BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox have signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts to a new contract that would guarantee him $132 million through 2025.The sides agreed to terms on Sunday night and made it official on Monday.A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press that Bogaerts will earn $12 million this year under the terms of his existing deal and then $20 million for each of the next six seasons. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity before the agreement was signed.Bogaerts hit .288 last year and set career bests with 23 homers and 103 RBIs while helping the Red Sox win a franchise-record 108 games in the regular season and a World Series championship.Reigning AL MVP Mookie Betts is eligible for salary arbitration after this season and for free agency after 2020, when he will be just 28. He will earn $20 million this year.___AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report from New York.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts has agreed to terms on a new contract that would keep him in Boston through 2025 and guarantee him $132 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Sunday night.Bogaerts will earn $12 million this year under the terms of his existing deal and then $20 million for each of the next six seasons, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not yet been announced.Another person familiar with the deal told the AP the deal includes a team option for 2026 at $20 million, which becomes guaranteed if he has 535 plate appearances in 2025. Bogaerts also has an opt-out clause after 2022.The talks were first reported by WEEI.Bogaerts hit .288 last year and set career bests with 23 homers and 103 RBIs while helping the Red Sox win a franchise-record 108 games in the regular season and a World Series championship. The 26-year-old native of Aruba finished 13th in the AL MVP voting.It's the... [More]

Bryce Harper bowed to his new fans, Mookie Betts and the World Series champion Boston Red Sox drew cheers far from Fenway Park and the great Mariano Rivera threw one more strike from the mound at Yankee Stadium.Then it was time to play Home Run Derby on a record-setting opening day.The ball was flying Thursday — Joc Pederson and the Los Angeles Dodgers connected eight times, and the total of 48 across the majors was the most ever to start."Everyone kind of knocked us last year for scoring too many runs off homers," said Max Muncy, who also connected at Dodger Stadium. "But if you're going to do it, you might as well do it like that."Elsewhere, Lorenzo Cain made a game-saving catch in Milwaukee, Javier Baez swung a powerful bat for the Cubs and Detroit's Jordan Zimmermann came close to giving Major League Baseball a perfect start.A week after Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners swept two games from Oakland at the Tokyo Dome, everybody was in action.The packed crowd at Citizens Bank Park... [More]

Bryce Harper bowed to his new fans, Mookie Betts and the Boston Red Sox began the defense of their World Series crown and the great Mariano Rivera threw one more strike from the mound at Yankee Stadium.Then, in ballparks across the land, it was time to begin on a homer-filled opening day.Lorenzo Cain made the big catch. Javier Baez swung a powerful bat. And Jordan Zimmermann came close to giving Major League Baseball a perfect start Thursday.A week after Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners swept two games from Oakland at the Tokyo Dome, everyone was in action. In many places, the ball was flying — at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles set an opening day record by hitting eight home runs.The packed crowd at Citizens Bank Park was especially energized by Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies in a 10-4 win over Atlanta."The atmosphere was unbelievable," Harper said. "The atmosphere was rocking all through the game."A year after the conditions were more fit for snowballs than baseballs at some stadiums,... [More]

Bryce Harper bowed to his new fans, Mookie Betts and the Boston Red Sox began the defense of their World Series crown and the great Mariano Rivera threw one more strike from the mound at Yankee Stadium.Then, from ballparks across the land, it was time for opening day.Lorenzo Cain made the big catch. Javier Baez swung a powerful bat. And Jordan Zimmermann came close to giving Major League Baseball a perfect start Thursday.A week after Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners swept two games from Oakland at the Tokyo Dome, everyone was in action.The packed crowd at Citizens Bank Park was especially energized by Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies in a 10-4 win over Atlanta."The atmosphere was unbelievable," Harper said. "The atmosphere was rocking all through the game."And a year after the conditions were more fit for snowballs than baseballs in some places, the weather was fine. A little rainy in Kansas City, causing a slight delay, but no freezing temperatures anywhere.Cy Young Award winners... [More]

