Sabathia's $10M deal finalized by Yanks; payroll up to $178M

NEW YORK (AP) -- CC Sabathia's $10 million, one-year contract has been finalized by the Yankees, a deal that raises New York's projected luxury tax payroll for next year to about $178 million.

The deal was announced Tuesday, about 10 days after the sides reached an agreement pending a physical. The 37-year-old left-hander is taking a pay cut from the $25 million he earned this year, when he went 14-5 with a 3.69 ERA in 27 starts for his best season since 2012. He was 9-0 with a 1.71 ERA in 10 starts following a Yankees loss.

Sabathia needs periodic injections in his surgically repaired right knee. The six-time All-Star is part of a rotation that includes Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray and Jordan Montgomery.

Sabathia is 237-146 with a 3.70 ERA and 2,846 strikeouts in 17 big league seasons with Cleveland (2001-08), Milwaukee (2008) and the Yankees, who first signed him to a $161 million, seven-year deal before the 2009 season. When Sabathia had the right to opt out after the 2011 season, the Yankees agreed to a deal that paid him $25 million in 2016 and included a $25 million option for 2017 that became guaranteed because he did not finish 2016 with a left shoulder injury.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner repeatedly has said New York intends to get under next year's tax threshold of $197 million, which would reset the team's base tax rate from 50 percent to 20 percent in 2019, the first season after Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are free agents. New York has paid tax annually in each year since the penalties began in 2003.

New York has seven signed players for next season whose salaries total $120.7 million for purposes of the luxury tax: Giancarlo Stanton ($25 million), Tanaka ($22,142,857), Jacoby Ellsbury ($21,857,143), Aroldis Chapman ($17.2 million), Brett Gardner ($13 million), David Robertson ($11.5 million) and Sabathia.

The Yankees have eight players eligible for arbitration whose projected salaries total $30 million: Dellin Betances, Gray, Didi Gregorius, Aaron Hicks, Tommy Kahnle, Austin Romine, Chasen Shreve and Adam Warren. The rest of the 40-man roster, which includes Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, Severino and Montgomery, figures to add approximately $10 million. Each team will be charged a projected $14,044,600 for benefits and extended benefits.

In addition, the Yankees are charged with $3 million for cash transactions. They are credited with $3 million from Miami in the Stanton trade and are debited $5.5 million in the Brian McCann trade to Houston in November 2016 and $500,000 in the Chase Headley trade this month to San Diego.

New York likely would want to start the season $5 million to $10 million below the threshold, allowing the Yankees to add salaries with in-season moves.

Indians invite Ogando and Upton to Major League camp

The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has signed free agent RHP Alexi Ogando and OF Melvin Uptin, Jr. to Minor League contracts with non-roster invitations to Major League spring training camp. 

Ogando, 34, owns a career record of 33-18 with a 3.47 ERA in 283 Major League appearances/48 starts across seven seasons with the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves from 2010-2016. The San Pedro de Macoris native debuted with the Rangers in 2010 following four years of visa issues after originally signing as an outfielder in the Oakland system (2002) and was selected by the Rangers in 2005 Minor League Rule V draft. He made 19 starts for Hanwha in the Korean Baseball League in 2017 and owns a career Postseason ERA of 2.37 in 18 relief appearances for the Rangers in 2010-11.

Upton, 33, owns a career Major League batting average of .243 (1260-5174) with 262 2B, 32 3B, 164 homers and 586 RBI in 1469 games over a 12-year career with Tampa Bay, Atlanta, San Diego and Toronto from 2004-16. He is one of six active players with four seasons of 20 HR/20 steals (Hanley Ramirez 5, Mike Trout 4, Carlos Gonzalez, Ryan Braun, Ian Desmond), the last of which came in 2016 with Toronto and San Diego. He is sixth among active players in stolen bases (300) and has finished in the top 10 in the A.L. in steals five times in his career. He was limited to 12 games last season at the Triple-A level (San Francisco) due to right thumb and right shoulder injuries after being released by Toronto at the end of spring training.

Yankees, LHP Sabathia agree to one-year, $10 million deal

The New York Yankees and CC Sabathia agreed on a one-year deal worth a reported $10 million, according to multiple reports Saturday.

