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Major League Baseball roundup

[January 31, 2017] Jan 30 (The Sports Xchange) - The St. Louis Cardinals were ordered to pay $2 million in damages by Major League Baseball on Monday and will forfeit their first two picks in the 2017 draft as a result of illegal computer hacking of the Houston Astros' database.

MLB completed its investigation regarding the breach of the Astros' baseball operations database by a former Cardinals' employee, scouting director Chris Correa.

Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the ruling, ordering the overall Nos. 56 and 75 draft picks of the Cardinals to be awarded to Houston, and for the Cardinals to pay the Astros $2 million within 30 days.

In his ruling, Manfred said the investigation found no evidence that anyone besides Correa was responsible for accessing the Astros' information but said he was "holding the Cardinals responsible for his conduct."

Manfred ruled that the Astros had "suffered material harm as a result of Mr. Correa's conduct."

The Cardinals fired Correa in 2015 after their own internal investigation. He will be placed on the "permanently ineligible list" effective immediately on orders of Manfred.

On Jan. 8, 2016, Correa pleaded guilty in federal court to five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer for intruding into the Astros' email system and analytical scouting database in 2013 and 2014, following an FBI investigation.

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Oakland Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray on Monday accepted an invitation to pitch for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Gray confirmed to the San Francisco Chronicle via text that he will be will part of the U.S. National Team for the WBC, to be held in March.

The 27-year-old Gray was extended an invitation despite a rocky 2016 season. After winning 14 games in each of the previous two seasons, Gray stumbled to a 5-11 mark with a 5.69 ERA during an injury-plagued campaign.

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The Los Angeles Angels signed veteran right-hander Bud Norris to a minor league contract on Monday.

Norris, who turns 32 in March, will be given a chance to compete for a spot in the starting rotation, Angels general manager Billy Eppler told the Orange County Register.

An eight-year veteran, Norris will be joining his sixth major league team. He was a combined 6-10 with a 5.10 ERA in 19 starts between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves last season.

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The Cleveland Indians acquired right-hander Carlos Frias from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday in exchange for cash considerations.

Frias, 27, spent his entire career in the Dodgers organization, compiling a three-year major league record of 6-6 with a 4.50 ERA over 114 innings in 33 games.

Frias was limited to one major league outing in 2016 due to a pair of trips to the disabled list for right oblique impingement.

Frias was signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in January 2007.

The Indians also designated first baseman/third baseman Richie Shaffer for assignment after claiming him on waivers from the Cincinnati Reds last week. (Editing by Andrew Both)

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