William Contreras Agrees to One-Year, $6.1 Million Deal with Milwaukee Brewers, Avoiding Arbitration

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a Brew-tiful day for William Contreras.

The 27-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball catcher and the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to a one-year contract guaranteeing $6.1 million, avoiding an arbitration hearing.

Contreras gets a $6 million salary this year, and the Brewers have a $12 million option for 2026 with a $100,000 buyout.

A two-time MLB All-Star, Contreras had asked for $6.5 million and had been offered $5.6 million when proposed figures were exchanged.

His deal with the reigning National League (NL) Central champions includes a team option for 2026.

Contreras batted .281 with a .365 on-base percentage, 23 homers and 92 RBIs in 155 games last year and was an All-Star for the second time in three seasons. He hit .289 in 2023 with a .367 on-base percentage, 17 homers and 78 RBIs in 141 games.

The Milwaukee chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America selected Contreras as the Brewers’ most valuable player in each of the past two seasons.

The Brewers acquired him from the Atlanta Braves after the 2022 season.

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

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

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.

The 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.

Luis Garcia Traded to Boston Red Sox

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

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.

Garcia’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

Posted on July 29, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

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.

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’ Pitcher Cristopher Sánchez to Play in First MLB All-Star Game

Posted on July 13, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Cristopher Sánchez is preparing to get in the game…

The 27-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher, a left-hander for the Philadelphia Phillies, will play in his first MLB All-Star Game appearance as the replacement for Atlanta Braves lefty Chris Sale, who is scheduled to start for his team on Sunday and won’t pitch in the Midsummer Classic.

The addition of Sánchez pushes the Phillies’ MLB-leading total to eight All-Stars, adding to the franchise record.

The game is Tuesday night at the home of the Texas Rangers. Philadelphia will go into the break as the only team in the big leagues with at least 60 victories.

Sánchez becomes the 38th first-time All-Star and the ninth replacement — five from the National League. He raised the total number of All-Stars to 73.

Sánchez is 7-4 with a 2.96 ERA. He allowed two runs in six innings in a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday in his last start before the break.

Sánchez was the third member of Philadelphia’s rotation in the All-Star Game but the only one who’ll make it to the game. Philadelphia right-hander Zack Wheeler won’t participate due to back spasms while lefty Ranger Suárez was replaced by Braves starter Max Fried.

The Phillies have three starters in first baseman Bryce Harper, shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm. Relievers Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm round out the Philadelphia contingent.

Sale picked up his MLB-leading 12th victory in a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. This is the eighth All-Star nod for the 35-year-old.

Fried, who will be heading to his second All-Star Game, is 7-5 with a 3.08 ERA. He’s also had two complete games for Atlanta this year.

Seattle‘s Logan Gilbert was replaced by reliever Andrés Muñoz, his teammate, with Gilbert also set as a Sunday starter.

Minnesota Twins infielder/outfielder Willi Castro and Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander and infielder Jordan Westburg were added earlier to the American League roster in place of Houston Astros shortstop Jose Altuve (sore left hand) and outfielder Kyle Tucker (bruised right shin) and Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (left shoulder soreness).

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and right-hander Hunter Greene, and San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos were NL replacements for Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler (back spasms), Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (broken left hand) and right-hander Tyler Glasnow (back tightness), and San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (right thigh).

Marcus Semien of host Texas replaced Altuve in the AL starting lineup.

Skenes is slated to start for the National League after making just 11 big league starts.

San Diego Padres Finalizing Deal to Acquire Luis Arraez from Miami Marlins

Posted on May 3, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Arraez is thisclose to heading west…

The San Diego Padres are nearing a deal to acquire the 27-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman from the Miami Marlins for reliever Woo-Suk Go and prospects Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee and Nathan Martorella, per ESPN sources.

The trade is pending a medical review, but is expected to be finalized soon.

The transaction represents the first significant move for the Marlins since Peter Bendix took over as the team’s president of baseball operations in November after Kim Ng departed.

It marks the beginning of the Marlins’ teardown of an underachieving roster that has produced the third-worst record in the majors at 9-24 entering Friday with a minus-59 run differential after reaching the postseason in 2023.

On the other side, it’s another aggressive deal for A.J. Preller, the leader of the Padres’ front office since 2014.

Arraez, one of the sport’s best contact hitters, will give the Padres a needed left-handed-hitting weapon after Juan Soto was sent to the New York Yankees in December.

San Diego entered Friday 16-18 with a neutral run differential, 4.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West standings.

Arraez was the Marlins’ best player, an MLB All-Star and batting champion each of the last two seasons. This season, he is batting .299 with a .719 OPS in 33 games, all started at second base. He also has extensive experience at first base.

Arraez is expected to start games as the Padres’ designated hitter, but the club plans to cycle through the DH spot. Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado could also get at-bats there. Bogaerts has been the club’s starting second baseman.

Go spent seven seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) before signing a two-year deal with a mutual option worth $4.5 million guaranteed during the offseason. The 25-year-old right-hander appeared in 10 games for Double-A San Antonio, posting a 4.38 ERA across 12 ⅓ innings after failing to make the Padres’ bullpen out of spring training.

