Jhoulys Chacin Agrees to Two-Year Deal with the Milwaukee Brewers

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a Brew-tiful week for Jhoulys Chacin…

The 29-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher has agreed to a two-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The contract is valued at nearly $8 million per year, according to ESPN.

“I have been really working hard to get to the point where I can pitch and don’t think about anything (except) making outs, making my pitches,” Chacin said. “I was able to do that — just go out and have fun pitching.”

Chacin joins Yovani Gallardo as the second free-agent pitcher to sign with Milwaukee over the past week. Gallardo’s deal also was announced Thursday.

“We all know that the last couple years haven’t gone (well) for me,” Gallardo said. “I think it’s just a matter of minor adjustments.”

Chacin and Gallardo are expected to give the Brewers innings to help compensate for the loss of Jimmy Nelson, who underwent shoulder surgery in September and could miss a significant portion of the 2018 season.

Chase Anderson and Zach Davies are Milwaukee’s top returning starters, while Brandon Woodruff and Brent Suter could be in the competition for starting spots in spring training.

In 32 starts last season for the San Diego Padres, Chacin was 13-10 with a 3.89 ERA and a career-high 153 strikeouts. His 1.79 home ERA was the fourth lowest in Petco Park‘s history.

Chacin has pitched for five teams over eight Major League Baseball seasons, including six seasons with the Colorado Rockies (2009-2014). He has a career record of 59-67 with a 3.93 ERA in 195 games (167 starts).

He has won 10 or more games and pitched more than 180 innings three times. His best season came in 2013, when he went 14-10 with a 3.47 ERA in 197⅓ innings over 31 starts for the Rockies.

Yovani Gallardo Agrees to Deal with Milwaukee Brewers

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Big things are brewing for Yovani Gallardo…

The 31-year-old Mexican professional baseball and right-handed pitcher has agreed to a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, according to multiple reports.

Gallardo was 5-10 with a 5.72 ERA in 28 games (22 starts) with the Seattle Mariners last season.

Seattle declined an option on Gallardo in November, making him a free agent.

Gallardo spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Brewers before one-year stays with the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Mariners.

He has a career record of 113-93 with a 3.93 ERA.

Urias to Get Two More MLB Starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Make that two more Major League Baseball starts for Julio Urias…

The 19-year-old Mexican professional baseball pitcher will now stay with the Los Angeles Dodgers until the All-Star break.

Urias picked up his first MLB victory on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers despite walking six batters. But with limited starting options and Clayton Kershaw‘s uncertain status with lower-back soreness, the Dodgers are in no position to be sending Urias away, even if it means preserving his rising innings total.

“I would say the odds of Julio being in the rotation until the All-Star break are very high,” manager Dave Roberts said.

The Dodgers have already used nine different starting pitchers in 81 games, four of those who were first-time starters. Urias was one of those first-timers, as was Brock Stewart, who started Wednesday.

Even with his six walks Tuesday, Urias continues to show increasing comfort with pitching in the major leagues after a rocky debut May 27 at New York.

In seven starts, the left-hander has a 4.09 ERA in 33 innings, reaching the 100-pitch mark in his last outing. He has 41 strikeouts to 15 walks. Counting his work in the minor leagues, Urias has pitched 74 innings this season. His minor league high is 87 2/3 innings at Rancho Cucamonga in 2014.

If the Dodgers’ rotation stays in order, Urias figures to make starts Sunday at home against the Colorado Rockies and July 8 at home against the San Diego Padres before reaching the break.

Segura to Play for the Arizona Diamondbacks

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Jean Segura is diamond(back) in the rough…

The 25-year-old Dominican professional baseball shortstop and former National League All-Star was acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a five-player trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Diamondbacks also acquired right-hander pitcher Tyler Wagner for righty Chase Anderson, infielder Aaron Hill, minor league shortstop Isan Diaz and cash.

Arizona went 79-83 last season then signed free agent ace Zack Greinke and traded for All-Star pitcher Shelby Miller.

“We felt there was a need to do” this deal, he said Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart.

The Diamondbacks ranked second among NL teams in scoring last year. They traded outfielder Ender Inciarte, who hit .303 with 21 steals, to the Atlanta Braves in the Miller deal.

