MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Marlins are in the midst of a rebranding campaign, and it's unclear whether the effort will include keeping National League Most Valuable Players for a change.As of now, the Marlins are merely making cosmetic tweaks, unveiling a new logo and color scheme for Derek Jeter's year-old ownership regime.The downtrodden franchise celebrated its new look at a red-carpet event Thursday night just as Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich was being named the NL MVP. That makes it two consecutive winners of the award traded by the Marlins last offseason, with Yelich joining 2017 MVP Giancarlo Stanton, now with the New York Yankees.The trades were part of a payroll purge and rebuilding effort under the ownership, and Jeter said he understands why the deals might make the franchise a target of derision."I get it. It's a complicated history," he said. "I understand that sometimes we take the blame for what has happened here in the past. We have to prove that wrong."We want... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Flush with cash, the New York Yankees may take a run at Manny Machado.But first, the slugging infielder would have some explaining to do.Arriving in Atlanta for two days of owners meetings at a hotel next to the Braves' SunTrust Park, Hal Steinbrenner discussed the state of a team that has one of baseball's most dynamic young rosters but came up short in the playoffs the last two seasons.The Yankees owner has plenty of money to spend after coming in under the luxury tax threshold last season for the first time since the penalty took effect in 2003. While the top priority is starting pitching, New York is also mentioned as a contender for one of the winter's biggest free-agent prizes.Machado is a dynamic player but comes with plenty of baggage, including the reputation as a dirty player and his admission that he's "not the type of player that's going to be Johnny Hustle " after he jogged out a groundball during the NL Championship Series."Certainly, those comments are troubling,"... [More]

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — The agent for free agent Bryce Harper and many of baseball's top players claims rebuilding teams have become a "competitive cancer" that caused this season's 4 percent attendance drop.As the sport's officials start to consider possible rules changes to spark offense and speed up play, Scott Boras acidly critiqued several clubs that were among the 17 to draw fewer fans this year than last.Boras pointed out Louisiana State's baseball team had a higher average attendance for its 37 home games than the Miami Marlins did for their 81 — 10,786 to 10,014."The fans of Florida have certainly brought the MIA to Miami," he said Wednesday in a courtyard outside the general managers' meetings.He claimed when "the divisional clubs come to Minnesota, it's gotten so bad that only one of the Twins shows up."And he criticized the Toronto Blue Jays, who had the biggest decrease in the major leagues this year, falling by 878,000 fans to 2.33 million."They've lost near a third of their... [More]

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — The agent for free agent Bryce Harper and many of baseball's top players claims rebuilding teams have become a "competitive cancer" that caused this season's 4 percent attendance drop.As the sport's officials start to consider possible rules changes to spark offense and speed pace, Scott Boras acidly critiqued several clubs that were among the 17 to draw fewer fans this year than last.Boras pointed out Louisiana State's baseball team had a higher average attendance for its 37 home games than the Miami Marlins did for their 81 — 10,786 to 10,014."The fans of Florida have certainly brought the MIA to Miami," he said Wednesday in a courtyard outside the general managers' meetings.He claimed when "the divisional clubs come to Minnesota, it's gotten so bad that only one of the Twins shows up."And he criticized the Toronto Blue Jays, who had the biggest decrease in the major leagues this year, falling by 878,000 fans to 2.33 million."They've lost near a third of their... [More]

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Agent John Boggs stood in the lobby at the hotel hosting the general managers' meetings and talked about last winter, when dozens of free agents remained unsigned after spring training began, causing prices to plummet as opening day approached."It's the greatest thing for the owners because they've got a lot of players that are wanting to play and have a lot of game left in them, and all of a sudden are just sitting there dying to get an opportunity again, and so it's a gigantic Macy's basement sale," he said. "I hope it is an aberration because I think there's a lot of good players that are being deprived of getting an opportunity to continue their careers."As the offseason starts, teams and agents aren't sure whether the market will revert to its previous pace or whether clubs will try to wait out players again.Miami's efforts to trade Giancarlo Stanton and Shohei Ohtani's decision to leave Japan for the major leagues created roadblocks after the 2017 season."I... [More]