The 37-year-old left-handed free agent is coming off a roller-coaster season in which he suffered what might have been a career-ending knee injury in August. But Sabathia bounced back to anchor a rotation that carried the Yankees to the seventh game of the American League Championship Series.

New York lost that game to the eventual world champion Houston Astros, but Sabathia proved his worth. He also had been courted by the Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays.

Sabathia finished last season with a 14-5 record and a 3.69 ERA in 27 starts. He must pass a physical for the deal to become official.

The Yankees' starting rotation includes Sabathia, Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray and Jordan Montgomery.

The Yankees are reportedly trying to acquire another starter and have targeted Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole.

OF Kemp reunited with Dodgers after trade from Braves

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired outfielder Matt Kemp from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for four players and cash considerations, the Dodgers announced Saturday.

Heading east to Atlanta are first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, pitchers Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy and infielder Charlie Culberson.

MLB.com reported the Braves have already designated Gonzalez for assignment.

Kemp, 33, is reunited with the Dodgers. He played for them from 2006-14, hitting 182 home runs, which is fourth in Dodgers' history. Last season, he hit .276 with 19 homers, 64 RBIs and 23 doubles in 115 games for the Braves.

Gonzalez, 35, was acquired by the Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox in August 2012 and was instrumental in helping Los Angeles win five straight National League West Division titles. In 14 big league seasons, the five-time All-Star has hit .288 with 2,010 hits, 311 homers and 1,176 RBI while playing in 1,875 games.

Kazmir, 33, was signed to a three-year contract with Los Angeles before the 2016 season and went 10-6 with a 4.56 ERA in 26 starts during his first season with the Dodgers. He did not pitch last year due to a hip injury.

McCarthy, 34, signed a four-year deal with the Dodgers in December 2014 and in his three seasons with Los Angeles, went 11-7 with a 4.51 ERA in 29 starts. The right-hander missed most of 2015 and 2016 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2015.

Culberson, 28, appeared in 49 regular season games over the last two seasons with the Dodgers and made postseason rosters following each campaign.

MLB Winter Meetings: Cardinals acquire Marcell Osuna from Marlins

The St. Louis Cardinals reportedly completed a trade for Miami's Marcell Ozuna. Craig Mish of SiriusXM and Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com have each reported that the deal is done, pending a physical. 

Ozuna, 27, is coming off an excellent 2017 in which he slashed .312/.376/.548 (145 OPS+) with 37 home runs in 159 games.

The Marlins will acquire prospect pitcher Sandy Alcantara, made eight relief appearances for the Cardinals last season.

MLB Winter Meetings: Mets sign RHP Anthony Swarzak to 2-yr, $14M deal

The Mets won’t be leaving the Winter Meetings empty handed.

After missing on relievers Bryan Shaw and Tommy Hunter, general manager Sandy Alderson netted a power right arm for his bullpen, landing Anthony Swarzak on a two-year deal worth $14 million, an industry source confirmed.

The 32-year-old Swarzak went 6-4 with a 2.32 ERA and 1.034 WHIP last season in 70 appearances for the White Sox and Brewers.

Swarzak will join Jeurys Familia, AJ Ramos and Jerry Blevins to give the Mets four proven arms in the bullpen.

On Tuesday, new manager Mickey Callaway indicated the team may not name a closer, instead opting to use his best pitchers in the highest leverage situations, regardless of the inning.

The Mets still hope to trade for a second baseman and add another outfield/first base bat to the mix. An industry source indicated Mets officials convened this week with Jay Bruce’s agent, and although no offer was extended for the veteran outfielder, the team remains “very interested.”

MLB Winter Meetings: Twins sign injured right-hander Michael Pineda

The Minnesota Twins on Wednesday announced that they've signed injured right-hander Michael Pineda to a two-year, $10 million contract. He'll earn $2 million in 2018 and $8 million in 2019. 

Pineda, who turns 29 in January, underwent Tommy John surgery in July, making him expected to miss the majority of the 2018 season.

There had been more injury issues for Pineda, and you may remember a game in 2014 when he was ejected for having a foreign substance on his neck.

Last season, he pitched to a 4.39 ERA/103 ERA+ with a 4.38 K/BB ratio in 96 1/3 innings for the Yankees. For his career, Pineda owns an ERA+ of 101 with a 4.38 K/BB ratio across five big-league seasons and 117 starts. 

