Free agent infielder Yoan Moncada is signing with the Los Angeles Angels for a one-year contract worth $5 million, according to multiple media reports on Thursday night.

• Moncada, 29, played just 12 games for the Chicago White Sox last season due to a left adductor strain. He batted .275 with three doubles, a triple, five walks and 11 strikeouts in 40 at-bats.

  He played second base and third base in eight seasons with the White Sox, who declined the club's 2025 option of $25 million in November. He instead got a $500,000 buyout.

  Moncada was regarded as a top prospect when he was dealt from the Red Sox to the White Sox in the December 2016 trade that netted Boston left-hander Chris Sale. He is a career .254 hitter with 93 home runs, 339 RBIs, 306 walks and 918 strikeouts in 2,798 at-bats (a strikeout rate of 29.2 percent) over 747 games. He played in only 208 games the past three seasons because of injuries.

  --Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Angels extended their lease at Angel Stadium, keeping them in Anaheim, Calif., and inside the fourth-oldest ballpark in the major leagues through 2032.

• An expansion franchise in 1961, the Angels have played in their current ballpark since 1966. The lease for Angel Stadium that was just extended began in 1996 and was set to expire in 2029. The extension is the first of three that can be exercised under the agreement.

  "We are excited to announce that we have extended our lease securing the Big A as the home of Angels Baseball into the next decade," Angels spokesperson Marie Garvey said. "As we prepare for our 60th season in Anaheim, we wanted our fans and community partners to know that Angels Baseball and its foundation remain committed to being an active part of this city and region."

  The stadium, which is owned by the city of Anaheim, was set to be purchased by the Angels for $320 million in 2019, but that deal fell through in 2022 when former mayor Harry Sidhu was investigated by the FBI in connection with the sale.

  In 2023, Sidhu pleaded guilty to federal charges, with sentencing scheduled for next month. The Angels received a settlement of $2.75 million from the city after the deal fell through.

  Only Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field in Chicago and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles are older than the Angels' current ballpark. It has been nearly 30 years since Angel Stadium underwent a significant renovation.

  The Angels, who won their only World Series title in 2002, will play their 2025 home opener April 4 against the Cleveland Guardians.

  --Field Level Media

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed free-agent outfielder Tommy Pham to a one-year contract worth $4.025 million, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

• Pham, 36, has played for nine different clubs over just shy of 10 full seasons, including three teams last season - the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals - when he batted a combined .248 with nine home runs and 39 RBIs in 116 games.

  In 1,121 career games, Pham has batted .258 with 139 home runs and 470 RBIs after starting his career by playing parts of his first five seasons with the Cardinals. He finished as high as 11th in National League MVP voting in 2017 while with St. Louis.

  Just shy of multiple milestones, Pham needs 15 hits for 1,000, 11 home runs for 150, 30 RBIs for 500 and 17 doubles for 200. The Las Vegas native also has nine years and 92 days of official service time.

  --Field Level Media

After months on the free agent market, Pete Alonso reportedly is returning to the New York Mets.

• The All-Star first baseman agreed to a two-year, $54 million deal on Wednesday, according to multiple media reports.

  Alonso is set to make $30 million this year (including a $10 million signing bonus), then will have a player option worth $24 million for 2026, per the reports.

  The New York Post and USA Today reported that Alonso turned down a three-year offer from the Mets (worth $71 million, per USA Today) before accepting the two-year contract.

  He rejoins a Mets roster bolstered by the free agent arrival of outfielder Juan Soto on a record 15-year, $765 million deal.

  Alonso, 30, is coming off his fourth All-Star season in his six major league campaigns (all with the Mets), but his power numbers were down. He finished with 34 homers and 88 RBIs while batting .240 with a .329 on-base percentage and a .459 slugging percentage. He added four home runs and 10 RBIs while going 12-for-44 (.273) in 13 playoff games as the Mets reached the National League Championship Series.

  Alonso produced 40 homers and a major-league-high 131 RBIs in 2022, then posted 46 homers and 118 RBIs in 2023.

  He enjoyed his best season while capturing NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2019, when he socked a major-league-best 53 homers and drove in 120 runs while hitting .260/.358/.583.

