Oakland Athletics Designate Jesus Aguilar for Assignment

Jesus Aguilar is on assignment

The Oakland Athletics have designated the 32-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball first baseman for assignment on Monday.

Jesus AguilarAguilar is batting .221 with five home runs and nine RBIs in 36 games this season, his first in Oakland. He was 1-for-20 in his past seven games.

Aguilar is a career .253 hitter with 114 home runs and 402 RBIs in 10 seasons with six teams. He was an MLB All-Star in 2018 with the Milwaukee Brewers, slugging a career-high 35 home runs and driving in a career-best 108 runs.

Yandy Díaz Helps Team Extend the Tampa Bays Rays Season-Opening Win Streak to 11

Yandy Díaz and his Tampa Bay Rays teammates are inching closer to Major League Baseball history.

The Cuban-born professional baseball infielder and his Rays team members have run their season-opening win streak to 11 games, moving closer to history by defeating the Boston Red Sox 7-2 on Tuesday night.

Yandy DíazDíaz and Brandon Lowe hit back-to-back solo shots with two out in the fifth inning. Lowe extended his homer streak to four straight games.

Isaac Paredes and Josh Lowe also connected for the Rays, and Shane McClanahan (3-0) struck out nine while pitching five-plus innings of one-run ball.

“This team is having a lot of fun right now, we’re doing what we need to do every single night,” Josh Lowe said in his postgame, on-field interview. “We’re just going to keep it rolling as long as we can.”

The 1987 Milwaukee Brewers and the 1982 Atlanta Braves share the MLB record for the best start to a season at 13-0. The Rays are closing in.

“We’re just getting good pitches to hit. That’s all, really,” Josh Lowe said. “We’ve all worked really hard to get to this point that we’re at right now. We’re keeping it simple, and staying within ourselves. … We’re doing our job.”

The four homers brought Tampa Bay’s total to 29, matching the major league record through 11 games set by the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals. It was the Rays’ third four-homer game of the young season.

“It’s unbelievable. Everyone kind of wrote us off about our offense,” McClanahan said. “But we believe in these guys, and they are showing why we believe in them. It’s been awesome.”

Boston’s Alex Cora has watched his club produce just three runs in this series, and that was after the Rays posted back-to-back shutouts of the Oakland Athletics. But the manager has been impressed with Tampa Bay’s offense, as well.

“They’re playing good baseball right now. They did a few things offensively that they have cleaned up compared to last year, their approach is a lot different,” Cora said. “They’re putting good swings on good pitches and hitting the ball out of the ballpark.”

Jesus Aguilar Agrees to One-Year, $3 Million Contract with Oakland Athletics

Jesus Aguilar is headed to Oakland…

The 32-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball first baseman has agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Oakland Athletics, according to ESPN.

Jesus Aguilar The deal is pending a physical.

Aguilar will join his sixth Major League Baseball team if the deal is finalized. The one-time MLB All-Star spent most of last season with the Miami Marlins.

The Marlins designated Aguilar for assignment in late August while he was leading the team in hits, home runs and RBIs. Miami general manager Kim Ng said the club wanted to allow him the opportunity to catch on with a playoff contender while it gave younger players more at-bats.

Aguilar signed with the Baltimore Orioles and played in 16 games for them down the stretch, but Baltimore narrowly missed the playoffs.

In 129 games between Miami and Baltimore last season, Aguilar batted .235 with 16 homers, 19 doubles and 51 RBIs. His best season came with the Milwaukee Brewers during his All-Star year in 2018, when he received National League MVP votes after hitting 35 homers with 25 doubles and 108 RBIs — all of which remain career highs.

In 759 career games for Cleveland (2014-16), Milwaukee (2017-19), Tampa Bay (2019), Miami (2020-22) and Baltimore, Aguilar is a career .254 batter with 109 homers, 105 doubles and 393 RBIs.

He’s made most of his appearances at first base or as a designated hitter, along with 16 games at third base.

Jean Segura Agrees to Two-Year, $17 Million Deal with Miami Marlins 

Jean Segura is heading to the Sunshine State.

The 32-year-old Dominican veteran professional baseball shortstop and second baseman and the Miami Marlins have agreed to a two-year, $17 million deal, according to multiple reports.

Jean SeguraIt’s the first free agent move of the offseason for the Marlins, who are coming off a 69-93 season — their 12th losing record in the past 13 years. And they’ve watched NL East rivals Atlanta, Philadelphia and the New York Mets make no shortage of moves to try and improve their loaded rosters; the Braves were World Series champions in 2021 and the Phillies won the NL pennant this year before falling to Houston in the World Series.