Bryce Harper bowed to his new fans, Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox began the defense of their World Series crown and the great Mariano Rivera threw one more strike from the mound at Yankee Stadium.Then, from ballparks across the land, it was time for opening day.Lorenzo Cain made the big catch. Javier Baez swung a powerful bat. And Jordan Zimmermann came close to giving Major League Baseball a perfect start Thursday.A week after Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners swept two games from Oakland at the Tokyo Dome, everyone was in action.The packed crowd at Citizens Bank Park was especially energized by Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies in a 10-4 win over Atlanta."The atmosphere was unbelievable," Harper said. "The atmosphere was rocking all through the game."And a year after the conditions were more fit for snowballs than baseballs in some places, the weather was fine. A little rainy in Kansas City, causing a slight delay, but no freezing temperatures anywhere.Cy Young Award winners... [More]

Bryce Harper bowed to his new fans, Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox began the defense of their World Series crown and the great Mariano Rivera threw one more strike from the mound at Yankee Stadium.Then, from ballparks across the land, it was time for opening day.Lorenzo Cain made the big catch. Javier Baez swung a powerful bat. And Jordan Zimmermann came close to giving Major League Baseball a perfect start Thursday.A week after Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners swept two games from Oakland at the Tokyo Dome, everyone was in action.The packed crowd at Citizens Bank Park was especially energized by Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies in a 10-4 win over Atlanta."The atmosphere was unbelievable," Harper said. "The atmosphere was rocking all through the game."And a year after the conditions were more fit for snowballs than baseballs in some places, the weather was fine. A little rainy in Kansas City, causing a slight delay, but no freezing temperatures anywhere.Cy Young Award winners... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The new No. 3 is the new No. 1.Major League Baseball says that Bryce Harper has the sport's top-selling jersey, ending a two-year reign for Aaron Judge's No. 99.Harper signed a $330 million, 13-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies this spring, and his new No. 3 jersey set professional sports records for sales in 24 and 48 hours, according to online retailer Fanatics. His fresh get-up has been the top-selling jersey on MLB.com since Jan. 1, 2019.Harper overtook Judge, the New York Yankees' 6-foot-7 slugger who had topped the list since his breakout rookie season in 2017.Reigning AL MVP and World Series champion Mookie Betts of the Boston Red Sox is third, two-time AL MVP Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels is fourth, and veteran St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is fifth in figures released Thursday.The Chicago Cubs are the only team with two players in the top 10: Javier Baez at seven and Anthony Rizzo at nine.Manny Machado placed 12th, making him the first San Diego Padres player to crack the top 20 since MLB began publicizing it in 2010. Machado signed a $300 million, 10-year deal with San Diego this winter.Now-retired Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki was 13th.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today:FOR OPENERSBryce Harper, Mookie Betts, Mike Trout and everyone else is set to play, at last. All 30 teams are in action, with opening day on deck at Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium and ballparks in between. The forecast is pretty good in most places, with no snow or frosty temps expected, although rain is a possibility in Kansas City and Oakland.Chris Sale starts for the World Series champion Red Sox when they visit red-hot Seattle — well, the Mariners have started out 2-0 after sweeping the A's last week at the Tokyo Dome.CY AND SIGHJacob deGrom and Blake Snell get an early chance to defend their Cy Young Awards — first-time winners last year, they're pitching against the guys who were the runner-ups.DeGrom (10-9, MLB-leading 1.70 ERA) starts for the Mets when they face three-time Cy winner Max Scherzer (18-7, MLB-high 300 strikeouts) at Nationals Park. Snell (21-5, 1.89 ERA) starts for the Rays vs. Justin Verlander (16-9, AL-best 290 Ks)... [More]

SEATTLE (AP) — Before J.D. Martinez and the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox take the field to begin the regular season, they're already playing catch up in the American League race.No, really. The Red Sox are facing a two-game deficit in the AL standings heading into Thursday's regular season opener against the unbeaten Seattle Mariners.Of course, this is all tongue in cheek, the result of the Mariners having already opened the season with a pair of victories over Oakland in Tokyo last week to open the season. It's certainly going to be short-lived considering the expectations of both teams going into the opener.The Mariners are beginning what they hope is a relatively short rebuild to again be contenders. They've already reshuffled their roster since playing in Japan — Ichiro Suzuki retired at 45 after two hitless games in his homeland.AL MVP Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and the Red Sox are one of the heavy favorites in the AL. They know it and are embracing the expectations... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Thursday:FOR OPENERSBryce Harper, Mookie Betts, Mike Trout and everyone else is set to play, at last. All 30 teams are in action, with opening day on deck at Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium and ballparks in between. The forecast is pretty good in most places, with no snow or frosty temps expected, although rain is a possibility in Kansas City and Oakland.Chris Sale starts for the World Series champion Red Sox when they visit red-hot Seattle — well, the Mariners have started out 2-0 after sweeping the A's last week at the Tokyo Dome.CY AND SIGHJacob deGrom and Blake Snell get an early chance to defend their Cy Young Awards — first-time winners last year, they're pitching against the guys who were the runner-ups.DeGrom (10-9, MLB-leading 1.70 ERA) starts for the Mets when they face three-time Cy winner Max Scherzer (18-7, MLB-high 300 strikeouts) at Nationals Park. Snell (21-5, 1.89 ERA) starts for the Rays vs. Justin Verlander (16-9, AL-best 290... [More]

