Harrison’s time up in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH — James Harrison’s long tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers is over. The AFC North champions released the five-time Pro Bowl linebacker and 2008 NFL defensive player of the year Saturday to make room for right tackle Marcus Gilbert. The offensive lineman is returning from a suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. Harrison, 39, is the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks, piling up 80.5 during his 14 seasons with the Steelers and 82.5 during his career. Harrison briefly retired in September 2014 after a forgettable 2013 season in Cincinnati but returned when the Steelers ran into injury trouble. He collected at least five sacks every season between 2014 and 2016, and he signed a two-year deal last spring that would have kept him in Pittsburgh through his 40th birthday. Harrison’s playing time dipped significantly this season. He has been active in just five of Pittsburgh’s 14 games despite being injury-free.
BASEBALL
› CLEVELAND — Yonder Alonso changed his swing last season, and his statistics soared. The Indians hope they can rise even more. Alonso, who reached a career high in home runs and made the All-Star team for the first time, signed a two-year, $16 million contract Saturday with Cleveland, which found a less expensive replacement for first baseman Carlos Santana. Alonso’s deal, which includes a $9 million club option for 2020, was agreed to earlier in the week. He passed medical tests Friday to finalize the package. Last year, Alonso altered the “launch angle” in his swing, and the ball began to jump off his bat. With a previous season high of nine homers in 2012 for San Diego, Alonso connected for 28 with Oakland and Seattle. Beyond tweaking his swing, Alonso, who hits left-handed, said a commitment to getting stronger pushed up his power numbers. The Indians had a hole at first after Santana signed a three-year, $60 million contract with Philadelphia. It remains to be seen if the 30-year-old Alonso can be as productive as Santana, who became a cornerstone as a dependable player, but he fit into Cleveland’s budget — and the Indians believe his big season was not a fluke.
› The Atlanta Braves made official Saturday the re-signing of veteran utilityman Danny Santana to a minor league contract that included an invitation to spring training with the major league team. The move came three weeks after the team made Santana a nontendered free agent, along with Matt Adams and Jace Peterson. Adams signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Nationals this past week, but Peterson remains a free agent. Santana, 27, was eligible for arbitration and had been projected to make about $1.1 million if the Braves had offered him a contract at the Dec. 1 deadline. The Braves have since added former Calhoun (Ga.) High School star Charlie Culberson, who is expected to serve as their primary backup shortstop and utility infielder, and corner outfielder Preston Tucker. Culberson came to Atlanta from the Dodgers as part of the big trade that sent Matt Kemp to Los Angeles. Tucker was acquired from the Astros in a Wednesday trade for a player to be named later or cash, and he took the final spot on the 40-man roster. Santana hit just .203 with a .245 on-base percentage, three home runs and six stolen bases in 159 plate appearances (69 games) for the Braves in 2017 after coming from the Minnesota Twins in a May 8 trade for reliever Kevin Chapman.