Ohtani meets with eight-man contingent of Texas Rangers personnel  —  Officials with the Texas Rangers met Tuesday afternoon with Japanese free agent Shohei Ohtani at his agent's office in Los Angeles, where a contingent led by co-owner Ray Davis, general manager Jon Daniels …

Ex-Braves GM John Coppolella ‘disgraced and humbled’  —  Former Atlanta Braves general manager John Coppolella, making his first public comments since his resignation and lifetime ban from baseball, said he has been “disgraced and humbled” by events of the last two months and is “heartbroken” …

Yankees would be wise to acquire Kyle Schwarber to fill DH role after missing out on Shohei Otani  —  The Yankees wanted Shohei Otani mostly for his pitching, but they were also willing to let him hit as a DH when he wasn't on the mound, so his refusal to consider playing in the Bronx raises the question of who will get those at-bats.

Royals sign relief pitcher Wily Peralta to one-year contract  —  The Royals added to their pitching staff on Tuesday, signing right-hander Wily Peralta to a one-year contract with a club option for 2019 worth a guaranteed $1.525 million.  —  He will make $1.5 million in 2018 with incentives worth up to $1.25 million each year.

Playing two ways about survival for Rangers' Gose  —  The good news for the Texas Rangers if they miss out on Shohei Ohtani is that they already have a two-way player signed and ready to go to spring training.  —  Anthony Gose, a career outfielder who spent last season as a relief pitcher …

Phillies hire Rob Thomson, formerly of Yankees, as bench coach  —  Gabe Kapler's time as a coach is limited to just one season - a decade ago - managing in single A. So the Phillies new manager, who sees the game through a non-traditional lense, paired himself on Tuesday with a bench coach rich in experience.

LHP Mike Minor agrees to deal with Rangers  —  Free-agent left-hander Mike Minor has reached agreement on a contract with the Texas Rangers pending completion of a physical exam, a baseball source confirmed to ESPN on Monday.  —  Minor, 29, is 44-42 with a 3.93 ERA over six seasons with the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals.

Detroit Tigers sign centerfielder Leonys Martin to Major League deal  —  The Tigers have made another upside play.  —  This time, it's outfielder Leonys Martin, who is just a season removed from being a productive centerfielder.  —  Martin joins the Tigers on a Major League deal, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.

Reports: Cards sign Miles Mikolas to 2-year deal; RHP 31-13 in Japan  —  The St. Louis Cardinals signed right-hander Miles Mikolas to a two-year contract Tuesday, according to multiple reports.  —  Mikolas, who has pitched in Japan since 2015, will receive between $14 million to $16 million in the contract, according to the reports.

Mets looking for relievers to shore up back-end of bullpen in a seller's market  —  Thank goodness it's been warm outside, because the MLB stove is barely room temperature.  The Mets — who have holes at first base, the outfield, second base and in the bullpen — have made just one minor-league signing so far.