UPDATE: Phillies out of hunt for Aramis Ramirez - MLB

1:15 a.m. EST update: Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that the Phillies have dropped out of the bidding for Aramis Ramirez, leaving the Brewers and Angels as the top contenders to sign the third baseman. According to Knobler, the Phillies have decided to keep Placido Polanco as their third baseman and make another run at re-signing Jimmy Rollins.

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Agent Paul Klinzer told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt that he views the Brewers as “a favorite” to sign Aramis Ramirez.

Klinzer is seeking a three-year deal for Ramirez and said his client is interested in what the Brewers have to offer. The Phillies and Angels appear to be the other primary suitors for Ramirez, who is far and away the top third baseman available in free agency.

If the Brewers can sign Ramirez, they’d make Casey McGehee available in trade talks. They could even non-tender McGehee, though odds are that a team looking for a less expensive third baseman would be interested. Seattle is one possibility there.

Ramirez hit .306/.361/.510 with 26 homers and 93 RBI for the Cubs last season. A career National Leaguer, he’s had four 30-homer seasons and gone to two All-Star Games. He would have been a late pick to go to a third last season, but he opted to return home to the Dominican Republic instead.

ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.