Jorge Lopez Agrees to One-Year, $2 Million Contract with New York Mets

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jorge Lopez has Mets an offer he can’t refuse…

The 30-year-oldPuerto Rican professional baseball pitcher has agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the New York Mets.

Lopez’s hiring adds another reliever to a team that has spent the past week bolstering its organization depth.

Lopez struggled with three teams this year after a career-best 2022 in which he looked the part of a front-line reliever.

With a velocity bump from his move from the rotation to the bullpen, Lopez rode a 98 mph fastball and heavy curveball to a 2.54 ERA. The regression he showed after his midseason trade from the Baltimore Orioles to Minnesota Twins continued into 2023, when the Twins traded him to the Miami Marlins and he later went back to the Orioles without similar success.

Lopez nevertheless remained strong, and the Mets are hopeful he can return to form after posting a 5.95 ERA in 59 innings in 2023 with the three teams. New York, under new president of baseball operations David Stearns, in the past week claimed a pair of catchers (Cooper Hummel, Tyler Heineman) off waivers, signed two pitchers (Kyle Crick, Andre Scrubb) and an infielder (Jose Iglesias) to minor league deals, added another reliever (Michael Tonkin) on a split major league deal, and guaranteed $13 million to starter Luis Severino in hopes of a return to past excellence.

The Mets’ pitching depth going into the winter after a deeply disappointing 75-87 season called for significant additions, and Stearns is attempting to do what he did in Milwaukee, where often-overlooked relievers thrived and turned the Brewers’ bullpen into a weapon.

Lopez rejoins Mets closer Edwin Diaz, his teammate on Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, during which Diaz ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee celebrating a victory over the Dominican Republic. Diaz’s return deepens a bullpen with left-hander Brooks Raley the only other pitcher whose role is clearly defined.

Luis Severino Agrees to One-Year, $13 Million Contract with New York Mets

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Severino isn’t leaving the Big Apple…

The 29-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher has agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with the New York Mets, according to ESPN, sending the longtime New York Yankees player to a Mets team that plans to spend its winter upgrading a depleted rotation.

Severino had spent all of his eight-year career with the Yankees, including a rough 2023 in which he posted a 6.65 ERA over 89⅓ innings. Still, the free agent market has set the price of veteran starting pitchers at $10 million-plus a year — and Severino’s past success bought him slightly more.

Over his first seven seasons with the Yankees, Severino was highly effective when healthy. He threw 638 innings with a 3.39 ERA and 709 strikeouts against 181 walks. In his two full seasons, 2017 and 2018, he was one of the best pitchers in baseball, finishing third and ninth in Cy Young Award voting and throwing at least 190 innings each year.

Shoulder and lat injuries limited Severino to three starts in 2019, and he missed the 2020 season and most of 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned strong in 2022 with a 3.18 ERA over 19 starts and 102 innings.

The deal, which is pending a physical Thursday, includes $2 million in performance bonuses and allows Severino to reach free agency after the season. It’s the first move of many to rebuild a Mets rotation that lost Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to trades in July and, beyond Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana, has serious questions.

The Mets will be a strong bidder for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 25-year-old right-hander from Japan, whose deal is expected to be the second-highest of the winter.

They could also pursue left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who will get well in excess of $100 million guaranteed. The Mets have been on the periphery of the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes as well.

Nestor Cortes Returning to New York Yankees Rotation in Weekend’s Series vs. Houston Astros

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Nestor Cortes is getting back in the game!

The 28-year-old Cuban-American professional baseball pitcher will return to the New York Yankees‘ rotation this weekend in a four-game series against the Houston Astros after missing more than two months with a left rotator cuff strain.

Cortes was scheduled to make a third minor league rehab start on Wednesday.

When he arrived to get his things and travel to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the left-hander was told he would start either Saturday or Sunday.

“I was made aware of it today before I got in. I was supposed to come and pick up my stuff before I got to Scranton,” Cortes said. “That’s kind of what I know.”

Cortes will throw one more bullpen session Thursday and likely be limited to around 60 pitches in his first outing since May 30, when his shoulder started bothering him.

Cortes was initially placed on the 15-day injured list June 8 and hoped to only miss two or three starts. The Yankees moved him to the 60-day injured list July 7.

“I’ve been on the shelf too long,” Cortes said. “I want to come back and obviously show who I am and be back to the same form I was. So excited for this weekend.”

Cortes is 5-2 with a 5.16 ERA in 11 starts and has particularly struggled later in outings. Opponents are hitting .447 when facing him for the third time in a game.

Last year, Cortes was an MLB All-Star and went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts.

