeouts.

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Max Scherzer agrees to 1-year deal with Tigers: MLB moves

AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer has agreed to a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers for $15,525,000, setting himself up for an even bigger payday when he becomes eligible for free agency after the season.

Scherzer went 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and 240 strikeouts as the Tigers advanced to the AL championship series against Boston. He made $6,725,000 last year, and another stellar season could put him in position to gain a deal similar to those of teammate Justin Verlander ($180 million for seven years) and Seattle's Felix Hernandez ($175 million for seven) or even the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw ($215 million for seven).

Detroit also reached one-year agreements with right-handers Rick Porcello and Al Alburquerque, and outfielders Andy Dirks and Austin Jackson. All had filed for arbitration.

Porcello went 13-8 with a 4.32 ERA and a career-high 142 strikeouts . Alburquerque appeared in 53 games, posting a 4-3 record and 4.59 ERA.

Dirks hit .256 with 16 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 37 RBIs. Jackson batted .272 with 30 doubles, seven triples, 12 homers and 49 RBIs.

Zimmerman, Desmond agree to contracts with Nats

Right-handed starter Jordan Zimmermann and shortstop Ian Desmond were among a group of players agreeing to contracts with the Washington Nationals on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Zimmermann and Desmond, two homegrown cornerstones of the team, received two-year contracts. The Nationals announced the deals on its Twitter feed but declined to reveal the financial terms.

Other Nationals players agreeing to contracts before Friday's deadline for submitting arbitration figures included former closer Drew Storen, catcher Wilson Ramos, and lefties Ross Detwiler and Jerry Blevins.

Two other Nationals players filed for salary arbitration Tuesday: right-handed starter Doug Fister, who was acquired from the Detroit Tigers in a trade this off-season, and right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard.

Zimmermann went 19-9 with a 3.25 ERA over 213 1-3 innings last season for the Nationals, who went 86-76 and finished second in the NL East, failing to reach the playoffs.

Desmond hit .280 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs in 2013, along with a career-best .971 fielding percentage. He was an NL All-Star in 2012, when he hit 25 homers and helped Washington win its division.

Ramos hit .272 with 16 homers in only 287 at-bats, missing time because of leg injuries.

Storen was 4-2 with three saves and a 4.52 ERA in 61 2-3 innings in 2013, when he also was sent to Triple-A Syracuse in July for a brief stint in the minors. He had 43 saves in 2011, missed the first part of 2012 because of right elbow surgery, then switched to a setup role last season after Washington signed Rafael Soriano.

Detwiler was 2-7 with a 4.04 ERA in 2013, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen.

Washington got Blevins from the Oakland Athletics in a trade last month. He was 5-0 with a 3.15 ERA in a career-high 67 games in 2013.

White Sox agree with Beckham, De Aza

The Chicago White Sox have agreed to one-year contracts with infielder Gordon Beckham and outfielder Alejandro De Aza and avoided arbitration with both players.

The deals were announced on Friday. Beckham will receive $4.175 million in base salary, while De Aza will receive $4.25 million.

Beckham hit .267 with five home runs and 24 RBIs over 103 games last season, his fifth with the White Sox. He owns the second (.9899 in 2012) and third (.9889 in 2011) highest fielding percentages by a second baseman in White Sox history, trailing only Nellie Fox's .9901 mark in 1962.

De Aza hit .264 with 17 home runs, 62 RBIs, 84 runs scored and 20 stolen bases over 153 games last season.

The White Sox have no remaining arbitration-eligible players.

Gardner, Robertson, Nova to re-sign with Yanks

Outfielder Brett Gardner and pitchers Ivan Nova, David Robertson and Shawn Kelley have agreed to one-year contracts with the New York Yankees, raising the team's luxury tax payroll to about $181.5 million for 19 players with agreements.

Gardner gets $5.6 million under Friday's deal, while Robertson earns $5,215,000, Nova $3.3 million and Kelley $1,765,000.

