Tag Archives: MLB All-Star

Jarren Duran & Boston Red Sox Avoid Arbitration with One-Year Contract Guaranteeing $3.85 Million

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Jarren Duran is seeing red…

The 28-year-old Mexican American professional baseball, an MLB All-Star in 2024, and the Boston Red Sox have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract guaranteeing $3.85 million, a deal that includes an $8 million team option for 2026.

Jarren DuranDuran gets a $3.75 million salary for this year, and the option has a $100,000 buyout.

The option price would increase to $9 million if he finishes among the top 20 in MVP voting, to $10 million if he is among the top 10, to $11 million if among the top five and to $12 million if he wins the honor. If he is not among the top 20 and is picked for second team All-MLB, the option price would be $8.5 million.

He can earn $150,000 in performance bonuses this year for plate appearances: $50,000 each for 450, 500 and 550.

If he is traded, the option would be eliminated and the receiving team would owe him a $100,000 assignment bonus.

Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Duran had asked for a raise from $760,000 to $4 million and had been offered $3.5 million when figures were exchanged last week.

Duran was eighth in MVP voting last year after hitting .285 with 21 homers, 75 RBI, 34 steals, 48 doubles and 111 runs.

Fifteen players remain on track for arbitration hearings.

Donovan Solano Agrees to One-Year, $3.5 Million Deal with Seattle Mariners

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Donovan Solano is headed to the Emerald City.

The 37-year-old Colombian professional baseball infielder has agreed to a $3.5 million, one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners.

Donovan SolanoSolano can earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $200,000 each for 300, 350, 400, 450 and 500.

Solano hit .286 with eight homers and 35 RBIs in 96 games with the San Diego Padres last year, including .302 (32 for 106) with four home runs against left-handers.

He is a .279 career hitter with 40 homers and 279 RBIs in 11 major league seasons with the Miami Marlins (2012-15), the New York Yankees (2016), San Francisco (2019-21), Cincinnati (2022), Minnesota (2023) and San Diego.

Since 2019 Solano is hitting .294 with 31 homers and 180 RBIs.

“Donovan has been among the most underrated hitters in the game over the past six years,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in a statement.

Solano also gets a hotel suite on road trips. He would receive $50,000 for election to the MLB All-Star team and $25,000 for selection. Solano also can earn $150,000 for MVP, $100,000 for World Series MVP and $50,000 each for League Championship Series MVP, Gold Glove or Silver Slugger.

Left-hander Austin Kitchen was designated for assignment to open a roster spot.

He made his major league debut for Miami at Tampa Bay Rays on July 30, went 0-1 with a 14.14 ERA in one start and three relief appearances and was claimed off waivers by Seattle on September 9.

Jonathan Loaisiga Agrees to One-Year Contract with New York Yankees

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Jonathan Loaisiga has a new deal…

The 3-0-year-old Nicaraguan professional baseball layer, a right-handed pitcher, has agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Yankees, with a team option for 2026, per ESPN sources.

Jonathan LoaisigaThe deal is pending a physical for Loaisiga, who has been hampered by elbow and shoulder injuries in recent years. He has appeared in 163 games over the past seven seasons with the Yankees.

In 2022, Loaisiga missed nearly two months because of shoulder inflammation. In 2023, arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow limited him to 17 appearances. Last season, he appeared in three games in 2024 before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery in April. He is expected to be cleared to pitch in late April.

When healthy, however, Loaisiga’s ceiling is high. He boasts electric stuff, highlighted by a 98 mph sinker, which made him an appealing free agent option for several clubs, including the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays.

Loaisiga enjoyed his best season in 2021, when he posted a 2.17 ERA in 57 appearances across 70⅔ innings.

He returns to a Yankees bullpen that lost All-Star Clay Holmes to the Mets last week and could also lose Tommy Kahnle and Tim Hill in free agency this winter.

Loaisiga is the second player to agree to a deal with the Yankees since Juan Soto chose to sign with the Mets. He joins two-time MLB All-Star left-hander Max Fried, who reached an agreement on an eight-year, $218 million contract Tuesday.

The Yankees also announced Wednesday they have traded catcher Carlos Narvaez to the Boston Red Sox for minor league right-hander Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international signing bonus pool money.

Toronto Blue Jays Agree to Deal with Cleveland Guardians for MLB All-Star Andrés Giménez

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Andrés Giménez is feelin’ blue (jays)…

The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a deal with the Cleveland Guardians for the 26-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman, an MLB All-Star, per ESPN sources.

Andrés GiménezInfielder Spencer Horwitz, 27, will head to Cleveland as part of the deal, per sources. The other elements of the trade were not immediately known.

