J.A. Happ wants Manny Machado join him on Yankees  —  NEW YORK — Now that he's staying with the New York Yankees, J.A. Happ would like to see Manny Machado join him in the Bronx.  —  “You get any kind of player like that on a team, that would be exciting,” the pitcher said Thursday …

Lefty reliever Zac Rosscup agrees to 1-year deal with Mariners  —  SEATTLE — Left-handed reliever Zac Rosscup and the Seattle Mariners agreed to a one-year contract that pays $610,000 in the major leagues and $140,000 in the minors, adding depth to the team's overhauled bullpen.

MLB, MLBPA, Cuba strike historic pact for players to sign without defecting  —  HAVANA — Major League Baseball, its players' association and the Cuban Baseball Federation reached an agreement that will allow players from the island to sign big league contracts without defecting …

Anibal Sanchez agrees to two-year deal with Nationals  —  Free-agent pitcher Anibal Sanchez has agreed to a two-year contract with the Washington Nationals, according to multiple reports.  —  The deal is worth $19 million, according to the Detroit Free Press, which first reported the news.

Angels sign free agent Trevor Cahill to bolster rotation  —  The Los Angeles Angels, in desperate need of pitching when the offseason began, plugged holes in their starting rotation by betting on the upside with a couple of former All-Stars on short-term contracts.

Rockies, Daniel Murphy Agree To Terms  —  8:13pm: There's also a mutual option for the 2021 season on the contract, tweets Robert Murray of The Athletic.  —  5:58pm: It's a two-year, $24MM contract for Murphy, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets.  He'll play mostly first base in Colorado, Passan adds.

Three reasons why Cleveland Indians should trade Corey Kluber  —  Here are three reasons why the Cleveland Indians should trade Corey Kluber before the start of Spring Training in February.  —  CLEVELAND — Why in the world would a team still considered a contender in the American League want to trade a two-time Cy Young Award winner?

Astros reliever Joe Smith has Achilles surgery  —  Houston Astros reliever Joe Smith will miss six to eight months after undergoing surgery for a ruptured left Achilles tendon, general manager Jeff Luhnow announced Thursday.  —  Smith, 34, was injured during a workout last week, and the Astros said the surgery was performed Tuesday.

Detroit Tigers add three pitchers on minor league deals  —  The Detroit Tigers added three pitchers on minor-league deals, the team announced on Wednesday afternoon, bolstering their organizational depth on the mound.  —  As first reported by the Free Press last week, right-hander Eduardo Paredes …

Baseball Writers to honor Lee Smith, Costas, Mikolas, Carpenter at Jan. 20 dinner  —  Recently named Hall of Fame pitcher Lee Smith, Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Costas and 2018 Cardinals stars Miles Mikolas and Matt Carpenter will be among the headliners at the 61st St. Louis Baseball Writers' dinner …

Adam Jones?  Melky?  Where Van Wagenen's Mets turn next … The pronouncement this week from Brodie Van Wagenen that his Mets can already be viewed as the team to beat in the NL East might not be a positive development for those expecting another splash or two this winter by the general manager.