Padres acquire 3B Headley from Yankees

Chase Headley is headed back to San Diego.

The New York Yankees traded the third baseman along with right-hander Bryan Mitchell and cash considerations to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Jabari Blash, the Yankees announced.

The Yankees are in the midst of revamping their infield after dealing second baseman Starlin Castro to the Miami Marlins in the Giancarlo Stanton trade on Monday.

Headley, who began his career with San Diego in 2007, was traded from the Padres to the Yankees prior to the 2014 trade deadline. The 33-year-old switch hitter batted .273 with 12 home runs and 61 RBIs in 147 games last season.

Headley established career highs of 31 homers and 115 RBIs for the Padres in 2012 when he finished fifth in National League MVP balloting.

Headley is entering the final season of a four-year, $52 million contract.

Mitchell, 26, posted a 1-1 mark with one save, a 5.79 ERA in 32 2/3 innings in 2017.

Blash, 28, batted .213 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 61 games last season.

Longoria talks with Rays and Mikolas signing show Cardinals are making splashes

The St. Louis Cardinals have been in contact with the Tampa Bay Rays about closer Alex Colome, "those talks could shift or expand to include third baseman Evan Longoria," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday, citing an unidentified source.

The Rays are also reportedly looking to trim payroll, and Longoria, a Gold Glove winner, is due $86 million through 2022, $94 million if an option is exercised for 2023. Less than two weeks into the coming season Longoria, 32, would achieve “10/5” no-trade rights after 10 years of service time, including the past five with one team.

The Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants continue to await word on Giancarlo Stanton’s decision and whether he would waive his no-trade rights from Miami to accept to go to a new oganization. Both teams met with Stanton and his representatives last week in Los Angeles.

The Cardinals signed pitcher Miles Mikolas to a two-year contract Tuesday that will guarantee the righthanded starter $15.5 million. A native of Jupiter, Fla., who came to Cardinals spring training games as a boy, Mikolas, 29, returns to the majors for the first time since 2014 and after three great seasons in Japan’s top league. He went 14-8 this past season for Yomiuri with a 2.25 ERA and eight strikeouts for every walk.

“Our scouts have watched him as he refined his repertoire, improved his velocity and became one of the most effective pitchers in Japan the last couple (of) seasons,” wrote general manager Michael Girsch in an email.

The Cardinals are coming off their worst season in a decade, going 83-79 They finished a distant third in the NL Central.

Cardinals sign free-agent pitcher Mikolas to two-year deal

The St. Louis Cardinals have signed free-agent RHP Miles Mikolas to a two-year contract in the $14M to $16M range, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reported Tuesday.

Mikolas, returning to majors in this deal, was one of top pitchers in Japan last season. He had a 2.18 ERA in 62 starts for the Yomiuri Giants from 2015-17. He is another addition to a deep Cardinals rotation.

Though he cracked the big leagues at age 23, he had a 5.32 ERA and 1.430 WHIP in 37 appearances between 2012 and 2014 before his success in Japan.

Boone reportedly tabbed new Yankees manager

The New York Yankees have chosen Aaron Boone to replace Joe Girardi as their manager, according to multiple reports Friday.

Boone, who helped the Yankees to a 2003 World Series title with a walk-off home run in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, interviewed recently with his former team.

The New York Daily News reported that the Yankees' brass likes Boone's "polish."

New York general manager Brian Cashman reportedly is intrigued by Boone despite no previous managerial or coaching experience. Boone has been serving as an analyst with ESPN.

Cashman recommended Boone to owner Hal Steinbrenner from a pool of six interviewees that included Carlos Beltran, Hensley Meulens, Rob Thomson, Chris Woodward and Eric Wedge. The search for Girardi's replacement took over a month.

Various media reports earlier Friday suggested that the decision came down to Boone and Meulens after Beltran and Thomson were both informed that they were not getting the job.

Meulens is currently working as the bench coach for the San Francisco Giants and was on the coaching staff for all three of the Giants' World Series championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

Meulens is a former top prospect in the Yankees organization who played parts of seven major league seasons from 1989 to 1998, including five with New York.