MLB notebook: Yankees land RHP Ottavino

[January 18, 2019]  The New York Yankees reached a three-year deal with free agent relief pitcher Adam Ottavino for $27 million, according to multiple reports on Thursday. The contract is pending a physical.

The 33-year-old right-hander spent the past seven seasons with the Colorado Rockies and is coming off a 6-4 campaign with an ERA of 2.43 and 0.991 WHIP in 75 appearances. He was one of the most coveted free agent relievers this offseason.

Ottavino has a 3.68 ERA for his career, which started in St. Louis in 2010. He would join a stocked Yankees bullpen that features Aroldis Chapman, Zach Britton and Dellin Betances.

--Chicago Cubs officials said giving suspended shortstop Addison Russell a second chance was "the right thing to do" for all parties, not in any way an endorsement of his having violated the league's domestic abuse policy.

Speaking to ESPN 1000 radio in Chicago, team owner Tom Ricketts and general manager Jed Hoyer defended their decision last week to sign Russell to a $3.4 million contract for 2019. Russell, who turns 25 next week, was suspended for 40 games last September after details emerged about abuse allegations during his marriage to his former wife. He is not eligible to play until May.

"The fact that we have decided -- after talking to lots of experts, after talking to Addison multiple times, talking to the league -- that we'd rather support him through the process than just cut him and let him go, that doesn't mean it's in conflict with support for victims of domestic violence," Ricketts said.

--Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he is not positive that he will join his team at the White House on Feb. 15 to celebrate the 2018 World Series championship.

Cora has criticized the way the Trump administration has dealt with the recovery efforts in his native Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017. A story Wednesday in the Washington Post said President Donald Trump "did not want a single dollar going to Puerto Rico" for hurricane recovery.

Rockies relief pitcher Adam Ottavino (0) pitches in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports - 11064672

"There's a few things that have come up in the last 10 days about Puerto Rico," Cora said. "It's a topic that back home is huge. But like I said, if I go, I'll represent Puerto Rico the right way. I don't know what kind of platform I'm going to have if I go. It's not that I've changed my mind, but we'll see what happens in the upcoming days."

--The New York Mets have invited minor league outfielder Tim Tebow to spring training.

Tebow, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who played three seasons in the NFL, was one of 13 Mets farmhands who received invitations to attend next month's workouts in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Tebow, 31, is hoping for better results this time around after going 1-for-18 with 11 strikeouts in seven games during spring training last year.

Tebow spent the 2018 season at Double-A Binghamton, batting .273 with six home runs and 36 RBIs in 84 games. He made the Eastern League All-Star team, but his season ended in July with a broken bone in his right hand. Last month, Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Tebow would start the 2019 season with Triple-A Syracuse.

--Field Level Media

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