Segura hit .257 with six homers, 50 RBIs and 25 steals last season. He was an All-Star in 2013 with Milwaukee after a big start to his first full season in the majors. He dipped after the break and then slumped the following year.

Segura was one of the players traded from the Los Angeles Angels to Milwaukee for Greinke in 2012.

Stewart said Segura was someone who could hit at the top of the Arizona lineup, depending on how he did.

Segura is a career .266 hitter with 96 steals since making his big league debut in 2012 with the Angels.

Estrada Agrees to Two-Year, $26M Deal with the Toronto Blue Jays

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Marco Estrada is staying put…

The 32-year-old Mexican professional baseball pitcher has agreed to a $26 million, two-year contract to remain with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The team announced the agreement minutes before the deadline for Estrada to accept the Blue Jay’s $15.8 million qualifying offer for a one-year contract.

Estrada was 13-8 with a 3.13 ERA, setting career bests for wins, ERA and opponents’ batting average. He was 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in the playoffs, Toronto’s first postseason appearance since 1993.

“We obviously identified Marco as a priority to bring back after the season he had,” interim general manager Tony LaCava said during a conference call. “He was a big part of our success. We think that he can maintain that level of performance, maybe not to the level that he did this year, but certainly someone we can count on going forward who can help us defend the AL East title.”

Estrada gets a $1 million signing bonus payable by January 29 and salaries of $11 million next year and $14 million in 2017.

Estrada began 2015 in the bullpen but joined the rotation in early May after left-hander Daniel Norris was demoted to Triple-A. Estrada went winless in his first five starts then was 12-5 the rest of the way, beginning with a four-start winning streak between June 2 and June 19.

“He never looked back,” LaCava said. “He just continued to get stronger and stronger throughout the season.”

Estrada’s final start of the year was among his strongest. With Toronto facing elimination against the Kansas City Royals in the AL Championship Series, Estrada pitched one-hit ball into the eighth inning to help the Blue Jays win 7-1 in Game 5.

An eight-year veteran, Estrada has also pitched for Washington Nationals and the Milwaukee Brewers. He joined the Blue Jays in a November 2014 trade that sent first baseman Adam Lind to the Brewers.

Rodriguez Lands Lucrative One-Year Contract with the Milwaukee Brewers

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Francisco Rodriguez is Milwaukee bound once again…

The 32-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher, “K-Rod” as he’s known, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers worth $3.25 million plus incentives.

Rodriguez, a four-time MLB All-Star, could earn another $550,000 in bonuses. The contract includes a $100,000 bonus for 55 innings pitched and incentives for games finished; $50,000 each for 15 and 20 games; $75,000 for 25 and 30 games; and $100,000 each for 35 and 40 games.

Rodriguez, a World Series champion, has 304 saves in 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles.

Milwaukee signed Rodriguez as a free agent last spring before trading him to Baltimore in late July in a deal for minor leaguer Nick Delmonico.

In 2008, Rodriguez set a major league record with 62 saves for the Angels. He has notched three finishes in the top five in Cy Young Award balloting.

Rodriguez brings depth and another veteran arm to a Milwaukee bullpen headed by Jim Henderson, who recorded 28 saves and struck out 75 batters in 60 innings as a 30-year-old rookie last season.

Garza Signs Four-Year, $50 Million Contract with the Milwaukee Brewers

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Matt Garza has a $50 million arm…

The 30-year-old Mexican American professional baseball pitcher has signed a four-year, $50 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The deal, which includes a fifth-year vesting option for 2018, could be worth up to $67 million based on performance bonuses.

Garza will get $12.5 million a season, with $2 million annually deferred without interest. The deferred money is payable in four installments each Dec. 15 starting in 2018. He can earn an additional $1 million annually in performance bonuses: $500,000 each for 30 starts and 190 innings.

The deal includes a $13 million option for 2018 that would become guaranteed if he makes 110 starts during the next four years, pitches 155 innings in 2017 and is not on the disabled list at the end of that season. Milwaukee also would get an extra year at a relatively low salary if he has a significant arm injury.

