Right-hander Jesse Chavez finalized an $8 million

ARLINGTON Yunel Escobar Jersey , Texas (AP) —, two-year contract with the Texas Rangers on Friday, returning to the team that traded him to the Chicago Cubs last July.The 35-year-old was 5-2 with a 2.55 ERA and five saves in 62 relief appearances with the Rangers and Cubs last season. He was second in the majors among relievers with 95 1/3 innings.Chavez had a 1.68 ERA after June 1, with 61 strikeouts and 11 walks in 64 1/3 innings. He made his postseason with the Cubs, pitching a scoreless inning in Colorado’s 2-1 win in the NL wild-card game.Chavez was selected by the Rangers in the 42nd round of the 2002 amateur draft. Chavez and Philadelphia’s Tommy Hunter are the only active pitchers with at least 390 innings as both a starter and reliever. Chavez gets $4 million in each of the next two seasons.Texas also failed to offer 2019 contracts to four players, including right-hander Matt Bush, making the quartet free agents. Bush didn’t appear in a game after June 14 and had surgery on Sept. 19 to repair a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.The Rangers also let go of left-hander Zac Curtis Martin Maldonado Jersey , claimed on waivers from Philadelphia late in the season, as well as right-handers Ricardo Rodriguez and Adrian Sampson. Curtis pitched in 15 games for the two teams, compiling a 4.96 ERA. Rodriguez allowed three runs, all earned, over 6 2/3 innings in four relief appearances in a season shortened by right biceps tendinitis and a right shoulder impingement. Sampson was 0-3 with a 4.30 ERA in five September games, including four starts. TOKYO (AP) — Joey Mellows is taking his passion for baseball on the road. Long haul.The 34-year-old Englishman, better known by his @BaseballBrit Twitter handle http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey , has quit his day job to watch an entire season of baseball games across three continents.“Some people were fairly impressed that I was doing something I’m so passionate about,” Mellows said recently at Tokyo Dome, where he kicked off his baseball odyssey by witnessing Ichiro Suzuki’s final games as the Seattle Mariners swept the Oakland Athletics in a two-game series.“My family is very supportive,” Mellows added. “Co-workers were a little bit surprised but I think they’re on board now and they’re following along on Twitter and I think they are a little bit jealous, to be honest.”Mellows left his job as an English teacher in China for this trip, which he’s hoping will involve watching 162 games in person.He got the idea for the journey after discovering that the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees were going to play two games in June in London, the home of cricket.“They are two of the biggest teams arguably in all of baseball coming over to London and I just thought this is the perfect time to try and grow interest in the sport Darin Erstad Jersey ,” Mellows said.He began following baseball four years ago while at a previous teaching job in South Korea.On holiday in Japan with his parents, Mellows attended a game and was immediately hooked by baseball’s relaxing pace punctuated by bursts of action.The longtime Portsmouth soccer supporter was transformed into the “Baseball Brit” and began a bid to convert friends and family to his newly adopted favorite sport.“I would love it if my mates back home asked me questions about baseball,” Mellows said. “They are football fans. We all grew up in the same city. We are all Pompey, you know, Pompey boys through and through and they’ve got no interest in baseball at the moment. But this trip already, they’re kind of getting curious.”Mellows attended games in South Korea and Japan before leaving Tokyo on Wednesday, heading to Seattle for the Mariners’ home opener against the Red Sox. After that http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey , he plans to fly to Philadelphia and hopes to finish his trip at the World Series in October.He plans to finance his travels with savings, credit cards and frugal living on the road while posting it all on his social media accounts.“I really hope more people back home start asking questions and thinking maybe it would be good to go to a baseball game,” Mellows said. “We’ve got one this year. Let’s do it.”