Nationals sign ex-Jays closer Janssen: report

Forget about seeing Casey Janssen close games for Toronto or pitch out of the Blue Jays' bullpen, at least for the 2015 season.

The 33-year-old free-agent right-hander reportedly has agreed to a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals. It's believed there is also a mutual option in the contract for the 2016 campaign with a total guarantee of $5 million US.

Janssen made $4 million last season while converting 25 of 30 save chances with a 4.03 earned-run average.

"I think the city appreciated him, and he really had a tremendous career here," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said after the team's 2014 regular-season finale. "He was here my first go-around; he's probably the longest-tenured guy here.

"He ought to feel good. He's had a nice major league career to this point, and that will continue."

Janssen's final appearance with the Blue Jays came on the final day of the 2014 regular season and he was at his best, getting three outs on six pitches and receiving a standing ovation from the home crowd of 45,901 following a 1-0 loss to visiting Baltimore.

A California native, Janssen made good on 90 of 107 save opportunities with Toronto while posting a 29-24 record. He also joined Tom Henke and Billy Koch as the only Blue Jays pitchers to record three straight 20-save seasons.

Over the past three years, Janssen collected 81 saves with a 2.94 ERA in 168 games.

He made his major league debut for Toronto in 2006 and earlier in his career started 22 games for the club.

'I just apologize to the fans [of Toronto] and everyone that we couldn't bring a playoff and a championship here, because deep down inside that's all I wanted to do.'- Ex-Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen

"I got promoted [to the major leagues], was a starter, then got the opportunity to close," he told reporters at the end of last season. "For that I'm forever grateful.

"I just apologize to the fans and everyone that we couldn't bring a playoff and a championship here, because deep down inside that's all I wanted to do. 

Janssen was nearly unhittable prior to the all-star break last season, limiting hitters to a .217 batting average with a miniscule 1.23 ERA.

But he had trouble recovering from a virus contracted during the break while vacationing in the Dominican Republic.

Janssen entered the season finale with a 6.75 ERA post-all-star break, with opposing batters hitting .309.

In Washington, he might push Drew Storen for save chances. Storen wrested the closer's job from Rafael Soriano last season and recorded 11 saves in 14 chances. In 65 appearances, he went 2-1 with a 1.12 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings pitched.

The Nationals needed a set-up man following the recent trade of Tyler Clippard to Oakland for former Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar. 

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Blue Jays sign infielder Ramon Santiago

Veteran played with Cincinnati last year

The Canadian Press Posted: Jan 30, 2015 12:21 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 30, 2015 12:21 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays signed veteran infielder Ramon Santiago to a minor-league contract Friday with an invite to major-league spring training.

Santiago, 35, played in 75 games for the Cincinnati Reds last season. He had a .246 batting average with two homers and 17 RBIs.

He has also played for the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners over his 13-year career.

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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Red Sox' Pablo Sandoval sinks half-court shot from his butt

Video

Red Sox 3rd baseman displays basketball talent

By Doug Harrison, CBC Sports Posted: Jan 28, 2015 10:40 AM ET Last Updated: Jan 28, 2015 11:03 AM ET

When it comes to the baseball off-season and Pablo Sandoval, much of the news in recent years has centred around his battle to control his weight.

But this winter has been different for the 28-year-old third baseman, who signed a five-year, $95-million US contract with the Boston Red Sox in late November after winning his third World Series title in five years with San Francisco.

Now, the man affectionately known as "Kung Fu Panda," a career .294 hitter who batted .366 during the 2014 post-season, is garnering attention for his talent with a basketball.

No, there's no threat of the five-foot-11, 248-pound Venezuelan becoming a two-sport star, but Sandoval has shown a knack for draining a half-court shot … with his butt planted on the hardwood.

See below for the video evidence.

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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Nationals sign ex-Jays closer Janssen: report

Forget about seeing Casey Janssen close games for Toronto or pitch out of the Blue Jays' bullpen, at least for the 2015 season.

The 33-year-old free-agent right-hander reportedly has agreed to a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals. It's believed there is also a mutual option in the contract for the 2016 campaign with a total guarantee of $5 million US.

Janssen made $4 million last season while converting 25 of 30 save chances with a 4.03 earned-run average.

"I think the city appreciated him, and he really had a tremendous career here," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said after the team's 2014 regular-season finale. "He was here my first go-around; he's probably the longest-tenured guy here.

"He ought to feel good. He's had a nice major league career to this point, and that will continue."

Janssen's final appearance with the Blue Jays came on the final day of the 2014 regular season and he was at his best, getting three outs on six pitches and receiving a standing ovation from the home crowd of 45,901 following a 1-0 loss to visiting Baltimore.

A California native, Janssen made good on 90 of 107 save opportunities with Toronto while posting a 29-24 record. He also joined Tom Henke and Billy Koch as the only Blue Jays pitchers to record three straight 20-save seasons.

Over the past three years, Janssen collected 81 saves with a 2.94 ERA in 168 games.

He made his major league debut for Toronto in 2006 and earlier in his career started 22 games for the club.

'I just apologize to the fans [of Toronto] and everyone that we couldn't bring a playoff and a championship here, because deep down inside that's all I wanted to do.'- Ex-Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen

"I got promoted [to the major leagues], was a starter, then got the opportunity to close," he told reporters at the end of last season. "For that I'm forever grateful.

"I just apologize to the fans and everyone that we couldn't bring a playoff and a championship here, because deep down inside that's all I wanted to do. 

Janssen was nearly unhittable prior to the all-star break last season, limiting hitters to a .217 batting average with a miniscule 1.23 ERA.

But he had trouble recovering from a virus contracted during the break while vacationing in the Dominican Republic.

Janssen entered the season finale with a 6.75 ERA post-all-star break, with opposing batters hitting .309.

In Washington, he might push Drew Storen for save chances. Storen wrested the closer's job from Rafael Soriano last season and recorded 11 saves in 14 chances. In 65 appearances, he went 2-1 with a 1.12 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings pitched.

The Nationals needed a set-up man following the recent trade of Tyler Clippard to Oakland for former Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar. 

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Ted Lilly, ex-Blue Jay, charged with insurance fraud

Former Major League Baseball player Ted Lilly has been charged in California with three felonies related to insurance fraud, according to a newspaper report.

The charges stem from allegedly false insurance claims filed last year connected to Lilly's damaged recreational vehicle, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported Friday (http://bit.ly/1L6bb1y ).

An investigation by the state Department of Insurance found the RV sustained damage in a collision, and Lilly sought an estimate from a body shop on March 19, 2014. The estimate was $4,600.

Lilly then bought insurance from Progressive on March 24 and claimed the damage on March 28, said Nancy Kincaid, a spokeswoman for the agency.

"What a lot of people may not realize is that body shops often enter estimates into a database that insurance companies can check to verify claims," Kincaid told the Tribune. "They can see what the damage was and whether a false claim may have been filed."

The three felony charges, filed Oct. 24, are filing a false insurance claim, filing a false statement in connection with an insurance claim, and concealing a material fact in connection with an insurance claim. The case is being prosecuted by the district attorney's office in San Luis Obispo County, where Lilly lives.

His lawyer, James Murphy, didn't return a call for comment.

Lilly faces a maximum penalty of five years in jail if he's convicted, the newspaper said. He's scheduled for arraignment on Feb. 5. Three previous court hearings were postponed.

The 39-year-old left-hander was a two-time All-Star who pitched for Montreal, Oakland, Toronto, the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and the Dodgers.

He retired in 2013 after 15 seasons because of problems with his shoulder and back.

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Jays' Beeston will remain president through 2015 season

The Blue Jays say Paul Beeston will remain as team president through the end of this season.

Rogers Communications, which owns the team, announced Monday that Beeston signed a contract extension with the club and plans to retire at the end of the season.

Beeston's contract expired in October. Toronto had made overtures to Baltimore's Dan Duquette and Kenny Williams of the Chicago White Sox.

Toronto chairman Edward Rogers said the team had been in discussions about Beeston's future since his contract ended.

"There were many rumors flying about, but it would have been inappropriate to comment on such matters publicly," Rogers said. "Make no mistake — we are elated to have Paul continue to lead the team for this season."

The announcement said the successor to the 69-year-old will start when Beeston retires.

"We will not be commenting on the succession process or timing," Rogers said.

The first employee hired by the Blue Jays in May 1976, Beeston became vice president of business operations in 1977, executive vice president of business in 1984 and president and chief operating officer in 1989. He was promoted to chief executive officer in 1991 and held that position until 1997, when he quit to become the COO of Major League Baseball, a role he held until 2002.

He returned to the Blue Jays in October 2008 as interim CEO, and Toronto took off the interim tag a year later.

Toronto has not made the playoffs since winning the World Series in 1992 and `93 and is the only Major League Baseball team this century not reach the postseason.

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Ted Lilly, ex-Blue Jay, charged with insurance fraud

Former Major League Baseball player Ted Lilly has been charged in California with three felonies related to insurance fraud, according to a newspaper report.

The charges stem from allegedly false insurance claims filed last year connected to Lilly's damaged recreational vehicle, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported Friday (http://bit.ly/1L6bb1y ).

An investigation by the state Department of Insurance found the RV sustained damage in a collision, and Lilly sought an estimate from a body shop on March 19, 2014. The estimate was $4,600.

Lilly then bought insurance from Progressive on March 24 and claimed the damage on March 28, said Nancy Kincaid, a spokeswoman for the agency.

"What a lot of people may not realize is that body shops often enter estimates into a database that insurance companies can check to verify claims," Kincaid told the Tribune. "They can see what the damage was and whether a false claim may have been filed."

The three felony charges, filed Oct. 24, are filing a false insurance claim, filing a false statement in connection with an insurance claim, and concealing a material fact in connection with an insurance claim. The case is being prosecuted by the district attorney's office in San Luis Obispo County, where Lilly lives.

His lawyer, James Murphy, didn't return a call for comment.

Lilly faces a maximum penalty of five years in jail if he's convicted, the newspaper said. He's scheduled for arraignment on Feb. 5. Three previous court hearings were postponed.

The 39-year-old left-hander was a two-time All-Star who pitched for Montreal, Oakland, Toronto, the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and the Dodgers.

He retired in 2013 after 15 seasons because of problems with his shoulder and back.

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Alex Rodriguez taking hitting tips from Bonds, Martinez

New York Yankee returning from year-long suspension

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 21, 2015 4:29 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 21, 2015 4:29 PM ET

Alex Rodriguez is getting hitting tips from Barry Bonds as the New York Yankees third baseman prepares to return from a season-long suspension.

Rodriguez spokesman Ron Berkowitz confirmed the workouts, which the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday took place at the Future Prospects batting cages in San Rafael, California.

"Alex has consulted numerous former players and coaches as he continues to work towards spring training including most recently Edgar Martinez who worked with him last week in Miami," Berkowitz said in an email.

Rodriguez, who turns 40 in July, is sixth on the career list with 654 homers. Bonds leads with 762.

A-Rod admitted six years ago he used banned steroids while with Texas from 2001-03, and he was suspended for last season for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract.

Bonds testified in 2003 that he was not aware substances given to him by personal trainer Greg Anderson were banned performance-enhancing drugs.

New York says it plans to shift Rodriguez from third base to designated hitter. A-Rod is owed $61 million in the final three seasons of his contract with the Yankees.

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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Alex Rodriguez taking hitting tips from Bonds, Martinez

New York Yankee returning from year-long suspension

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 21, 2015 4:29 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 21, 2015 4:29 PM ET

Alex Rodriguez is getting hitting tips from Barry Bonds as the New York Yankees third baseman prepares to return from a season-long suspension.

Rodriguez spokesman Ron Berkowitz confirmed the workouts, which the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday took place at the Future Prospects batting cages in San Rafael, California.

"Alex has consulted numerous former players and coaches as he continues to work towards spring training including most recently Edgar Martinez who worked with him last week in Miami," Berkowitz said in an email.

Rodriguez, who turns 40 in July, is sixth on the career list with 654 homers. Bonds leads with 762.

A-Rod admitted six years ago he used banned steroids while with Texas from 2001-03, and he was suspended for last season for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract.

Bonds testified in 2003 that he was not aware substances given to him by personal trainer Greg Anderson were banned performance-enhancing drugs.

New York says it plans to shift Rodriguez from third base to designated hitter. A-Rod is owed $61 million in the final three seasons of his contract with the Yankees.

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.

22.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ted Lilly, ex-Blue Jay, charged with insurance fraud

Former Major League Baseball player Ted Lilly has been charged in California with three felonies related to insurance fraud, according to a newspaper report.

The charges stem from allegedly false insurance claims filed last year connected to Lilly's damaged recreational vehicle, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported Friday (http://bit.ly/1L6bb1y ).

An investigation by the state Department of Insurance found the RV sustained damage in a collision, and Lilly sought an estimate from a body shop on March 19, 2014. The estimate was $4,600.

Lilly then bought insurance from Progressive on March 24 and claimed the damage on March 28, said Nancy Kincaid, a spokeswoman for the agency.

"What a lot of people may not realize is that body shops often enter estimates into a database that insurance companies can check to verify claims," Kincaid told the Tribune. "They can see what the damage was and whether a false claim may have been filed."

The three felony charges, filed Oct. 24, are filing a false insurance claim, filing a false statement in connection with an insurance claim, and concealing a material fact in connection with an insurance claim. The case is being prosecuted by the district attorney's office in San Luis Obispo County, where Lilly lives.

His lawyer, James Murphy, didn't return a call for comment.

Lilly faces a maximum penalty of five years in jail if he's convicted, the newspaper said. He's scheduled for arraignment on Feb. 5. Three previous court hearings were postponed.

The 39-year-old left-hander was a two-time All-Star who pitched for Montreal, Oakland, Toronto, the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and the Dodgers.

He retired in 2013 after 15 seasons because of problems with his shoulder and back.

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Alex Rodriguez taking hitting tips from Bonds, Martinez

New York Yankee returning from year-long suspension

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 21, 2015 4:29 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 21, 2015 4:29 PM ET

Alex Rodriguez is getting hitting tips from Barry Bonds as the New York Yankees third baseman prepares to return from a season-long suspension.

Rodriguez spokesman Ron Berkowitz confirmed the workouts, which the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday took place at the Future Prospects batting cages in San Rafael, California.

"Alex has consulted numerous former players and coaches as he continues to work towards spring training including most recently Edgar Martinez who worked with him last week in Miami," Berkowitz said in an email.

Rodriguez, who turns 40 in July, is sixth on the career list with 654 homers. Bonds leads with 762.

A-Rod admitted six years ago he used banned steroids while with Texas from 2001-03, and he was suspended for last season for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract.

Bonds testified in 2003 that he was not aware substances given to him by personal trainer Greg Anderson were banned performance-enhancing drugs.

New York says it plans to shift Rodriguez from third base to designated hitter. A-Rod is owed $61 million in the final three seasons of his contract with the Yankees.

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 signs for $210 million: report

Sure seems as if Max Scherzer and his wife now will be able to afford to buy themselves at least one of those nonstick baking sheets they were hoping to receive as a wedding gift.

Or even a few million of `em.

The 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner will become the highest-paid right-handed pitcher in major league history after agreeing to a $210 million, seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals that includes a record $50 million signing bonus.

A person familiar with the negotiations outlined the terms to The Associated Press on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn't been announced. It creates a formidable rotation for the Nationals — who could try to boost the rest of their roster by trading one of their other starters.

Highest signing bonus

Scherzer's signing bonus tops the previous high of $30 million for any player, given by the Cubs to pitcher Jon Lester this offseason. Scherzer plans to establish residency in Florida, which would shield his signing bonus from D.C. income tax, the person familiar with the negotiations said.

Scherzer, who spent the past five seasons with the Detroit Tigers before becoming a free agent, will receive the money from the Nationals spread out over 14 years, which lowers its present-day value.

Still, Scherzer did quite well for himself. Indeed, he and his bride — they were married in November 2013 — won't have to depend on their friends to finish filling the requests on their bridal registry at Crate & Barrel, including the pair of $19.95 baking sheets that no one gave them.

Only Kershaw's contract is larger for a pitcher

The 30-year-old right-hander's contract is the second-largest for a pitcher, behind only Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw's $215 million, seven-year deal that runs from 2014-20. The previous high for a righty was the $180 million, seven-year agreement from 2013-19 signed by Justin Verlander, another Cy Young Award winner for the Tigers.

Scherzer turned down an offer from Detroit last March that would have paid him $144 million from 2015-20, an average of $24 million per year.

The Nationals will lose what would have been the 27th pick in June's amateur draft, while the Tigers will gain an extra pick after the first round.

All in all, for the Nationals, it's a surprising move to upgrade an already imposing rotation after a relatively quiet offseason for the NL East champions.

Scherzer was 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 2014, a year after going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and being voted the best pitcher in the American League. He now joins a club whose starting staff in 2014 included Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister — Scherzer's former teammate with the Tigers — Gio Gonzalez, and Tanner Roark.

That group already was considered among the best — if not the best — rotation in the majors. The question now is what move could come next for the Nationals, who might pursue a trade.

Zimmermann went 14-5 with a 2.66 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 199 2-3 innings in 2014, and he threw the first no-hitter in Nationals history on the last day of the regular season. But he can enter free agency after next season.

Last season, Strasburg was 14-11 with a 3.14 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 215 innings; Fister was 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA; Gonzalez went 10-10 with a 3.57 ERA, and Roark went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 198 2-3 innings.

Gonzalez, third in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2012, is the only left-hander in the bunch.

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Alex Rodriguez taking hitting tips from Bonds, Martinez

New York Yankee returning from year-long suspension

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 21, 2015 4:29 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 21, 2015 4:29 PM ET

Alex Rodriguez is getting hitting tips from Barry Bonds as the New York Yankees third baseman prepares to return from a season-long suspension.

Rodriguez spokesman Ron Berkowitz confirmed the workouts, which the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday took place at the Future Prospects batting cages in San Rafael, California.

