Tag Archives: Philadelphia Phillies

Yoan Moncada Among Record 26 Cuban Players on MLB’s Opening Day Rosters

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Yoan Moncada is officially part of part of Major League Baseball Opening Day history.

The 29-year-old Cuban professional baseball third baseman made his Los Angeles Angels debut at his former home, Rate Field, drawing a walk in his only plate appearance during the opening game.

Yoan MoncadaIn the process, Moncada helped his native Cuba make MLB history, with a record 26 players on MLB‘s Opening Day rosters.

Cuba’s total topped its previous high of 23 in 2016, 2017 and 2022.

In all the percentage of Opening Day players born outside the 50 states remained at 27.8%, matching its lowest level since 2016.

There were 265 players from 18 nations and territories outside of the 50 states among 954 players on Opening Day active rosters and injured, restricted and inactive lists, the commissioner’s office said Friday.

The Dominican Republic led countries outside the U.S. with 100, down from 108 last year and 110 in 2020.

Venezuela was second at 63, followed by Cuba (26), Puerto Rico (16), Canada (13), Japan (12), Mexico (11), Curacao and Panama (four), South Korea (three), Aruba, Australia and Colombia (two) and Bahamas, Brazil, Germany, Honduras, Nicaragua and South Africa (one apiece).

Philadelphia Phillies‘ Jesús Luzardo was listed as “miscellaneous.” Born in Peru, he’s of Venezuelan descent.

The Houston Astros and San Diego Padres topped teams with 16 international players each, with the Astros having a share of the lead for the fifth straight season

They were followed by the Atlanta Braves (14), the New York Mets (13) and the Baltimore Orioles and Miami Marlins (12 each).

Carlos Estévez Reportedly Agrees to Two-Year, $22.2 Million Contract with Kansas City Royals

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Carlos Estévez has reportedly agreed to a royal(s) deal…

The 32-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher and the Kansas City Royals have agreed to a two-year, $22.2 million contract with a club option, per ESPN sources.

Carlos EstévezEstevez’s potential hiring adds a veteran reliever to a Royals team hoping to continue its run of success after a surprise postseason appearance last year.

The deal will pay Estévez $10.1 million in each of the first two years, with the club option worth $13 million and a $2 million buyout.

Estévez has spent the past two seasons as a closer — first for the Los Angeles Angels and then, following a July trade, the Philadelphia Phillies — with a high-octane fastball and a swing-and-miss slider and changeup.

While his strikeout rate dipped last year, his walks came down significantly as well and unleashed the best version of him.

With a weak bullpen in the first half of last season, Kansas City upgraded at the trade deadline by acquiring right-hander Lucas Erceg — who became a dominant closer down the stretch — and right-hander Hunter Harvey, who missed the postseason with injuries. Estévez’s presence alongside Erceg gives Kansas City a potent one-two punch in the late innings to complement one of the American League’s best rotations.

Coming off a 106-loss season, the Royals improved by 30 games and beat the Baltimore Orioles in the wild-card round before losing to the eventual American League champion New York Yankees.

Kansas City re-signed starter Michael Wacha and traded for second baseman Jonathan India early in the winter, then re-signed right-hander Michael Lorenzen.

Estévez enriches a bullpen that includes right-handers Erceg, Harvey and John Schreiber and a panoply of left-handers: Angel Zerpa, Sam Long, Daniel Lynch and potentially Kris Bubic, who is expected to compete with Lorenzen and right-hander Kyle Wright for Kansas City’s fifth starter job.

After spending six seasons in Colorado, Estévez signed a two-year, $13.5 million deal with the Angels and ascended into the closer role. Since signing with Los Angeles, he has saved 57 games and struck out 128 while walking 43 in 117⅓ innings with a 3.22 ERA.

Los Angeles Dodgers to Honor Fernando Valenzuela with Special Patch During World Series

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to honor franchise great Fernando Valenzuela.

