BASEBALL

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers have acquired catcher Luis Martinez from the San Diego Padres for minor league pitcher Ryan Kelly.

Martinez batted .203 (12 for 59) in 22 games for San Diego with one homer and 10 RBIs. He homered for his first big league hit on July 27 against Arizona. A 12th round draft pick in 2007, Martinez hit .323 at Triple-A Tucson in 58 games. He had one home run and 28 RBIs.

The Rangers added Martinez to the 40-man roster on Wednesday.

Kelly was 3-6 with a 3.95 ERA and nine saves in 40 appearances for Class-A Myrtle Beach last season. The 26-year-old right-hander will be assigned to Double-A San Antonio.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

Briefly: The Indians have agreed to a minor league contract with versatile free-agent infielder Andy LaRoche and invited him to spring training. He’ll have a chance to win the club’s utility infield job. … The Milwaukee Brewers have signed infielder Cesar Izturis and left-hander Juan Perez to minor-league contracts with invitations to spring training. The Brewers also invited catcher Anderson De La Rosa, left-hander Jed Bradley and right-hander Taylor Jungmann to spring training. … The Kansas City Royals have signed reliever Jose Mijares to a 1-year contract, giving manager Ned Yost another left-handed option late in games. The team announced the deal Wednesday. Terms were not disclosed.

A person familiar with the situation says the Chicago Cubs and outfielder Reed Johnson are closing in on a one-year contract. The Associated Press reported Johnson will be signed pending a physical. … … Creditors of the Los Angeles Dodgers are joining the team in urging a federal district judge not to halt implementation of a bankruptcy court order authorizing the Dodgers to begin a process for selling television rights to future games. In a filing Wednesday, the committee said there’s no guarantee that a sale of the team without the TV rights will result in Dodgers creditors being paid in full.

DALLAS — The Los Angeles Dodgers are nearing a deal with pitcher Aaron Harang and have agreed to a $6 million, two-year contract with utilityman Jerry Hairston Jr.

Harang, a 32-year-old right-hander, was 14-7 with a 3.64 ERA last season, his first with the San Diego Padres. He made $3.5 million, and the Padres paid $500,000 to void a $5 million player option he had exercised.

In a big league career that has included stops in Oakland (2002-03) and Cincinnati (2003-10), Harang is 95-94 with a 4.25 ERA.

Hairston hit .274 with one homer and seven RBIs this year to help the Milwaukee Brewers reach the NL championship series. He gets $2.25 million next year and $3.75 million in 2013.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

DALLAS (AP)—The Los Angeles Dodgers are nearing a deal with pitcher Aaron
Harang(notes) and have agreed to a $6 million, two-year contract with utilityman Jerry
Hairston Jr.(notes)

Harang, a 32-year-old right-hander, was 14-7 with a 3.64 ERA last season,
his first with the San Diego Padres. He made $3.5 million, and the Padres paid
$500,000 to void a $5 million player option he had exercised.

In a big league career that has included stops in Oakland (2002-03) and
Cincinnati (2003-10), Harang is 95-94 with a 4.25 ERA.

Hairston hit .274 with one homer and seven RBIs this year to help the
Milwaukee Brewers reach the NL championship series. He gets $2.25 million next
year and $3.75 million in 2013.

(Reuters) – List of National League Cy Young Award winners following the naming of Los Angeles Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw as the 2011 winner.

2011 – Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

2010 – Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

2009 – Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

2008 – Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

2007 – Jake Peavy, San Diego Padres

2006 – Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks

2005 – Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

2004 – Roger Clemens, Houston Astros

2003 – Eric Gagne, Los Angeles Dodgers

2002 – Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks

2001 – Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks

2000 – Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks

1999 – Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks

1998 – Tom Glavine, Atlanta Braves

1997 – Pedro Martinez, Montreal Expos

1996 – John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves

1995 – Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves

1994 – Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves

1993 – Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves

1992 – Greg Maddux, Chicago Cubs

1991 – Tom Glavine, Atlanta Braves

1990 – Doug Drabek, Pittsburgh Pirates

1989 – Mark Davis, San Diego Padres

1988 – Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles Dodgers

1987 – Steve Bedrosian, Philadelphia Phillies

1986 – Mike Scott, Houston Astros

1985 – Dwight Gooden, New York Mets

1984 – Rick Sutcliffe, Chicago Cubs

1983 – John Denny, Philadelphia Phillies

1982 – Steve Carlton, Philadelphia Phillies

1981 – Fernando Valenzuela, Los Angeles Dodgers

1980 – Steve Carlton, Philadelphia Phillies

1979 – Bruce Sutter, Chicago Cubs

1978 – Gaylord Perry, San Diego Padres

1977 – Steve Carlton, Philadelphia Phillies

1976 – Randy Jones, San Diego Padres

1975 – Tom Seaver, New York Mets

1974 – Mike Marshall, Los Angeles Dodgers

1973 – Tom Seaver, New York Mets

1972 – Steve Carlton, Philadelphia Phillies

1971 – Ferguson Jenkins, Chicago Cubs

1970 – Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals

1969 – Tom Seaver, New York Mets

1968 – Bob Gibson, St. Louis Cardinals

1967 – Mike McCormick, San Francisco Giants

(Compiled by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Julian Linden)

Heath Bell(notes) has only been the full-time closer for the San Diego Padres for three seasons, but he’s closed the door for 134 games since then and gone to three All-Star games. Plus, he’s taken home the last two National League Rolaids Reliever of the Year awards. From 2010 to 2011, Bell saved 41 straight games, which is tied for the fifth-longest streak in MLB history. Now the free agent is looking around to see what other opportunities are out there.

Sirius Radio reports that Bell, a California native, prefers to stay on the West Coast and would like to sign on with the Padres, Los Angeles Angels or the Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, there are two teams on the East Coast that tempt the 34-year-old: the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox, both of which are currently in need of a closer.

Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: Siriux XM Radio

Related: Heath Bell, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres