Wells, who turns 21 on July 12, hit .375 with six doubles, two homers and 14 RBIs for the University of Arizona in a season cut to 15 games because of the coronavirus pandemic. He batted .357 with seven homers and 74 RBIs over 71 games in two seasons.

Wells’ slot had a value of nearly $2.5 million for the Yankees’ signing bonus pool.

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement Saturday, and the teams confirmed the decisions. The Democrat said he would like to stop by to see them training.

“I think New York now is especially attractive, compared to the other states, because we have such a low transmission rate, and this is a state that is ready, willing and able to partner with sports teams so that they can play,” Cuomo said.

The Yankees originally had intended to base at their spring training complex in Tampa, Florida, instead of Yankee Stadium. The Mets had said they were undecided between Citi Field and their training camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Florida at first appeared preferable because the complexes have more fields.

But positive cases for COVID-19 in Florida have increased markedly in recent days, while the percentage of positive tests in New York City has dropped sharply. New York City is set to enter phase two of reopening on Monday, allowing stores and outdoor restaurant seating to reopen with social distancing.

All 30 MLB teams have closed their spring camps in Florida and Arizona this weekend over virus concerns.

MLB had hoped to start the season during the first week of July, but teams and the players’ association are engaged in a bitter fight over how to apportion revenue losses caused by the pandemic.

Both sides agree that players need three weeks of training before the increasingly slight season could start.

”To have spring training in New York, that is a really great development,” Cuomo said. ”It’s where I think they should always be, obviously. But in a bleak time, and in a season that obviously has had significant hurdles to deal with, to have a spring training quick camp in New York, that is the first bit of really good news when it comes to baseball that we’ve had in a long time.”

Cuomo has said both teams can play games at home but without fans. The U.S. Open tennis tournament is scheduled to take place without fans in its usual time frame that starts in late August.

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GAME: New York Yankees (73-63) at Baltimore Orioles (70-67)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, September 05 – 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland
LINE: Baltimore -108, total 9.5 over
Preview: Yankees at Orioles
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, YES (New York), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH CC Sabathia (11-5, 3.71 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Jeremy Hellickson (8-8, 5.15)

They’ve clubbed eight home runs during the three-game winning streak, with Didi Gregorius and Starlin Castro both hitting two-run shots Monday. “You want to keep it going,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters after his team pulled to within 2 1/2 games of the Red Sox and strengthened its hold on the No. 1 wild card in the AL. “The other teams are chasing us and we’re chasing the Red Sox. Every day we win it makes it easier for us to try to accomplish our goals. So we’ve got to play good again (Tuesday).” The Orioles had won nine of 11 entering the series and are 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota in the race for the second wild card. They will give the ball to Jeremy Hellickson on Tuesday opposite CC Sabathia for New York.

Sabathia made waves with his comments railing against the Red Sox for bunting against him in the first inning, which overshadowed his third straight strong start. The 37-year-old is 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in those three outings since coming off the disabled list in the middle of August. He was pounded for seven runs in 5 2/3 innings against Baltimore in the previous meeting April 28, but is 19-10 with a 3.47 ERA in 40 career starts versus the Orioles.

Hellickson’s 200th career outing was a rough one Thursday in Toronto, where he was reached for seven runs over 4 2/3 frames. The loss left him 2-3 with a 6.55 ERA in six starts since being acquired from Philadelphia, and he has a 13.50 mark in his last two home appearances. The Iowa native is 4-2 with a 3.21 ERA in his career against the Yankees.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees C Gary Sanchez began serving a three-game suspension Monday.
2. Orioles 2B Jonathan Schoop has gone three straight games without an RBI after driving in 15 runs over his previous 12 contests.
3. New York has won eight of the last 11 meetings.

PREDICTION: Yankees 7, Orioles 5. There is not much to like about Hellickson’s pitching right now, while Sabathia has been solid. I will take the Yankees and also play the game over the total.

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Yankees at Mariners
Current Conditions – Seattle
CLOUDY 59 °F
Wind: SSE 10
GAME: New York Yankees (26-25) at Seattle Mariners (24-26)
DATE/TIME: Monday, June 01 – 10:10 PM EST
WHERE: Safeco Field, Seattle, Washington
LINE: 123, -133 TOTAL: 6
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), ROOT (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Michael Pineda (6-2, 3.36 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (8-1, 1.91)
PREDICTION: Mariners 3, Yankees 1
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Michael Pineda will be the starting pitcher for the Yankees on this day. Right hander Pineda is 6-2 this season with a 3.36 ERA.

Pineda’s opponent in this one will be Felix Hernandez. The Mariners right hander has a 1.91 ERA to go along with a 8-1 record this season.

Oddsmakers currently have the Mariners listed as 152-moneyline favorites versus the Yankees, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

Seattle lost its last outing, a 6-3 result against the Indians on May 31. Bettors who backed the Indians at +102 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (9) sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Seattle is 9-1 in games started by Hernandez, who leads the majors in victories and tops the American League in WHIP (0.892) and shutouts (two). He has looked a bit more human in his last two home starts, serving up a pair of home runs in each outing and walking a season-high four in his most recent Safeco Field appearance on May 16 against Boston. The 29-year-old is 9-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 16 career starts against the Yankees but has a 2.11 mark in his last 13 encounters to go along with four complete games – his most against any opponent other than the Los Angeles Angels.

