MLB notebook: A's slugger Davis avoids arbitration

The Oakland Athletics avoided salary arbitration with slugger Khris Davis on Wednesday when the sides agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million deal.

Davis made $5 million last season when he hit a career-high 43 homers, a total that ranked second in the American League. It was his second consecutive 40-plus-homer campaign.

Davis, 30, has smacked 85 homers over the past two seasons, second most in the majors behind Giancarlo Stanton (86). Davis also drove in a career-high 110 runs last season while batting .247.

Davis has hit 145 career homers in parts of five major league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers (2013-15) and the Athletics.

--Add Starlin Castro's name to the list of Miami Marlins players hoping to be traded from the team.

Castro, who arrived to the Marlins as part of last month's Stanton trade with the New York Yankees, wants out, according to multiple reports. The 27-year-old doesn't want to be part of a rebuilding process as he was with the Chicago Cubs in the early stages of his career, according to The Athletic.

Castro becomes the third Marlin reportedly looking to be traded, joining outfielder Christian Yelich and catcher J.T. Realmuto. Miami's salary-shedding ways have irked its players, as stars and popular teammates Stanton, Marcell Ozuna and Dee Gordon have all been dealt away this offseason by the team's new ownership group fronted by CEO Derek Jeter.

--A trade of right-hander Gerrit Cole from the Pittsburgh Pirates to Houston reportedly was in place on Wednesday, but Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow told the Houston Chronicle a deal isn't imminent.

Cole, 27, finished fourth in the 2015 National League Cy Young Award voting, but he posted the highest ERA (4.26) of his major league career last season, going 12-12 in 33 starts. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2019 season.

In five years with the Pirates, Cole has a 59-42 record with a 3.50 ERA, averaging 156 innings a season in 127 starts.

--Jason Wood, an agent for CSE Talent, was fired for not upholding the company's "moral and ethical standards," the agency announced.

Wood, who led CSE Talent's baseball division, allegedly filmed numerous clients while they were using his shower, according to a report from FanRag Sports. His most well-known baseball clients were Andrew Benintendi and Jake Odorizzi.

According to the report, a player who chose not be identified was using a shower at Wood's home and found a camera. He then confronted Wood, firing him immediately. The Major League Baseball Players' Association suspended Wood and is investigating the allegations, according to a report from Yahoo Sports.

--Veteran catcher Rene Rivera signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels. The contract is worth a reported $2.8 million.

Rivera, 34, hit .252 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs in 74 combined games between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs last season. Known as a strong defensive catcher, Rivera threw out 36.8 percent of attempted base-stealers in 2017.

The Angels also designated left-hander Nate Smith for assignment. Smith, 26, was ranked the Angels' top left-handed prospect by Baseball America at the start of last season but will miss the 2018 season after undergoing shoulder surgery in September.

--Field Level Media