New York manager Aaron Boone said he would likely know the exact date of Cortes’ return after Wednesday’s game.

Boone also said Luis Severino will make his next scheduled start Friday against Houston. Severino (2-5, 7.49 ERA) had a bullpen session with pitching adviser Andy Pettitte after allowing nine runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings in a loss on Sunday.

Carlos Rodon Agrees to 6-Year, $162 Million Deal with New York Yankees

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Rodon is the 162-million dollar man…

The 30-year-old Cuban American left-handed pitcher has agreed to a 6-year, $162 million deal with the New York Yankees, according to ESPN.

Rodon was the top pitcher left on the market after he opted out of a contract with the San Francisco Giants after last season. He was 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 2022, pitching a career-high 178 innings over 31 starts.

Rodon was the third pick in the 2014 draft by the Chicago White Sox but battled injuries during the first portion of his career before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He returned to elite form in 2021 when he compiled a 2.37 ERA over 24 starts though the White Sox were careful with him down the stretch. He never pitched more than five innings over the final two months of the season.

Even with his success that year the White Sox non-tendered Rodon that offseason leading to a two-year deal with the Giants. It included an opt-out which he chose to exercise in November.

Rodon joins holdovers Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas in the Yankees rotation which ranked fourth overall in ERA last year. That ranking wasn’t indicative of some second-half struggles as the Yankees were eliminated in the postseason by the Houston Astros.

The signing, which was first reported by the New York Post, is the latest for agent Scott Boras who once again is having a rich off-season. Other deals for his clients include Carlos Correa ($350M), Xander Bogaerts ($280M), Brandon Nimmo ($162M), Masataka Yoshida ($90M), Taijuan Walker ($72M), Sean Manaea ($25M) and Cody Bellinger ($17.5M).

According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the deal is the second-largest contract the Yankees have ever given a pitcher in total value, exceeded only by Cole’s $324 million deal in 2019. Rodon gets $1 million more than CC Sabathia‘s $161 million deal with the Yankees in 2008.

Between Rodon and Aaron Judge, who signed a nine-year, $360 million deal to stay with the Yankees earlier this month, the team has guaranteed $522 million in contracts this offseason.

Rodon won’t have to wait long to face his former Giants team, with the Yankees set to host the San Francisco Giants on Opening Day of the 2023 season.

Rodon is 56-46 with a 3.60 ERA in 152 major league appearances over eight seasons. He has 947 strikeouts in 847 1/3 innings.

Oakland A’s Pitcher Frankie Montas Acquired by New York Yankees

Posted on August 1, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Frankie Montas is heading to the Northeast…

The 29-year-old Dominican professional baseball right-handed, starting pitcher has been acquired by the New York Yankees, alongside part-Latino closer Lou Trivino in a deal with the Oakland Athletics.

The A’s are receiving left-handers Ken Waldichuk and J.P. Sears, right-hander Luis Medina and second baseman Cooper Bowman from the Yankees. Waldichuk, 24, was the fifth-highest-ranked prospect in the Yankees’ farm system, according to MLB.com.

The American League-best Yankees have had a busy deadline, acquiring outfielder Andrew Benintendi and rookie reliever Scott Effross before solidifying an already strong rotation and bullpen with the acquisitions of Montas and Trivino.

The trade for Montas is the second involving a highly sought-after starting pitcher this week, following Seattle’s acquisition of right-hander Luis Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds for a four-prospect package.

Montas, who is not eligible for free agency until after the 2023 season, has shown flashes of excellence since signing with Boston in 2009. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers before moving to Oakland, where he blossomed over the past six seasons into the pitcher who this season has 104⅔ innings of 3.18 ERA ball with 109 strikeouts, 28 walks and a dozen home runs allowed.

“His level of talent, especially with how he’s pitched the last couple years, just excited to get him in the mix,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s got the full arsenal and stuff you look for top of the rotation guy. Gone out and proved last couple years he is that kind of caliber pitcher.”

A shoulder injury sidelined Montas for a mid-July start, but he returned with three shutout innings, followed by a five-inning, two-earned-run start against Houston. That was enough of a sample to draw a broad range of teams — large-market and small.

”I think we’re comfortable with where he’s at shoulder-wise,” Boone said.

Montas joins a rotation headed by MLB All-Stars Gerrit Cole (9-3, 3.30 ERA) and Nestor Cortes (9-3, 2.53 ERA) that has faltered of late.