New York, which settled with all its players in arbitration, hopes to be under the $189 million luxury tax threshold. It would appear the Yankees might go over the mark even if they don't sign Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

The Yankees' payroll was lowered by Alex Rodriguez's season-long suspension for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labour contract. While he would have counted for $27.5 million on the team's tax payroll, the suspension likely will lower his figure $3,155,738, pending agreement by Major League Baseball and the players' association.

Pirates reach deal with 6 players 

The Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to terms with all six players who had filed for arbitration, including third baseman Pedro Alvarez and second baseman Neil Walker.

The 26-year-old Alvarez will make $4.25 million in 2014. Alvarez is coming off an All-Star season in which he hit a career-high 36 home runs.

Walker will make $5.75 million. He hit .251 with 16 home runs and 53 RBIs in 2013 while missing 29 games due to injury.

Reliever Mark Melancon, who split time as a setup man and a closer last season, will make $2,595,000. Melancon went 3-2 with a 1.39 ERA and 16 saves in 72 appearances in 2013.

The Pirates also reached agreements with first baseman Gaby Sanchez ($2.3 million), outfielder Travis Snider ($1.2 million) and right-handed reliever Vin Mazzaro ($950,000).

Rangers sign Ogando, Feliz to 1-year contracts

The Texas Rangers have agreed to one-year contracts with Neftali Feliz and Alexi Ogando, avoiding salary arbitration with the two right-handed pitchers.

With the moves Friday, designated hitter Mitch Moreland is the only Rangers player eligible for salary arbitration.

Feliz returned in August from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery, and pitched 4 2-3 scoreless innings in six appearances. With closer Joe Nathan gone in free agency, Feliz could return to a closer role for Texas.

Ogando was 7-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 23 games (18 starts) last season, when he had three stints on the disabled list for right biceps tendinitis and then right shoulder inflammation. Ogando is expected to remain a starter.

Closer Parnell, Mets settle on 1-year deal

Closer Bobby Parnell has agreed to a $3.7 million, one-year contract with the New York Mets and left fielder Eric Young Jr. has settled for a $1.85 million, one-year deal.

The agreements Friday left Lucas Duda, Dillon Gee and Daniel Murphy as the last Mets players in arbitration.

The speedy Young was a pleasant surprise in the leadoff spot last season after he was acquired from Colorado in June for pitcher Collin McHugh. Young led the NL with 46 stolen bases and made $492,000.

Parnell didn't pitch after July 30 and had surgery Sept. 10 to repair a herniated disk in his neck. He has been working out in Florida. He was 5-5 with a career-best 2.16 ERA last year and 22 saves in 26 chances.

Braves avoid arbitration with Medlen, Minor

The Braves have agreed to one-year contracts with pitchers Kris Medlen and Mike Minor, infielder Chris Johnson and outfielder Jordan Schafer.

Friday's agreements left the Braves with three players remaining in arbitration: closer Craig Kimbrel, first baseman Freddie Freeman and outfielder Jason Heyward.

Medlen (15-12, 3.11 ERA) and Minor (13-9, 3.21) were key members of the rotation, while Johnson surprisingly wound up second in the NL with a .321 batting average after being acquired from Ar'izona along with Justin Upton. Schafer is a backup outfielder who led Atlanta with 22 stolen bases.

Reynolds agrees with Brewers

Infielder Mark Reynolds agreed to a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Reynolds would get a $2 million salary if added to the 40-man major league roster, and he can terminate the agreement announced Friday if he is not put on the big league roster by March 24.

If he makes the major league team, Reynolds could earn $600,000 in performance bonuses: $125,000 each for 200, 300, 400 and 500 plate appearances. There are additional award bonuses.

Reynolds is a .233 hitter with 202 homers, 568 RBIs, 459 walks and 1,276 strikeouts. He hit .220 last season with 21 homers and 67 RBIs for Cleveland and the New York Yankees.

The 30-year-old Reynolds can play first or third base. His most recent at-bat in the majors drew some attention: He hit a go-ahead home run in the 14th inning at Houston last September in the final game in uniform of Yankees teammates Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte.

Indians avoid arbitration with Rzepczynski

The Indians avoided salary arbitration with reliever Marc Rzepczynski by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $1,375,000.

