Tag Archives: Bob Melvin

Robert Suarez Agrees to $46 Million, Five-Year Contract with San Diego Padres

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Robert Suarez has landed a father of a deal…

The 31-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher and reliever has agreed to remain with the San Diego Padres under a $46 million, five-year contract, according to multiple reports.

Robert Suarez The deal, pending a physical, was first reported by MLB Network. Suarez can opt out after three years and become a free agent again, the reports said.

Suarez, a rookie, was having a terrific postseason until allowing Bryce Harper‘s go-ahead, two-run homer with no outs in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series that sent the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series.

Manager Bob Melvin was criticized by some for letting Suarez pitch to Harper instead of using left-hander Josh Hader. Melvin said Hader wasn’t ready when Harper came to bat and that he wanted to get through the final three innings with Suarez and Hader, the Padres’ two best relievers. Melvin said he wanted to get two outs from Suarez in the eighth and the final four outs from Hader. Philadelphia won 4-3.

Suarez, who is represented by Amuse Sports, will make salaries of $10 million in each of the first three years of the deal and $8 million in the last two. Additionally, he can make up to $3 million per season if he finishes a certain number of games. Those incentives will pay off if Hader is not retained after his contract expires following next season and Suarez becomes the closer.

Suarez was especially impressive in the NL Division Series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, throwing four scoreless innings in three appearances. He pitched two scoreless innings in a wild-card series win against the New York Mets.

He went 5-1 with a 2.27 ERA in 45 appearances during the regular season.

Salvador Perez Ties Johnny Bench’s Record for Homers in a Season by a Catcher

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Salvador Perez is rewriting history…

The 31-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball catcher and Kansas City Royals slugger has tied Johnny Bench‘s record for homers in a season by a catcher with his 45th in a 7-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Thursday.

Salvador Perez

Perez hit a two-run homer in the first inning, matching Bench’s total from 1970 for the most by a player who played at least 75% of his team’s games at catcher.

Perez is tied with Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the Major League Baseball lead in homers and also leads the MLB with 112 RBIs.

“We’re witnessing a special season,” manager Mike Matheny said. “We’re witnessing a special player. To be able to be put in the conversation with one most would say is the best ever is pretty rare.”

His talent is not lost on the opposition.

“Salvador, it seems like he’s hitting a home run a day against everybody,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “You can’t miss against him right now.”

Perez is three homers away from matching Jorge Soler‘s team record from 2019. Soler extended the Royals’ record by 10. Perez also tied Mike Sweeney for second on the club’s all-time list with 197 home runs. George Brett holds the club record with 317.

After bouncing back from an elbow injury that caused him to miss all of the 2019 season with an elbow injury, Perez has been on a tear. His 56 home runs in 2020 and 2021 are the most in MLB over that span, while his 144 RBIs rank third.

If Perez, Guerrero and Shohei Ohtani (44) — from Venezuela, Canada and Japan, respectively — are atop the home run leaderboard until the season’s end, it will be the first time in MLB history that the top three leaders were all born outside the United States, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Top Cuban Prospect Armenteros Agrees to Deal with Oakland Athletics

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Lazaro Armenteros is headed to the West Coast…

The Oakland Athletics landed the 17-year-old baseball phenom, a versatile outfielder and top Cuban prospect, after he agreed to terms with the team on Saturday.

Lazaro Armenteros

Armenteros receives a $3 million signing bonus from Oakland, which originally signed Cuban Yoenis Cespedes before the 2012 season.

The A’s also agreed to terms with four Dominican players — third baseman George Bell, shortstops Marcos Brito and Yerdel Vargas, and center fielder Kevin Richards. Each of the new acquisitions will report to the club’s Dominican training facility and later to Arizona for instructional league this fall.

A’s assistant general manager and scouting chief Dan Feinstein took the lead on acquiring Armenteros, nicknamed Lazarito. The A’s have been watching him seriously for two years.

“It’s exciting. The scouts and Dan really did a great job with this,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Quite the find getting Lazarito. … I did see a picture where he looks pretty cut up physically.”

Armenteros, a right-handed hitter with speed and a body Feinstein likened to that of “a young Frank Thomas,” batted .462 for Cuba in the 15-and-under World Cup in Mexico two years ago. He hit .416 with a league-leading six home runs in Cuba’s 15-and-under league.

“To say we are excited to add this level of talent to our minor league system would be an understatement,” Feinstein said. “Our International scouts work tirelessly throughout the year, and it’s great to see those efforts rewarded.”