Left-hander Jordan Montgomery is 0-2 with a 5.36 ERA in his last eight starts and right-hander Jameson Taillon is 1-1 with a 5.04 ERA in his last five. Luis Severino has not pitched since July 13 because of a lat strain and was moved to the 60-day injured list Monday along with right-handed reliever Miguel Castro, out since July 10 with a strained right shoulder.

Going into Monday night’s series opener against Seattle, Domingo German had an 8.22 ERA in his first two starts after recovering from a right shoulder impingement.

By winning the Montas sweepstakes, the Yankees add a starter who will slot into a playoff rotation with a fastball-slider-splitter pitch mix that has proved effective all season. Montas went at least five innings in 15 of his first 16 starts, with the only exception being a game in which he got hit in the hand on a comebacker and left the game after 1⅔ innings.

Trivino, a 30-year-old right-hander, is 1-6 with a 6.47 ERA — double his 2021 figure — and 10 saves in 13 chances. Right-handed batters are hitting .289 against him this year while lefties are hitting .392 with nine walks in 60 plate appearances.

“Little bit down year statistically but we don’t think it lines up with what we’re seeing on some underlying things and who we think he is,” Boone said. “He’s been a very good reliever for them on some playoff-caliber teams.”

Trivino joins one of the better bullpens in the majors, but one that has struggled with injuries of late. Chad Green, Michael King and Zack Britton are all on the 60-day injured list with Green and King expected to miss the rest of the season.

Waldichuk, who is pitching at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, is 6-3 with a 2.71 ERA overall in 17 starts for two clubs in the Yankees’ minor league system this season and has 116 strikeouts in 76⅓ innings.

Sears, 26, is 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in 22 innings for the Yankees in the majors this season and is 1-1 with a 1.67 ERA in 43 innings in Triple-A. Medina, 23, is 4-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 17 starts for Double-A Somerset this season.

Bowman, 22, is hitting .217 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs for Class-A Hudson Valley this season.

The Yankees also optioned right-hander Clarke Schmidt to Scranton and promoted right-hander Carlos Espinal from the RailRiders.

Jasson Dominguez Makes His Professional Baseball Debut in Yankees’ Minors

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jasson Dominguez is officially a professional baseball player…

The 18-year-old baseball outfielder, signed by the New York Yankees in July 2019 for $5.1 million, went 0-for-2 with a walk on Monday in his professional debut for the Florida Complex League Yankees against the FCL East Tigers.

D0minguez hit leadoff and played center field for the rookie level team, going 0-for-2 with a strikeout and foul popup to third against Australian left-hander Jack O’Loughlin and walking against Dominican right-hander Wilmer Fenelon.

Dominguez’s signing bonus matched that of Oakland Athletics shortstop Robert Puason for the highest in the 2019-20 international amateur free-agent class.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone met Dominguez and saw him take batting practice two years ago when he went with bench coach Carlos Mendoza to visit Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino and Miguel Andujar in the Dominican Republic.

“I’ve actually got to watch quite a bit of video of him in extended spring training, whether it be live at-bats off our pitchers or watching Sevy a few weeks ago when he was starting his return, Dominguez was one of the live hitters he’s facing,” Boone said.

“A special talent. And from all I can tell and all I hear is a really good kid. So look forward to him starting his career and charting his own path and hopefully the hype and the pressure doesn’t become too much of a factor or is something that also can fuel a player, too. But he’ll chart his own path and go at his pace and hopefully be impacting us at some point,” he said.

CC Sabathia Agrees to One-Year Deal with the New York Yankees

Posted on November 7, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

CC Sabathia is heading back to the mound…

The 33-year-old Dominican American Major League Baseball pitcher has reached an agreement with the New York Yankees valued at $8 million, according to ESPN.

Sabathia, a lefty, has played the past 10 seasons of his 18-season career with the Yankees.

Sabathia went 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts last year for a 100-win New York club that lost in the American League Division Series to the Boston Red Sox.

He took a cut in salary from $25 million in 2017 to $10 million in ’18. An ejection in his final start of the regular season cost Sabathia a $500,000 bonus that he would have earned for reaching 155 innings pitched.

Sabathia, who underwent right knee surgery in October, is one of just three returning members of the Yankees’ 2018 rotation, joining Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka.

Starter J.A. Happ is a free agent, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had said the team hopes to re-sign him, as well.

Cashman also is expected to pursue a group of free-agent pitchers that includes left-handers Patrick Corbin and Dallas Keuchel.

New York already this offseason re-signed Brett Gardner, so keeping Sabathia maintains two veteran presences in the clubhouse.

“These are known commodities,” Cashman said. “We know exactly who they are in that clubhouse, who they are dealing with our press and our fans, and obviously — most importantly — competing on the field of play.”

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