Head was the Padres’ first-round pick (25th overall) last year out of high school. The 19-year-old center fielder is batting .237 with a .683 OPS and three stolen bases in 21 games in low-A.

Martorella is batting .294 with an .282 OPS in 23 games in San Antonio. The Padres selected the 23-year-old first baseman in the fifth round of the 2022 draft.

Marsee, a 22-year-old outfielder, has spent the season in San Antonio batting .185 with two home runs. He was a sixth-round pick in 2022 out of Central Michigan.

Raul Ibanez Named Vice President of Baseball Development & Special Projects for Los Angeles Dodgers

Posted on January 14, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Raul Ibanez is getting a special promotion…

The Los Angeles Dodgers have rehired the 51-year-old Cuban American former professional baseball player, an MLB All-Star in 2009, as their new vice president of baseball development and special projects.

Ibanez spent the past two years working with Major League Baseball as a senior vice president of on-field operations, reporting directly to executive vice president Morgan Sword — who helped spearhead last year’s rule changes — while working on issues related to rules, equipment and on-field technology.

Prior to that, Ibanez spent six years as a special assistant within the Dodgers’ baseball operations department.

Ibanez’s current Dodgers role is full-time, which means he will relinquish his duties with MLB.

Ibanez spent 19 years in the big leagues, accumulating 2,034 hits and 305 home runs while playing for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees from 1996 to 2014.

Ibanez’s most productive years were spent in Seattle, but he made his only All-Star team as a member of the Phillies in 2009 and later starred for them in the postseason.

With the Yankees, he had perhaps the most memorable moment of his career, hitting the tying, pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the 2012 American League Division Series then the walk-off homer in the 12th.

Félix Bautista Named the American League’s Reliever of the Year

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Félix Bautista is experiencing a bit of relief…

The 28-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles was the unanimous winner of the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award.

Bautista, nicknamed “The Mountain,” was 8-2 with a 1.48 ERA and 33 saves in 39 chances for the AL East champion Orioles.

The right-hander made his final appearance August 25 and had Tommy John surgery on October 9, which likely will cause him to miss the 2024 season.

Bautista, who made his MLB debut in 2022, was named 2023 MLB-All-Star.

Milwaukee Brewers‘ Devin Williams won the Trevor Hoffman National League honor Wednesday.

Carlos Sainz to Compete in All-Star Match Preceding Upcoming Ryder Cup

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Sainz is swinging into a new sport…

The 29-year-old Spanish racing driver, currently competing in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, will step out of his race car and onto the golf course.

Sainz will compete in an All-Star match preceding the upcoming Ryder Cup outside Rome.

Sainz, Novak Djokovic and soccer players Gareth Bale and Andriy Shevchenko are among those named to compete in the September 27 event by Ryder Cup Europe.

“I can’t wait to tee it up in Rome and experience the incredible atmosphere of a Ryder Cup, which has become legendary,” said Djokovic, a 23-time Grand Slam champion who is currently competing at the US Open.

Actress Kathryn Newton and Super Bowl champion Victor Cruz were also included on the teams that will be led by former Ryder Cup captains Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin.

The Ryder Cup will be held from September 29-October 1 at the Marco Simone course.

At the 2022 British Grand Prix, Sainz took his maiden Formula One pole position and career win. He has ended up on the podium 16 times.

Houston Astros Star Jose Altuve Notches 2,000 Career Hits

Posted on August 20, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jose Altuve has 2,000 reasons to smile…

The 33-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball player and Houston Astros star has notched 2,000 career hits, becoming the third player in franchise history to reach the milestone.

Altuve hit a leadoff single in the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert on Saturday night.

He was thrown out trying to stretch the play into a double, but the Minute Maid Park crowd was ready to celebrate.

As Altuve trotted toward the dugout, a 2,000-hit graphic was displayed on the jumbotron and the eight-time MLB All-Star tipped his helmet to the roaring crowd. With the fans still cheering, Altuve stepped up out of the dugout for a curtain call, once again tipping his helmet.

“We did a little champagne toast and they said some things about me and then I had to say some things about me, too,” Altuve said about the postgame clubhouse celebration. “It was good.”

Hall of Famers Craig Biggio (3,060) and Jeff Bagwell (2,314) also reached 2,000 hits with the Astros. They were both in attendance on Saturday night.

Altuve also singled on Gilbert’s first pitch of the game and singled in the seventh, ending the day with 2,001 career hits. He finished 3-for-5 in a 10-3 loss to Seattle.

“That’s quite an accomplishment,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “A couple other Hall of Famers here got 2,000 hits. … Hopefully he can stay healthy and be around for the next 1,000.”

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen and Chicago White Sox infielder Elvis Andrus also reached 2,000 career hits this season. Andrus got his milestone hit on April 5. Freeman accomplished the feat on June 25, and McCutchen reached the milestone on June 11.

There are seven active MLB players with at least 2,000 hits: Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Nelson Cruz, Andrus, McCutchen and Freeman.

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