Four-man outfields. High-tech anti-spying rules. A starting pitcher facing just one batter in a playoff game.But beyond all the shifts, analytics and social media outreach, here's the best way to tell Major League Baseball has zoomed into a new era: There's not a single active player left from the 20th century.Not one.Adrian Beltre and Bartolo Colon were the last, the Elias Sports Bureau said. And with all 30 teams set to play Thursday — from Bryce Harper's home debut at Citizens Bank Park to Mookie Betts and the champion Boston Red Sox visiting Seattle — this year MLB becomes the first of the four major sports without someone still around who played in the 1900s.The last time that was true in the big leagues? Back before even the World Series existed.Already this season, the great Ichiro Suzuki has retired, done at 45 after two hitless games last week as the Seattle Mariners swept Oakland at the Toyko Dome."I really wanted to play until I was 50, but I couldn't do it," he said.Yankees... [More]

Four-man outfields. High-tech anti-spying rules. A starting pitcher facing just one batter in a playoff game.But beyond all the shifts, analytics and social media outreach, here's the best way to tell Major League Baseball has zoomed into a new era: There's not a single active player left from the 20th century.Not one.Adrian Beltre and Bartolo Colon were the last, the Elias Sports Bureau said. And with all 30 teams set to play Thursday — from Bryce Harper's home debut at Citizens Bank Park to Mookie Betts and the champion Boston Red Sox visiting Seattle — this year MLB becomes the first of the four major sports without someone still around who played in the 1900s.The last time that was true in the big leagues? Back before even the World Series existed.Already this season, the great Ichiro Suzuki has retired, done at 45 after two hitless games last week as the Seattle Mariners swept Oakland at the Toyko Dome."I really wanted to play until I was 50, but I couldn't do it," he said.Yankees... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — After winning a World Series with the Red Sox, Chris Sale preferred to stay in Boston rather than find out what he would be worth as a free agent after this season."When half the league isn't trying to win anything, and we have a team that's trying to win every year? That says a lot. As players, you can't not respect it," Sale said Saturday after Boston announced a deal that guarantees an additional $145 million from 2020 to 2024.Sale, who turns 30 on March 30, is guaranteed $15 million this year under the second option year of the contract he signed with the Chicago White Sox before the 2013 season. The deal wound up being worth $59 million over seven years plus award bonuses.The new contract raises his guarantee to $160 million over the next six seasons.He gets $30 million salaries annually from 2020-22 and $27.5 million a year in 2023 and 2024. His salary can escalate by up to $2 million per season from 2021-24 based on finish in Cy Young Award voting.His new... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Don't expect AL MVP Mookie Betts to agree to a long-term contract with the Boston Red Sox before he can become a free agent in late 2020.Despite Mike Trout's $432 million, 12-year agreement with the Los Angeles Angels, Nolan Arenado's $260 million, eight-year deal with the Colorado Rockies and Alex Bregman's pending $100 million, six-year contract with the Houston Astros, Betts is content to remain on track for testing the market."That's exactly what I expect," he said Wednesday, the day after Trout's deal became widely known. "Didn't expect anything to happen until I'm a free agent. So, it's just one of those things where you just got to go out and play. Can't worry about the economics of the game right now. They have to take care of what they have to take care of. I'm going to take care of what I have to take care of. But the common thing is to win a World Series, and I think that's definitely what we both want to do."Manny Machado joined the San Diego Padres as... [More]