  Over 846 career games, Alonso owns a .249/.339/.514 batting line with 226 home runs and 586 RBIs.

  --Field Level Media

St. Petersburg, Fla., mayor Ken Welch said Tuesday that the city will move ahead with its plan to redevelop the Gas Plant District, even if the Rays opt out of a deal to build a $1.3 billion stadium in the area by 2028.

• At his State of the City address, Welch said the city has other avenues it will explore to revitalize the Gas Plant District and won't hesitate to go in another direction.

  "We will not pursue the deal at any cost," Welch said. "The greatness and future of St. Pete does not depend solely on this deal, and I am confident that we have given this endeavor our very best effort. It's an effort and a process we can all be proud of."

  After St. Petersburg and Pinellas County recently approved bonding to fund $600 million of the projected stadium cost, the Rays have until March 31 to meet specific conditions to gain public financing, including showing proof that they can meet their minimum $700 million obligation toward the project.

  The team is responsible for that amount, plus any cost overruns -- and the latter appears to be the sticking point.

  "We'll decide how we want to proceed at that point, well before that point," Sternberg told the Tampa Bay Times of the upcoming deadline. "We have to make a decision, so we'll have something by then."

  The project already is behind schedule, with construction initially set to begin this winter in time for a 2028 opening.

  "It's not like we both haven't spent a lot of time talking about what the right deal would be, and so now to say, ‘That doesn't make sense,' I think it would undermine any efforts moving forward," Welch said.

  This is just the latest stadium problem for the Rays, who averaged 16,515 fans in 81 home games last season -- third worst in Major League Baseball.

  Tropicana Field sustained significant damage in October due to Hurricane Milton, rendering the stadium unplayable in 2025. Instead, the Rays will use the New York Yankees' spring training site in Tampa as their home field this season.

  The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since 1998, their inaugural season.

  --Field Level Media

The Minnesota Twins are in agreement on a one-year deal with free agent outfielder Harrison Bader, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

• The deal includes a mutual option for 2026, per the report. Financial terms were not reported.

  Bader, 30, batted .236 with 12 home runs, 51 RBIs and 17 stolen bases with the New York Mets in 2024. He appeared in 143 games (108 starts), both career highs.

  The 2021 Gold Glove winner is a career .242 hitter with 71 homers, 268 RBIs and 94 steals with four teams, most notably the St. Louis Cardinals (2017-22).

  --Field Level Media

After an offseason of additions, the Los Angeles Dodgers subtracted a player on Tuesday, dealing right-handed reliever Ryan Brasier to the Chicago Cubs.

• Los Angeles will receive either cash or a player to be named. The Dodgers also sent money to the Cubs, according to ESPN, presumably to pay part of Brasier's salary.

  The move comes in the wake of the Dodgers acquiring right-handed relievers Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott, both of whom logged more than 20 saves last season. Yates' arrival prompted Los Angeles to designate Brasier for assignment on Thursday.

  The Cubs also brought in a new closer during the offseason, trading for Ryan Pressly.

  Brasier, 37, won his second World Series ring last fall, helping the Dodgers claim the title six years after he was on a championship team with the Boston Red Sox.

  He won Los Angeles' playoff opener in the National League Division Series, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres, and he finished the postseason 1-1 with a 5.00 ERA in eight outings.

  Brasier went 1-0 with a 3.54 ERA in 29 regular-season appearances in 2024, the first season of a two-year, $9 million contract he signed last February.

  In 297 games (five starts) over eight seasons for the Los Angeles Angels (2013), Boston (2018-23) and the Dodgers (2023-24), Brasier owns a 10-8 record with 10 saves and a 3.85 ERA.

  The Cubs cleared a spot for Brasier on their 40-man roster by designating Rob Zastryzny for assignment. The 32-year-old left-hander was claimed off waivers from Milwaukee in November.

  Zastryzny went 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in nine games (three starts) for the Brewers last year. He owns a career record of 4-0 with a 4.30 ERA in 54 games (five starts) with the Cubs (2016-18), the New York Mets (2022), the Angels (2022), the Pittsburgh Pirates (2023) and Milwaukee (2024).