The team will honor the late Mexican-American professional baseball pitcher with a jersey patch in the World Series and during the 2025 season.

Fernando Valenzuela,The Dodgers unveiled the patch on Thursday — a circular design with a black background, his name in white and a large No. 34 in Dodger Blue.

Valenzuela, who sparked a fan phenomenon known as “Fernandomania” as a rookie and became a Dodgers legend, died Tuesday evening at age 63.

No cause of death was given.

Valenzuela pitched for the Dodgers from 1980 to 1990, then had stints with the Los Angeles Angels (1991), Baltimore Orioles (1993), Philadelphia Phillies (1994), San Diego Padres (1995-97) and St. Louis Cardinals (1997).

Fernando Valenzuela World Series PatchHe finished with a 173-153 record, a 3.54 ERA and 2,074 strikeouts in 2,930 innings over 453 games (424 starts).

He riveted Southern California in 1981, when as a 20-year-old from Mexico he went 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA in 25 starts, throwing 11 complete games — eight of them shutouts — to win both Rookie of the Year and the National League Cy Young Award.

The Dodgers won the World Series against the New York Yankees that season — their opponent in this year’s World Series — and Valenzuela was 3-1 with a 2.21 ERA in five starts in that postseason.

After pitching in the majors for 17 seasons, Valenzuela served as a Spanish-language broadcaster for the Dodgers, starting in 2003. He had stepped away from his broadcasting duties before the start of these playoffs to “focus on his health,” the team said.

Luisangel Acuna Makes MLB Debut After Being Promoted by New York Mets From Triple-A Syracuse

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Luisangel Acuna has received a big promotion…

Seeking to strengthen the bench for a potential postseason run, the New York Mets promoted the 22-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball infielder from Triple-A Syracuse, the team announced on Saturday.

Luisangel AcunaThe younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr., Luisangel was in the starting lineup for his major league debut on Saturday in a 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

He played shortstop and batted ninth, going 2-for-4. Acuña recorded his first hit with a single to center field off Taijuan Walker leading off the fourth and started the ninth with a single to center off Carlos Estevez.

“Good to see him fight and get us going in the ninth,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I thought he was good.”

Acuna has played second base, shortstop and center field at Syracuse, where he has posted a .258 average, 7 home runs, 50 RBIs and 40 stolen bases.

The Mets acquired Acuna in a trade on July 30, 2023, when New York dealt pitcher Max Scherzer and cash to the Texas Rangers.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor reported back tightness Friday night in the Mets’ 11-3 win over the Phillies and left the game early. He is considered day-to-day. Second baseman Jeff McNeil is out the rest of the regular season with a broken wrist.

Outfielder DJ Stewart was sent down to make room for Acuña on New York’s roster.

Baltimore Orioles Acquire Eloy Jimenez from Chicago White Sox

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Eloy Jimenez is switching teams…

The 28-year-old Dominican professional baseball designated hitter and outfielder has been acquired by the Baltimore Orioles from the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday for minor league left-hander Trey McGough.

Eloy Jimenez, Jimenez is hitting .240 with just five home runs and 16 RBIs this season. He’s been limited to 65 games in 2024 because of adductor and hamstring issues after reaching double figures in homers each of his first five seasons.

Jimenez went from the Chicago Cubs to the crosstown White Sox in the 2017 deal that sent Jose Quintana to the Cubs. In his debut season of 2019, Jimenez hit 31 home runs, but he’s never played more than the 122 games he did that year and hasn’t surpassed 18 homers since.

Before he’d even played a game in the majors, Chicago signed Jiménez to a $43 million, six-year deal. That contract includes a $16.5 million team option for 2025 with a $3 million buyout, and an $18.5 million team option for 2026, also with a $3 million buyout.

Baltimore received another outfielder Tuesday when Austin Slater was traded for the second time this month. Slater, who went from San Francisco to Cincinnati on July 7, was dealt to the Orioles along with minor league infielder Livan Soto and cash. The Reds receive cash or a player to be named.