The left-hander posted a 0.89 ERA in 27 games last season for Cleveland, which acquired Rzepczynski (zep-chin-ski) on July 30 from St. Louis. The 28-year-old was brought in to help Cleveland's issues in getting out left-handed hitters and he held lefties to just a .159 average.

Rzepczynski was one of six Cleveland players to file for arbitration. Earlier this week, the team worked out a 1-year deal with reliever Josh Outman. Top starter Justin Masterson, left fielder Michael Brantley and pitchers Vinnie Pestano and Josh Tomlin also filed for arbitration.

The Indians haven't gone to an arbitration hearing since 1991.

Hellickson, 5 others evade arbitration with Rays

A day after agreeing to a one-year contract with three-time All-Star pitcher David Price, the Tampa Bay Rays have reached deals with their six players remaining in arbitration.

Pitchers Jeremy Hellickson, Jake McGee and Cesar Ramos, outfielder Matt Joyce, catcher Jose Lobaton and infielder/outfielder Sean Rodriguez agreed Friday to one-year contracts.

Price agreed Thursday to a $14 million salary.

Hellickson started 31 games last season, going 12-10 with a 5.17 ERA. McGee 5-3, 4.02) and Ramos (2-2, 4.14) are left-handed relievers.

Joyce hit .235 with 18 homers and 47 RBIs. Lobaton batted .249 with seven homers and 32 RBIs, while Rodriguez hit .246 with five homers and 23 RBIs while appearing in 94 games at five positions.

Astros agree to terms with Castro, Guzman

The Astros said Friday they have agreed to terms on one-year contracts with All-Star catcher Jason Castro and utility player Jesus Guzman.

The 26-year-old Castro hit .276 with 18 home runs and 56 RBIs in 120 games, setting single-season team records for a catcher with his homers, doubles (35), runs scored (63) and extra-base hits (54).

The 29-year-old Guzman was acquired from San Diego last month in exchange for infielder Ryan Jackson. Guzman played in 126 games for the Padres in 2013, hitting 17 doubles, nine home runs and knocking in 35 RBIs. He started at four different positions.

Terms were not disclosed. Castro and Guzman were the only two unsigned Astros players eligible for salary arbitration.

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Blue Jays get Rasmus, Cecil, Rogers under contract

Salary arbitration avoided with 1-year deals

The Canadian Press Posted: Jan 17, 2014 12:11 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 17, 2014 12:11 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have avoided salary arbitration with outfielder Colby Rasmus and pitchers Brett Cecil and Esmil Rogers, signing them to one-year deals.

Rasmus will make $7 million US next season, while Rogers will earn $1.85 million and Cecil will take home $1.3 million.

Rasmus tied a career high with a .276 batting average last season, hitting 22 homers and driving in 66 runs.

Cecil, a left-handed middle relieved, was named to the American League all-star team in 2013. He went 5-1 with a 2.82 earned-run average and 70 strikeouts.

Rogers, a right-handed starter, went 5-9 with a 4.77 ERA and 96 strikeouts.

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

Submission Policy

Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines.

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Max Scherzer agrees to 1-year deal with Tigers: MLB moves

AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer has agreed to a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers for $15,525,000, setting himself up for an even bigger payday when he becomes eligible for free agency after the season.

Scherzer went 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and 240 strikeouts as the Tigers advanced to the AL championship series against Boston. He made $6,725,000 last year, and another stellar season could put him in position to gain a deal similar to those of teammate Justin Verlander ($180 million for seven years) and Seattle's Felix Hernandez ($175 million for seven) or even the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw ($215 million for seven).

Detroit also reached one-year agreements with right-handers Rick Porcello and Al Alburquerque, and outfielders Andy Dirks and Austin Jackson. All had filed for arbitration.

Porcello went 13-8 with a 4.32 ERA and a career-high 142 strikeouts . Alburquerque appeared in 53 games, posting a 4-3 record and 4.59 ERA.

Dirks hit .256 with 16 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 37 RBIs. Jackson batted .272 with 30 doubles, seven triples, 12 homers and 49 RBIs.

