Third baseman Anthony Rendon and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a $245 million, seven-year contract Wednesday, a person with knowledge of the deal said.
The Angels had missed out on free-agent righthander Gerrit Cole, who agreed to a record $324 million, nine-year contract with the Yankees on Tuesday.
Rendon drove in a career-best 126 runs last season for Washington.
Seams are blamed
The baseballs weren't juiced during the record-setting 2019 regular season, according to a study commissioned by Major League Baseball, but they flew farther because their seams were stitched differently.
A four-person committee of scientists found that baseballs this year had less drag on average than in previous seasons, resulting in a record number of home runs. The report released Wednesday blamed inconsistencies in the seam height of the baseballs as well as "changes in player behavior."
The scientists also confirmed suspicions that the ball carried less during the postseason but could not determine why.
Also at the meetings:
• Commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB will push ahead with a rules change for 2020 that requires pitchers to face at least three batters or finish a half-inning.