Team record: 24-26
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Seattle’s last 18 games
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Seattle’s last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Seattle’s last 11 games when playing NY Yankees

New York lost its last outing, a 3-0 result against the Athletics on May 31. Bettors who backed the Athletics at -121 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (3) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

While the big Dominican finally has turned the corner to become the Yankees’ best starter this year, Hernandez remains dominant for the Mariners, as he is coming off his 11th career shutout – a four-hitter at Tampa Bay on Wednesday. The aces will be trying to help their clubs turn things around after both dropped three of four over the weekend. New York was blanked 3-0 in Oakland on Sunday, while Seattle was outhit 18-5 in a 12-inning, 6-3 loss to Cleveland.

Team record: 26-25
NY Yankees is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
NY Yankees is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees’s last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of NY Yankees’s last 11 games when playing Seattle

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Mets at Yankees
Current Conditions – Bronx M/SUNNY 55 °F Wind: NW 13
GAME: New York Mets (13-4) at New York Yankees (10-7)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, April 25 – 4:05 PM EST
WHERE: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
LINE: 118, -128 TOTAL: 7
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1, SNY
PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Mets 4
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PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Matt Harvey (3-0, 3.50 ERA) vs. Yankees LH CC Sabathia (0-3, 4.35)

Matt Harvey will be the starting pitcher for the Mets on this day. Right hander Harvey is 3-0 this season with a 3.50 ERA.

Harvey’s opponent in this one will be CC Sabathia. The Yankees left hander has a 4.35 ERA to go along with a 0-3 record this season.

Oddsmakers currently have the Mets listed as 120-moneyline favorites versus the Yankees, while the game’s total is sitting at 7.

The New York Yankees finally cooled off the red-hot New York Mets and will go for their fifth consecutive victory in the middle game of the Subway Series on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees improved to 7-1 in their last eight games with a 6-1 rout in Friday’s series opener, snapping the Mets’ franchise record-tying winning streak at 11 games.

CC Sabathia will oppose unbeaten Mets ace Matt Harvey in a high-profile matchup of two pitchers returning from major injuries but headed in opposite directions. Harvey missed last season following Tommy John surgery while Sabathia was limited to eight starts before undergoing knee surgery. Mark Teixeira belted a pair of homers and Jacoby Ellsbury added a solo shot as the Yankees scored at least five runs for the ninth time in 12 games. The Mets, who own the best record in baseball at 13-4 and amassed 57 runs in their winning streak, were held to their lowest run total since a 2-1 defeat at Washington in the second game of the season.

Last time out for New York, they were a 6-1 loser as they battled the Yankees on the road. Moneyline bettors who got the Yankees at -148 were rewarded, while the 7 combined runs moved the game PUSH for totals bettors.

New York:
Team record: 13-4
NY Mets is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets’s last 6 games
NY Mets is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets’s last 5 games on the road

New York:
Team record: 10-7
Current Streak: won 4 straight games.
NY Yankees is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 16 of NY Yankees’s last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees’s last 6 games at home
NY Yankees is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing NY Mets

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Unlike All-Star night at Citi Field, when Rivera soaked it all in, he barely noticed it this time. He was training his thoughts on retiring the Red Sox, starting with David Ortiz.

For the the 57th time against the Red Sox, the 35th time at Fenway, the 31st time this season and the all-time record 639th time, Rivera converted the save for the Yankees’ 5-2 win.

“I don’t want to be rude, but I didn’t pay attention,” Rivera said of the ovation. “It has always been hard ballgames here. I respect the organization. I respect the fans. That’s why I give it back. I play the game the way it should be played.”

Others noticed, including the Yankees’ manager.

“I think it is the class of the fans here,” Joe Girardi said. “Even though there has been a lot of history between Mo and the Red Sox. A lot of times, he has been in games that are extremely important. I think they understand what Mo has done and what he has meant to the game.”

Rivera said he has always loved to pitch here and the reaction from the Boston fans didn’t surprise him.

“It is kind of like an appreciation,” Rivera, 43, said. “It is great that they do that, that they acknowledge you and that you have been there for so many years.”

Unlike on Tuesday at Citi Field, the rest of his teammates were behind him as he warmed up — and they noticed, starting with his catcher.

“It is huge,” Chris Stewart said. “It just shows the respect that not just baseball fans, not just Boston fans, people in general have for Mo. They know what he has accomplished throughout his career. He has been their rival for quite awhile. For them to go out of their way to salute him and tip their caps and say, ‘We respect what you have done,’ it is huge.”

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Swisher passed his physical with the Cleveland Indians on Thursday and signed the four-year, $56 million, free-agent contract he agreed to last month.

The 32-year-old Swisher, born in Columbus, Ohio, will be introduced at a news conference later at Progressive Field. Swisher’s deal includes a vesting option based on plate appearances for 2017.