Zimmerman, Desmond agree to contracts with Nats

Right-handed starter Jordan Zimmermann and shortstop Ian Desmond were among a group of players agreeing to contracts with the Washington Nationals on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Zimmermann and Desmond, two homegrown cornerstones of the team, received two-year contracts. The Nationals announced the deals on its Twitter feed but declined to reveal the financial terms.

Other Nationals players agreeing to contracts before Friday's deadline for submitting arbitration figures included former closer Drew Storen, catcher Wilson Ramos, and lefties Ross Detwiler and Jerry Blevins.

Two other Nationals players filed for salary arbitration Tuesday: right-handed starter Doug Fister, who was acquired from the Detroit Tigers in a trade this off-season, and right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard.

Zimmermann went 19-9 with a 3.25 ERA over 213 1-3 innings last season for the Nationals, who went 86-76 and finished second in the NL East, failing to reach the playoffs.

Desmond hit .280 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs in 2013, along with a career-best .971 fielding percentage. He was an NL All-Star in 2012, when he hit 25 homers and helped Washington win its division.

Ramos hit .272 with 16 homers in only 287 at-bats, missing time because of leg injuries.

Storen was 4-2 with three saves and a 4.52 ERA in 61 2-3 innings in 2013, when he also was sent to Triple-A Syracuse in July for a brief stint in the minors. He had 43 saves in 2011, missed the first part of 2012 because of right elbow surgery, then switched to a setup role last season after Washington signed Rafael Soriano.

Detwiler was 2-7 with a 4.04 ERA in 2013, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen.

Washington got Blevins from the Oakland Athletics in a trade last month. He was 5-0 with a 3.15 ERA in a career-high 67 games in 2013.

White Sox agree with Beckham, De Aza

The Chicago White Sox have agreed to one-year contracts with infielder Gordon Beckham and outfielder Alejandro De Aza and avoided arbitration with both players.

The deals were announced on Friday. Beckham will receive $4.175 million in base salary, while De Aza will receive $4.25 million.

Beckham hit .267 with five home runs and 24 RBIs over 103 games last season, his fifth with the White Sox. He owns the second (.9899 in 2012) and third (.9889 in 2011) highest fielding percentages by a second baseman in White Sox history, trailing only Nellie Fox's .9901 mark in 1962.

De Aza hit .264 with 17 home runs, 62 RBIs, 84 runs scored and 20 stolen bases over 153 games last season.

The White Sox have no remaining arbitration-eligible players.

Gardner, Robertson, Nova to re-sign with Yanks

Outfielder Brett Gardner and pitchers Ivan Nova, David Robertson and Shawn Kelley have agreed to one-year contracts with the New York Yankees, raising the team's luxury tax payroll to about $181.5 million for 19 players with agreements.

Gardner gets $5.6 million under Friday's deal, while Robertson earns $5,215,000, Nova $3.3 million and Kelley $1,765,000.

New York, which settled with all its players in arbitration, hopes to be under the $189 million luxury tax threshold. It would appear the Yankees might go over the mark even if they don't sign Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

The Yankees' payroll was lowered by Alex Rodriguez's season-long suspension for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labour contract. While he would have counted for $27.5 million on the team's tax payroll, the suspension likely will lower his figure $3,155,738, pending agreement by Major League Baseball and the players' association.

Pirates reach deal with 6 players 

The Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to terms with all six players who had filed for arbitration, including third baseman Pedro Alvarez and second baseman Neil Walker.

The 26-year-old Alvarez will make $4.25 million in 2014. Alvarez is coming off an All-Star season in which he hit a career-high 36 home runs.

Walker will make $5.75 million. He hit .251 with 16 home runs and 53 RBIs in 2013 while missing 29 games due to injury.

Reliever Mark Melancon, who split time as a setup man and a closer last season, will make $2,595,000. Melancon went 3-2 with a 1.39 ERA and 16 saves in 72 appearances in 2013.

The Pirates also reached agreements with first baseman Gaby Sanchez ($2.3 million), outfielder Travis Snider ($1.2 million) and right-handed reliever Vin Mazzaro ($950,000).