"Alex has consulted numerous former players and coaches as he continues to work towards spring training including most recently Edgar Martinez who worked with him last week in Miami," Berkowitz said in an email.

Rodriguez, who turns 40 in July, is sixth on the career list with 654 homers. Bonds leads with 762.

A-Rod admitted six years ago he used banned steroids while with Texas from 2001-03, and he was suspended for last season for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract.

Bonds testified in 2003 that he was not aware substances given to him by personal trainer Greg Anderson were banned performance-enhancing drugs.

New York says it plans to shift Rodriguez from third base to designated hitter. A-Rod is owed $61 million in the final three seasons of his contract with the Yankees.

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.

22.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Max Scherzer signs for $210 million: report

Sure seems as if Max Scherzer and his wife now will be able to afford to buy themselves at least one of those nonstick baking sheets they were hoping to receive as a wedding gift.

Or even a few million of `em.

The 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner will become the highest-paid right-handed pitcher in major league history after agreeing to a $210 million, seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals that includes a record $50 million signing bonus.

A person familiar with the negotiations outlined the terms to The Associated Press on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn't been announced. It creates a formidable rotation for the Nationals — who could try to boost the rest of their roster by trading one of their other starters.

Highest signing bonus

Scherzer's signing bonus tops the previous high of $30 million for any player, given by the Cubs to pitcher Jon Lester this offseason. Scherzer plans to establish residency in Florida, which would shield his signing bonus from D.C. income tax, the person familiar with the negotiations said.

Scherzer, who spent the past five seasons with the Detroit Tigers before becoming a free agent, will receive the money from the Nationals spread out over 14 years, which lowers its present-day value.

Still, Scherzer did quite well for himself. Indeed, he and his bride — they were married in November 2013 — won't have to depend on their friends to finish filling the requests on their bridal registry at Crate & Barrel, including the pair of $19.95 baking sheets that no one gave them.

Only Kershaw's contract is larger for a pitcher

The 30-year-old right-hander's contract is the second-largest for a pitcher, behind only Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw's $215 million, seven-year deal that runs from 2014-20. The previous high for a righty was the $180 million, seven-year agreement from 2013-19 signed by Justin Verlander, another Cy Young Award winner for the Tigers.

Scherzer turned down an offer from Detroit last March that would have paid him $144 million from 2015-20, an average of $24 million per year.

The Nationals will lose what would have been the 27th pick in June's amateur draft, while the Tigers will gain an extra pick after the first round.

All in all, for the Nationals, it's a surprising move to upgrade an already imposing rotation after a relatively quiet offseason for the NL East champions.

Scherzer was 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 2014, a year after going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and being voted the best pitcher in the American League. He now joins a club whose starting staff in 2014 included Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister — Scherzer's former teammate with the Tigers — Gio Gonzalez, and Tanner Roark.

That group already was considered among the best — if not the best — rotation in the majors. The question now is what move could come next for the Nationals, who might pursue a trade.

Zimmermann went 14-5 with a 2.66 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 199 2-3 innings in 2014, and he threw the first no-hitter in Nationals history on the last day of the regular season. But he can enter free agency after next season.

Last season, Strasburg was 14-11 with a 3.14 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 215 innings; Fister was 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA; Gonzalez went 10-10 with a 3.57 ERA, and Roark went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 198 2-3 innings.

Gonzalez, third in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2012, is the only left-hander in the bunch.

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Max Scherzer signs for $210 million: report

Sure seems as if Max Scherzer and his wife now will be able to afford to buy themselves at least one of those nonstick baking sheets they were hoping to receive as a wedding gift.

Or even a few million of `em.

The 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner will become the highest-paid right-handed pitcher in major league history after agreeing to a $210 million, seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals that includes a record $50 million signing bonus.

A person familiar with the negotiations outlined the terms to The Associated Press on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn't been announced. It creates a formidable rotation for the Nationals — who could try to boost the rest of their roster by trading one of their other starters.

Highest signing bonus

Scherzer's signing bonus tops the previous high of $30 million for any player, given by the Cubs to pitcher Jon Lester this offseason. Scherzer plans to establish residency in Florida, which would shield his signing bonus from D.C. income tax, the person familiar with the negotiations said.

Scherzer, who spent the past five seasons with the Detroit Tigers before becoming a free agent, will receive the money from the Nationals spread out over 14 years, which lowers its present-day value.

Still, Scherzer did quite well for himself. Indeed, he and his bride — they were married in November 2013 — won't have to depend on their friends to finish filling the requests on their bridal registry at Crate & Barrel, including the pair of $19.95 baking sheets that no one gave them.

Only Kershaw's contract is larger for a pitcher

The 30-year-old right-hander's contract is the second-largest for a pitcher, behind only Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw's $215 million, seven-year deal that runs from 2014-20. The previous high for a righty was the $180 million, seven-year agreement from 2013-19 signed by Justin Verlander, another Cy Young Award winner for the Tigers.

Scherzer turned down an offer from Detroit last March that would have paid him $144 million from 2015-20, an average of $24 million per year.

The Nationals will lose what would have been the 27th pick in June's amateur draft, while the Tigers will gain an extra pick after the first round.

All in all, for the Nationals, it's a surprising move to upgrade an already imposing rotation after a relatively quiet offseason for the NL East champions.

Scherzer was 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 2014, a year after going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and being voted the best pitcher in the American League. He now joins a club whose starting staff in 2014 included Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister — Scherzer's former teammate with the Tigers — Gio Gonzalez, and Tanner Roark.

That group already was considered among the best — if not the best — rotation in the majors. The question now is what move could come next for the Nationals, who might pursue a trade.

Zimmermann went 14-5 with a 2.66 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 199 2-3 innings in 2014, and he threw the first no-hitter in Nationals history on the last day of the regular season. But he can enter free agency after next season.

Last season, Strasburg was 14-11 with a 3.14 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 215 innings; Fister was 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA; Gonzalez went 10-10 with a 3.57 ERA, and Roark went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 198 2-3 innings.

Gonzalez, third in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2012, is the only left-hander in the bunch.

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Alex Rodriguez taking hitting tips from Bonds, Martinez

New York Yankee returning from year-long suspension

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 21, 2015 4:29 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 21, 2015 4:29 PM ET

Alex Rodriguez is getting hitting tips from Barry Bonds as the New York Yankees third baseman prepares to return from a season-long suspension.

Rodriguez spokesman Ron Berkowitz confirmed the workouts, which the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday took place at the Future Prospects batting cages in San Rafael, California.

"Alex has consulted numerous former players and coaches as he continues to work towards spring training including most recently Edgar Martinez who worked with him last week in Miami," Berkowitz said in an email.

Rodriguez, who turns 40 in July, is sixth on the career list with 654 homers. Bonds leads with 762.

A-Rod admitted six years ago he used banned steroids while with Texas from 2001-03, and he was suspended for last season for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract.

Bonds testified in 2003 that he was not aware substances given to him by personal trainer Greg Anderson were banned performance-enhancing drugs.

New York says it plans to shift Rodriguez from third base to designated hitter. A-Rod is owed $61 million in the final three seasons of his contract with the Yankees.

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.

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Max Scherzer signs for $210 million: report

Sure seems as if Max Scherzer and his wife now will be able to afford to buy themselves at least one of those nonstick baking sheets they were hoping to receive as a wedding gift.

Or even a few million of `em.

The 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner will become the highest-paid right-handed pitcher in major league history after agreeing to a $210 million, seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals that includes a record $50 million signing bonus.

A person familiar with the negotiations outlined the terms to The Associated Press on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn't been announced. It creates a formidable rotation for the Nationals — who could try to boost the rest of their roster by trading one of their other starters.

Highest signing bonus

Scherzer's signing bonus tops the previous high of $30 million for any player, given by the Cubs to pitcher Jon Lester this offseason. Scherzer plans to establish residency in Florida, which would shield his signing bonus from D.C. income tax, the person familiar with the negotiations said.

Scherzer, who spent the past five seasons with the Detroit Tigers before becoming a free agent, will receive the money from the Nationals spread out over 14 years, which lowers its present-day value.

Still, Scherzer did quite well for himself. Indeed, he and his bride — they were married in November 2013 — won't have to depend on their friends to finish filling the requests on their bridal registry at Crate & Barrel, including the pair of $19.95 baking sheets that no one gave them.

Only Kershaw's contract is larger for a pitcher

The 30-year-old right-hander's contract is the second-largest for a pitcher, behind only Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw's $215 million, seven-year deal that runs from 2014-20. The previous high for a righty was the $180 million, seven-year agreement from 2013-19 signed by Justin Verlander, another Cy Young Award winner for the Tigers.

Scherzer turned down an offer from Detroit last March that would have paid him $144 million from 2015-20, an average of $24 million per year.

The Nationals will lose what would have been the 27th pick in June's amateur draft, while the Tigers will gain an extra pick after the first round.

All in all, for the Nationals, it's a surprising move to upgrade an already imposing rotation after a relatively quiet offseason for the NL East champions.

