Orioles said to meet with Cashner

The Orioles are looking to add upwards of three starters this offseason and have recently met with free-agent right-hander Andrew Cashner, according to a report from MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal.

Cashner, 31, had a nice bounce-back season with the Rangers, going 11-11 with a 3.40 ERA over 166 2/3 innings. However, he had a career-worst 4.64 K/9 and benefited from a .266 BABIP, which was the second-lowest mark among qualified American League starters.

Cashner will likely command a multiyear contract after settling for a one-year, $10 million contract last offseason to re-establish his value.

Baltimore is returning only Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy to its rotation after the departures of Chris Tillman, Wade Miley and Ubaldo Jimenez. Their internal options include Gabriel Ynoa, Alec Asher and Miguel Castro, but the team would like to make additions from outside the organization.

D-backs in pursuit of Machado

The D-backs have been the "most persistent" of the several clubs looking to trade for Orioles star third baseman Manny Machado, but the sides are not close to a deal, sources told MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal.

Arizona has been one of the many teams in pursuit of Machado since Baltimore began fielding offers for the 25-year-old infielder. While the Yankees and Red Sox have been two of the other clubs reportedly interested, Rosenthal notes it would likely be difficult for executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette "to sell owner Peter Angelos" on a deal to an American League East rival.

Rival executives see Machado opening the season in Baltimore, according to Rosenthal. The Orioles seem to be only willing to deal their former first-round Draft pick for a big return that would likely have to include multiple young starting pitchers.

Rosenthal discusses Machado06:3011:18 AM ET

Machado can be a free agent following the 2018 season. As Rosenthal noted, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones and relievers Brad Brach and Zach Britton are also eligible to hit the open market at the same time. Additionally, the contracts of Duquette and manager Buck Showalter are due to expire at the end of this season, meaning it could be Baltimore's final year with its current core group.

Machado is a .279/.329/.476 hitter with 138 home runs and 406 RBIs in 764 games over six Major League seasons, while also being regarded annually as one of the best defensive third basemen in the game.

A two-time Gold Glove Award winner, Machado has requested a move to shortstop, his natural position. It's a move that could increase his value even more as he looks to land a large contract next offseason.

Castro requests trade from Marlins

Starlin Castro, acquired in the December deal that sent slugger Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees, has requested a trade from Miami, sources told MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal.

Castro "does not want to be a part of another rebuilding process" as he was when he was with the Cubs from 2010-15.

The Marlins are in the midst of a full rebuild, and it's been expected that Miami would try to flip Castro to another team. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reported last week that the Marlins might ultimately keep the 27-year-old infielder.

Castro is to make nearly $11 million in 2018 and almost $12 million in 2019. His contract comes with a $16 million club option for 2020.

Castro, a four-time All-Star, batted .283/.317/.442 with 37 home runs and 133 RBIs in 263 games over two seasons with the Yankees after hitting .281/.321/.404 with 62 homers and 363 RBIs across six seasons with the Cubs.

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.