A’s Agree to Terms with OF Matt Joyce on Two-Year Contract

OAKLAND, Calif. – The Oakland A’s have agreed to terms with outfielder Matt Joyce on a two-year contract through the 2018 season, the club announced today. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated infielder Rangel Ravelo for assignment.

Joyce hit .242 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI in 140 games with Pittsburgh last year. He started 30 games in right field and 14 in left field, but saw most of his action as a pinch hitter, where he batted .220 with four home runs, 15 RBI and a Major League record 21 walks in 81 appearances. He led ML pinch hitters in RBI and walks, tied for the lead in home runs and ranked second in plate appearances. The 32-year-old left-handed hitter drew 59 free passes overall for a .403 on-base percentage, which was fourth best in the National League among players with 250 or more plate appearances. Joyce made 44 of his 48 starts against right-handed pitching and hit .244 against righties compared to .235 against lefties.

Joyce has spent nine seasons in the majors with four teams. He was originally selected by Detroit in the 12th round of the 2005 draft and hit .252 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI in 92 games with the Tigers in his Major League debut in 2008. Joyce was traded to Tampa Bay following the 2008 season and spent six seasons with the Rays. He batted .277 with 19 home runs and 75 RBI in 141 games in 2011, establishing career highs in all four categories and earning American League All-Star honors. Joyce also played in 93 games for the Los Angeles Angels in 2015 and is a .242 career hitter with 106 home runs and 376 RBI in 958 games.

Ravelo spent the entire 2016 season at Triple-A Nashville, where he batted .262 with eight home runs and 54 RBI in 106 games. He was one of four players acquired by the A’s from the Chicago White Sox in the Jeff Samardzija trade following the 2014 season and hit .277 with 11 home runs and 96 RBI in 165 games in two seasons in the A’s farm system after batting .301 with 18 home runs and 222 RBI in 421 games in five seasons in the White Sox organization.

- Oakland Athletics

Astros and RHP Charlie Morton Agree to Terms on Two-Year Deal

HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with free agent right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton, Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnowannounced today.

The signing gives the Astros the top two groundball starting pitchers in the Major Leagues, as left-handed pitcher Dallas Keucheland Morton rank first and second, respectively, in career groundball to flyball ratio among active Major League pitchers (min. 800IP). Keuchel carries a 2.84 career mark while Morton owns a 2.48 mark.

Morton, 33, has spent all nine years of his career pitching in the National League, where he has posted a 4.54 ERA (450ER/893IP) in 162 games (161 starts) with Atlanta (2008), Pittsburgh (2009-15) and Philadelphia (2016). The 6-foot-5 right-hander has posted a 3.97 ERA (283ER/641.2IP) in 111 starts since his breakout 2011 season with the Pirates, when he won 10 games while posting a 3.83 ERA and logging 171.2 innings across 29 starts.

Morton made four starts with the Phillies last year in April before suffering a torn left hamstring on April 23 that ended his season. He struck out 19 batters in his 17.1 innings and posted two quality starts in his four outings with Philadelphia prior to the injury.

Following the signing of Morton, the Astros now have 38 players on their 40-man roster.

Source: Bartolo Colon set to sign with Braves

Free agent Bartolo Colon has agreed to a deal with the Braves, a source told MLB.com's Mark Bowman on Friday. The terms of the deal, which is pending a physical, are not yet known. The club has not confirmed the report.

Colon was an All-Star for the Mets in 2016. He went 15-8 with a 3.43 ERA, leading the team with 33 starts and 191 2/3 innings pitched.

Altuve Earns Two Players Choice Awards

HOUSTON, TX - The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) announced the winners of their highest honors tonight, naming Astros second baseman Jose Altuve the MLB Player of the Year and the AL Most Outstanding Player. He beat out Mookie Betts and David Ortiz for the Player of the Year Award and Betts and Mike Trout for the AL Most Outstanding Player Award. Additionally, for the second straight year, Altuve earned the Majestic "Always Game" Award, which is given to the player who - game in and game out - constantly exhibits grit, tenacity, perseverance and hustle; all for the benefit of his teammates and fans.

