The Yankees have hired Eric Chavez, who announced his retirement after playing this season for the D-backs, as a special assignment scout.

Catcher John Baker played in San Diego when Rick Renteria was on the coaching staff, and the two were reunited in Chicago this past season. Baker, well aware of the business side of the game, was saddened at the news that Renteria was dismissed Friday as Cubs manager.

For the fans who have kept Wrigley Field’s average attendance at 33,652 over the past three seasons, with the team going 200-286 while Rick Renteria and Dale Sveum ran auditions for a revolving cast of players, Joe Maddon’s hiring means that one of baseball’s flagship franchises is back in business.

Cleveland exercised its $3.5 million team option to keep Mike Aviles on the roster for the 2015 season, providing the Tribe with an experienced player capable of handling multiple infield and outfield positions.

Here is the statement issued Friday by Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein in announcing the dismissal of manager Rick Renteria.

The Tigers have a lot of sorting out to do with their bullpen. The simplest part, Joakim Soria’s contract option for 2015, is now out of the way. The team decided to pick up Soria’s $7 million option, thus keeping Soria off the free-agent market and in its bullpen mix.

The conclusion of the World Series means the beginning of what will be a busy Hot Stove season for Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington. A second last-place American League East finish in three seasons didn’t sit well within anyone in the offices of 4 Yawkey Way, and Cherington will try to spearhead a turnaround.

With the World Series in the books, the Hot Stove season officially begins, with nine Orioles becoming free agents. The biggest name to hit the market is Nelson Cruz.

When the final out of the World Series nestled safely in Pablo Sandoval’s glove, it officially kicked off the beginning of baseball’s Hot Stove season. In the Bronx, the Yankees had been huddling for weeks, preparing for that green light.

MLB.com’s Jim Callis answers questions about baseball’s top youngsters, including whether Kris Bryant has passed Byron Buxton as baseball’s top prospect.

San Diego prospect Mallex Smith, who swiped 88 bases in A ball this year, scored the go-ahead run in Surprise’s 5-4 victory Thursday night. It was the ninth game using the 20-second pitch clock — a pace-of-game initiative being tested at the Arizona Fall League — and it was timed at 2:28.

The beauty — or the agony, if you’re a Royals fan — is that we’ll never know. We’ll never know what would have happened if Kansas City third-base coach Mike Jirschele had sent Alex Gordon home with two outs in the ninth inning of Wednesday night’s World Series Game 7.

Astros games will be available to a larger portion of the Houston television market beginning next year after a bankruptcy judge on Thursday approved a Chapter 11 reorganization plan that will allow AT&T and DirecTV to purchase Comcast SportsNet Houston.

Though fans may always wonder if Alex Gordon could have scored in the ninth inning of Game 7, in the end, the difference is that one team had Madison Bumgarner and the other didn’t, not that third-base coach Mike Jirschele didn’t bet the season on one throw of the dice.

Though the Giants clinched the World Series on the road in Kansas City, fans will have an opportunity to celebrate the 2014 title Friday when the club returns home for a victory parade.

Should a Fortune 500 company hire Brian Sabean as chief operating officer? Is Sergio Romo really gone? Is Brandon Crawford better than everybody realizes? How will Bruce Bochy look in bronze? What we learned about the Giants — these issues and others — during their circuitous yet fascinating route to their third World Series title in five seasons are addressed here.

The Padres have declined their option on right-handed pitcher Josh Johnson for 2015, but that doesn’t necessarily close the door on him returning to San Diego. The Padres held a $4 million option on Johnson, who will turn 31 in January, a stipulation in the contract that he signed last winter with the team if he made seven or fewer starts in 2014.