Jon Lester took the mound for the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day Monday without a contract past this season.

The two sides announced a "pause" in talks on Saturday. Lester can hit the free agent market this winter.

"It's kind of like having the elephant in the room — we all know the circumstances that are there this year," Lester said."I would like to think I'm good about dealing with outside things. When I'm at the park I'm thinking about what I need to do that day to get better and worry about the other stuff when I'm done. It is what it is, I can't change it. It's something that's going to be there and there are going to be questions, and I'll have to give answers but it's something we'll deal with along the way."

The sides "are all in a good place," said Lester.

"There's no animosity," he said, and, "both sides have been very reasonable."

The Oakland Athletics have signed Joe Blanton to a Minor League contract and assigned him to Triple-A Sacramento.

The 33-year-old was released by the Los Angeles Angels last week.

Blanton was a major disappointment in Los Angeles, going 2-14 with a 6.04 ERA last season after signing a two-year, $15 million contract with the Angels as a free agent.

The Cleveland Indians have signed George Kottaras to a Minor League contract.

The Chicago Cubs acquired Kottaras from the Kansas City Royals in November, but released him last week as they choose to keep John Baker as their reserve catcher.

Kottaras hit .180/.349/.370 in 126 plate appearances with the Royals last season.

Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a six-year, $144.5 million deal just before the start of the season.

Trout is the first player with less than three years of service time to sign a deal worth more than $20 million annually.

The outfielder gets $2 million of his $5 million signing bonus within 30 days of the contract's approval, and the rest by Oct. 15. His salaries are $5.25 million in 2015, $15.25 million in 2016, $19.25 million in 2017 and $33.25 million in each of the final three seasons.

It's widely believed that both the Angels and Trout compromised on the deal. The talks began shortly after Thanksgiving.

Trout's decision could have a trickle-down impact in future seasons in arbitration on up-and-coming stars like Washington's Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper or the Mets' Matt Harvey.

Following a breakout season in 2013, catcher Yan Gomes has agreed to terms with the Indians on a multiyear contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Gomes batted .294 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs in 88 games last season, his first with the Indians. 

Mike Trout says he had no problem giving up a few years of free-agent freedom in exchange for lifelong financial security and a chance to win championships with the Angels, according to an ESPN.com report.

Owner Arte Moreno would have liked to lock up baseball's best young player for even longer, and says he met Trout in the middle on a record-setting contract.

Trout formalized his six-year, $144.5 million deal on Saturday, committing himself to the Angels through 2020.

The 22-year-old outfielder says it was "hard to turn down" the big numbers offered by the Angels.

The Angels reached an agreement Friday night with outfielder Mike Trout on a a six-year contract that runs through 2020.

Financial terms were not released by the Angels, but sources told ESPN.com the deal with the two-time All-Star outfielder is worth $144.5 million.

In need of a starter, the Seattle Mariners have signed Chris Young to a one-year contract.

Young, 34, has a 53-43 record and a 3.79 ERA over parts of nine seasons.

He pitched well for the Washington Nationals this spring, with a 3.48 ERA in four outings, before accepting his release Tuesday.

The Detroit Tigers have agreed to terms with Miguel Cabrera on a new 10-year contract extension worth $292 million, according to a source.

The new deal covers the two years remaining on Cabrera's current contract and eight additional seasons. It is expected to become official later this week when Cabrera is able to complete a physical.

The agreement also includes two vesting options worth $30 million apiece for years 11 and 12 that could bring the total of the deal to $352 million, according to multiple reports.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a six-year, $31 million contract extension with Starling Marte, according to a report.

The deal, which is pending a physical, includes an option year as well.

The 25-year-old hit .280/.343/.441 with 12 home runs, 35 RBIs and 41 stolen bases in 566 plates appearances last season.