The Players Choice Awards, which have been in existence since 1992, are voted on by Major League players. The players annually honor the outstanding player, rookie, pitcher and comeback player in each league, and name a Player of the Year and Man of the Year award regardless of league.

Altuve won the AL batting title with a .338 (216x640) average, while posting 108 runs scored, 42 doubles, 24 home runs, 96 RBI, 60 walks, 30 stolen bases, a .396 on-base percentage, a .531 slugging percentage and a .928 OPS. He led all Major League players in hits, while ranking third in batting average, fourth in WAR (7.6) and fifth in total bases (340). He also ranked in the top 10 in the Majors in stolen bases, doubles and in OBP.

His historic season is one of the best by a second baseman in Major League history, as he became the first second baseman to reach 100 runs, 200 hits, 40 doubles, 20 homers, 95 RBI and 30 steals in a single season. He's just the fifth player in Major League history to reach all of those marks, regardless of position. By winning the batting title for the second time in the last three seasons, Altuve became the first second baseman to win multiple batting titles since Rod Carew won five between the 1969-75 seasons.

Altuve becomes the first player in franchise history to win the MLBPA Player of the Year and the second to win the Most Outstanding Player in his league, joining Jeff Bagwell, who won the NL Most Outstanding Player Award in 1994. The Astros have had two MLBPA Most Outstanding Rookies in Carlos Correa (2015) and Willy Taveras (2005) and two MLBPA Pitcher of the Year winners in Dallas Keuchel (2015) and Mike Hampton (1999).

Earlier this offseason, Altuve took home the 2016 Sporting News Player of the Year, an award which is also voted on by players from both leagues and given to the Major League player who had the most outstanding season. On Monday, Altuve, Betts and Trout were named the three finalists for the BBWAA AL Most Valuable Player.

In addition to Monday's announcement, Keuchel earned his third consecutive Gold Glove last night, while winners of the Silver Sluggers will be announced tomorrow. The BBWAA AL and NL MVP Award winners will be announced live on MLB Network on Nov. 17.

In his brief career, Altuve has earned four All-Star Game appearances (two starts), two Silver Slugger Awards, a Gold Glove Award, two batting titles and two stolen base titles.

Dickey signs one-year deal with Braves

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves today agreed to terms with free-agent right-handed pitcher R.A. Dickey on a one-year Major League contract for the 2017 season with a club option for 2018. The deal is pending a physical exam and approval from Major League Baseball. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Dickey, 42, owns a 110-108 career record with a 4.01 ERA in 369 games (269 starts). He notched at least 200 innings pitched in five consecutive seasons from 2011 to 2015 and his 1,441 innings pitched over the last seven seasons (since 2010) ranks ninth in the majors, while his 88 wins in that span ranks tied for 14th. All but three seasons (2010-12) of his career have been spent in the American League.

The right-hander went 10-15 with a 4.46 ERA in 30 appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016, his fourth season with the club and his 14th Major League campaign. He made 29 starts before making his lone relief appearance in his final outing of the season on September 21. He earned the A.L. Gold Glove Award with the Blue Jays in 2013.

Dickey's three seasons with the New York Mets produced a 39-28 record and a 2.95 ERA in 94 games (91 starts). He won a career-high 20 games in his final season with New York in 2012, when he captured the National League Cy Young Award and was a member of the N.L. All-Star team. He also posted a career-best ERA of 2.73 that season, while working a career-high and N.L.-leading 233.2 IP. His 20 wins tied for second in the majors, while his ERA ranked fourth.

A native of Nashville, Tenn., Dickey attended the University of Tennessee and was selected in the first round (18th overall) of the 1996 amateur draft by the Texas Rangers. He made his Major League debut with the Rangers in 2001.

