MLB News Blog

Mark Teahen of the Chicago White Sox has won the 2009 Hutch Award for his efforts on and off the field. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle made the announcement Monday. The award goes to a player who best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication of former major league pitcher and manager Fred [...]

Major League Baseball officials have asked Internet sites to remove racy photographs of Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore. Sizemore said the photos — one of them showing him nearly nude — were stolen from his girlfriend's e-mail account and posted online. He contacted baseball officials to stop the spread of the photos, which began appearing [...]

Catcher Jason LaRue has agreed to a $950,000, one-year contract to remain with the St. Louis Cardinals. Yadier Molina's backup for two seasons, LaRue hit .240 with two homers and six RBIs in 104 at-bats last season. He started 26 games and appeared in 51 overall. "Jason is a great fit for our ballclub in [...]

The Pirates have sent right-hander Jeff Karstens and left-hander Justin Thomas outright to Triple-A Indianapolis after both cleared waivers. Catcher Robinzon Diaz, designated for assignment along with Thomas and Karstens on Nov. 21, has cleared waivers and becomes a minor league free agent. Karstens, acquired from the Yankees in a 2008 trade, was 4-6 with [...]

The man poised to become the first new leader of baseball's powerful union in more than a quarter-century is a ballplayer's lawyer. Michael Weiner speaks plainly, wears jeans and sneakers to work — and after more than 20 years with the Major League Baseball Players Association, knows his stuff.

A top Cuban umpire has defected to the United States. The Spanish-language newspaper El Nuevo Herald reports that Nelson Diaz arrived in Miami on Sunday with his wife and two daughters. Diaz worked in the Olympics and the 2006 World Baseball Classic. His 26-year career supposedly ended after he was picked to work the 2009 [...]

Chip Caray has called his final baseball game for TBS. Network spokesman Jeff Pomeroy said Monday that TBS and the announcer have decided to part ways. A son of late Braves broadcaster Skip Caray and a grandson of famed broadcaster Harry Caray, Chip Caray had called first-round playoff games for TBS during the past three [...]

The Los Angeles Angels voted to give a full postseason share to the estate of Nick Adenhart, the rookie pitcher killed in April in a car accident allegedly caused by a drunken driver. The Angels' shares were worth $138,039. Los Angeles lost to the New York Yankees in the AL championship series. The Yankees won [...]

Alex Cora is staying with the New York Mets, agreeing to a $2 million, one-year contract. Details of the infielder's deal were revealed Monday by two people familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the Mets had not yet formally announced it. Cora can earn an additional $1 million in performance [...]

The average baseball salary fell just short of $3 million this year, with the percentage increase slowing to its lowest level since 2004. The 926 players in the major leagues before rosters expanded in September averaged $2,996,000, according to the annual report of the players' association, which was obtained Monday by The Associated Press.