Reds closer Iglesias agrees to $24,125,000, 3-year deal  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — Reds closer Raisel Iglesias agreed Wednesday to a three-year contract guaranteeing $24,125,000, a deal that avoided arbitration.  —  Iglesias reached a $27 million, seven-year agreement in 2014 that allowed …

Marlins LHP Dillon Peters traded to Angels for minor league pitcher  —  MIAMI — Miami Marlins left-hander Dillon Peters has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels for minor league right-handed reliever Tyler Stevens.  —  The trade was announced Wednesday.  —  The 26-year-old Peters had been designated for assignment by Miami.

Yankees acquire OF Tim Locastro from Dodgers for minor leaguer  —  NEW YORK — Outfielder Tim Locastro was acquired by the New York Yankees from the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league right-hander Drew Finley and $75,000.  —  The 26-year-old Locastro made his big league debut with the Dodgers in 2017 …

Former NASA engineer Sig Mejdal leaves Astros for Orioles  —  BALTIMORE — New Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias called upon a familiar face to help rebuild the club, hiring former NASA engineer Sig Mejdal from the Houston Astros to be assistant general manager for analytics.

Shohei Ohtani says right elbow surgery was ‘necessary,’ reflects on rookie year  —  TOKYO — Shohei Ohtani says it didn't take him long to realize he was competing at a much higher level during his first season in Major League Baseball.  —  Ohtani returned to Japan and held a news conference Thursday …

5 candidates to replace Cubs pitching coach Jim Hickey  —  Chicago Tribune  —  With most major-league coaching staffs virtually set, the timing isn't the greatest for the Cubs to be looking for a pitching coach.  —  But there are still several qualified candidates available to replace Jim Hickey …

2018 Rule 5 Preview V 1.0  —  Now that the deadline has passed for players to be protected for the 2018 Rule 5 draft, we're diving in.  —  We will have many additions over the next few weeks in the lead up to Dec. 13's Rule 5 draft, but here is a first pass at five players who are notable candidates to be picked in the Rule 5.

After years of watching over others, Dodgers' ‘mother’ learns others also have her back  —  The game had finished late, extra innings, the column needed rewriting, and I was hustling through the Dodger Stadium press dining room, headed outside to my cluttered laptop and impossible deadline.

Mets dive back into trade talks for Indians catcher Yan Gomes … The Mets need catching help and the Indians are listening on just about all of their veteran players, including Yan Gomes.  —  The two sides have discussed the catcher before, with manager Mickey Callaway a fan …

Longtime Rays minor-league coach/manager Bill Evers joins Rocco Baldelli's Twins staff  —  Bill Evers, a member of the Rays staff since their 1996 launch of minor-league teams, is leaving to join new manager Rocco Baldelli in Minnesota.  —  Evers, 64, was hired Wednesday as the final member …

Manny Machado clarifies controversial ‘Johnny Hustle’ comment  —  After a tumultuous postseason, Manny Machado is doing his best to answer lingering questions that hang over his free agency.  —  Machado was criticized during the National League Championship Series for not running out a ground ball …