By dual roles of Mendoza, Pedro

said of Fiers on an ESPN broadcast. “Honestly, it made me sad for the sport that that's how this all got found out.”

Manfred concluded their comments were made in their roles as journalists.

“I'm not all that comfortable with it. I'm really not,” he said of their dual roles. “It's a topic that remains under discussion internally. It caused a lot of complications, not just on this particular incident or comments, but in general.”

DODGERS, MUNCY REACH DEAL

Infielder Max Muncy and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a $26 million, threeyear contract Thursday and avoided salary arbitration.

Muncy gets a $4.5 million signing bonus, payable within 30 days of the deal's approval by Major League Baseball, and salaries of $1 million this year, $7.5 million in 2021 and $11.5 million in 2022. The Dodgers have a $13 million option for 2023, when he could be eligible for free agency, with a $1.5 million buyout.

His option price can escalate based on his finish in MVP voting in the next three years: $1 million for each finish among the top five, $500,000 for sixth through 10th and $250,000 for 11th through 20th, provided he receives more than one vote.

Muncy hit 35 home runs last season despite missing a lot of time in September because of a broken wrist. The 29-year-old's offense has made him a mainstay in the lineup, and he can also play a variety of positions.

He made $575,000 last year and had been eligible for arbitration for the first time. He had asked for $4,675,000 and had been offered $4 million.

His agreement left three Dodgers on track for hearings: outfielder Joc Pederson ($9.5 million vs. $7.75 million), outfielder Chris Taylor ($5.8 million vs. $5.25 million) and reliever Pedro Baez ($4 million versus $3.5 million). Pederson may soon be traded to the Los Angeles Angels.