Rangers sign Ogando, Feliz to 1-year contracts

The Texas Rangers have agreed to one-year contracts with Neftali Feliz and Alexi Ogando, avoiding salary arbitration with the two right-handed pitchers.

With the moves Friday, designated hitter Mitch Moreland is the only Rangers player eligible for salary arbitration.

Feliz returned in August from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery, and pitched 4 2-3 scoreless innings in six appearances. With closer Joe Nathan gone in free agency, Feliz could return to a closer role for Texas.

Ogando was 7-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 23 games (18 starts) last season, when he had three stints on the disabled list for right biceps tendinitis and then right shoulder inflammation. Ogando is expected to remain a starter.

Closer Parnell, Mets settle on 1-year deal

Closer Bobby Parnell has agreed to a $3.7 million, one-year contract with the New York Mets and left fielder Eric Young Jr. has settled for a $1.85 million, one-year deal.

The agreements Friday left Lucas Duda, Dillon Gee and Daniel Murphy as the last Mets players in arbitration.

The speedy Young was a pleasant surprise in the leadoff spot last season after he was acquired from Colorado in June for pitcher Collin McHugh. Young led the NL with 46 stolen bases and made $492,000.

Parnell didn't pitch after July 30 and had surgery Sept. 10 to repair a herniated disk in his neck. He has been working out in Florida. He was 5-5 with a career-best 2.16 ERA last year and 22 saves in 26 chances.

Braves avoid arbitration with Medlen, Minor

The Braves have agreed to one-year contracts with pitchers Kris Medlen and Mike Minor, infielder Chris Johnson and outfielder Jordan Schafer.

Friday's agreements left the Braves with three players remaining in arbitration: closer Craig Kimbrel, first baseman Freddie Freeman and outfielder Jason Heyward.

Medlen (15-12, 3.11 ERA) and Minor (13-9, 3.21) were key members of the rotation, while Johnson surprisingly wound up second in the NL with a .321 batting average after being acquired from Ar'izona along with Justin Upton. Schafer is a backup outfielder who led Atlanta with 22 stolen bases.

Reynolds agrees with Brewers

Infielder Mark Reynolds agreed to a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Reynolds would get a $2 million salary if added to the 40-man major league roster, and he can terminate the agreement announced Friday if he is not put on the big league roster by March 24.

If he makes the major league team, Reynolds could earn $600,000 in performance bonuses: $125,000 each for 200, 300, 400 and 500 plate appearances. There are additional award bonuses.

Reynolds is a .233 hitter with 202 homers, 568 RBIs, 459 walks and 1,276 strikeouts. He hit .220 last season with 21 homers and 67 RBIs for Cleveland and the New York Yankees.

The 30-year-old Reynolds can play first or third base. His most recent at-bat in the majors drew some attention: He hit a go-ahead home run in the 14th inning at Houston last September in the final game in uniform of Yankees teammates Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte.

Indians avoid arbitration with Rzepczynski

The Indians avoided salary arbitration with reliever Marc Rzepczynski by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $1,375,000.

The left-hander posted a 0.89 ERA in 27 games last season for Cleveland, which acquired Rzepczynski (zep-chin-ski) on July 30 from St. Louis. The 28-year-old was brought in to help Cleveland's issues in getting out left-handed hitters and he held lefties to just a .159 average.

Rzepczynski was one of six Cleveland players to file for arbitration. Earlier this week, the team worked out a 1-year deal with reliever Josh Outman. Top starter Justin Masterson, left fielder Michael Brantley and pitchers Vinnie Pestano and Josh Tomlin also filed for arbitration.

The Indians haven't gone to an arbitration hearing since 1991.

Hellickson, 5 others evade arbitration with Rays

A day after agreeing to a one-year contract with three-time All-Star pitcher David Price, the Tampa Bay Rays have reached deals with their six players remaining in arbitration.

Pitchers Jeremy Hellickson, Jake McGee and Cesar Ramos, outfielder Matt Joyce, catcher Jose Lobaton and infielder/outfielder Sean Rodriguez agreed Friday to one-year contracts.

Price agreed Thursday to a $14 million salary.

