MLB notebook: Padres, Kinsler reportedly agree to deal

[December 15, 2018]  The San Diego Padres and free agent second baseman Ian Kinsler have agreed on a two-year, $8 million deal, according to multiple reports on Friday.

The deal, first reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, reportedly includes a club option for 2021 and will not be official until Kinsler passes a physical.

Kinsler split last season with the Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox and batted .240 with 14 homers and 48 RBIs in 128 games. The 36-year-old is a career .271 hitter with 248 homers, 887 RBIs and 241 steals in 13 seasons with the Texas Rangers (2006-13), Detroit Tigers (2014-17), Angels and Red Sox.

Kinsler is a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove award winner. He has hit 20 or more homers on five occasions and is 57 hits away from 2,000 for his career.

--The Chicago White Sox agreed to a one-year deal with free agent catcher James McCann, according to multiple reports.

McCann will reportedly receive $2.5 million. The deal is pending until McCann passes a physical.

The 28-year-old McCann debuted with the Tigers in 2014 and has spent his entire major league career with the club. He is a career .240 hitter with 40 homers and 177 RBIs in 452 games. Last season, McCann batted .220 with eight homers and 39 RBIs in 118 games. He hit a career-best 13 homers in 2017.

--The Baltimore Orioles officially named Chicago Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde their manager, a move that had been anticipated for days.

The club will introduce the 20th manager in club history at a Monday news conference at Oriole Park.

Hyde, 45, became the Cubs' bench coach last season after previously serving as first base coach on Joe Maddon's staff. He managed in the Marlins' minor league system for five years (2005-09) and has served on the major league coaching staffs of the Marlins and Cubs.

--Joan Steinbrenner, wife of late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, died at her home in Tampa, Fla., the team announced. She was 83.

According to a statement by the Yankees, she was surrounded by family in her final moments. She was the team's sitting vice chairperson at the time of her death.

She is survived by four children, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. All four children -- Hal, Hank, Jennifer and Jessica -- are the club's current general partners.

FILE PHOTO: Oct 26, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Ian Kinsler (5) slides safely to third in the tenth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

--Game times are set for the two-game series in London between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees this summer.

Major League Baseball announced that the opener at London's Olympic Stadium on Saturday, June 29 will start at 6:10 p.m. London time (1:10 p.m. ET) and will be televised by FOX. First pitch for Sunday's finale is set for 3:10 p.m. (10:10 a.m. ET). ESPN will broadcast that contest.

The Red Sox are the designated home team for both contests, which will be the first two major league games to be played in Europe.

--Oakland Athletics outfielder Stephen Piscotty was named winner of the Tony Conigliaro Award after dealing the adversity of his mother's death during the 2018 season.

Piscotty's mother, Gretchen, was diagnosed with ALS in May 2017 and passed away the following May.

The Conigliaro Award is given to a "major leaguer who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination, and courage that were trademarks of Tony C," according to a press release from the Boston Red Sox.

--Field Level Media

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