Scherzer was 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 2014, a year after going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and being voted the best pitcher in the American League. He now joins a club whose starting staff in 2014 included Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister — Scherzer's former teammate with the Tigers — Gio Gonzalez, and Tanner Roark.

That group already was considered among the best — if not the best — rotation in the majors. The question now is what move could come next for the Nationals, who might pursue a trade.

Zimmermann went 14-5 with a 2.66 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 199 2-3 innings in 2014, and he threw the first no-hitter in Nationals history on the last day of the regular season. But he can enter free agency after next season.

Last season, Strasburg was 14-11 with a 3.14 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 215 innings; Fister was 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA; Gonzalez went 10-10 with a 3.57 ERA, and Roark went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 198 2-3 innings.

Gonzalez, third in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2012, is the only left-hander in the bunch.

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Colby Rasmus agrees to 1-year deal with Houston Astros

Out-fielder hit 18 home runs for Blue Jays in 2014

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 20, 2015 5:50 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 20, 2015 6:36 PM ET

Out-fielder Colby Rasmus has agreed to an $8 million, one-year contract with the Houston Astros.

The deal was announced Tuesday, a day after Houston dealt last year's starting centre-fielder, Dexter Fowler, to the Chicago Cubs.

The 28-year-old Rasmus started 80 games in centre field for the Toronto Blue Jays last season and has played both right and left field in his six-year big league career. He batted .225 with 18 homers and 40 RBIs last season after hitting 22 home runs with 66 RBIs in 2013.

A first-round pick by the St. Louis in the 2005 amateur draft, Rasmus hit 23 homers in 2010 with the Cardinals and 2012 with Toronto.

Catcher Carlos Corporan was designated for assignment to make room on the roster.

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Max Scherzer signs for $210 million: report

Sure seems as if Max Scherzer and his wife now will be able to afford to buy themselves at least one of those nonstick baking sheets they were hoping to receive as a wedding gift.

Or even a few million of `em.

The 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner will become the highest-paid right-handed pitcher in major league history after agreeing to a $210 million, seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals that includes a record $50 million signing bonus.

A person familiar with the negotiations outlined the terms to The Associated Press on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn't been announced. It creates a formidable rotation for the Nationals — who could try to boost the rest of their roster by trading one of their other starters.

Highest signing bonus

Scherzer's signing bonus tops the previous high of $30 million for any player, given by the Cubs to pitcher Jon Lester this offseason. Scherzer plans to establish residency in Florida, which would shield his signing bonus from D.C. income tax, the person familiar with the negotiations said.

Scherzer, who spent the past five seasons with the Detroit Tigers before becoming a free agent, will receive the money from the Nationals spread out over 14 years, which lowers its present-day value.

Still, Scherzer did quite well for himself. Indeed, he and his bride — they were married in November 2013 — won't have to depend on their friends to finish filling the requests on their bridal registry at Crate & Barrel, including the pair of $19.95 baking sheets that no one gave them.

Only Kershaw's contract is larger for a pitcher

The 30-year-old right-hander's contract is the second-largest for a pitcher, behind only Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw's $215 million, seven-year deal that runs from 2014-20. The previous high for a righty was the $180 million, seven-year agreement from 2013-19 signed by Justin Verlander, another Cy Young Award winner for the Tigers.

Scherzer turned down an offer from Detroit last March that would have paid him $144 million from 2015-20, an average of $24 million per year.

The Nationals will lose what would have been the 27th pick in June's amateur draft, while the Tigers will gain an extra pick after the first round.

All in all, for the Nationals, it's a surprising move to upgrade an already imposing rotation after a relatively quiet offseason for the NL East champions.

Scherzer was 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 2014, a year after going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and being voted the best pitcher in the American League. He now joins a club whose starting staff in 2014 included Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Doug Fister — Scherzer's former teammate with the Tigers — Gio Gonzalez, and Tanner Roark.

That group already was considered among the best — if not the best — rotation in the majors. The question now is what move could come next for the Nationals, who might pursue a trade.

Zimmermann went 14-5 with a 2.66 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 199 2-3 innings in 2014, and he threw the first no-hitter in Nationals history on the last day of the regular season. But he can enter free agency after next season.

Last season, Strasburg was 14-11 with a 3.14 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 215 innings; Fister was 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA; Gonzalez went 10-10 with a 3.57 ERA, and Roark went 15-10 with a 2.85 ERA in 198 2-3 innings.

Gonzalez, third in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2012, is the only left-hander in the bunch.

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Erik Bedard signs minor league deal with Dodgers

Ontario native pitched for Tampa Bay last season

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 19, 2015 3:51 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 19, 2015 3:51 PM ET

Canadian pitcher Erik Bedard has agreed to a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and been invited to big league training camp.

The 36-year-old left-hander from Ottawa was 4-6 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 starts last season for Tampa Bay, where new Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was head of baseball operations. The Rays designated Bedard for assignment in July.

Since 2009, Bedard has been bothered by shoulder problems and he missed the entire 2010 season. His best year was 2007, when he was 13-5 with Baltimore

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Josh Donaldson, Danny Valencia post salary arbitration figures

Josh Donaldson and Danny Valencia have exchanged salary arbitration figures with the Toronto Blue Jays prior to Friday's Major League Baseball deadline. A  total of 56 players filed for arbitration.

Donaldson, obtained in a five-player trade from the Oakland Athletics had a 2014 salary of $500,000 US. Donaldson asked for $5,725,000 US while the Blue Jays countered with a figure of $4,300,00 US.

Donaldson, 28, hit 29 homers and had 98 RBI for Oakland last year with a ,255 average.

Valencia was paid $532,500 US in his 2014 contract. He asked for $1,675,000 US while the Blue Jays offered $1,200,000 US.

The 30-year-old Valencia played in 50 games for the Blue Jays last season, with two homers, 19 RBI and a .240 average.

Arbitration meetings will be conducted in February where the arbitrator will choose one salary figure or the other. However, both sides are able to negotiate and come to an agreement up until the date of the arbitration hearing.

Toronto has not gone to arbitration with any player since right-hander Bill Risley in 1997.

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Blue Jays avoid arbitration with relief pitcher Brett Cecil

Left-handed pitcher signs 1-year deal

The Canadian Press Posted: Jan 15, 2015 5:02 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 15, 2015 6:21 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with Brett Cecil, signing the left-handed relief pitcher Thursday to a US$2.475-million, one-year contract.

Cecil was 2-3 last season with five saves and a 2.70 earned-run average in 66 appearances.

The 28-year-old has spent his entire major-league career with the Blue Jays after joining the team in 2009.

He was an all-star in 2013 when he went 5-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 60 relief appearances.

Earlier Thursday, the Blue Jays signed outfielder Andy Dirks to a minor-league contract with an invite to major-league spring training.

Dirks, 28, was originally claimed from Detroit on Oct. 31 and became a free agent when he non-tendered on Dec. 2.

He spent parts of three seasons with the Tigers after making his major-league debut in 2011. Dirks was hampered by back and hamstring injuries last year.

In 297 career major-league games, Dirks has a .276 average with 24 homers and 100 RBIs.

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Blue Jays avoid arbitration with relief pitcher Brett Cecil

Left-handed pitcher signs 1-year deal

The Canadian Press Posted: Jan 15, 2015 5:02 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 15, 2015 6:21 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with Brett Cecil, signing the left-handed relief pitcher Thursday to a US$2.475-million, one-year contract.

Cecil was 2-3 last season with five saves and a 2.70 earned-run average in 66 appearances.

The 28-year-old has spent his entire major-league career with the Blue Jays after joining the team in 2009.

He was an all-star in 2013 when he went 5-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 60 relief appearances.

Earlier Thursday, the Blue Jays signed outfielder Andy Dirks to a minor-league contract with an invite to major-league spring training.

Dirks, 28, was originally claimed from Detroit on Oct. 31 and became a free agent when he non-tendered on Dec. 2.

He spent parts of three seasons with the Tigers after making his major-league debut in 2011. Dirks was hampered by back and hamstring injuries last year.

In 297 career major-league games, Dirks has a .276 average with 24 homers and 100 RBIs.

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Josh Donaldson, Danny Valencia post salary arbitration figures

Josh Donaldson and Danny Valencia have exchanged salary arbitration figures with the Toronto Blue Jays prior to Friday's Major League Baseball deadline. A  total of 56 players filed for arbitration.

Donaldson, obtained in a five-player trade from the Oakland Athletics had a 2014 salary of $500,000 US. Donaldson asked for $5,725,000 US while the Blue Jays countered with a figure of $4,300,00 US.

Donaldson, 28, hit 29 homers and had 98 RBI for Oakland last year with a ,255 average.

Valencia was paid $532,500 US in his 2014 contract. He asked for $1,675,000 US while the Blue Jays offered $1,200,000 US.

The 30-year-old Valencia played in 50 games for the Blue Jays last season, with two homers, 19 RBI and a .240 average.

Arbitration meetings will be conducted in February where the arbitrator will choose one salary figure or the other. However, both sides are able to negotiate and come to an agreement up until the date of the arbitration hearing.

Toronto has not gone to arbitration with any player since right-hander Bill Risley in 1997.

