NEW YORK (AP) — Harper and Manny Machado Hector Rondon Jersey , the New York Yankees are boosting their bullpen.Reliever Adam Ottavino and the Yankees agreed to a $27 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal is subject to a successful physical.Ottavino is a 33-year-old New Yorker who went to Berkeley Carroll High School in Brooklyn and Northeastern University. He wore No. 0 with Colorado, a number not likely to be assigned by the tradition-bound Yankees.He had a career-high 112 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings last year for the Colorado Rockies, going 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA in 75 relief appearances. The right-hander reduced his fastball percentage, relying primarily on sliders and sinkers. He walked 36.Taken 30th overall by St. Louis in the 2006 amateur draft, Ottavino made his big league debut with the Cardinals in 2010 and was claimed by Colorado off waivers in April 2012. He had Tommy John surgery in May 2016 and returned to the Rockies for the start of the 2017 season.Ottavino will join right-hander Dellin Betances and left-hander Zach Britton as the primary setup men for closer Aroldis Chapman, part of a bullpen that includes right-handers Chad Green, Jonathan Holder and Tommy Kahnle. He is the second free agent to leave the Rockies for the Yankees this offseason, following infielder DJ LeMahieu. Former Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki also signed with New York.Ottavino’s deal increases the Yankees’ projected luxury tax payroll to $222 million http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey , well over the $206 million threshold for the 20 percent tax. New York would pay an additional 12 percent surtax on the portion above $226 million.New York is among only three teams currently projected to pay tax this year, along with the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. The Yankees’ offseason moves included acquiring left-hander James Paxton from the Seattle Mariners, adding LeMahieu for $24 million over two years and re-signing Britton ($39 million for three years), left-hander J.A. Happ ($34 million for two years), left-hander CC Sabathia ($8 million for one year) and outfielder Brett Gardner ($7.5 million for one year). LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers are once again loaded in their chase for an elusive World Series title.A rock-solid starting rotation. Hitters who can produce offensively and defend multiple positions. Overall depth that allows for aggressive platooning.Manager Dave Roberts received a contract extension through 2022 during the winter. He’s guided the team to 287 victories in his first three years at the helm, tied for fourth-most among mangers during that span. The team has averaged 94 wins a season during its run of six straight NL West championships.“We have created something here where the number one goal is to win baseball games,” Roberts said. “It takes a lot of good players. It takes consistent work and focus, but it also takes sacrifice. So that comes with a lot of good players and, fortunately, for us to a man Jimmy Wynn Jersey , these guys have bought into that, which makes my job considerably easier.”All that success, however, hasn’t led to a World Series title. The franchise’s last one came in 1988.Two straight appearances in the Fall Classic have ended with Houston and then Boston celebrating on the Dodgers’ field.History suggests a World Series hangover is inevitable. The Dodgers won an MLB-best 104 games in 2017 and they fell short in repeating that total last year with 92 victories.The franchise has never made three straight World Series appearances.Here are some things to watch for this season:NEW FACES: CF A.J. Pollock signed a $55 million, four-year deal to leave division rival Arizona. He gives the Dodgers a right-handed bat to complement their deep lineup. He missed nearly two months with a broken left thumb last season, the latest in a long line of injuries that have limited Pollock to 113 games since his breakout All-Star season in 2015. RH reliever Joe Kelly comes over from the Red Sox after they beat the Dodgers in the World Series. He’ll be Kenley Jansen’s setup man.ROOKIES TO WATCH: OF Alex Verdugo could find a spot on the opening day roster after a glut of outfielders has kept him in the minors in recent years. He could platoon with Cody Bellinger in right field and be a third option in left field. RHP Dustin May is expected to start the season in the minors but could contribute to the big-league club at some point. RHP Tony Gonsolin has an outside shot at catching on in a relief role.TOP-NOTCH ROTATION: The Dodgers boast quality and depth in their pitching ranks, which will allow them to withstand any injuries that occur. LH Clayton Kershaw won’t start opening day for the first time in nine years because of left shoulder inflammation that bothered him during camp. Kershaw’s velocity dipped to an average of 90.9 mph last season and his strikeout rate of 8.7 per nine innings was his lowest since his rookie year. Despite back problems in recent years, he remains one of the best pitchers in the National League. RH Walker Buehler, coming off a stellar rookie year, has had a sore shoulder that limited him in camp. RH Kenta Maeda started 20 games last year http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey , but finished the season as a reliever and worked out of the bullpen during the postseason. However, the Dodgers see him as a starter and plan to use him in that role to begin the season. LH Hyun-Jin Ryu and LH Rich Mill make up a solid backend of the rotation.PROVE IT: SS Corey Seager returns as the starter after missing most of last season when he underwent hip and Tommy John surgeries. The 2016 NL Rookie of the Year will have to prove himself all over again. The team took a conservative approach with him during camp, but Seager showed he could make all the necessary throws his position requires. The Dodgers compensated for his loss last year by trading for Manny Machado, who moved on to division rival San Diego in the offseason.AWAY FROM TEAM: OF Andrew Toles, coming back from injury, never reported to spring training because of an undisclosed personal matter.ON DECK: The Dodgers open the season on March 28 at home with a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The rival San Francisco Giants follow them to town for a three-game set. Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig, who were traded during the winter, return to Chavez Ravine with the Cincinnati Reds in mid-April. The New York Yankees make a rare L.A. appearance in late August.