Hellickson started 31 games last season, going 12-10 with a 5.17 ERA. McGee 5-3, 4.02) and Ramos (2-2, 4.14) are left-handed relievers.

Joyce hit .235 with 18 homers and 47 RBIs. Lobaton batted .249 with seven homers and 32 RBIs, while Rodriguez hit .246 with five homers and 23 RBIs while appearing in 94 games at five positions.

Astros agree to terms with Castro, Guzman

The Astros said Friday they have agreed to terms on one-year contracts with All-Star catcher Jason Castro and utility player Jesus Guzman.

The 26-year-old Castro hit .276 with 18 home runs and 56 RBIs in 120 games, setting single-season team records for a catcher with his homers, doubles (35), runs scored (63) and extra-base hits (54).

The 29-year-old Guzman was acquired from San Diego last month in exchange for infielder Ryan Jackson. Guzman played in 126 games for the Padres in 2013, hitting 17 doubles, nine home runs and knocking in 35 RBIs. He started at four different positions.

Terms were not disclosed. Castro and Guzman were the only two unsigned Astros players eligible for salary arbitration.

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Blue Jays get Rasmus, Cecil, Rogers under contract

Salary arbitration avoided with 1-year deals

The Canadian Press Posted: Jan 17, 2014 12:11 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 17, 2014 12:11 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have avoided salary arbitration with outfielder Colby Rasmus and pitchers Brett Cecil and Esmil Rogers, signing them to one-year deals.

Rasmus will make $7 million US next season, while Rogers will earn $1.85 million and Cecil will take home $1.3 million.

Rasmus tied a career high with a .276 batting average last season, hitting 22 homers and driving in 66 runs.

Cecil, a left-handed middle relieved, was named to the American League all-star team in 2013. He went 5-1 with a 2.82 earned-run average and 70 strikeouts.

Rogers, a right-handed starter, went 5-9 with a 4.77 ERA and 96 strikeouts.

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

Submission Policy

Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines.

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Max Scherzer agrees to 1-year deal with Tigers: MLB moves

AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer has agreed to a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers for $15,525,000, setting himself up for an even bigger payday when he becomes eligible for free agency after the season.

Scherzer went 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and 240 strikeouts as the Tigers advanced to the AL championship series against Boston. He made $6,725,000 last year, and another stellar season could put him in position to gain a deal similar to those of teammate Justin Verlander ($180 million for seven years) and Seattle's Felix Hernandez ($175 million for seven) or even the Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw ($215 million for seven).

Detroit also reached one-year agreements with right-handers Rick Porcello and Al Alburquerque, and outfielders Andy Dirks and Austin Jackson. All had filed for arbitration.

Porcello went 13-8 with a 4.32 ERA and a career-high 142 strikeouts . Alburquerque appeared in 53 games, posting a 4-3 record and 4.59 ERA.

Dirks hit .256 with 16 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 37 RBIs. Jackson batted .272 with 30 doubles, seven triples, 12 homers and 49 RBIs.

Zimmerman, Desmond agree to contracts with Nats

Right-handed starter Jordan Zimmermann and shortstop Ian Desmond were among a group of players agreeing to contracts with the Washington Nationals on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Zimmermann and Desmond, two homegrown cornerstones of the team, received two-year contracts. The Nationals announced the deals on its Twitter feed but declined to reveal the financial terms.

Other Nationals players agreeing to contracts before Friday's deadline for submitting arbitration figures included former closer Drew Storen, catcher Wilson Ramos, and lefties Ross Detwiler and Jerry Blevins.

Two other Nationals players filed for salary arbitration Tuesday: right-handed starter Doug Fister, who was acquired from the Detroit Tigers in a trade this off-season, and right-handed reliever Tyler Clippard.

Zimmermann went 19-9 with a 3.25 ERA over 213 1-3 innings last season for the Nationals, who went 86-76 and finished second in the NL East, failing to reach the playoffs.

Desmond hit .280 with 20 homers and 80 RBIs in 2013, along with a career-best .971 fielding percentage. He was an NL All-Star in 2012, when he hit 25 homers and helped Washington win its division.

Ramos hit .272 with 16 homers in only 287 at-bats, missing time because of leg injuries.

