Mike Fiers, who pitched the most innings this season for the World Series champion Houston Astros but was left off their postseason roster, signs a one-year free agent deal with the Tigers worth $6 million.

In one of the most anticipated signings of this off-season, P/DH Shohei Ohtani agrees to a deal with the Angels. Because he is not yet 25, international bonus rules apply to him, so the deal will be for a paltry $2.32 million and he will be paid the major league minimum salary his first season. The Angels will need to pay his former team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, the $20 million posting fee, however. He will go on to win Rookie of the Year honors.

The Marlins trade 2B Dee Gordon to the Mariners for three prospects, Ps Nick Neidert and Robert Dugger and IF Christopher Torres. The Mariners also receive $1 million in international bonus pool money, which is clearly intended to make a bid to sign Japanese star Shohei Ohtani. Gordon is expected to move to the outfield with Robinson Cano entrenched at 2B for Seattle.

The Cubs sign free agent P Tyler Chatwood to a three-year deal worth $38 million. While Chatwood led the NL with 15 losses last year, he has also posted excellent road ERAs for the last two seasons and is seen as a potential break-out candidate now that he no longer needs to pitch his home games in Coors Field.

The Yankees officially introduce former player Aaron Boone as their new manager, succeeding Joe Girardi. Boone, whose coming appointment was leaked to the media four days earlier, has worked exclusively as a broadcaster since his retirement after the 2009 season.

The Athletics are dealt a blow in their search for a new ballpark to replace the decaying Oakland Coliseum as the Peralta Community College District’s board of directors orders the chancellor to put an end to discussions with the team about possibly ceding a 13-acre downtown property owned by the District next to Laney College that was the preferred site for construction of a new home. The team will now look at alternative sites that all come with major drawbacks.

2017 – The Cardinals sign free agent P Miles Mikolas to a two-year deal worth $15.5 million. Mikolas failed to make much of an impression in his first taste of the majors earlier this decade but is coming off three excellent seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in which his ERA never exceeded 2.45 and will be an All-Star in 2018.

News leaks out of New York that Aaron Boone is the successful candidate in the Yankees’ protracted search for a new manager after the firing of Joe Girardi following the 2017 ALCS. Six candidates reached the interview chase, but it’s the former third-generation player with no coaching or managing experience who has reportedly come out on top, due to his outstanding communications skills and ability to relate to today’s players.

Former teammates Greg Holland and Mike Moustakas win the Comeback Player of the Year Award, in the NL and AL respectively. The two played together with the Kansas City Royals for many years, but missed all or most of 2016 with injuries; Moustakas came back to set the Royals franchise home run record with 38, while Holland saved 41 games to help lead the Rockies to the postseason after joining them as a free agent.