Series champion Sox to open in prime time

The World Series champion Red Sox play at Seattle at 7:10 p.m. in the final game of Major League Baseball’s opening day March 28, the league announced yesterday.

The New York Yankees host Baltimore and Washington is at home against the New York Mets for the first games of the earliest regular major league opening day. The previous earliest regular start was March 30 in 2003, 2008 and 2014.

The season opens with a two-game series between Seattle and Oakland in Tokyo on March 20-21, MLB’s fifth opener in Japan . ...

Spending on Major League Baseball payrolls dropped last season for the first time since 2010, an $18 million decrease attributable to drug and domestic violence suspensions and the retirement of the Orioles’ Colby Rasmus in midseason . ...

Two-time All-Star reliever Kelvin Herrera and the White Sox finalized an $18 million, two-year contract. Herrera will earn $8.5 million in each of the next two years as part of the deal, and the White Sox have a $10 million option for 2021 with a $1 million buyout . ...

Right-hander Shelby Miller signed a $2 million, oneyear contract with the Texas Rangers and can make another $3 million in performance bonuses . ...

Catcher Travis d’Arnaud got a $40,000 raise from the New York Mets to $3,515,000 despite missing nearly all of last season following Tommy John surgery . ...

The Indians avoided salary arbitration with new catcher Kevin Plawecki, who agreed to a one-year contract for $1,137,500 . ...

Former No. 2 overall pick Dustin Ackley is returning to the Seattle Mariners on a minor-league deal after spending the past two seasons in the minors with the Los Angeles Angels.