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MLB to use pitch clock in minor league games

Poll

Timer intended to speed up game

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 15, 2015 3:40 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 15, 2015 3:40 PM ET

A pitch clock will be used this season during minor league games at Triple-A and Double-A, but it has been ruled out for the major leagues this year.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said Thursday the decision to use the pitch-clock in the minors followed a successful experiment in the Arizona Fall League.

MLB officials said details will be announced later, such as how much time will be allowed between pitches and other speed-up measures to be tested in the minors.

Speed-up rules cannot be put in place in the major leagues this year without approval of the players' union, and baseball officials said a pitch-clock had been ruled out for this season

"We're in the midst of discussions with the union regarding potential changes," Selig said following his final owners' meeting as commissioner, "so it's premature to discuss any details for this coming season at this point in time."

Selig said he is "very pleased with the progress we've made so far but Yogi (Berra) once said it ain't over 'til it's over, so we're going to have to wait until it's over."

In the Fall League experiment, pitchers had to throw within 12 seconds with no runners on base and within 20 seconds when a base was occupied. There was a maximum of 2:05 between innings and a 2:30 limit for a pitching change. Additionally, hitters were required to have one foot in the batter's box at all times.

Selig is to retire Jan. 25 and be replaced by Rob Manfred.

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Blue Jays avoid arbitration with relief pitcher Brett Cecil

Left-handed pitcher signs 1-year deal

The Canadian Press Posted: Jan 15, 2015 5:02 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 15, 2015 6:21 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with Brett Cecil, signing the left-handed relief pitcher Thursday to a US$2.475-million, one-year contract.

Cecil was 2-3 last season with five saves and a 2.70 earned-run average in 66 appearances.

The 28-year-old has spent his entire major-league career with the Blue Jays after joining the team in 2009.

He was an all-star in 2013 when he went 5-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 60 relief appearances.

Earlier Thursday, the Blue Jays signed outfielder Andy Dirks to a minor-league contract with an invite to major-league spring training.

Dirks, 28, was originally claimed from Detroit on Oct. 31 and became a free agent when he non-tendered on Dec. 2.

He spent parts of three seasons with the Tigers after making his major-league debut in 2011. Dirks was hampered by back and hamstring injuries last year.

In 297 career major-league games, Dirks has a .276 average with 24 homers and 100 RBIs.

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Blue Jays claim Matt West off waivers from Rangers

Right-hander pitched 4 innings over 3 games with Texas last season

The Canadian Press Posted: Jan 14, 2015 5:45 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 14, 2015 5:45 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays have claimed right-handed pitcher Matt West off waivers from the Texas Rangers.

West pitched four innings over three games (no decisions) with Texas last season, posting a 6.75 earned-run average with three strikeouts and a walk.

In the minor leagues, he had a 2-0 record, 0.68 ERA and three saves in four opportunities over eight appearances with double-A Frisco, and a 3-3 record and 4.15 ERA over 33 games (one start) with triple-A Round Rock.

The Blue Jays designated right-hander Cory Burns for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

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Yunel Escobar on the move again, now a Washington National

Infielder Yunel Escobar is heading to the Nationals, and All-Star reliever Tyler Clippard is going to the Athletics, thanks to the ninth deal between those clubs in a little more than four years.

The swap, announced Wednesday, gives Washington a player who could solve its search for a starting second baseman. Escobar could wind up at shortstop for the Nationals if they wind up trading away — or fail to agree to a new contract with — Ian Desmond, who can become a free agent after next season.

The A's just picked up Escobar from Tampa Bay, along with Ben Zobrist, in a trade Saturday that sent catcher John Jaso and two minor leaguers to the Rays.

Among the players who have been part of the Oakland-Washington pipeline since December 2010 as A's general manager Billy Beane and Nationals GM Mike Rizzo strike deal after deal: Gio Gonzalez, Josh Willingham, Kurt Suzuki, Jerry Blevins, Tommy Milone and Derek Norris. Beane's been busy reconfiguring Oakland's roster lately, making eight trades involving more than 20 players since the A's lost in the AL wild-card game.

Played shortstop, second base in 2014

The 32-year-old Escobar hit .258 with seven homers and 39 RBIs for Tampa Bay last season. He has played eight years in the majors, including with Atlanta and Toronto, mostly at shortstop. Escobar did start 20 games at second base for the Braves in 2007.

Escobar was suspended for three games in 2012 for wearing eye black displaying an anti-gay slur while playing for the Blue Jays.

The right-handed Clippard, Washington's eighth-inning setup man, went 7-4 with a 2.18 ERA in 75 appearances in 2014. He was an NL All-Star in 2011 and 2014.

On Twitter, Clippard wrote: "Would love to take this opportunity to thank all the .nats fans. ... I loved every second of my time in DC, through the ups and downs the good and bad, every second was wonderful. Thanks forever Nats Nation!"

A's getting workhorse in Clippard

The 29-year-old is 37-25 with a 2.88 ERA and 34 saves in eight big league seasons, one with the New York Yankees and the last seven with the Nationals.

He is the only reliever to pitch in more than 70 games each of the past five seasons.

The A's already have an All-Star closer in left-hander Sean Doolittle, who saved 22 games last season. Adding Clippard fills the void left by the departure of Luke Gregerson, who signed with Houston as a free agent, and gives Oakland a late-inning lefty-righty combination.

With Escobar leaving before playing an inning in Oakland, Marcus Semien — acquired in the December deal that sent starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija to the White Sox — probably will take over at shortstop instead of being used in a utility role.

The Nationals, meanwhile, will need to figure out who will be their main setup man in place of Clippard, a key cog in their runs to NL East titles in 2012 and 2014.

In a swap of minor leaguers earlier Wednesday, the Nationals acquired catcher Dan Butler from the Boston Red Sox for left-hander Danny Rosenbaum, who had Tommy John surgery in May.

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Hall of Famers Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson rose from Expos roots

On their way to stardom and election to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, star pitchers Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson shared a connection to the Montreal Expos. Each got their MLB starts, almost literally, on the Expos' mound at Olympic Stadium.

For Johnson, the 6-foot-10 left-hander who was originally drafted by the Expos in 1985, it was a fleeting experience, encompassing only 10 starts in the 1988 and '89 seasons. He totalled three victories for Montreal.

Johnson was then traded to Seattle for established starter Mark Langston before developing into the feared Big Unit who starred for 10 years with the Mariners for whom he won 130 games. He was then traded to the Houston Astros for part of the 1998 season. After that, Johnson signed as a free agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks, ringing up four consecutive Cy Young Awards and collecting 118 wins in eight seasons.

He later pitched for the New York Yankees, the Diamondbacks again, and the San Francisco Giants before calling it a career after 22 big-league campaigns with 303 victories.

Martinez, a right-hander, was nearly a foot shorter than Johnson but just as imposing on the mound.

Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, Martinez, the second pitcher from the Dominican Republic to enter the Hall of Fame after Juan Marichal. entered the Major Leagues in 1992, making one start in two appearances. He got into 65 games with the Dodgers the following season, but only two were starts. Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda feared that the slight Martinez, who weighed only about 175 pounds, wouldn't have the stamina to be a starter.

Traded for infielder Delino DeShields to the Expos in November 1993, Montreal felt otherwise and immediately placed him into the rotation. In four years with the Expos Martinez went 55-33 and won the 1997 Cy Young award when he was 17-8 with a 1.90 earned run average. He would go on to lead his league in ERA five times.

Martinez's salary had jumped from $315,000 US to over $3 million for the 1997 season and it was apparent the Expos could no longer afford him, so he was traded to the Boston Red Sox where he compiled a phenomenal 117-37 record in seven years. Along the way he was the face of the ball club as it finally won a World Series after 86 years of frustration in 2004.

After winning a second World Series with Boston in 2007, Martinez pitched four seasons with the New York Mets and spent one final year with the Philadelphia. He finished his career with a record of 219-100.

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Royals add a year to manager Ned Yost's deal

Manager led K.C. to World Series

The Associated Press Posted: Jan 13, 2015 1:04 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 13, 2015 1:04 PM ET

The AL champion Royals and Ned Yost have agreed on a one-year contract extension that ties the manager to the franchise through the 2016 season.

Yost said after leading the Royals to an improbable pennant last season that he hoped to manage a few more years. His contract had been set to expire after the 2015 season.

Yost became the Royals' manager in May 2010 and presided over a massive rebuilding effort that culminated with the end of a 29-year playoff drought.

The Royals took the San Francisco Giants to the seventh game of the World Series before their season finally ended.

The longest-tenured manager in club history, Yost will soon become its winningest. He has 373 victories, trailing only Dick Howser (404) and Whitey Herzog (410).

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Ex-Expos Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson elected to Hall of Fame

Former Montreal Expos pitchers Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson, along with John Smoltz and Craig Biggio, have been elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.

Martinez played for Montreal from 1994 to 1997. He won the Cy Young Award as the National League's top pitcher in his final season with the Expos before being traded to Boston, where he won the American League version of the award twice.