After trading Shin-Soo Choo last month, the Indians were desperate for a proven right fielder. They pursued Shane Victorino at the winter meetings. But after he signed with Boston, the Indians turned their attention to Swisher, who batted .272 with 24 homers and 93 RBIs last season — his fourth with the New York Yankees.

A switch hitter, Swisher should provide power and versatility to new manager Terry Francona’s lineup. The Indians only hit 136 homers last season, second-fewest in the AL.

Swisher drew interest from several teams, but the Indians were the most aggressive and used his Ohio connections to convince him to come to Cleveland.

When Swisher and his wife, actress Joanna Garcia Swisher, visited Cleveland last month, the club rolled out the scarlet-and-gray carpet to impress them. Swisher attended Ohio State, where he played baseball. The Indians brought in former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel to have lunch with Swisher, and the team also had recorded messages from coach Urban Meyer as well as Buckeyes basketball coach Thad Matta play on the giant scoreboard, urging him to come “home.”

Francona’s arrival in Cleveland also had an impact on Swisher.

Swisher’s father, Steve, managed Francona in the minor leagues. Francona has known Swisher since he was a kid.

Swisher is just one of three American Leaguers to hit at least 20 homers in each of the past eight seasons. He’s a career .256 hitter with 209 homers and 673 RBIs in nine seasons with Oakland, the Chicago White Sox and Yankees.

With New York concerned about avoiding the luxury tax in the future, the Yankees did not go after Swisher after he turned down a qualifying offer from them. Once Swisher signed with the Indians, New York general manager Brian Cashman said he thought “Cleveland got a bargain.”

Swisher made the AL’s All-Star team in 2010, when he batted .288 with 29 homers and 89 RBIs.

His signing is among many moves made this offseason by the Indians, who collapsed in August — going 5-24 — and finished 68-94 last season. The first change may have been the biggest as manager Manny Acta was fired and replaced by Francona, who won two World Series titles with Boston.

Cleveland also signed free agent first baseman Mark Reynolds and acquired center fielder Drew Stubbs and prized-pitching prospect Trevor Bauer in a nine-player, three-team trade with Cincinnati and Arizona.

The Indians have an agreement with right-hander Brett Myers on a one-year, $7 million contract pending a physical. Myers likely would take one of the openings in the club’s starting rotation.

Cleveland remains in the market for a designated hitter.

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Before taking the field in his native Venezuela to play for the Lions of Caracas, Urbina described himself as “more mature” and said he was “very excited to play baseball again.”

“I’m excited to be here,” Urbina told reporters at the University Stadium in Caracas, where the Lions played the Zulia Eagles.

The 38-year-old pitcher was released from prison on Sunday after serving roughly half of his 14-year sentence for attempted murder during a dispute over a gun on Oct. 16, 2005.

Urbina was found guilty of attacking and injuring workers with a machete. Several other men participated in the attack at his family’s ranch, located about 25 miles from Caracas.

Urbina, who pitched for the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, has repeatedly denied involvement with the incident that landed him in prison, saying he was sleeping at the time of the attack.

A two-time All-Star, Urbina saved 237 big league games from 1995-2005. He had two saves in the 2003 World Series to help the Marlins beat the New York Yankees, and last pitched in the majors with the Phillies in 2005.

Urbina told reporters he hopes to play professional baseball in the United States again.

“The first order of business is pitching in Venezuela,” he said.

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Matsui, known as “Godzilla,” hit .282 with 175 home runs in 10 big league seasons with the Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays. He batted .147 in 34 games with Tampa Bay last season before the Rays released him in August.

Matsui finished second to Kansas City shortstop Angel Berroa in the 2003 American League Rookie of the Year balloting, made two All-Star teams and won the 2009 World Series MVP award with New York after hitting .615 (8 for 14) with three home runs against the Philadelphia Phillies. He joined Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as the third player to hit .500 or better with three homers in the same World Series. In October, San Francisco’s Pablo Sandoval became the fourth hitter and the first non-Yankee to achieve the feat.

Matsui signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Yankees as a free agent in December 2002 after a successful 10-year run in Japan, during which he won three Central League MVP awards. After the 2005 season, the Yankees kept him in the fold with a four-year, $52 million extension.

Derek Jeter called Matsui one of his “favorite” teammates.

“I’ve said it numerous times over the years, but it’s worth repeating now. I’ve had a lot of teammates over the years with the Yankees, but I will always consider Hideki one of my favorites,” Jeter said in a release. “The way he went about his business day in and day out was impressive. Despite being shadowed by a large group of reporters, having the pressures of performing for his fans both in New York and Japan and becoming acclimated to the bright lights of New York City, he always remained focused and committed to his job and to those of us he shared the clubhouse with. I have a lot of respect for Hideki. He was someone we counted on a great deal and he’s a big reason why we became World Champions in 2009.”

Known for his durability, Matsui appeared in 1,768 consecutive games to begin his career before a fractured wrist ended the streak in 2006.

The Japanese news outlet Sanspo earlier reported Matsui’s retirement.

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