The Braves are Dickey's sixth Major League organization. He pitched parts of five seasons with Texas (2001-06), a year with Seattle (2008), a year with Minnesota (2009), three years with the Mets (2010-12) and four seasons with Toronto.

- Atlanta Braves

Cubs win 1st Series title since 1908, beat Indians in Game 7

The Chicago Cubs celebrate after Game 7
of the Major League Baseball World Series
against the Cleveland Indians Thursday, Nov.
3, 2016, in Cleveland. The Cubs won 8-7
in 10 innings to win the series 4-3. (AP
Photo/David J. Phillip)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Kris Bryant started to smile even before he fielded the ball. And with his throw to first for the final out, the agonizing wait 'til next year was over at last.

No more Billy Goat, no more Bartman, no more black-cat curses.

For a legion of fans who waited a lifetime, fly that W: Your Chicago Cubs are World Series champions.

Ending more than a century of flops, futility and frustration, the Cubs won their first title since 1908, outlasting the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in 10 innings of a Game 7 thriller early Thursday.

They even had to endure an extra-inning rain delay to end the drought.

"It happened. It happened. Chicago, it happened," first baseman Anthony Rizzo said after gloving the ball for the final out. "We did it. We're world champions. I tell ya, we're world champions. I can't believe it."

Rizzo put that final ball in his pocket as the Cubs piled up in the middle of the diamond, David Ross got carried off the field by his teammates and Bill Murray partied in the clubhouse.

And the whole time, blue-clad fans who traveled from Wrigley Field filled nearly the entire lower deck behind the Chicago dugout at Progressive Field, singing "Go, Cubs, Go!" in rain. They held up those white flags with the large blue "W'' on a night many of their forebears had waited for in vain.

Lovable losers for generations, the Cubs nearly let this one get away, too. All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman blew a 6-3 lead with two outs in the eighth when Rajai Davis hit a tying, two-run homer.

But the Cubs, after tormenting their fans one more time, came right back after a 17-minute rain delay before the top of the 10th.

Series MVP Ben Zobrist hit an RBI double and Miguel Montero singled home a run to make it 8-6. Davis delivered an RBI single with two outs in the bottom half, but Mike Montgomery closed it out at 12:47 a.m., and the celebration was on.

"I think about so many millions of people giving so much love and support to this team for so many years," said owner Tom Ricketts, whose family bought the team in 2009.

Manager Joe Maddon's team halted the longest stretch without a title in baseball, becoming the first club to overcome a 3-1 Series deficit since the 1985 Kansas City Royals.

"This is an epic game. It's epic. I can't believe we were able to do it — 108 years in the making," Zobrist said. "We did it."

"They never quit, either," Zobrist said. "They kept coming at us."

Cleveland was trying to win its first crown since 1948, but manager Terry Francona's club lost the last two games at home.

World Series favorites since spring training, Chicago led the majors with 103 wins this season.

The Cubs then ended more than a century of misery for their loyal fans — barely. Bryant, one of Chicago's young stars, began to celebrate even before fielding a grounder by Michael Martinez to third base and throwing it across to Rizzo for the last out.

"It's the best rain delay of all-time," Rizzo said.

Zobrist got a Series-high 10 hits, a year after he helped the Royals win the championship. Zobrist was among the players brought to the Cubs by Theo Epstein, the baseball guru who added another crown to his collection. He also assembled the Red Sox team that broke Boston's 86-year drought by winning in 2004.

From Curse of the Bambino to the Billy Goat Curse, he ended another jinx.

"We don't need a plane to fly home," Epstein said. "It's fitting it's got to be done with one of the best games of all time."

Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward had called a meeting during the rain delay, talking to his teammates in the weight room.

"I just had to remind everybody who we are, what we've overcome to get here," he said.