The deal comes as Toronto is trying to retool its roster after a disastrous 2024 season and in the aftermath of its unsuccessful attempt to sign superstar Juan Soto.

Gimenez is in the midst of a seven-year, $106.5 million deal that runs through the 2029 season, with a club option for 2030.

He has won three Gold Gloves and is widely regarded as one of the sport’s best middle infielders.

He stole 30 bases for the Guardians last season but batted .252 with a slugging percentage of .340 and was moved down into the lower half of the Cleveland lineup.

In an era in which executives highly value offensive production, other teams had started to view Gimenez as perhaps overpriced for the small-market Guardians, with rival executives speculating earlier in this offseason that he might be on the move.

The Blue Jays went 74-88 last season and are facing a franchise crossroad ahead, which is why they took a shot — a long shot, it appeared from the outset — at signing Soto.

First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the team’s best hitter, will be eligible for free agency next fall, and to date, the Blue Jays haven’t been able to work out a contract extension. Associates of Guerrero say that as the player weighs his options, he’s not sure about the direction of the franchise.

Shortstop Bo Bichette is also eligible for free agency after next season.

The Blue Jays appear to be foregoing a significant rebuild and, according to agents and rival executives, have indicated they will do everything they can to rebound in the very competitive AL East in 2025. The Jays made a significant offer to Soto before being outbid by the New York Mets, and they have had talks with other free agents and teams about possible deals.

They were among the teams involved in the bidding for pitcher Max Fried before Fried, according to sources, agreed to an eight-year, $218 million deal with the New York Yankees.

Félix Hernández Among 14 New Candidates on the Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot

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Félix Hernández is on the ballot.

The 38-year-old Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher, nicknamed “King Félix,” is among 14 new candidates on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot released on Monday, joining 14 holdovers.

Félix HernándezHernández, the 2010 American League (AL) Cy Young winner and a six-time MLB All-Star, won the 2010 and 2014 AL ERA titles.

He was 169-136 with a 3.42 ERA and 2,524 strikeouts for Seattle from 2005-19. Hernández pitched the 23rd perfect game in Major League Baseball history against the Tampa Bay Rays on August 15, 2012.

Hernandez isn’t the only Latino to become a first-time candidate.

Outfielder Carlos González, reliever Fernando Rodney and infielder Hanley Ramírez also are among the Latino newcomers on the ballot.

González was a three-time MLB All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and the 2010 National League (NL) batting champion. He hit .285 with 234 homers, 785 RBIs and 122 stolen bases for Oakland (2008), Colorado (2009-18), Cleveland (2019) and the Chicago Cubs (2019).

Pedroia was a four-time MLB All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, helping Boston to World Series titles in 2007 and 2013. He batted .299 with 140 homers, 725 and 138 steals for the Red Sox from 2006-19, winning the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year and 2008 AL MVP.

Ramírez was voted the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year and won the 2009 NL batting title, becoming a three-time MLB All-Star. He hit .289 with 271 homers, 917 RBIs and 281 stolen bases for Boston (2005, 2015-18), the Florida and Miami Marlins (2006-12), Los Angeles Dodgers (2012-14) and Cleveland (2019).

Other Latino holdovers include steroids-tainted stars Alex Rodriguez (134 votes, 34.8%) and Manny Ramirez (125, 32.5%) along with Carlos Beltran (220, 57.1%), Omar Vizquel (68, 17.7%), Bobby Abreu (57, 14.8%) and Francisco Rodríguez (30, 7.8%).

Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) members with 10 or more consecutive years of membership are eligible to vote. Ballots must be postmarked by December 31 and results will be announced January 23. Anyone elected will be inducted on July 27 along with anyone chosen December 8 by the hall’s classic baseball committee considering eight players and managers whose greatest contributions to the sport were before 1980.

Houston Astros Star Jose Altuve Earns Silver Slugger Award for the Seventh Time

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Jose Altuve has earned another special MLB prize…

The 34-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers utilityman led the field of Silver Slugger honorees, picking up the award for the seventh time in his career.

Jose AltuveMajor League Baseball revealed the 2024 Silver Sluggers on Tuesday, as voted on by major league managers and coaches. The group features seven first-time winners and 14 different clubs with at least one honoree.

Altuve was picked as the American League second baseman winner after he batted .295 with a .789 OPS, 20 home runs, 31 doubles and 65 RBIs in 153 games in 2024. He was an MLB All-Star for the ninth time.

Other Latino players to win in the American League include Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez and outfielders Juan Soto of the New York Yankees and Anthony Santander of the Baltimore Orioles.