Storen was 4-2 with three saves and a 4.52 ERA in 61 2-3 innings in 2013, when he also was sent to Triple-A Syracuse in July for a brief stint in the minors. He had 43 saves in 2011, missed the first part of 2012 because of right elbow surgery, then switched to a setup role last season after Washington signed Rafael Soriano.

Detwiler was 2-7 with a 4.04 ERA in 2013, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen.

Washington got Blevins from the Oakland Athletics in a trade last month. He was 5-0 with a 3.15 ERA in a career-high 67 games in 2013.

White Sox agree with Beckham, De Aza

The Chicago White Sox have agreed to one-year contracts with infielder Gordon Beckham and outfielder Alejandro De Aza and avoided arbitration with both players.

The deals were announced on Friday. Beckham will receive $4.175 million in base salary, while De Aza will receive $4.25 million.

Beckham hit .267 with five home runs and 24 RBIs over 103 games last season, his fifth with the White Sox. He owns the second (.9899 in 2012) and third (.9889 in 2011) highest fielding percentages by a second baseman in White Sox history, trailing only Nellie Fox's .9901 mark in 1962.

De Aza hit .264 with 17 home runs, 62 RBIs, 84 runs scored and 20 stolen bases over 153 games last season.

The White Sox have no remaining arbitration-eligible players.

Gardner, Robertson, Nova to re-sign with Yanks

Outfielder Brett Gardner and pitchers Ivan Nova, David Robertson and Shawn Kelley have agreed to one-year contracts with the New York Yankees, raising the team's luxury tax payroll to about $181.5 million for 19 players with agreements.

Gardner gets $5.6 million under Friday's deal, while Robertson earns $5,215,000, Nova $3.3 million and Kelley $1,765,000.

New York, which settled with all its players in arbitration, hopes to be under the $189 million luxury tax threshold. It would appear the Yankees might go over the mark even if they don't sign Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

The Yankees' payroll was lowered by Alex Rodriguez's season-long suspension for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labour contract. While he would have counted for $27.5 million on the team's tax payroll, the suspension likely will lower his figure $3,155,738, pending agreement by Major League Baseball and the players' association.

Pirates reach deal with 6 players 

The Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to terms with all six players who had filed for arbitration, including third baseman Pedro Alvarez and second baseman Neil Walker.

The 26-year-old Alvarez will make $4.25 million in 2014. Alvarez is coming off an All-Star season in which he hit a career-high 36 home runs.

Walker will make $5.75 million. He hit .251 with 16 home runs and 53 RBIs in 2013 while missing 29 games due to injury.

Reliever Mark Melancon, who split time as a setup man and a closer last season, will make $2,595,000. Melancon went 3-2 with a 1.39 ERA and 16 saves in 72 appearances in 2013.

The Pirates also reached agreements with first baseman Gaby Sanchez ($2.3 million), outfielder Travis Snider ($1.2 million) and right-handed reliever Vin Mazzaro ($950,000).

Rangers sign Ogando, Feliz to 1-year contracts

The Texas Rangers have agreed to one-year contracts with Neftali Feliz and Alexi Ogando, avoiding salary arbitration with the two right-handed pitchers.

With the moves Friday, designated hitter Mitch Moreland is the only Rangers player eligible for salary arbitration.

Feliz returned in August from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery, and pitched 4 2-3 scoreless innings in six appearances. With closer Joe Nathan gone in free agency, Feliz could return to a closer role for Texas.

Ogando was 7-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 23 games (18 starts) last season, when he had three stints on the disabled list for right biceps tendinitis and then right shoulder inflammation. Ogando is expected to remain a starter.

Closer Parnell, Mets settle on 1-year deal

Closer Bobby Parnell has agreed to a $3.7 million, one-year contract with the New York Mets and left fielder Eric Young Jr. has settled for a $1.85 million, one-year deal.

The agreements Friday left Lucas Duda, Dillon Gee and Daniel Murphy as the last Mets players in arbitration.

The speedy Young was a pleasant surprise in the leadoff spot last season after he was acquired from Colorado in June for pitcher Collin McHugh. Young led the NL with 46 stolen bases and made $492,000.

