UNDATED (AP) — A person familiar with the matter tells The Associated Press that the Toronto Blue Jays have reached an agreement with pitcher José Berríos on a seven-year, $131 million deal pending a physical.
The Blue Jays acquired the 27-year-old right-hander at the July trade deadline from the Minnesota Twins. He was due to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2022 season. Berríos went 5-4 with a 3.58 ERA in 12 starts with Toronto down the stretch.
Elsewhere in MLB:
—The Detroit Tigers are adding left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to their rotation with a $77 million investment. The team announced Tuesday that it agreed to terms on a five-year contract with Rodríguez. The 28-year-old Rodríguez joins a pitching staff with Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal on a third-place team that finished with 77 wins for its best season in five years. The Tigers know they have a lot of catching up to do after trailing the AL Central champion Chicago White Sox by 16 games.
—Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash has become the second skipper to win Manager of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons, taking this year’s American League award. San Francisco’s Gabe Kapler won the NL honor. Cash led the low-payroll Rays to a second consecutive AL East crown. Bobby Cox had been the only person to win Manager of the Year two straight seasons. He did it with Atlanta in 2004 and 2005. Seattle’s Scott Servais finished second behind Cash in the voting by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Houston’s Dusty Baker was third. Kapler beat out Craig Counsell of Milwaukee and Mike Shildt of St. Louis.
Right-hander Noah Syndergaard has agreed to terms on $21 million, one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels. He’s leaving the New York Mets for a lucrative fresh start on the West Coast. Syndergaard has made only two major league appearances since 2019 due to Tommy John surgery and other ailments.
— The Cleveland Indians, soon to be known as the Guardians, have resolved a lawsuit filed by a local roller derby team over naming rights. Both will be called the Guardians. The legal issue was the final hurdle for the Major League Baseball team to continue its name changeover. The sides jointly announced an “amicable resolution.” No other terms of the agreement were disclosed.
—The Mississippi state auditor says retired NFL player Brett Favre has missed a deadline to pay $228,000 in interest on welfare money he received for a public speaking contract he did not fulfill. Auditor Shad White says Tuesday he’s turning the matter over to the state attorney general’s office, a month after sending a demand letter to Favre. He is not facing criminal charges.
—Fire up the hot dog cannon! The Phillie Phanatic is back to his usual look following the settlement of a lawsuit. The Phillies and creator Harrison/Erickson reached a settlement his week that allowed the more familiar version to return in 2022 to Citizens Bank Park.