While Cubs fans hugged with delight, there was only despair for the Indians, who now have gone longer than anyone without a crown. In the Indians' previous World Series appearance, they were a double-play grounder from winning the 1997 title before losing Game 7 in 11 innings to the Marlins.

"It's going to hurt. It hurts because we care, but they need to walk with their head held high because they left nothing on the field," Francona said.

Earlier this year, LeBron James and the Cavaliers ended Cleveland's 52-year championship drought by overcoming a 3-1 deficit to beat Golden State for the NBA title. James and teammates were in a suite, rooting hard, as the Indians absorbed the same blow as the Warriors.

After defeating San Francisco and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs, Chicago became the first team to earn a title by winning Games 6 and 7 on the road since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Dexter Fowler homered on Corey Kluber's fourth pitch of the game, and 23-year-old Javier Baez and the 39-year-old Ross — set to now retire — also went deep for the Cubs, who led 5-1 in the fifth inning and 6-3 in the eighth.

Chapman wound up with the win, and Montgomery got one out for his first save in the majors.

Bryan Shaw, who gave up a leadoff single to Kyle Schwarber in the 10th, took the loss in just the fourth Game 7 that went to extra innings.

Albert Almora Jr., pinch-running for Schwarber, alertly took second on Bryant's long fly to center. Rizzo was intentionally walked, and Zobrist slapped an opposite-field double past diving third baseman Jose Ramirez. Montero singled to make it a two-run lead.

Then in the bottom half, Carl Edwards Jr. struck out Mike Napoli, Ramirez grounded out, Brandon Guyer walked and Davis hit an RBI single. Montgomery took over, and helped set off a wild celebration on Chicago's North Side.

Even a dedicated White Sox fan could appreciate the victory.

"It happened: @Cubs win World Series. That's change even this South Sider can believe in. Want to come to the White House before I leave?" President Barack Obama tweeted.

Twenty-one other teams had won the World Series since the Cubs last were champions. They reached the top again on the 39,466th day after Orval Overall's three-hit shutout won the 1908 finale at Detroit in a game that took 1 hour, 24 minutes — this latest Game 7 lasted 4:24, not including the rain delay.

Back then, Theodore Roosevelt was president, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii were not yet states, and the first Ford Model T car was two weeks old.

The Cubs were last champions when Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance won consecutive titles in 1907-08, until now the only ones in team history. The Cubbies had not even reached the Series since 1945.

This one was for Ernie Banks, Ferguson Jenkins, Ron Santo and Billy Williams, who never reached the postseason.

For Gabby Hartnett, Ryne Sandberg and Greg Maddux, whose October runs fell short.

For Lee Elia and the "nickle-dime people" who spent so many wind-swept afternoons in the Friendly Confines watching loss after loss.

For Bill Veeck, who planted ivy vines against Wrigley Field's outfield walls.

For William Sianis, the Billy Goat Tavern owner said to have proclaimed when he was asked to leave Wrigley with his pet during the '45 Series: "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more."

For Steve Bartman, whose life was upended when he tried to catch a foul ball as the Cubs came apart in the 2003 playoffs.

And for Harry Caray, who promised viewers after the 1991 finale that "sure as God made green apples, someday the Chicago Cubs are going to be in the World Series."

Maddon, hired before the 2015 season, won his first Series title after establishing a loose clubhouse that featured at times Warren the pink flamingo, Simon the magician and the motto: "Try not to suck."

"It was just an epic battle," Zobrist said. "Just blow for blow, everybody playing their heart out. The Indians never gave up, either, and I can't believe we're finally standing, after 108 years, finally able to hoist the trophy."

PEN PALS

This was the first World Series in which no starting pitcher got at least one out in the seventh inning, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The only other in which no starter finished at least seven innings was in 2002, when San Francisco's Russ Ortiz threw 6 1/3 innings in Game 6.

UP NEXT

Cleveland's spring training opener is scheduled for Feb. 26 against the Cubs in Mesa, Arizona.