Segura spent the past four seasons with the Phillies, but they declined his $17 million option last month, and he instead received a $1 million buyout. In 98 games this season — he missed about two months with a fractured right index finger — Segura hit .277 with 10 home runs, 33 RBIs and 45 runs. He also appeared in the postseason for the first time in his 11-year career and delivered a key hit in Philly’s Game 3 NLCS win against the San Diego Padres.

A two-time MLB All-Star, Segura also has played full seasons for the Milwaukee BrewersArizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. He’s a career .285 hitter with 107 home runs, 712 runs scored and 492 RBIs.

He primarily played second base for Philadelphia but also saw time at shortstop and third. Marlins All-Star second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was limited to just 60 games in 2022 due to injury.

Z101 Digital first reported news of the agreement between Segura and the Marlins.

Yohan Ramirez Acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates

Yohan Ramirez is making a switch…

The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired the 27-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher from the Cleveland Guardians for cash while reinstating infielder Kevin Newman from the 60-day injured list.

Yohan RamirezThe Pirates optioned Ramirez to Triple-A Indianapolis and had Newman in the lineup and batting seventh for their game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Newman hadn’t played since April 26 due to a left groin strain.

Ramirez has appeared in a combined eight games this season with the Seattle Mariners and Guardians. He is 1-0 with a 6.97 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings. Right-handers are hitting .222 against him.

In 15 Triple-A appearances, he is 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA.

Ramirez has pitched in 49 career major league games with Seattle (2020-22) and Cleveland, going 2/3 with five saves and a 3.99 ERA.

“We really liked his stuff,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I think there’s some things that we think mechanically we can continue to work on, but the actual stuff, we really like. The other thing is this is a guy with two options, which is really important for a club like us. We’re fortunate to get somebody like that.”

Newman, 28, is batting .250 with no homers and eight RBI in 14 games this season. He played shortstop before getting hurt but started at second base Friday. Shelton said Newman would be used at both positions.

Last season, Newman batted .226 with five homers and 39 RBI in 148 games.

Houston Astros Acquire Mauricio Dubón from San Francisco Giants

Mauricio Dubón is preparing for an astronomical season…

The Houston Astros have acquired the 27-year-old Honduran professional baseball shortstop and center fielder in a trade with the San Francisco Giants.

Mauricio Dubón Dubón is batting .239 with two homers and eight RBIs in 21 games this season. He has big league experience at second base, third base, shortstop and center field.

“He really came together as a man, as a teammate, and as a baseball player,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “This is a great opportunity for him.”

The Giants received minor league catcher Michael Papierski in the deal. Papierski was assigned to Triple-A Sacramento.

“It’s always nice to have a switch-hitter and a guy that’s more difficult to match up against,” Kapler said about Papierski. “As aggressive as we are in using our bench, it’s always nice to have, potentially at some point, a guy that you may be able to kind of let ride, particularly at the catcher position.”

San Francisco also recalled infielder Donovan Walton from Sacramento before the Giants’ game at the St. Louis Cardinals.

Dubón made his Major League Baseball debut in 2019 with the Milwaukee Brewers. He is a .258 hitter with 15 homers and 58 RBIs in 179 games in the majors.

The Astros had won 11 straight games heading into Saturday’s matchup with the Washington Nationals.

Avisail Garcia Agrees to Four-Year, $53 Million Contract with Miami Marlins

Avisail Garcia is headed to the South Florida…

The 30-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball right fielder has agreed to a four-year, $53 million contract with the Miami Marlins are in agreement on a four-year, $53 million contract, according to ESPN.

Avisail Garcia The Marlins will become Garcia’s fifth team.

He is coming off his best season, hitting 29 home runs with 86 RBIs — both career bests — for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021.

Garcia opted for free agency earlier this month, and the Marlins have made it clear in recent weeks that landing outfield help was a top offseason priority.

Garcia has also played with the Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and for the Chicago White Sox, a team he represented in the 2017 All-Star Game played at what was then called Marlins Park in Miami.

In parts of 10 seasons, Garcia has batted .270 with 127 home runs and 475 RBIs. He has played almost exclusively in right field, with limited time in center and left as well.

Jhoulys Chacín Agrees to One-Year, Guaranteed $1.25 Million Contract with Colorado Rockies

The Rockies times will continue for Jhoulys Chacín

The 33-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball right-handed pitcher has agreed to a guaranteed $1.25 million, one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies that allows him to earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses.

Chacin was 3-2 with a 4.34 ERA in a career-high 45 relief appearances and one start for Colorado, which signed him on April 1 after he was released from a minor league contract by the New York Yankees near the end of spring training.

He became a free agent after the World Series.

Chacín is 81-89 with a 4.06 ERA in 227 starts and 76 relief appearances in 13 seasons with Colorado (2009-14, 2021), the Arizona Diamondbacks (2015), Atlanta Braves (2016), the Los Angeles Angels (2016), San Diego Padres (2017), Milwaukee Brewers (2018-19), Boston Red Sox (2019) and Atlanta (2020).

