MLB Roundup: Tigers' Young pleads guilty, Ex-Yank Taylor sent to prison

Detroit Tigers outfielder Delmon Young pleaded guilty Wednesday to aggravated harassment resulting from an incident in New York in April when he shouted anti-Semitic slurs and tackled a person near a hotel.

Young, the most valuable player of the American League Championship Series in October, was sentenced to 10 days of community service and mandatory enrollment in a Museum of Tolerance program, the district attorney's office said. He originally was charged with a hate crime.

After the incident, which occurred while the Tigers were in New York to play the Yankees, Young was suspended without pay for seven games.

If Young successfully completes the program at the museum, he has the option to plead guilty to a reduced charge.

---Former New York Yankees pitching prospect Brien Taylor was sentenced to 38 months in prison after pleading guilty to distributing crack cocaine.

Taylor, the No. 1 overall selection in the 1991 draft, also will face three years of supervised release after he completes his prison term.

Taylor, 40, was arrested in March when police purchased cocaine and crack cocaine from him in North Carolina during a period of several months.

Neither Taylor nor attorneys from the federal public defender's office who represented him would comment after the sentencing. But Taylor apologized to U.S. District Court Judge Louise Flanagan for inflicting pain on his family, which includes five daughters.

"This is a tragic story -- all too often our professional athletes spiral into criminal activity after an athletic disappointment or injury," U.S. Attorney Thomas Walker said in a statement to ESPN. "I think all of us hope that Mr. Taylor, like many others who have gone down this road, will put their activity behind them and move to a better place in their life."

Despite signing a contract that included a $1.55 million bonus with the Yankees, the left-hander with a 100 mph fastball never pitched in the major leagues after suffering an arm injury during a fight.

---Jason Bay and the New York Mets are splitting up.

The 34-year-old outfielder will leave the team with one year left on his $66 million contract, the Mets said Wednesday.

Terms of the separation agreement were not announced, but CBSSports.com reported that Bay would receive his full salary.

The Mets said Bay becomes an unconditional free agent, meaning he can sign with any team.

Bay never lived up to expectations with the Mets. After signing with the team in 2009 on the heels of All-Star seasons with Pittsburgh and Boston, he hit .234 with 26 homers and 124 RB in three years in New York and .165 this past season.

Bay doesn't plan to retire.

"I still feel I have plenty to give to this game and that I can play baseball at a high level," he said. "But after serious consideration, both sides agree that we would benefit from a fresh start. I'm excited to keep playing and have no intention of just walking away."

---The Los Angeles Dodgers officially named Mark McGwire their hitting coach on Wednesday.

General manager Ned Colletti announced that McGwire will replace the fired Dave Hansen.

McGwire, a 12-time All-Star who set a major-league record for home runs in a season in 1998, served as the St. Louis Cardinals' hitting coach for the past three seasons but made the move to the Dodgers to be closer to his southern California home.

"Mark has been able to translate his success as a big-league hitter into his work as hitting coach with the Cardinals," Colletti said. "He earned the respect of both veterans and young players while in St. Louis and the offensive numbers the Cardinals produced under his tutelage speak for themselves."

St. Louis already elevated John Mabry from assistant hitting coach to hitting coach to replace McGwire.

---The Boston Red Sox apparently are close to naming Juan Nieves their pitching coach.

Nieves, a former major-league pitcher who threw a no-hitter with the Milwaukee Brewers, has worked as the Chicago White Sox's bullpen coach for the past five seasons and also in their minor-league system for nine years as a pitching coach.

ESPN.com reported that new Red Sox manager John Farrell was set to hire veteran pitching coach Rick Peterson but will go with Nieves.

Other candidates who interviewed for the job included Miami Marlins pitching coach Randy St. Claire and Kansas City Royals bullpen coach Steve Foster, according to ESPN.

---New York Yankees ace left-hander C.C. Sabathia is in track in his recovery from elbow surgery to return for spring training.

Sabathia, 32, underwent surgery in late October to remove bone spurs from the elbow. He was wearing a brace Wednesday in Yankee Stadium while assisting with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, according to ESPN.

"I feel pretty good," Sabathia told ESPN. "The flexibility is coming back. I expect there to be no delays up until spring training so I should be ready to go."

Sabathia anticipates being able to start throwing after Christmas.

He finished the 2012 season with a 15-6 record and a 3.38 ERA in 200-plus innings.

---San Diego Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal received a 50-game suspension without pay from major-league baseball Wednesday after a positive test for testosterone.

Grandal will miss most of the first two months of the 2013 season for violating the substance-abuse policy by using what is considered a performance-enhancing drug.

"I am responsible for what I put into my body," Grandal said. "I must accept responsibility for my actions and serve my suspension."

As a rookie this past season, Grandal hit .297 with eight homers and 36 RBI in 226 plate appearances for the Padres. He missed significant time with an oblique injury.