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Agent John Boggs stood in the lobby at the hotel hosting the general managers' meetings and talked about last winter, when dozens of free agents remained unsigned after spring training began, causing prices to plummet as opening day approached."It's the greatest thing for the owners because they've got a lot of players that are wanting to play and have a lot of game left in them, and all of a sudden are just sitting there dying to get an opportunity again, and so it's a gigantic Macy's basement sale," he said. "I hope it is an aberration because I think there's a lot of good players that are being deprived of getting an opportunity to continue their careers."As the offseason starts, teams and agents aren't sure whether the market will revert to its previous pace or whether clubs will try to wait out players again.Miami's efforts to trade Giancarlo Stanton and Shohei Ohtani's decision to leave Japan for the major leagues created roadblocks after the 2017 season."I... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Brett Gardner is staying with the New York Yankees at a lower salary.The 35-year-old outfielder agreed Wednesday to a $7.5 million, one-year contract after New York declined his $12.5 million option.Gardner, New York's longest-tenured player, gets a $2 million buyout triggered by the team's decision to decline the option, meaning he will receive $9.5 million total — a $3 million savings for the team under the option price.Gardner was no longer an automatic starter in the outfield by the end of last season, when New York's preferred trio became Aaron Judge in right, Aaron Hicks in center and Andrew McCutchen in left. Giancarlo Stanton was the primary designated hitter but also saw outfield time.Gardner hit .236 with 12 homers, 45 RBIs and 95 runs. He has a .261 career average and 257 stolen bases in 11 big league seasons. His average of 4.24 pitches per plate appearance is third among active players with 3,000 or more plate appearances behind only Mike Trout (4.27) and Matt Carpenter (4.25).___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees are in danger of going an entire decade without reaching a World Series for the first time since the 1910s.Aaron Boone's rookie season as a manager ended in failure when New York fizzled in the AL Division Series against Boston and was eliminated in four games."You're always chasing utopia," Boone said after the Yankees' final rally of the season fell short Tuesday night.A year after losing in the AL Championship Series was perceived as success, elimination by Boston left a feeling of failure for the title-worshipping Yankees.New York went 100-62 for its best record since its last World Series championship in 2009, yet finished eight games back of the Red Sox. The Yankees have gone six straight seasons without a first-place finish.They're set to retool around the young core of Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar and Luis Severino, plus in-prime regulars Giancarlo Stanton, Didi Gregorius and Aaron Hicks. The Yankees got the power but were... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees couldn't wait to get back home.Now, that's exactly where they're staying.CC Sabathia became the latest pitcher to put New York in an early hole as rookie manager Aaron Boone again stuck with his starter too long, and the Yankees fell just short of extending their season Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of their AL Division Series."That's the one team that you don't want to lose to," outfielder Brett Gardner said. "We hate losing to them and we love beating them. Obviously, they just had our number this year."New York mounted a last-ditch rally against wild closer Craig Kimbrel, scoring twice in the ninth inning . But the Yankees' comeback stalled when Gary Sanchez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly was caught on the left-field warning track , and rookie Gleyber Torres grounded out with two on to end it — sort of.The play at first base was close, so both teams and a sellout crowd held their breath during a... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees couldn't wait to get back home.Now, that's exactly where they're staying.CC Sabathia became the latest pitcher to put New York in an early hole as rookie manager Aaron Boone again stuck with his starter too long, and the Yankees fell just short of extending their season Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of their AL Division Series."That's the one team that you don't want to lose to," outfielder Brett Gardner said. "We hate losing to them and we love beating them. Obviously, they just had our number this year."New York mounted a last-ditch rally against wild closer Craig Kimbrel, scoring twice in the ninth inning . But the Yankees' comeback stalled when Gary Sanchez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly was caught on the left-field warning track , and rookie Gleyber Torres grounded out with two on to end it — sort of.The play at first base was close, so both teams and a sellout crowd held their breath during a... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees couldn't wait to get back home.Now, that's exactly where they're staying.CC Sabathia became the latest pitcher to put New York in an early hole as rookie manager Aaron Boone again stuck with his starter too long, and the Yankees fell just short of extending their season Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of their AL Division Series."That's the one team that you don't want to lose to," outfielder Brett Gardner said. "We hate losing to them and we love beating them. Obviously, they just had our number this year."New York mounted a last-ditch rally against wild closer Craig Kimbrel, scoring twice in the ninth inning. But the Yankees' comeback stalled when Gary Sanchez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly was caught on the left-field warning track, and rookie Gleyber Torres grounded out with two on to end it — sort of.The play at first base was close, so both teams and a sellout crowd held their breath during a dramatic... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees couldn't wait to get back home.Now, that's exactly where they're staying.CC Sabathia became the latest pitcher to put New York in an early hole as rookie manager Aaron Boone again stuck with his starter too long, and the Yankees fell just short of extending their season Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of their AL Division Series.New York mounted a last-ditch rally against wild closer Craig Kimbrel, scoring twice in the ninth inning. But the Yankees' comeback stalled when Gary Sanchez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly was caught on the left-field warning track, and rookie Gleyber Torres grounded out with two on to end it — sort of.The play at first base was close, so both teams and a sellout crowd held their breath during a dramatic replay review before the out call was upheld following a 63-second delay. Kimbrel and the Red Sox — suspended in mid-celebration for a minute — resumed bouncing around in excitement.After... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees couldn't wait to get back home.Now, that's exactly where they're staying.CC Sabathia became the latest pitcher to put New York in an early hole as rookie manager Aaron Boone again stuck with his starter too long, and the Yankees fell just short of extending their season Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of their AL Division Series.New York mounted a last-ditch rally against wild closer Craig Kimbrel, scoring twice in the ninth inning. But the Yankees' comeback stalled when Gary Sanchez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly was caught on the left-field warning track, and rookie Gleyber Torres grounded out with two on to end it — sort of.The play at first base was close, so both teams and a sellout crowd held their breath during a dramatic replay review before the out call was upheld following a 63-second delay. Kimbrel and the Red Sox — suspended in mid-celebration for a minute — resumed bouncing around in excitement.After... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Angel Hernandez hit .250 in Game 3 of the AL Division Series. That's a mediocre batting average for a player and awful replay average for an umpire.Hernandez was overruled on three of four video reviews of his decisions at first base during Boston's 16-1 rout of the New York Yankees on Monday night."There were several very close calls at first base tonight, and we are glad that instant replay allowed the umpiring crew to achieve the proper result on all of them," Major League Baseball said in a statement.The Red Sox, Yankees and fans around the country will see plenty of Hernandez on Tuesday night, when he's scheduled to work the plate in Game 4.The 57-year-old Hernandez was born in Havana, joined the major league staff in 1993 and worked the World Series in 2002 and 2005. He sued MLB in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati in July 2017, alleging race discrimination and citing his lack of World Series assignments in the past decade and baseball not promoting him to crew chief.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Angel Hernandez hit .250 in Game 3 of the AL Division Series. That's a mediocre batting average for a player and awful replay average for an umpire.Hernandez was overruled on three of four video reviews of his decisions at first base during Boston's 16-1 rout of the New York Yankees on Monday night."There were several very close calls at first base tonight, and we are glad that instant replay allowed the umpiring crew to achieve the proper result on all of them," Major League Baseball said in a statement.The Red Sox, Yankees and fans around the country will see plenty of Hernandez on Tuesday night, when he's scheduled to work the plate in Game 4.The 57-year-old Hernandez was born in Havana, joined the major league staff in 1993 and worked the World Series in 2002 and 2005. He sued MLB in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati in July 2017, alleging race discrimination and citing his lack of World Series assignments in the past decade and baseball not promoting him to crew chief.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Angel Hernandez hit .250 in Game 3 of the AL Division Series. That's a mediocre batting average for a player and awful replay average for an umpire.Hernandez was overruled on three of four video reviews of his decisions at first base during Boston's 16-1 rout of the New York Yankees on Monday night."There were several very close calls at first base tonight, and we are glad that instant replay allowed the umpiring crew to achieve the proper result on all of them," Major League Baseball said in a statement.The Red Sox, Yankees and fans around the country will see plenty of Hernandez on Tuesday night, when he's scheduled to work the plate in Game 4.The 57-year-old Hernandez was born in Havana, joined the major league staff in 1993 and worked the World Series in 2002 and 2005. He sued MLB in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati in July 2017, alleging race discrimination and citing his lack of World Series assignments in the past decade and baseball not promoting him to crew chief.... [More]