Johnson made 11 appearances for the Expos at the start of his big-league career in 1988 and '89 before being traded to Seattle, where the 6-foot-10 "Big Unit" developed into one of the most feared pitchers in history. He won his first Cy Young with Seattle in 1995, and later claimed four in a row with Arizona between 1999 and 2002.

"The Hall of Fame was never something that I surely ever thought about," said Johnson. 

Johnson, who finished with 303 victories and 4,875 strikeouts, was selected on 534 of 549 ballots by veteran members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. His 97.3 percentage was the eighth-highest in the history of voting.

Martinez, who appeared on 500 ballots (91.1 per cent), was 219-100, struck out 3,154, led the major leagues in ERA five times and in 2004 helped the Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years.

"I saw everybody as an enemy, and I saw everybody as like in a jungle: You just kill to survive. And that's the intensity and the focus I had to keep to do it every day on a day-to-day basis...that was my way to concentrate and do the day to day things that I did in baseball," said Martinez.​

Smoltz was picked on 455 ballots (82.9 percent) and will join former Atlanta teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who were inducted last summer along with Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas. Smoltz, the 1996 NL Cy Young winner, was 213-155 with 154 saves, the only pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves. He went 15-4 in the postseason.

Biggio appeared on 454 ballots, 42 more than the 75 per cent needed and up from 68.2 per cent in his first appearance and 74.8 per cent last year. He had 3,060 hits in 20 big league seasons, all with the Houston Astros.

Baseball writers elected four players for the first time since 1955, with Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz earning induction on the first try Tuesday. Biggio made it on the third attempt after falling two votes shy last year.

The quartet will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 26.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America had not given four players the necessary 75 per cent in a single year since selecting Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons and Dazzy Vance 60 years earlier.

Steroids-tainted stars Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa remained far from election. 

Clemens received 37.5 per cent and Bonds 36.8 pe rcent. Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young winner and a back-to-back recipient in 1997 and '98 with the Toronto Blue Jays, started at 37.6 percent in 2013 and dropped to 35.4 last year; Bonds, the only seven-time MVP, began at 36.2 and fell to 34.7.

McGwire, in his ninth and next-to-last year of eligibility, received 10 per cent, down from 11 last year and less than half his peak of 23.6 per cent in 2008. Sosa was on 6.6 per cent of the ballot, down from 12.5 in 2013 and 7.2 last year but above the 5 per cent threshold for remaining on next year's list.

"I'm proud I did it in an era that the challenge was at the top," he said. "I had to face probably the toughest matchup out there. Well, guess what: I wouldn't want it any other way. I wanted to beat the best. I wanted to be the best I could be every time I went out there.

"I wanted to embarrass the best team out there. I wanted to. I meant to," he said. "Any time I had an opportunity to embarrass any team in the big leagues, including the ones using PEDs, it was a great honor to do it."

Jeff Bagwell was at 55.7 per cent, followed by former Expo Tim Raines at 55 per cent and Curt Schilling at 39.2 per cent. Other players included Lee Smith (30.2), Edgar Martinez (27), Alan Trammell (25.1) and Mike Mussina (24.6).

Don Mattingly received 9.1 per cent in his 15th and final appearance on the ballot. Under a change made by the Hall's board last summer, players' eligibility was cut from 15 years to 10 but the 11-15 group was grandfathered.

Gary Sheffield (11.7 per cent) and Nomar Garciaparra (5.5) will remain on the ballot.

Among the 17 first-time eligibles who will be dropped are former Blue Jay Carlos Delgado (3.8 per cent) and players' association head Tony Clark, who did not get any votes.

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Hall of Famers Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson rose from Expos roots

On their way to stardom and election to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, star pitchers Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson shared a connection to the Montreal Expos. Each got their MLB starts, almost literally, on the Expos' mound at Olympic Stadium.

For Johnson, the 6-foot-10 left-hander who was originally drafted by the Expos in 1985, it was a fleeting experience, encompassing only 10 starts in the 1988 and '89 seasons. He totalled three victories for Montreal.

Johnson was then traded to Seattle for established starter Mark Langston before developing into the feared Big Unit who starred for 10 years with the Mariners for whom he won 130 games. He was then traded to the Houston Astros for part of the 1998 season. After that, Johnson signed as a free agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks, ringing up four consecutive Cy Young Awards and collecting 118 wins in eight seasons.

He later pitched for the New York Yankees, the Diamondbacks again, and the San Francisco Giants before calling it a career after 22 big-league campaigns with 303 victories.

Martinez, a right-hander, was nearly a foot shorter than Johnson but just as imposing on the mound.

Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, Martinez, the second pitcher from the Dominican Republic to enter the Hall of Fame after Juan Marichal. entered the Major Leagues in 1992, making one start in two appearances. He got into 65 games with the Dodgers the following season, but only two were starts. Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda feared that the slight Martinez, who weighed only about 175 pounds, wouldn't have the stamina to be a starter.

Traded for infielder Delino DeShields to the Expos in November 1993, Montreal felt otherwise and immediately placed him into the rotation. In four years with the Expos Martinez went 55-33 and won the 1997 Cy Young award when he was 17-8 with a 1.90 earned run average. He would go on to lead his league in ERA five times.

Martinez's salary had jumped from $315,000 US to over $3 million for the 1997 season and it was apparent the Expos could no longer afford him, so he was traded to the Boston Red Sox where he compiled a phenomenal 117-37 record in seven years. Along the way he was the face of the ball club as it finally won a World Series after 86 years of frustration in 2004.

After winning a second World Series with Boston in 2007, Martinez pitched four seasons with the New York Mets and spent one final year with the Philadelphia. He finished his career with a record of 219-100.

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Hall of Famers Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson rose from Expos roots

On their way to stardom and election to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, star pitchers Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson shared a connection to the Montreal Expos. Each got their MLB starts, almost literally, on the Expos' mound at Olympic Stadium.

For Johnson, the 6-foot-10 left-hander who was originally drafted by the Expos in 1985, it was a fleeting experience, encompassing only 10 starts in the 1988 and '89 seasons. He totalled three victories for Montreal.

Johnson was then traded to Seattle for established starter Mark Langston before developing into the feared Big Unit who starred for 10 years with the Mariners for whom he won 130 games. He was then traded to the Houston Astros for part of the 1998 season. After that, Johnson signed as a free agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks, ringing up four consecutive Cy Young Awards and collecting 118 wins in eight seasons.

He later pitched for the New York Yankees, the Diamondbacks again, and the San Francisco Giants before calling it a career after 22 big-league campaigns with 303 victories.

Martinez, a right-hander, was nearly a foot shorter than Johnson but just as imposing on the mound.

Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, Martinez, the second pitcher from the Dominican Republic to enter the Hall of Fame after Juan Marichal. entered the Major Leagues in 1992, making one start in two appearances. He got into 65 games with the Dodgers the following season, but only two were starts. Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda feared that the slight Martinez, who weighed only about 175 pounds, wouldn't have the stamina to be a starter.

Traded for infielder Delino DeShields to the Expos in November 1993, Montreal felt otherwise and immediately placed him into the rotation. In four years with the Expos Martinez went 55-33 and won the 1997 Cy Young award when he was 17-8 with a 1.90 earned run average. He would go on to lead his league in ERA five times.

Martinez's salary had jumped from $315,000 US to over $3 million for the 1997 season and it was apparent the Expos could no longer afford him, so he was traded to the Boston Red Sox where he compiled a phenomenal 117-37 record in seven years. Along the way he was the face of the ball club as it finally won a World Series after 86 years of frustration in 2004.

After winning a second World Series with Boston in 2007, Martinez pitched four seasons with the New York Mets and spent one final year with the Philadelphia. He finished his career with a record of 219-100.

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Ex-Expos Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson elected to Hall of Fame

Former Montreal Expos pitchers Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson, along with John Smoltz and Craig Biggio, have been elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.

Martinez played for Montreal from 1994 to 1997. He won the Cy Young Award as the National League's top pitcher in his final season with the Expos before being traded to Boston, where he won the American League version of the award twice.

Johnson made 11 appearances for the Expos at the start of his big-league career in 1988 and '89 before being traded to Seattle, where the 6-foot-10 "Big Unit" developed into one of the most feared pitchers in history. He won his first Cy Young with Seattle in 1995, and later claimed four in a row with Arizona between 1999 and 2002.

"The Hall of Fame was never something that I surely ever thought about," said Johnson. 

Johnson, who finished with 303 victories and 4,875 strikeouts, was selected on 534 of 549 ballots by veteran members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. His 97.3 percentage was the eighth-highest in the history of voting.

Martinez, who appeared on 500 ballots (91.1 per cent), was 219-100, struck out 3,154, led the major leagues in ERA five times and in 2004 helped the Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years.

"I saw everybody as an enemy, and I saw everybody as like in a jungle: You just kill to survive. And that's the intensity and the focus I had to keep to do it every day on a day-to-day basis...that was my way to concentrate and do the day to day things that I did in baseball," said Martinez.​

Smoltz was picked on 455 ballots (82.9 percent) and will join former Atlanta teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who were inducted last summer along with Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas. Smoltz, the 1996 NL Cy Young winner, was 213-155 with 154 saves, the only pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves. He went 15-4 in the postseason.

