ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Free agent catcher Kyle Higashioka and the Texas Rangers agreed Monday night on a $13.5 million, two-year contract that includes a mutual option for the 2027 season.
Higashioka set career highs with 17 homers and 45 RBIs while playing 84 games this year in his only season with the San Diego Padres, who acquired him last December from the Yankees in the blockbuster trade that sent Juan Soto to New York.
Higashioka gets $5.75 million in 2025 and $6.75 million in 2026. The mutual option in 2027 is for $7 million, with a $1 million buyout.
The 34-year-old catcher spent his first seven big league seasons with New York, hitting .210 with 40 homers and 121 RBIs in 314 games. Higashioka was drafted by the Yankees in 2008 and spent his first 16 professional seasons in their organization, making his major league debut in 2017.
Higashioka joins a Rangers team that has switch-hitting catcher Jonah Heim, an All-Star and Gold Glove winner during the club's World Series championship season in 2023.
Heim played 131 games in each of the past two seasons. After hitting .258 with 18 homers and 95 RBIs during the World Series season, he slipped to .220 with 13 homers and 59 RBIs this year.
Carson Kelly, the catcher Texas acquired from Detroit in a July trade, became a free agent after the season.
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FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, right, collides with San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka as he scores on a single by Teoscar Hernández during the fourth inning in Game 1 of baseball's NL Division Series, on Oct. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — England opted to keep Ollie Pope as its stand-in wicketkeeper for the second test against New Zealand starting Thursday.
After Jordan Cox broke his thumb ahead of the series opener in Christchurch last week, Ollie Robinson was called up as wicketkeeping cover and was in contention to make his first international appearance in the second test at Wellington’s Basin Reserve.
However, England kept faith with the same team that won by eight wickets on the fourth afternoon of the first test at Hagley Oval, meaning Pope retained the gloves and Jacob Bethell stayed at No. 3.
Pope was solid behind the stumps and hit 77 after moving down to No. 6 in the batting order. Bethell was also impressive on his debut, hitting 50 not out in the second innings.
“They always say when you don’t notice a keeper, he’s done a good job and Ollie certainly did that," England fast bowler Chris Woakes said. "To step up at short notice like that and do the job he did was fantastic.
“For him to score runs just shows his character, putting his hand up for the team without any fuss and cracking on."
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope, Ben Stokes (captain), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
New Zealand's Glenn Phillips is airborne as he makes his ground while England's Ollie Pope attempts a run out during play on the second day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (Chris Symes/Photosport via AP)
England's Ollie Pope bats during play on the second day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (John Davidson/Photosport via AP)