Latino players receiving Silver Slugger awards in the National League include Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The full list of winners is as follows:

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Catcher: Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
Second base: Altuve, Astros
Third base: Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians
Shortstop: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
Outfield: Judge, Yankees; Juan Soto, Yankees; Anthony Santander, Baltimore Orioles
Designated hitter: Brent Rooker, Oakland Athletics
Utility: Josh Smith, Texas Rangers

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Catcher: William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers
First base: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
Second base: Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
Third base: Manny Machado, San Diego Padres
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
Outfield: Jackson Merrill, Padres; Teoscar Hernandez, Dodgers; Jurickson Profar, Padres
Designated hitter: Ohtani, Dodgers
Utility: Betts, Dodgers

Francisco Lindor Named a Finalist for MLB’s National League MVP Award

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Francisco Lindor is in the running for one of Major League Baseball’s biggest individual honors.

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop for the New York Mets, nicknamed “Mr. Smile,” is a finalist for the National League MVP award.

Francisco Lindor Lindor, a 4-time MLB All-Star, 3-time Silver Slugger and 2-time Gold Glove Award winner, is joined among the top three in National League voting by Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte and Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, a finalist for his first National League MVP award after twice winning the American League honor.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is a finalist for his second American League MVP in three seasons, joined by Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto.

Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022 voting. Ohtani signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December but didn’t pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery.

Ohtani would join Frank Robinson for Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues.

Pittsburgh‘s Paul Skenes is a finalist in balloting for the NL Cy Young Award and NL Rookie of the Year. The 22-year-old right-hander becomes the fifth rookie to finish among the top three in Cy Young Award voting, after Mark Fidrych (1976), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Dwight Gooden (1984) and José Fernández (2013). The only one to win both in the same year was Valenzuela in the National League.

Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title, playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Ohtani would become the first primary DH to win an MVP award.

 

The top three finishers in voting for each of the major individual awards presented annually by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America were announced Monday night on MLB Network. Winners will be revealed next week.

Balloting is conducted before the postseason.

Ohtani would become the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (three each).

Lindor batted .273 with 33 homers, 91 RBIs and 29 steals, while Marte hit .292 with 36 homers and 95 RBIs.

Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Witt topped the big leagues with a .332 average, hitting 32 homers with 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs.

Atlanta’s Chris Sale and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler are NL Cy Young Award finalists along with Skenes, who made his big league debut May 11 and went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts, striking out 170 in 133 innings.

Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, Kansas City’s Seth Lugo and Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase are the finalists for the AL honor. Clase becomes the first reliever to finish among the top three in voting since San Diego’s Trevor Hoffman came in second in 2006 NL balloting.

Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio joined Skenes as finalists for NL Rookie of the Year. Yankees right-hander Luis Gil and catcher Austin Wells are AL finalists along with Baltimore outfielder Colton Cowser.

Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt, Kansas City’s Matt Quatraro and Detroit’s A.J. Hinch are finalists for AL Manager of the Year. The three NL finalists were all first-year managers with their teams: the Mets’ Carlos Mendoza, Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy and San Diego’s Mike Shildt.

Luis Garcia Traded to Boston Red Sox

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Luis Garcia is seeing Red (Sox)…

The 27-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball right-handed pitcher has been traded to the Boston Red Sox from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline on Tuesday.

Luis GarciaGarcia’s trade came immediately after the team acquired right-hander Lucas Sims from the Cincinnati Reds.

The Red Sox sent minor league right-hander Ovis Portes to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Sims and sent four minor league players to the Angels in exchange for Garcia: infielder/outfielder Matthew Lugo, first baseman Niko Kavadas and right-handed pitchers Ryan Zeferjahn and Yeferson Vargas.

Garcia was 5-1 with a 3.71 ERA in 45 relief appearances in his first season with the Angels after signing a one-year, $4.25 million deal in December.

He is 26-28 with a 4.02 ERA in 530 career appearances (four starts) in 12 seasons for five teams.

Lugo, 23, was Boston’s No. 17 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, drafted in the second round in 2019. The nephew of nine-time MLB All-Star Carlos Beltran, Lugo was batting .285 with 16 home runs and 54 RBIs in 78 games in Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester this season.

Kavadas, 25, hit .281 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs in 83 games this season at Worcester.

Zeferjahn, 26, was 1-3 with a 3.52 ERA in 25 games (one start) with Portland and Worcester this year.

Vargas, a 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic, was 4-2 with a 3.03 ERA in 11 games (4 starts) with the Red Sox farm teams in the Florida Complex League and Single-A Salem.