The Brewers, who are looking to rebound from a disappointing 74-88 season in 2013, also announced the deal on the team’s official Twitter account.

General manager Doug Melvin called Garza an “established, top-of-the-rotation pitcher.”

“The thing about signing Matt now, it gives us a lot more depth and, as you know, during a baseball season, you never use five starters,” Melvin said. “So, just kind of wait and see how spring training unfolds, and always having the available depth is important to stay in a 162-game season.”

Garza went 10-6 with a 3.82 ERA last season for the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers. The right-hander missed most of the first two months while recovering from an injury that affected his side and back.

Garza will join Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse at the top of Milwaukee’s rotation. He is 67-67 with a 3.84 ERA in eight seasons with Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers.

Garza is looking forward to pitching — and hitting — back in the NL Central.

“It’s fun. I like the Central, I like pitching in the Central,” Garza said in a conference call. “I like swinging the bat in the big parks.”

Garza In Talks to Join the Milwaukee Brewers

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Matt Garza’s career prospects are brewing…

The 30-year-old Mexican American professional baseball pitcher is reportedly in serious talks with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Despite media reports, Garza, currently a free-agent, and the team haven’t made an official deal yet.

The Brewers issued a statement Thursday evening following reports of a $52 million, four-year agreement between the Brewers and the right-hander, pending a physical.

The statement says “despite media reports, negotiations between the Brewers and Matt Garza are ongoing, but there is no deal yet.”

Garza pitched for the Chicago Cubs most of the past three seasons before Chicago dealt him to the Texas Rangers at last July’s trade deadline.

Garza will step into a Milwaukee rotation that includes holdovers Kyle Lohse, Yovani Gallardo, Wily Peralta and Marco Estrada.

Veras Traded to the Detroit Tigers

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

The Detriot Tigers have discovered their next closer… And, his name is José Veras.

The Tigers acquired the 32-year-old Dominican relief pitcher on Monday from the Houston Astros in exchange for minor league outfielder Danry Vasquez and a player to be named later.

Veras is 0-4 with a 2.93 ERA this season, and the 32-year-old right-hander has struck out 44 in 43 innings with only 14 walks.

Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski says the team is pleased to add an experienced arm to the bullpen.

Detroit entered the season with a lot of uncertainty at the closer spot, and although Joaquin Benoit has pitched well in the role in recent games, the AL Central-leading Tigers needed bullpen depth.

Aside from Benoit and Drew Smyly, none of their other relievers have been all that effective on a consistent basis.

In his Major League Baseball career, Veras has played for the New York Yankees, the Cleveland Indians, the Florida Marlins, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Astros.

Rodriguez Headed to the Baltimore Orioles

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Francisco Rodriguez will be flying high for the remainder of the Major League Baseball season…

In an effort to bolster their bullpen, the Baltimore Orioles acquired the 31-year-old Venezuelan pitcher from the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday for minor league infielder Nick Delmonico.

“We’re not playing for (anything) here. But going there now, every game is going to count. I’ve got to be on top of my game now and help them out,” said Rodriguez.

Baltimore started the day 2½ games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox in the AL East. Looking for their second straight playoff appearance, the third-place Orioles had a 1½-game lead over Texas Rangers for the final AL wild-card spot.

“We were trying to upgrade the pitching to give us a chance to make the run for the AL (East) title and the pennant. So we did what we had to do to help the team now, and we have enough players having good years at the plate,” Orioles vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said.

“Nick Delmonico shows a lot of promise as a hitter, but the major league club needed a little more depth for our pitching staff to accomplish what we want to accomplish this year.”

K-Rod was one of the game’s best relievers during his time with the Los Angeles Angels, saving a major league-record 62 games in 2008. He later spent three seasons as a closer with the New York Mets that are remembered mostly for an alleged assault of his girlfriend’s father at the ballpark.

Rodriguez has revitalized his career the past three years in Milwaukee, going 1-1 with 10 saves and a 1.09 ERA in 25 appearances this season.

“I think he’s the kind of guy that can be a difference-maker,” said Brewers general manager Doug Melvin. “When you get into postseason or you get into pennant races in August and September, you always need more than one guy that can pitch in the ninth inning. He’s capable of doing that.”

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