Biggio appeared on 454 ballots, 42 more than the 75 per cent needed and up from 68.2 per cent in his first appearance and 74.8 per cent last year. He had 3,060 hits in 20 big league seasons, all with the Houston Astros.

Baseball writers elected four players for the first time since 1955, with Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz earning induction on the first try Tuesday. Biggio made it on the third attempt after falling two votes shy last year.

The quartet will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 26.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America had not given four players the necessary 75 per cent in a single year since selecting Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons and Dazzy Vance 60 years earlier.

Steroids-tainted stars Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa remained far from election. 

Clemens received 37.5 per cent and Bonds 36.8 pe rcent. Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young winner and a back-to-back recipient in 1997 and '98 with the Toronto Blue Jays, started at 37.6 percent in 2013 and dropped to 35.4 last year; Bonds, the only seven-time MVP, began at 36.2 and fell to 34.7.

McGwire, in his ninth and next-to-last year of eligibility, received 10 per cent, down from 11 last year and less than half his peak of 23.6 per cent in 2008. Sosa was on 6.6 per cent of the ballot, down from 12.5 in 2013 and 7.2 last year but above the 5 per cent threshold for remaining on next year's list.

"I'm proud I did it in an era that the challenge was at the top," he said. "I had to face probably the toughest matchup out there. Well, guess what: I wouldn't want it any other way. I wanted to beat the best. I wanted to be the best I could be every time I went out there.

"I wanted to embarrass the best team out there. I wanted to. I meant to," he said. "Any time I had an opportunity to embarrass any team in the big leagues, including the ones using PEDs, it was a great honor to do it."

Jeff Bagwell was at 55.7 per cent, followed by former Expo Tim Raines at 55 per cent and Curt Schilling at 39.2 per cent. Other players included Lee Smith (30.2), Edgar Martinez (27), Alan Trammell (25.1) and Mike Mussina (24.6).

Don Mattingly received 9.1 per cent in his 15th and final appearance on the ballot. Under a change made by the Hall's board last summer, players' eligibility was cut from 15 years to 10 but the 11-15 group was grandfathered.

Gary Sheffield (11.7 per cent) and Nomar Garciaparra (5.5) will remain on the ballot.

Among the 17 first-time eligibles who will be dropped are former Blue Jay Carlos Delgado (3.8 per cent) and players' association head Tony Clark, who did not get any votes.

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Hall of Famers Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson rose from Expos roots

On their way to stardom and election to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, star pitchers Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson shared a connection to the Montreal Expos. Each got their MLB starts, almost literally, on the Expos' mound at Olympic Stadium.

For Johnson, the 6-foot-10 left-hander who was originally drafted by the Expos in 1985, it was a fleeting experience, encompassing only 10 starts in the 1988 and '89 seasons. He totalled three victories for Montreal.

Johnson was then traded to Seattle for established starter Mark Langston before developing into the feared Big Unit who starred for 10 years with the Mariners for whom he won 130 games. He was then traded to the Houston Astros for part of the 1998 season. After that, Johnson signed as a free agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks, ringing up four consecutive Cy Young Awards and collecting 118 wins in eight seasons.

He later pitched for the New York Yankees, the Diamondbacks again, and the San Francisco Giants before calling it a career after 22 big-league campaigns with 303 victories.

Martinez, a right-hander, was nearly a foot shorter than Johnson but just as imposing on the mound.

Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, Martinez, the second pitcher from the Dominican Republic to enter the Hall of Fame after Juan Marichal. entered the Major Leagues in 1992, making one start in two appearances. He got into 65 games with the Dodgers the following season, but only two were starts. Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda feared that the slight Martinez, who weighed only about 175 pounds, wouldn't have the stamina to be a starter.

Traded for infielder Delino DeShields to the Expos in November 1993, Montreal felt otherwise and immediately placed him into the rotation. In four years with the Expos Martinez went 55-33 and won the 1997 Cy Young award when he was 17-8 with a 1.90 earned run average. He would go on to lead his league in ERA five times.

Martinez's salary had jumped from $315,000 US to over $3 million for the 1997 season and it was apparent the Expos could no longer afford him, so he was traded to the Boston Red Sox where he compiled a phenomenal 117-37 record in seven years. Along the way he was the face of the ball club as it finally won a World Series after 86 years of frustration in 2004.

After winning a second World Series with Boston in 2007, Martinez pitched four seasons with the New York Mets and spent one final year with the Philadelphia. He finished his career with a record of 219-100.

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Ex-Expos Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson elected to Hall of Fame

Former Montreal Expos pitchers Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson, along with John Smoltz and Craig Biggio, have been elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.

Martinez played for Montreal from 1994 to 1997. He won the Cy Young Award as the National League's top pitcher in his final season with the Expos before being traded to Boston, where he won the American League version of the award twice.

Johnson made 11 appearances for the Expos at the start of his big-league career in 1988 and '89 before being traded to Seattle, where the 6-foot-10 "Big Unit" developed into one of the most feared pitchers in history. He won his first Cy Young with Seattle in 1995, and later claimed four in a row with Arizona between 1999 and 2002.

"The Hall of Fame was never something that I surely ever thought about," said Johnson. 

Johnson, who finished with 303 victories and 4,875 strikeouts, was selected on 534 of 549 ballots by veteran members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. His 97.3 percentage was the eighth-highest in the history of voting.

Martinez, who appeared on 500 ballots (91.1 per cent), was 219-100, struck out 3,154, led the major leagues in ERA five times and in 2004 helped the Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years.

"I saw everybody as an enemy, and I saw everybody as like in a jungle: You just kill to survive. And that's the intensity and the focus I had to keep to do it every day on a day-to-day basis...that was my way to concentrate and do the day to day things that I did in baseball," said Martinez.​

Smoltz was picked on 455 ballots (82.9 percent) and will join former Atlanta teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who were inducted last summer along with Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas. Smoltz, the 1996 NL Cy Young winner, was 213-155 with 154 saves, the only pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves. He went 15-4 in the postseason.

Biggio appeared on 454 ballots, 42 more than the 75 per cent needed and up from 68.2 per cent in his first appearance and 74.8 per cent last year. He had 3,060 hits in 20 big league seasons, all with the Houston Astros.

Baseball writers elected four players for the first time since 1955, with Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz earning induction on the first try Tuesday. Biggio made it on the third attempt after falling two votes shy last year.

The quartet will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 26.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America had not given four players the necessary 75 per cent in a single year since selecting Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons and Dazzy Vance 60 years earlier.

Steroids-tainted stars Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa remained far from election. 

Clemens received 37.5 per cent and Bonds 36.8 pe rcent. Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young winner and a back-to-back recipient in 1997 and '98 with the Toronto Blue Jays, started at 37.6 percent in 2013 and dropped to 35.4 last year; Bonds, the only seven-time MVP, began at 36.2 and fell to 34.7.

McGwire, in his ninth and next-to-last year of eligibility, received 10 per cent, down from 11 last year and less than half his peak of 23.6 per cent in 2008. Sosa was on 6.6 per cent of the ballot, down from 12.5 in 2013 and 7.2 last year but above the 5 per cent threshold for remaining on next year's list.

"I'm proud I did it in an era that the challenge was at the top," he said. "I had to face probably the toughest matchup out there. Well, guess what: I wouldn't want it any other way. I wanted to beat the best. I wanted to be the best I could be every time I went out there.

"I wanted to embarrass the best team out there. I wanted to. I meant to," he said. "Any time I had an opportunity to embarrass any team in the big leagues, including the ones using PEDs, it was a great honor to do it."

Jeff Bagwell was at 55.7 per cent, followed by former Expo Tim Raines at 55 per cent and Curt Schilling at 39.2 per cent. Other players included Lee Smith (30.2), Edgar Martinez (27), Alan Trammell (25.1) and Mike Mussina (24.6).

Don Mattingly received 9.1 per cent in his 15th and final appearance on the ballot. Under a change made by the Hall's board last summer, players' eligibility was cut from 15 years to 10 but the 11-15 group was grandfathered.

Gary Sheffield (11.7 per cent) and Nomar Garciaparra (5.5) will remain on the ballot.

Among the 17 first-time eligibles who will be dropped are former Blue Jay Carlos Delgado (3.8 per cent) and players' association head Tony Clark, who did not get any votes.

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Ex-Expos Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson elected to Hall of Fame

Former Montreal Expos pitchers Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson, along with John Smoltz and Craig Biggio, have been elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.

Martinez played for Montreal from 1994 to 1997. He won the Cy Young Award as the National League's top pitcher in his final season with the Expos before being traded to Boston, where he won the American League version of the award twice.

Johnson made 11 appearances for the Expos at the start of his big-league career in 1988 and '89 before being traded to Seattle, where the 6-foot-10 "Big Unit" developed into one of the most feared pitchers in history. He won his first Cy Young with Seattle in 1995, and later claimed four in a row with Arizona between 1999 and 2002.

"The Hall of Fame was never something that I surely ever thought about," said Johnson. 

