Major League Baseball

Things to know about most recent MLB moves

Published Dec. 17, 2014 3:36 a.m. ET

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Several big league teams stepped up their holiday shopping Tuesday and a bunch of players were on the go. A look at the most recent moves in baseball:

MIKE MORSE

A key contributor for the San Francisco Giants in their run to the World Series championship, Mike Morse and the Miami Marlins agreed to a $16 million, two-year contract. A person familiar with the agreement confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been finalized.

The Marlins expect Morse to replace Garrett Jones as their first baseman and to bat cleanup. Miami has been busy this offseason, signing slugger Giancarlo Stanton to a record $325 million contract and trading for All-Star second baseman Dee Gordon and pitchers Mat Latos and Dan Haren.

ANGELS-RAYS TRADE

The Los Angeles Angels acquired outfielder Matt Joyce from the Tampa Bay Rays for right-handed reliever Kevin Jepsen.

The Angels see Joyce as a designated hitter who can bat in the No. 2 spot, letting AL MVP Mike Trout to hit third in front of Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton. Joyce is normally an outfielder, and could give Hamilton more time at DH.

Jepsen was the Angels' seventh-inning specialist last year, his seventh with the team. He set career bests with 65 innings, 75 innings and a 2.63 ERA.

BRANDON MCCARTHY

The Los Angeles Dodgers finalized a deal with pitcher Brandon McCarthy for $48 million over four years. He eagerly joined the rotation for the NL West champions.

McCarthy was 7-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 14 starts for the Yankees. They got him from Arizona in early July 6 after he started out 3-10 with a 5.01 ERA.

McCarthy is 52-65 overall and has never won more than 10 games in a season. Yet he is popular on Twitter, where his wife, Amanda, is constantly sending updates.

CHRIS CAPUANO

Needing starting pitchers, the New York Yankees reached agreement with Chris Capuano on a $5 million, one-year deal. A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the move on condition of anonymity because it hadn't yet been announced.

The 36-year-old Capuano is a classic crafty left-hander. He was with Boston and Colorado last season before joining the Yankees in late July, and he went 2-3 with a 4.25 ERA in 12 starts for them.

Capuano likely joins a rotation that could include Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda - all coming off injuries.

DANIEL DESCALSO

The first big league signing of Jeff Bridich's tenure as general manager of the Colorado Rockies was far more sensible than splashy.

The Rockies needed a versatile infielder, and added Daniel Descalso with a $3.6 million, two-year contract. Descalso spent the past five years with St. Louis, and hit .242 in 104 games last season.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says that Alex Rodriguez's days as an everyday fielder are over in the Bronx.

A-Rod turns 40 in July and was suspended for the entire 2014 season for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract. The Yankees plan to limit the former All-Star third baseman to full-time duty as a DH - at most.

''I can't expect Alex to be anything,'' Cashman said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. ''I've got to think the worst and hope for the best. Even before the suspension, he wasn't the same player at third base on the defensive or offensive side. And that was before the suspension.''

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