  --Field Level Media

The Baltimore Orioles agreed to terms with free agent outfielder Ramon Laureano on a one-year contract with a club option for 2026, the club announced Tuesday afternoon.

• Terms were not disclosed, but multiple reports had the deal worth $4 million.

  Laureano, 30, played for the Cleveland Guardians and Atlanta Braves last season and batted a combined .259 with a .311 on-base percentage and .437 slugging percentage with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs in 98 games.

  He played better for the Braves, batting .296 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs in 67 games -- with 16 multihit games, including five three-hit games.

  Laureano is a career .247 hitter with 82 homers, 252 RBIs, a .319 on-base percentage and .430 slugging percentage for the Oakland Athletics (2018-23), Guardians (2023-24) and Braves.

  The Houston Astros selected the Dominican Republic native in the 16th round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. He was traded from Houston to Oakland in November 2017 and selected off waivers by the Guardians in August 2023. The Braves signed him as a free agent on May 29, 2024, four days after the Guardians released him.

  The O's opened a spot on the 40-man roster for Laureano by designating infielder Luis Vazquez for assignment.

  --Field Level Media

It will be a busy summer for former left-handed closer Billy Wagner, who will have his No. 13 retired by the Houston Astros before an Aug. 16 home game.

• The news comes two weeks after Wagner, 53, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame during his final year on the ballot, an emotional announcement that brought the seven-time All-Star to tears.

  "The game has given me so much, you know?" Wagner said on MLB Network after his selection late last month. "It's given me everything that I could possibly ask. So, I mean, I'm very grateful."

  Wagner, whose 422 saves are eighth-most all-time, opened his career by spending his first nine seasons with the Astros before splitting his final eight years with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves.

  The 5-foot-10, hard-throwing southpaw posted a 2.31 ERA while averaging 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings, each of which are tops among pitchers who have thrown at least 900 innings.

  In addition to Jackie Robinson's No. 42, the Astros previously retired nine numbers: No. 32 Jim Umbricht, No. 40 Don Wilson, No. 25 Jose Cruz, No. 33 Mike Scott, No. 34 Nolan Ryan, No. 49 Larry Dierker, No. 24 Jimmy Wynn, No. 5 Jeff Bagwell and No. 7 Craig Biggio.

  --Field Level Media

The New York Yankees are bringing back left-handed reliever Tim Hill on a one-year, $2.85 million contract, ESPN reported Tuesday.

• The deal includes a $3 million club option for 2026 with a $350,000 buyout, per the report.

  Hill, who turns 35 next week, signed with New York last season on June 20, two days after being released by the Chicago White Sox. He went 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in 35 appearances after joining the Yankees.

  A 32nd-round draft pick by Kansas City in 2014, Hill is 20-14 with a 3.99 ERA and four saves in 382 career games (no starts) with the Royals (2018-19), San Diego Padres (2020-23), White Sox and Yankees.

  --Field Level Media

The lone voter who snubbed Ichiro Suzuki on the 2025 Hall of Fame ballot remains anonymous.

• All 321 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America who allowed their ballots to be made public on Tuesday voted for the Japanese outfielder.

  Suzuki's name appeared on 393 of 394 ballots when the results were announced last month.

  Suzuki, 51, and the other members of the Class of 2025 -- CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner plus classic-era committee selections Dave Parker and Dick Allen -- will be inducted in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 27.

  New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera remains the only unanimous selection, selected on all 425 ballots in 2019.

  The Hall of Fame's rules allow each voter the option to make his or her ballot public.

  --Field Level Media

The Minnesota Twins are in agreement with left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe on a one-year, $3 million deal, MLB.com reported Tuesday.

• The deal is pending a physical for Coulombe, who previously pitched for the Twins from 2020-22 before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles for cash considerations in March 2023.

  Coulombe, 35, was 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA and one save in 33 relief appearances for the Orioles in 2024, striking out 32 batters in 29 2/3 innings.

  Over 10 seasons, Coulombe is 15-9 with a 3.52 ERA and three saves in 288 games (one start) with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2014-15), Oakland Athletics (2015-18), Twins and Orioles.