Sims, 30, went 1-4 with a 3.57 ERA and one save in 43 appearances out of the Cincinnati bullpen this season. The right-hander struck out 40 batters and walked 20 in 35⅓ innings.

Sims owns a career record of 22-17 with a 4.41 ERA and 12 saves in 230 games (14 starts) with the Atlanta Braves (2017-18) and Reds.

Portes, 19, was in his second season with the Boston organization. He went 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA and two saves in 11 games (five starts) between Class-A Salem and the Florida Complex League.

The Red Sox designated left-hander Brandon Walter, 27, for assignment to make room for Sims on the 40-man roster.

Tampa Bay Rays Trade Isaac Paredes to Chicago Cubs

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Isaac Paredes is headed to The Windy City.

The 25-year-old Mexican professional baseball third baseman and MLB All-Star is being traded by the Tampa Bay Rays to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Christopher Morel, a 25-year-old Dominican fellow third baseman, per ESPN.

Isaac Paredes The Cubs are also sending two prospects — pitchers Ty Johnson and Hunter Bigge — to the Rays in the deal, sources told ESPN.

Paredes immediately will step in as the Cubs’ starting third baseman, as the team has been searching for an answer at that position since moving on from Kris Bryant in 2021.

Morel has played there this season with varying degrees of improvement on defense, but his offensive output stalled somewhat after a promising first two years of his career.

After hitting .247 with 26 homers last season, Morel is hitting .199 with a team leading 18 home runs this season.

Paredes, who is hitting .247 with 16 home runs and 19 doubles this season, was originally signed by the Cubs but never played for them as he was traded to the Detroit Tigers in a 2017 deadline deal.

Both players are under team control for several more seasons before reaching free agency.

Bigge just made his MLB debut this month after being drafted in the 12th round in 2019. Johnson was taken in the 15th round of the 2023 draft and has been pitching at the Class-A level this season.

Both teams are in transition mode. The Rays have made several deals ahead of the trade deadline, shipping out reliever Jason Adam on Sunday as well as Randy Arozarena and Zach Eflin earlier in the week.

The Cubs, who began Sunday in last place in the NL Central, acquired reliever Nate Pearson on Saturday, vowing to rework their roster with future years in mind.

Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Carlos Estevez from Los Angeles Angels

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Carlos Estevez is headed to The City of Brotherly Love.

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired the 31-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher from the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, paying a hefty price in two top pitching prospects but adding a dynamic arm to an already strong bullpen.

Carlos EstevezThe deal for Estevez, who is a free agent this winter, will send right-hander George Klassen and left-hander Samuel Aldegheri to the Angels.

“I’m glad if I’m going to another place, it’s a place I can get a shot to win a ring,” Estevez said. “It feels amazing. I’m excited.”

In Estevez, the Phillies add an established late-inning reliever to a bullpen rich with pedigree.

In addition to MLB All-Stars Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm, the Phillies have 23-year-old Orion Kerkering as well as left-handers Jose Alvarado and Gregory Soto, both of whom have closing experience.

Estevez has displayed immaculate control this season, with only three unintentional walks in 34 innings. He has struck out 32 and limited hitters to a .169/.202/.288 slash line while posting a 2.38 ERA with 20 saves.

“He’s one of the best relievers in baseball this past year,” Phillies team president Dave Dombrowski said. “He’s a guy that can pitch the ninth inning. How [manager Rob Thomson] determines how he’s going to use him, we’ll see. It wouldn’t surprise me if he gets a lot of ninth innings.”

At 64-39, the Phillies have the best record in baseball and are widely regarded as the World Series favorite. Dealing prospects the quality of Klassen and Aldegheri for an impending free agent reliever is a heavy price but one that reflects the team’s urgency after back-to-back losses in the World Series and National League Championship Series.

“We are trying to win,” Dombrowski said. “We think he’s a guy that can be a real significant piece of that.”

Klassen, 22, is the prize of the deal. A sixth-round pick last year out of Minnesota, he struggled to throw strikes in college but has turned into a revelation with the Phillies. Featuring a 100 mph-plus fastball, he made nine starts in Low-A and posted a 0.71 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 12 walks in 38 innings. Since his promotion to High-A, Klassen has a 4.22 ERA but has maintained his high strikeout rate and kept walks under control.

He could move fast in a depleted Angels farm system, though Aldegheri is closer to the big leagues. The 22-year-old, born and raised in Verona, Italy, recently was promoted to Double-A after carving through High-A with 95 strikeouts, 28 walks and only three home runs allowed in 68 innings.

“We didn’t want to give them up,” Dombrowski said, “but it’s sort of the price of acquisitions at this time.”