MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL NOTES
Vazquez, Red Sox reach three-year deal
Catcher Christian Vazquez and the Boston Red Sox have reached agreement on a $13.55 million, three-year contract covering 2019-21. Vazquez is making $1.45 million under a one-year deal. He gets $2.85 million in 2019, $4.2 million in 2020 and $6.25 million in 2021. There is a 2022 club option for $7 million with a $250,000 buyout, and the option price would increase to $8 million if he has 502 plate appearances in both 2020 and 2021. The Red Sox have long regarded the 27-year-old Vazquez, a ninth-round draft pick in 2008, as their catcher of the future. Strong behind the plate, he has thrown out 42 percent (42 of 100) of would-be base stealers in 211 major league games. That's the best rate among catchers with at least 200 games in the last 30 years. "I feel awesome here in Boston," Vazquez said. "It's a great team, a great staff. I came (up through) the minor leagues here and it feels like a family here so it feels good."
Red Sox have highest payroll, Yankees seventh
The New York Yankees are on track to open the season this week with baseball's seventh-highest payroll, their lowest ranking since 1992, according to projections by The Associated Press. Boston will top the major leagues at about $223 million, ending the Los Angeles Dodgers' four-year run as the top spender. San Francisco will be second at around $203 million, and the Chicago Cubs are set to be third at about $183 million. The Yankees will be at around $167 million — their lowest payroll since 2003.
Former Cleveland All-Star Belle arrested
Former Cleveland Indians AllStar outfielder Albert Belle was arrested on charges of indecent exposure and extreme driving under the influence outside a soccer stadium in Arizona, the Salt River Police Department said Monday. Belle, 51, was taken into custody Sunday after tribal police received reports that two men exposed themselves to two adults and two children in the parking lot of the Phoenix Rising Soccer Club Stadium on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community bordering Scottsdale, Arizona. Original reports said Belle was arrested during a spring training game. According to Salt River police, officers stopped Belle because his vehicle matched the description of the two men in the indecent exposure call. He and another adult, who has not been named, were arrested.
Yankees 5, Braves 1
Giancarlo Stanton and Didi Gregorius each hit a two-run homer and Sonny Gray had another strong outing for Yankees, who closed out spring training with a victory over Atlanta on Monday night. Gregorius hit his fifth homer of the spring in the first inning off Brandon McCarthy, a two-out drive that just cleared the rightfield wall. Gray (2-0) went five innings, permitting one run and three hits with seven strikeouts. He didn't walk anyone.