  --Field Level Media

Major League Baseball on Monday upheld its decision to fire umpire Pat Hoberg for violating the league's betting policies.

• Hoberg had appealed his initial firing late last May following a months-long investigation that involved a legal sports betting account Hoberg opened in his name.

  While the investigation found no evidence that Hoberg bet on baseball, it did discover that he shared his gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball. Hoberg also intentionally deleted text messages relevant to the investigation, which the league cited as another reason for his termination in a release Monday.

  "The strict enforcement of Major League Baseball's rules governing sports betting conduct is a critical component of upholding our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans," commissioner Rob Manfred said in the release.

  In his own statement, Hoberg apologized to MLB but maintained he never manipulated the outcome of any game he umpired.

  "I take full responsibility for the errors in judgment that are outlined in today's statement (by MLB)," Hoberg said. "Those errors will always be a source of shame and embarrassment to me.

  "Major League Baseball umpires are held to a high standard of personal conduct, and my own conduct fell short of that standard. That said, to be clear, I have never and would never bet on baseball in any way, shape, or form. I have never provided, and would never provide, information to anyone for the purpose of betting on baseball. Upholding the integrity of the game has always been of the utmost importance to me."

  Hoberg can apply for reinstatement at the start of spring training in 2026.

  The 38-year-old became a full-time umpire in 2017 and established himself as one of the game's best at calling balls and strikes correctly. That was on full display in Game 2 of the 2022 World Series, when Hoberg accurately called all 129 pitches taken from behind the plate.

  --Field Level Media

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired right-hander Alex Faedo from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for minor league catcher Enderson Delgado and cash on Monday.

• The Tigers designated Faedo, 29, for assignment last week after signing Tommy Kahnle.

  Faedo, a Tampa native, went 5-3 with a 3.61 ERA in 37 games (six starts) for the Tigers in 2024. He's 8-13 with a 4.51 ERA in 64 career games (30 starts) for the Tigers, who drafted him in the first round (No. 18 overall) of the 2017 draft.

  Delgado, 20, batted .259 with four home runs and 30 RBIs between stints in rookie ball and Class-A Charleston in 2024.

  The Rays announced that infielder Osleivis Basabe was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

  --Field Level Media

The New York Yankees signed right-hander Carlos Carrasco to a minor league deal, YES Network reported Monday.

• The deal includes an invitation to spring training, per the report.

  Carrasco, who turns 38 in March, went 3-10 with a 5.64 ERA in 21 starts for the Cleveland Guardians last season.

  Carrasco is 110-103 with a 4.14 ERA in 324 career games (277 starts) in 15 seasons, all but three of which have come in Cleveland. Carrasco went 19-20 with a 5.21 ERA in 61 starts with the New York Mets over three seasons (2021-23).

  --Field Level Media

Right-hander Jack Flaherty has agreed to a two-year, $35 million deal with the Detroit Tigers, multiple media outlets reported Sunday night.

• Flaherty was with Detroit last season before getting dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline. His new contract features an opt-out clause after the first year, per the reports.

  In 28 starts for the Tigers and Dodgers last season, Flaherty went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA. He logged 162 innings, with 106 2/3 of those coming with Detroit.

  Flaherty, 29, is 55-41 with a 3.63 ERA across eight major league seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (2017-23), Baltimore Orioles (2023), Tigers (2024) and Dodgers (2024). He has made 159 appearances with 153 starts.

  --Field Level Media

The Chicago Cubs agreed to a minor league deal with veteran infielder Nicky Lopez, according to multiple reports on Sunday.

• The deal will reportedly be worth $1.5 million if Lopez makes the major league roster.

  Lopez could have extra value early in the season as starting second baseman Nico Hoerner recovers from his October flexor tendon surgery on his throwing arm. Hoerner may not be ready when the Cubs open the season on March 18 in Tokyo against the Los Angeles Dodgers and also may not be ready at the beginning of April.

  Lopez started 72 games at second baseman for the Chicago White Sox last season and has made 292 starts at the position during six big league seasons.

  Lopez, who turns 30 on March 13, has a .248 career average with seven homers, 152 RBIs and 47 stolen bases in 668 games with the Kansas City Royals (2019-23), Atlanta Braves (2023) and White Sox.