Of course Erik Kratz kept hoping for a moment like this. That's why he stuck around, through a dozen big league organizations, a couple of cruel demotions in the minors, a bunch of near-misses in the World Series.And the time he accidentally shot himself in the hand with a nail gun."I really feel like I've played my last game for the last 12 years because the game doesn't owe anybody anything," the Milwaukee catcher said. "When you understand that, you appreciate these times more than anything else."Luke Voit certainly never expected to hear crowds at Yankee Stadium chanting his name in October, especially when he was stuck at Triple-A for St. Louis in late July. Yet there he was, batting third as New York hosted Boston on Monday night.Ryan Brasier's path to these playoffs was unusual, too. The Red Sox reliever is a rookie — even though he made his major league debut in 2013.This postseason is full of stars, including Christian Yelich, Jose Altuve and Mookie Betts. Ronald Acuna Jr., Miguel... [More]

Of course Erik Kratz kept hoping for a moment like this. That's why he stuck around, through a dozen big league organizations, a couple of cruel demotions in the minors, a bunch of near-misses in October.And the time he accidentally shot himself in the hand with a nail gun."I really feel like I've played my last game for the last 12 years because the game doesn't owe anybody anything," the Milwaukee catcher said. "When you understand that, you appreciate these times more than anything else."Luke Voit certainly never expected to hear crowds at Yankee Stadium chanting his name in October, especially when he was stuck at Triple-A for St. Louis in late July.Ryan Brasier's path to these playoffs was unusual, too. The Red Sox reliever is a rookie — even though he made his major league debut in 2013.This postseason is full of stars, including Christian Yelich, Jose Altuve and Mookie Betts. Ronald Acuna Jr., Miguel Andujar and Walker Buehler are among the many talented newcomers.To see them here,... [More]

A look at the best-of-five American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Boston, 7:32 p.m.; Game 2, Saturday, at Boston, 8:15 p.m.; Game 3, Monday, Oct. 8, at New York, 7:40 p.m.; x-Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 9, at New York, 8:07 p.m.; x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 11, at Boston, 7:40 p.m. (All games on TBS).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Red Sox won 10-9.___Projected Lineups:Yankees: LF Andrew McCutchen (.255, 20 HRs, 65 RBIs for Pirates and Yankees), RF Aaron Judge (.278, 27, 67, 152 Ks in 112 games), CF Aaron Hicks (.248, 27, 79 in 137 games), DH Giancarlo Stanton (.266, 38, 100, 211 Ks), 1B Luke Voit (.322, 15, 36 in 47 games for Cardinals and Yankees; .333, 14, 33 in 39 games with Yankees), SS Didi Gregorius (.268, 27, 86 in 134 games), 3B Miguel Andujar (.297, 27, 92, 47 2Bs), C Gary Sanchez (.186, 18, 53 in 89 games), 2B Gleyber Torres (.271, 24, 77 in 123 games).Red Sox: RF Mookie Betts (.346, 32, 80, 129... [More]

A look at the best-of-five American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Boston, 7:32 p.m.; Game 2, Saturday, at Boston, 8:15 p.m.; Game 3, Monday, Oct. 8, at New York, TBA; x-Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 9, at New York, TBA; x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 11, at Boston, TBA. (All games on TBS).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Red Sox won 10-9.___Projected Lineups:Yankees: LF Andrew McCutchen (.255, 20 HRs, 65 RBIs for Pirates and Yankees), RF Aaron Judge (.278, 27, 67, 152 Ks in 112 games), CF Aaron Hicks (.248, 27, 79 in 137 games), DH Giancarlo Stanton (.266, 38, 100, 211 Ks), 1B Luke Voit (.322, 15, 36 in 47 games for Cardinals and Yankees; .333, 14, 33 in 39 games with Yankees), SS Didi Gregorius (.268, 27, 86 in 134 games), 3B Miguel Andujar (.297, 27, 92, 47 2Bs), C Gary Sanchez (.186, 18, 53 in 89 games), 2B Gleyber Torres (.271, 24, 77 in 123 games).Red Sox: RF Mookie Betts (.346, 32, 80, 129 runs, 30 steals),... [More]