MLB notebook: Rizzo, Yankees agree to $40M, 2-year contract

NEW YORK — Anthony Rizzo is staying with the New York Yankees, agreeing Tuesday to a $40 million, two-year contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

Rizzo gets $17 million in each of the next two seasons, and the deal for the first baseman includes a $20 million team option for 2025 with a $6 million buyout.

Rizzo had opted out of his previous contract with New York, giving up a $16 million salary for 2023.

Since joining the Yankees at the 2021 trade deadline, Rizzo had provided needed left-handed power for New York and has taken advantage of the right-field short porch at Yankee Stadium.

Now 33, Rizzo hit .224 with 75 RBI and had 32 home runs for the fourth time in his career. While the Yankees led the major leagues with 254 home runs, just 77 were by left-handed batters.

His agreement is the first major offseason move for the Yankees, who are attempting to re-sign star right fielder Aaron Judge.

ASTRO: Reliever Rafael Montero finalized a $34.5 million, three-year contract to remain with the World Series champion Houston Astros, a deal that could be worth $36.75 million over three seasons.

The 32-year-old right-hander gets $11.5 million in each of the next three seasons.

He can earn $500,000 annually in performance bonuses for games: $100,000 each for 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 games.

Montero also would get a $250,000 bonus in any season he has finished 30 games.

He would get $50,000 for making the All-Star team, $100,000 for Rivera-Hoffman reliever of the year and $65,000 for finishing second or third for the reliever award.

Montero had a career-low 2.37 ERA, going 5-2 with 14 saves, 73 strikeouts in 68 [1/3] innings and a 1.02 WHIP in a career-high 71 games. He was acquired from Seattle before the 2021 trade deadline and is 18-23 with a 4.64 ERA and 29 saves for the New York Mets (2014-17), Texas (2019-20), Seattle (2021) and Houston.

ROYALS: The Royals and first baseman Ryan O’Hearn agreed to a $1.4 million contract to avoid salary arbitration as part of a flurry of moves that set the club’s 40-man roster ahead of the deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 draft.

The Royals selected the contracts of right-hander Alec Marsh, catcher Freddy Fermin and outfielder Diego Hernandez to protect them from the draft. Marsh was just 2-16 with a 6.88 ERA at Double-A and Triple-A last season, while Fermin hit .270 in 87 games at Triple-A and Hernandez batted .287 at Class-A and Double-A.

The Royals designated left-hander Jake Brentz, right-hander Nate Webb and outfielder Brent Rooker for assignment.

RAYS-CUBS: The Tampa Bay Rays traded infielder-outfielder Miles Mastrobuoni to the Chicago Cubs for minor league right-hander Alfredo Zarraga.

QUALIFYING OFFERS: Outfielder Joc Pederson and left-hander Martin Perez were the only players to accept $19.65 million qualifying offers from their former teams and end their free agency.

Pederson decided to stay with the San Francisco Giants and Perez with the Texas Rangers.