  Last season, Lopez batted .241 with one homer and 21 RBIs in 124 games for the White Sox.

  --Field Level Media

Fay Vincent, whose short term as Major League Baseball's eighth commissioner featured him more as a crisis manager, died on Saturday in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 86.

• The cause of death was complications of bladder cancer, according to multiple reports on Sunday.

  Vincent served just shy of three years after replacing A. Bartlett Giamatti, who held the office only five months before dying of a heart attack on Sept. 1, 1989.

  The deputy commissioner when his friend Giamatti died, Vincent was a passionate fan of the game who helped the 1989 World Series continue 10 days after the San Francisco area was hit by an earthquake shortly before Game 3 between the Giants and eventual champion Oakland Athletics.

  Vincent also dealt with the owners' lockout of the players in 1990; the expulsion and reinstatement of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner; expansion of the National League with the Rockies and Marlins; and a no-confidence vote by owners in September 1992, after which he resigned at age 54.

  "Fay Vincent played a vital role in ensuring that the 1989 Bay Area World Series resumed responsibly following the earthquake prior to Game Three, and he oversaw the process that resulted in the 1993 National League expansion to Denver and Miami," current MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement on Sunday.

  "Mr. Vincent served the game during a time of many challenges, and he remained proud of his association with our National Pastime throughout his life. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Fay's family and friends."

  Francis Thomas Vincent Jr. was born on May 29, 1938, in Waterbury, Conn. The son of a former football and baseball standout at Yale who later officiated those sports, Fay Vincent was a football lineman at Williams College in 1956.

  However, his athletic ambitions ended as a freshman, when he fell off an icy ledge outside his fourth-floor dormitory window after a friend locked him inside as a prank. Vincent landed on a metal railing and broke his back, paralyzing him from the chest down. After fears he would never walk again, Vincent regained the ability to walk using a cane.

  He graduated from Williams and Yale Law School and went on to a career as an attorney in New York before becoming a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm of Caplin & Drysdale. He also worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, became the chairman of Columbia Pictures and was the senior vice president of Coca-Cola when it purchased Columbia in 1982, eventually becoming executive vice president.

  His friend Giamatti, a former president of Yale University and the National League, became MLB commissioner in April 1989 and brought him in as his deputy. The office was dealing with the scandal of Pete Rose betting on baseball, and after the former Reds star and manager was banned, Giamatti died eight days later. Owners voted Vincent into the top job on Sept. 13, 1989.

  "I don't like the designated hitter; I don't like aluminum bats; I do like grass," he told reporters that day. "I do like baseball as you and I knew it growing up."

  His relationship with owners was uneasy at best and adversarial at worst, as they viewed him as working for them. Vincent drew their ire by admitting that there was collusion among teams against free agents following the 1985, 1986 and 1987 seasons.

  The owners locked out the players in February 1990 in a dispute of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, delaying the start of the season. Vincent didn't think trying to break the players' union made sense after collusion as there was no trust left.

  That July, Vincent permanently banned Steinbrenner from day-to-day management of the Yankees. Steinbrenner had been sued by star player Dave Winfield for failing to make a payment to his foundation per his contract, and the team owner paid a gambler $40,000 to try to find damaging information about him. Vincent reinstated Steinbrenner two years later.

  Vincent also tried to push forward failed realignment plans in the National League. He did work on the planning and financial details on the NL expansion in 1993 of the Marlins and Rockies. Expansion fees of $190 million were divided among both leagues with the American League getting $42 million. AL teams participated equally with NL clubs in the expansion draft.

  Before Vincent's term was due as commissioner on March 31, 1994, MLB owners held a special meeting on Sept. 3, 1992 and 18 of the 28 voted "no confidence" with one abstention. Vincent instead planned to honor his contract and take legal action before resigning.

  He was replaced in effect by Milwaukee Brewers owner Bud Selig, who was made the newly created chairman of the executive council and voted commissioner in 1998. Selig retired in 2015.