Johnson, who finished with 303 victories and 4,875 strikeouts, was selected on 534 of 549 ballots by veteran members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. His 97.3 percentage was the eighth-highest in the history of voting.

Martinez, who appeared on 500 ballots (91.1 per cent), was 219-100, struck out 3,154, led the major leagues in ERA five times and in 2004 helped the Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years.

"I saw everybody as an enemy, and I saw everybody as like in a jungle: You just kill to survive. And that's the intensity and the focus I had to keep to do it every day on a day-to-day basis...that was my way to concentrate and do the day to day things that I did in baseball," said Martinez.​

Smoltz was picked on 455 ballots (82.9 percent) and will join former Atlanta teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who were inducted last summer along with Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas. Smoltz, the 1996 NL Cy Young winner, was 213-155 with 154 saves, the only pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves. He went 15-4 in the postseason.

Biggio appeared on 454 ballots, 42 more than the 75 per cent needed and up from 68.2 per cent in his first appearance and 74.8 per cent last year. He had 3,060 hits in 20 big league seasons, all with the Houston Astros.

Baseball writers elected four players for the first time since 1955, with Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz earning induction on the first try Tuesday. Biggio made it on the third attempt after falling two votes shy last year.

The quartet will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 26.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America had not given four players the necessary 75 per cent in a single year since selecting Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons and Dazzy Vance 60 years earlier.

Steroids-tainted stars Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa remained far from election. 

Clemens received 37.5 per cent and Bonds 36.8 pe rcent. Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young winner and a back-to-back recipient in 1997 and '98 with the Toronto Blue Jays, started at 37.6 percent in 2013 and dropped to 35.4 last year; Bonds, the only seven-time MVP, began at 36.2 and fell to 34.7.

McGwire, in his ninth and next-to-last year of eligibility, received 10 per cent, down from 11 last year and less than half his peak of 23.6 per cent in 2008. Sosa was on 6.6 per cent of the ballot, down from 12.5 in 2013 and 7.2 last year but above the 5 per cent threshold for remaining on next year's list.

"I'm proud I did it in an era that the challenge was at the top," he said. "I had to face probably the toughest matchup out there. Well, guess what: I wouldn't want it any other way. I wanted to beat the best. I wanted to be the best I could be every time I went out there.

"I wanted to embarrass the best team out there. I wanted to. I meant to," he said. "Any time I had an opportunity to embarrass any team in the big leagues, including the ones using PEDs, it was a great honor to do it."

Jeff Bagwell was at 55.7 per cent, followed by former Expo Tim Raines at 55 per cent and Curt Schilling at 39.2 per cent. Other players included Lee Smith (30.2), Edgar Martinez (27), Alan Trammell (25.1) and Mike Mussina (24.6).

Don Mattingly received 9.1 per cent in his 15th and final appearance on the ballot. Under a change made by the Hall's board last summer, players' eligibility was cut from 15 years to 10 but the 11-15 group was grandfathered.

Gary Sheffield (11.7 per cent) and Nomar Garciaparra (5.5) will remain on the ballot.

Among the 17 first-time eligibles who will be dropped are former Blue Jay Carlos Delgado (3.8 per cent) and players' association head Tony Clark, who did not get any votes.

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Hall of Famers Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson rose from Expos roots

On their way to stardom and election to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, star pitchers Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson shared a connection to the Montreal Expos. Each got their MLB starts, almost literally, on the Expos' mound at Olympic Stadium.

For Johnson, the 6-foot-10 left-hander who was originally drafted by the Expos in 1985, it was a fleeting experience, encompassing only 10 starts in the 1988 and '89 seasons. He totalled three victories for Montreal.

Johnson was then traded to Seattle for established starter Mark Langston before developing into the feared Big Unit who starred for 10 years with the Mariners for whom he won 130 games. He was then traded to the Houston Astros for part of the 1998 season. After that, Johnson signed as a free agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks, ringing up four consecutive Cy Young Awards and collecting 118 wins in eight seasons.

He later pitched for the New York Yankees, the Diamondbacks again, and the San Francisco Giants before calling it a career after 22 big-league campaigns with 303 victories.

Martinez, a right-hander, was nearly a foot shorter than Johnson but just as imposing on the mound.

Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, Martinez, the second pitcher from the Dominican Republic to enter the Hall of Fame after Juan Marichal. entered the Major Leagues in 1992, making one start in two appearances. He got into 65 games with the Dodgers the following season, but only two were starts. Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda feared that the slight Martinez, who weighed only about 175 pounds, wouldn't have the stamina to be a starter.

Traded for infielder Delino DeShields to the Expos in November 1993, Montreal felt otherwise and immediately placed him into the rotation. In four years with the Expos Martinez went 55-33 and won the 1997 Cy Young award when he was 17-8 with a 1.90 earned run average. He would go on to lead his league in ERA five times.

Martinez's salary had jumped from $315,000 US to over $3 million for the 1997 season and it was apparent the Expos could no longer afford him, so he was traded to the Boston Red Sox where he compiled a phenomenal 117-37 record in seven years. Along the way he was the face of the ball club as it finally won a World Series after 86 years of frustration in 2004.

After winning a second World Series with Boston in 2007, Martinez pitched four seasons with the New York Mets and spent one final year with the Philadelphia. He finished his career with a record of 219-100.

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Ex-Expos Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson elected to Hall of Fame

Former Montreal Expos pitchers Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson, along with John Smoltz and Craig Biggio, have been elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.

Martinez played for Montreal from 1994 to 1997. He won the Cy Young Award as the National League's top pitcher in his final season with the Expos before being traded to Boston, where he won the American League version of the award twice.

Johnson made 11 appearances for the Expos at the start of his big-league career in 1988 and '89 before being traded to Seattle, where the 6-foot-10 "Big Unit" developed into one of the most feared pitchers in history. He won his first Cy Young with Seattle in 1995, and later claimed four in a row with Arizona between 1999 and 2002.

"The Hall of Fame was never something that I surely ever thought about," said Johnson. 

Johnson, who finished with 303 victories and 4,875 strikeouts, was selected on 534 of 549 ballots by veteran members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. His 97.3 percentage was the eighth-highest in the history of voting.

Martinez, who appeared on 500 ballots (91.1 per cent), was 219-100, struck out 3,154, led the major leagues in ERA five times and in 2004 helped the Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years.

"I saw everybody as an enemy, and I saw everybody as like in a jungle: You just kill to survive. And that's the intensity and the focus I had to keep to do it every day on a day-to-day basis...that was my way to concentrate and do the day to day things that I did in baseball," said Martinez.​

Smoltz was picked on 455 ballots (82.9 percent) and will join former Atlanta teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who were inducted last summer along with Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas. Smoltz, the 1996 NL Cy Young winner, was 213-155 with 154 saves, the only pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves. He went 15-4 in the postseason.

Biggio appeared on 454 ballots, 42 more than the 75 per cent needed and up from 68.2 per cent in his first appearance and 74.8 per cent last year. He had 3,060 hits in 20 big league seasons, all with the Houston Astros.

Baseball writers elected four players for the first time since 1955, with Johnson, Martinez and Smoltz earning induction on the first try Tuesday. Biggio made it on the third attempt after falling two votes shy last year.

The quartet will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 26.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America had not given four players the necessary 75 per cent in a single year since selecting Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons and Dazzy Vance 60 years earlier.

Steroids-tainted stars Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa remained far from election. 

Clemens received 37.5 per cent and Bonds 36.8 pe rcent. Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young winner and a back-to-back recipient in 1997 and '98 with the Toronto Blue Jays, started at 37.6 percent in 2013 and dropped to 35.4 last year; Bonds, the only seven-time MVP, began at 36.2 and fell to 34.7.

McGwire, in his ninth and next-to-last year of eligibility, received 10 per cent, down from 11 last year and less than half his peak of 23.6 per cent in 2008. Sosa was on 6.6 per cent of the ballot, down from 12.5 in 2013 and 7.2 last year but above the 5 per cent threshold for remaining on next year's list.

"I'm proud I did it in an era that the challenge was at the top," he said. "I had to face probably the toughest matchup out there. Well, guess what: I wouldn't want it any other way. I wanted to beat the best. I wanted to be the best I could be every time I went out there.

"I wanted to embarrass the best team out there. I wanted to. I meant to," he said. "Any time I had an opportunity to embarrass any team in the big leagues, including the ones using PEDs, it was a great honor to do it."

Jeff Bagwell was at 55.7 per cent, followed by former Expo Tim Raines at 55 per cent and Curt Schilling at 39.2 per cent. Other players included Lee Smith (30.2), Edgar Martinez (27), Alan Trammell (25.1) and Mike Mussina (24.6).

Don Mattingly received 9.1 per cent in his 15th and final appearance on the ballot. Under a change made by the Hall's board last summer, players' eligibility was cut from 15 years to 10 but the 11-15 group was grandfathered.

Gary Sheffield (11.7 per cent) and Nomar Garciaparra (5.5) will remain on the ballot.

Among the 17 first-time eligibles who will be dropped are former Blue Jay Carlos Delgado (3.8 per cent) and players' association head Tony Clark, who did not get any votes.

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