Chacín would earn $125,000 for making five starts and for each additional five through 20 and $125,000 for 30 pitching appearances and each additional 10 through 60. His total bonuses are capped at $500,000.

Milwaukee Brewers Acquire Rowdy Tellez from Toronto Blue Jays

Rowdy Tellez is movin’ to the Badger State.

The 26-year-old half-Mexican American professional baseball player and first baseman has been acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday in exchange for right-handed pitchers Trevor Richards and Bowden Francis.

Rowdy Tellez 

Tellez, who bats left-handed, is hitting .209 with four home runs and eight RBIs in 50 games for the Blue Jays at the major league level this season.

Tellez is currently in Triple-A and is hitting .298 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in Trenton.

His best season came in 2019 when he set career highs with 21 home runs and 54 RBIs. For his career, he has a .241 batting average, 37 home runs and 99 RBIs in 219 games.

Tellez was expected to be in uniform for Wednesday’s series finale against the New York Mets.

“This is a player who has consistently put the bat on the ball and he’s consistently hit the ball hard — those are two pretty good attributes for major league hitters,” Brewers general manager David Stearns said. “He has a long track record of success in the minor leagues. He got off to a little bit of a slow start this year at the major league level. We think the underlying ingredients are pretty sound. We think he should be able to perform at the major league level. He’s going to get a shot.”

The first-place Brewers acquired the 28-year-old Richards, along with Willy Adames, in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in May. He is 3-0 with a 3.20 ERA in 15 appearances with Milwaukee since the trade.

Francis, 25, is 7-3 with a 3.62 ERA in 11 starts at two levels in the Brewers’ minor league system this season.

The Brewers needed some help at first base with Daniel Vogelbach on the injured list due to a strained left hamstring. Vogelbach isn’t expected to return until August.

Keston Hiura, who opened the season as the Brewers’ starting first baseman, is batting .161 and already has been sent to the minors twice this season. Hiura showed signs of progress during the Brewers’ recent 11-game winning streak, but he has gone 0-for-7 with six strikeouts over his last two games.

Stearns said the search for a Vogelbach replacement was complicated by the calendar. Teams are preparing for the amateur draft, which starts Sunday, while trying to figure out if they are contenders ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

“We explored a number of different options, a number of different players,” Stearns said. “We’re certainly pleased we were able to find a match.”

Richards will help out in the bullpen for the Blue Jays, who entered Tuesday four games out of the AL’s second wild-card spot.

“You can pitch him in some big spots,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He got out of some jams for us. He did a really nice job.”

Melky Cabrera Helps Lead the Dominican Republic Past Venezuela for Final Olympic Baseball Berth

Melky Cabrera is headed to the Tokyo Games…

The 36-year-old Dominican baseball player, nicknamed The Melkman, sparked a comeback from a three-run deficit with a two-run homer to help lead the Dominican Republic past Venezuela 8-5 on Saturday and win the final qualifier at Puebla, Mexico.

Melky Cabrera

In the process, the Dominican Republic claimed the final Olympic baseball berth for the COVID-19-postponed 2020 Tokyo Games.

Former Kansas City Royals infielder Ramon Torres hit a go-ahead infield single in a six-run fourth inning for the Dominicans, who joined host Japan, the United States, Israel, Mexico and South Korea at the Olympics. The baseball tournament will be played from July 28 to August 7 in Fukushima and Yokohama.

Baseball, dropped from the Olympics after 2008, was restored for the Tokyo Games and is being dropped again for 2024, though it is likely to be added for Los Angeles in 2028.

Players on 40-man Major League Baseball rosters are not eligible.

San Francisco prospect Diego Rincones put Venezuela ahead with a three-run homer in the second inning off Radhames Liz, whose last major league appearance was with Pittsburgh in 2015.

Emilio Bonifacio walked off starter Yapson Gomez with two outs in the third, and Cabrera, a 15-year big league veteran, greeted former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Eduardo Paredes with a two-run homer.

Juan Francisco singled leading off the fourth and Milwaukee Brewers prospect Harold Chirino relieved. Boston prospect Johan Mieses singled, Diego Goris followed with a tying double and Torres singled for a 4-3 lead.

Charlie Valerio‘ had an RBI single, Gustavo Nunez hit a two-run single and Bonifacio added a sacrifice fly for an 8-3 lead.

Former big leaguer Dario Alvarez pitched a hitless fourth for the win.

Milwaukee prospect Alexander Palma singled in a run in the seventh off former Arizona prospect Luis Castillo, and Danry Vasquez hit an RBI double with two outs in the ninth off Jairo Asencio before Palma’s game-ending groundout.

The Netherlands was eliminated Friday. Australia, China and Taiwan withdrew from the final qualifier citing the coronavirus pandemic.