  "A fight based solely on principle does not justify the disruption when there is not greater support among the ownership for my views," Vincent wrote in his resignation letter to the owners. "While I would receive personal gratification by demonstrating that the legal position set out in my August 20 letter is correct, litigation does nothing to address the serious problems of baseball. I cannot govern as commissioner without the consent of owners to be governed. I do not believe that consent is now available to me. Simply put, I've concluded resignation -- not litigation -- should be my final act as Commissioner ‘in the best interests' of Baseball."

  --Field Level Media

Still recovering from their championship run in October, the Los Angeles Dodgers will have a cautious approach when spring training games begin later this month.

• First baseman Freddie Freeman said he will not be able to participate in the field for early Cactus League games after undergoing offseason ankle surgery. Shohei Ohtani continues to recover from shoulder surgery, with a less specific timetable on when he will appear in games.

  Both Dodgers stars are in line to play in the season opening games March 18-19 at Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs.

  "So (Thursday), eight weeks since my surgery, I hit for the first time," Freeman said. "I have not started running yet; haven't been cleared to do that, but on Monday I start flips (in the batting cage) and I think about by the end of the week we'll start doing side-to-side movement."

  Freeman injured his ankle toward the end of the regular season and was in and out of the lineup until hitting home runs in the first four games of the World Series, including a game-winning grand slam in Game 1. His surgery in early December included the removal of loose cartilage and shaving down bone spurs.

  Ohtani injured his left shoulder on a stolen-base attempt late in Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees. He remained in the lineup before having surgery for a torn labrum after the title was secured.

  "As of now, it seems like I am on schedule," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. "I have been able to work out every day and I'm really looking forward to being on time for spring training and the season."

  Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani's recovery from his left shoulder injury has not slowed the final stages of his recovery from right elbow surgery that prevented him from pitching last season.

  Roberts had estimated midway through the offseason that Ohtani might take the mound for the first time in May.

  "It might be earlier," Roberts said. "I think the first thing I said earlier this offseason was that it wasn't going to be in the Japan series. He's not going to be pitching there, but once he gets to spring training and we see where the program is, we'll just go from there."

  Dodgers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training at Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 11, while the first full-squad workout is scheduled for Feb. 15.

  --Field Level Media

The San Diego Padres and right-hander Michael King agreed to a one-year deal on Friday to avoid arbitration.

• King reportedly will receive $7.75 million this season with a $15 million mutual option for 2026. There's a $3.75 million buyout that could raise to $4 million depending on King's number of starts this season.

  King filed at $8.8 million earlier this month with the Padres countering at $7.325 million.

  King, 29, stood out for the Padres last season after being acquired as part of the deal in which Juan Soto was traded to the New York Yankees. He went 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 30 starts and one relief appearance.

  King never previously started more than nine games in a season before blossoming into a co-ace along with right-hander Dylan Cease for a team that reached the postseason.

  Overall, King is 26-26 with a 3.20 ERA in 146 appearances (49 starts) in five-plus seasons with the Yankees (2019-23) and Padres.

  Settling with King continues general manager A.J. Preller's streak of never being involved in an arbitration hearing with a player during 10-plus years of running the Padres.

  The last San Diego player to have an arbitration case heard was right-hander Andrew Cashner in 2014.

  --Field Level Media

The Baltimore Orioles acquired infielder Luis Vazquez from the Chicago Cubs on Friday for cash considerations.

• Vazquez, 25, made his MLB debut last season and was 1-for-12 with one RBI in 11 games for the Cubs. He had been designated for assignment by Chicago earlier in the week.

  He batted .263 with eight homers and 24 RBIs in 64 games with Triple-A Iowa in 2024.

  The Cubs drafted Vazquez in the 14th round in 2017. He has played at shortstop, third base and second base.

  To make room on the 40-man roster, Baltimore designated infielder Emmanuel Rivera for assignment.

  --Field Level Media

Free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco is returning to the Seattle Mariners, multiple outlets reported.

• The Athletic pegged Polanco's contract at one year for $7.75 million, adding it includes a 2026 vesting option based on plate appearances in 2025.

  The Mariners had yet to announce the deal, which is pending a physical, as of Friday morning.

  Polanco, 31, had an offer from the Houston Astros, who would have moved Jose Altuve to the outfield and played Polanco at second base. He is expected to man third base for the Mariners.