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Don't expect AL MVP Mookie Betts to agree to a long-term contract with the Boston Red Sox before he can become a free agent in late 2020.Despite Mike Trout's pending $432 million, 12-year agreement with the Los Angeles Angels, Nolan Arenado's $260 million, eight-year deal with the Colorado Rockies and Alex Bregman's pending $100 million, six-year contract with the Houston Astros, Betts is content to remain on track for testing the market."That's exactly what I expect," he said Wednesday, the day after Trout's deal became widely known. "Didn't expect anything to happen until I'm a free agent. So, it's just one of those things where you just got to go out and play. Can't worry about the economics of the game right now. They have to take care of what they have to take care of. I'm going to take care of what I have to take care of. But the common thing is to win a World Series, and I think that's definitely what we both want to do."Manny Machado joined the San Diego... [More]

Bryce, Manny and Ichiro. London calling, and Cleveland rocks. Lots of intrigue on the baseball schedule this summer.Here are a handful of dates to mark on the calendar:WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics: Ichiro Suzuki returns to his native Japan when Seattle and Oakland open the season with a two-game set at the Tokyo Dome. The 45-year-old Suzuki, a 10-time All-Star, is nearing the end of his storied career after he hit .205 in 15 games last year before moving into Seattle's front office. But the lure of playing another game or two in his home country helped draw him back to the field this spring. The Mariners and Athletics also faced each other in the last opening series at Tokyo, splitting two games in 2012.TUESDAY, APRIL 2Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper doesn't have to wait very long to get his first game against Washington out of the way. Harper played for the Nationals for seven seasons, winning the NL MVP award in 2015 and making the... [More]

TOKYO (AP) — This is the Ichiro effect.Richard Snitzer had never been to Japan. What finally drove the Japanese-American to travel here from his home in Hayward, California, was Ichiro Suzuki; not family ties, not pure wanderlust, but a chance to see a player he called "simply the best."And get this. He's not even a Mariners fan, which he's advertised by wearing his A's jersey around the Tokyo Dome.He'll be there Wednesday when Major League Baseball opens the 2019 season with Seattle facing Oakland to start a two-game series. The 45-year-old Ichiro is expected to play in both. What happens next? Ichiro isn't saying.One thing is sure. It will be great theater."I'll have my phone ready to go, and I'll shoot and stand up and applaud when he bats," Snitzer said. "I just hope he doesn't get the winning hit against the A's. If he hits a home run that doesn't affect the game, I'll be thrilled."A's pitcher Liam Hendriks probably spoke for both teams."We're just happy to be along for the ride,"... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman left Wednesday's 11-5 victory over the Miami Marlins because of back stiffness.Bregman walked in the first inning and was replaced after the second. He was playing his third spring training game following arthroscopic elbow surgery on Jan. 11.Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Bregman probably will be held out a day and return to the lineup on Friday.AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUESBLUE JAYS 9, PHILLIES 7Cavan Biggio, the son of Astros Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, and Anthony Alford both homered for the first time for the Blue Jays. Dalton Pompey hit two doubles and drove in three runs for Toronto. Aaron Sanchez made his second start, allowing a hit and two walks in 2 2/3 scoreless innings.Vince Velasquez made his first start for Philadelphia, allowing one run, one hit and two walks in one inning. Aaron Althier went 0 for 3, striking out twice and lowering his average to .143.ORIOLES 9, RAYS 6Mike Yastrzemski, a grandson... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman left Wednesday's 11-5 victory over the Miami Marlins because of back stiffness.Bregman walked in the first inning and was replaced after the second. He was playing his third spring training game following arthroscopic elbow surgery on Jan. 11.Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Bregman probably will be held out a day and return to the lineup on Friday.AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUESBLUE JAYS 9, PHILLIES 7Cavan Biggio, the son of Astros Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, and Anthony Alford both homered for the first time for the Blue Jays. Dalton Pompey hit two doubles and drove in three runs for Toronto. Aaron Sanchez made his second start, allowing a hit and two walks in 2 2/3 scoreless innings.Vince Velasquez made his first start for Philadelphia, allowing one run, one hit and two walks in one inning. Aaron Althier went 0 for 3, striking out twice and lowering his average to .143.ORIOLES 9, RAYS 6Mike Yastrzemski, a grandson... [More]