Parnell didn't pitch after July 30 and had surgery Sept. 10 to repair a herniated disk in his neck. He has been working out in Florida. He was 5-5 with a career-best 2.16 ERA last year and 22 saves in 26 chances.

Braves avoid arbitration with Medlen, Minor

The Braves have agreed to one-year contracts with pitchers Kris Medlen and Mike Minor, infielder Chris Johnson and outfielder Jordan Schafer.

Friday's agreements left the Braves with three players remaining in arbitration: closer Craig Kimbrel, first baseman Freddie Freeman and outfielder Jason Heyward.

Medlen (15-12, 3.11 ERA) and Minor (13-9, 3.21) were key members of the rotation, while Johnson surprisingly wound up second in the NL with a .321 batting average after being acquired from Ar'izona along with Justin Upton. Schafer is a backup outfielder who led Atlanta with 22 stolen bases.

Reynolds agrees with Brewers

Infielder Mark Reynolds agreed to a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Reynolds would get a $2 million salary if added to the 40-man major league roster, and he can terminate the agreement announced Friday if he is not put on the big league roster by March 24.

If he makes the major league team, Reynolds could earn $600,000 in performance bonuses: $125,000 each for 200, 300, 400 and 500 plate appearances. There are additional award bonuses.

Reynolds is a .233 hitter with 202 homers, 568 RBIs, 459 walks and 1,276 strikeouts. He hit .220 last season with 21 homers and 67 RBIs for Cleveland and the New York Yankees.

The 30-year-old Reynolds can play first or third base. His most recent at-bat in the majors drew some attention: He hit a go-ahead home run in the 14th inning at Houston last September in the final game in uniform of Yankees teammates Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte.

Indians avoid arbitration with Rzepczynski

The Indians avoided salary arbitration with reliever Marc Rzepczynski by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $1,375,000.

The left-hander posted a 0.89 ERA in 27 games last season for Cleveland, which acquired Rzepczynski (zep-chin-ski) on July 30 from St. Louis. The 28-year-old was brought in to help Cleveland's issues in getting out left-handed hitters and he held lefties to just a .159 average.

Rzepczynski was one of six Cleveland players to file for arbitration. Earlier this week, the team worked out a 1-year deal with reliever Josh Outman. Top starter Justin Masterson, left fielder Michael Brantley and pitchers Vinnie Pestano and Josh Tomlin also filed for arbitration.

The Indians haven't gone to an arbitration hearing since 1991.

Hellickson, 5 others evade arbitration with Rays

A day after agreeing to a one-year contract with three-time All-Star pitcher David Price, the Tampa Bay Rays have reached deals with their six players remaining in arbitration.

Pitchers Jeremy Hellickson, Jake McGee and Cesar Ramos, outfielder Matt Joyce, catcher Jose Lobaton and infielder/outfielder Sean Rodriguez agreed Friday to one-year contracts.

Price agreed Thursday to a $14 million salary.

Hellickson started 31 games last season, going 12-10 with a 5.17 ERA. McGee 5-3, 4.02) and Ramos (2-2, 4.14) are left-handed relievers.

Joyce hit .235 with 18 homers and 47 RBIs. Lobaton batted .249 with seven homers and 32 RBIs, while Rodriguez hit .246 with five homers and 23 RBIs while appearing in 94 games at five positions.

Astros agree to terms with Castro, Guzman

The Astros said Friday they have agreed to terms on one-year contracts with All-Star catcher Jason Castro and utility player Jesus Guzman.

The 26-year-old Castro hit .276 with 18 home runs and 56 RBIs in 120 games, setting single-season team records for a catcher with his homers, doubles (35), runs scored (63) and extra-base hits (54).

The 29-year-old Guzman was acquired from San Diego last month in exchange for infielder Ryan Jackson. Guzman played in 126 games for the Padres in 2013, hitting 17 doubles, nine home runs and knocking in 35 RBIs. He started at four different positions.

Terms were not disclosed. Castro and Guzman were the only two unsigned Astros players eligible for salary arbitration.

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