  Seattle acquired Polanco in January 2024 via a trade with the Minnesota Twins but declined his $12 million team option after the season.

  He had surgery on Oct. 10 to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee and is expected to be ready for spring training.

  In 2024, the switch hitter set career lows with a .213 batting average, a .296 on-base percentage and a .651 OPS in 118 games. He had 16 home runs, 45 RBIs and a .355 slugging percentage.

  Polanco, a native of the Dominican Republic, spent his first 10 seasons with the Twins (2014-23) and was selected to the American League All-Star team as a shortstop in 2019.

  He is a career .263 hitter with 128 homers, 492 RBIs, a .330 on-base percentage, a .435 slugging percentage and a .765 OPS in 950 games.

  --Field Level Media

Right-handed reliever Kirby Yates has agreed to a one-year contract worth $13 million to join the Los Angeles Dodgers.

• The deal was first reported Jan. 21, and the team confirmed it Thursday night.

  Yates' deal comes after left-hander Tanner Scott signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Dodgers last week.

  The Dodgers are looking to Scott and Yates to bolster the back end of a pitching staff that could roll out starters Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and newly added Roki Sasaki. Clayton Kershaw also is expected to return to the Dodgers in 2025 after injury rehab.

  Yates, 37, recorded 33 saves to go along with a 7-2 record and 1.17 ERA in 61 relief appearances last season with the Texas Rangers.

  A two-time All-Star, Yates is 26-21 with 95 saves and a 3.17 ERA in 422 games (no starts) with the Tampa Bay Rays (2014-15), New York Yankees (2016), Los Angeles Angels (2017), San Diego Padres (2017-20), Atlanta Braves (2022-23) and Rangers (2024).

  The Dodgers designated right-handed pitcher Ryan Brasier for assignment to make room for Yates on the 40-man roster.

  --Field Level Media

The Toronto Blue Jays are signing eight-time All-Star right-hander Max Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5 million contract, according to multiple reports on Thursday.

• Scherzer, 40, is a three-time Cy Young Award winner who became a free agent after an injury-plagued 2024 season with the Texas Rangers. He was 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA, 40 strikeouts and 10 walks in 43 1/3 innings over nine starts.

  He got a late start (June 23) to the campaign after offseason back surgery, then dealt with right thumb pain, shoulder fatigue and a season-ending hamstring strain in September.

  Scherzer is 216-112 with a 3.16 ERA for his 17-year career. He ranks second among active pitchers and 11th all-time with 3,407 strikeouts. He also is second among active pitchers in wins, innings pitched (2,878) and games started (457), fourth in shutouts (five) and ERA, and fifth in complete games (12).

  He earned Cy Young awards with the Detroit Tigers in 2013 and the Washington Nationals in 2016 and 2017. He won World Series with the Nationals in 2019 as well as with the Rangers in 2023.

  Toronto will be Scherzer's seventh club after he played for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2008-09), Tigers (2010-14), Nationals (2015-21), Los Angeles Dodgers (2021), New York Mets (2022-23) and Rangers.

  --Field Level Media

The Kansas City Royals have reached an agreement with free agent right-handed closer Carlos Estevez on a two-year contract, according to multiple media reports Wednesday evening.

• Estevez, an All-Star in 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels, split last season between the Angels and the Philadelphia Phillies, who acquired him on July 27 ahead of the trade deadline last summer.

  The contract is worth a reported $22 million, though the Royals are yet to confirm the deal.

  Estevez, who turned 32 on Dec. 28, was a combined 4-5 with a 2.45 ERA, 26 saves, 12 walks and 50 strikeouts in 55 innings over 54 relief appearances last season.

  He has a career 27-31 record with a 4.21 ERA, 82 saves, 161 walks and 440 strikeouts in 419 1/3 innings over 438 relief appearances for the Colorado Rockies (2016-17, 2019-22), Angels (2023-24) and Phillies (2024). He missed the 2018 season because of injuries.

  Kansas City was 86-76 last season and made the playoffs for the first time since 2015, sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in the American League wild-card round 2-0 before falling to the New York Yankees in the ALDS 3-1.

  --Field Level Media