In a separate deal Tuesday, Baltimore also acquired left-handed reliever Gregory Soto from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Seth Johnson.

Soto, 29, has a 4.08 ERA and two saves across 35⅓ innings this season for the Phillies.

Johnson, 25, has spent the season in Double-AA and has a 2.63 ERA.

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.”

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

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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.

Cristopher SánchezThe 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.

Adolis Garcia to Take Part in This Year’s Home Run Derby

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Adolis Garcia is ready to swing for the fences…

The 31-year-old Cuban professional baseball outfielder , nicknamed “El Bombi,” will represent the host Texas Rangers in Monday night’s Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Adolis GarcíaGarcía was knocked out by Tampa Bay Rays slugger Randy Arozarena last year in the first round at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez also confirmed he would participate during Wednesday night’s Phillies-Dodgers broadcast.

This will be Hernandez’s first time in the Derby.

Two Rangers have won the Derby: Ruben Sierra and Cincinnati’s Eric Davis were co-winners in 1989 at Anaheim Stadium, and Juan Gonzalez won in 1993 at Baltimore’s Camden Yards.

The New York Mets’Pete Alonso, Philadelphia‘sAlec Bohm, Baltimore‘sGunnar Henderson, Atlanta‘sMarcell Ozuna, Cleveland‘s José Ramírez and Kansas City‘s Bobby Witt Jr. previously committed to the eight-player field.

Alonso will participate in his fifth straight Home Run Derby, trying to win for the third time.

Marcell Ozuna to Compete at This Year’s Home Run Derby

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It’s batter up for Marcell Ozuna.

The 33-year-old Dominican professional baseball player, an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, will be competing in the Home Run Derby.

Marcell OzunaOzuna was already heading to Arlington, Texas, as an MLB All-Star.

It’s the third time competing for Ozuna, who last made the team in 2017.

Other confirmed entries in the slugging exhibition include two-time winner Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Alec Bohm, the Baltimore Orioles‘ Gunnar Henderson and Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr.

More participants will be announced in the coming days.

Ozuna, in the midst of a resurgent season, entered Monday with 23 homers and a National League-leading 72 RBIs.

The Derby will air on July 15 at 8:00 pm ET on ESPN.

Cristopher Sanchez Agrees to $22.5 Million, Four-Year Contract Extension with Philadelphia Phillies

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Cristopher Sanchez is staying put…

The 27-year-old Dominican professional baseball pitcher and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $22.5 million, four-year contract covering 2025-28.

Cristopher SanchezSanchez will get a $2 million signing bonus and salaries of $1.5 million in 2025, $3 million in 2026, $6 million in 2027 and $9 million in 2028.

Philadelphia has a $14 million option for 2029 with a $1 million buyout and a $15 million option for 2030 with a $1 million buyout.

The options can escalate to $16 million for 2029 and $19 million for 2030 based on top-10 finishes in Cy Young Award voting.

Sanchez was signed to a one-year contract for 2024 calling for the $753,500 while in the major leagues and $280,432 while in the minors.

“I’m so happy to be here,” Sanchez said through a translator. “I feel so great about this contract and what the future is going to be about.”

He would have been eligible for arbitration after the 2025 season. The options potentially cover what would be his first two seasons after free agent eligibility.

“We are always open to good players in your organization and keeping them, but philosophically we’re not normally into negotiating during the season because it could be a distraction to the player,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “But when we talked about it, we were open-minded to it, but it would have to happen quick. … It was really fast — it was probably a week of talking with the London trip in the middle.”

Sanchez was demoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on April 23 last year and rejoined the Phillies’ rotation that June 17. He is 4-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 14 starts this season, allowing one home run in 77⅓ innings.

“When I came up last year, I felt like this was it,” Sanchez said. “I’m going to look to stay in the big league. And it was a great day for me.”

Philadelphia starters with long-term deals include right-hander Zack Wheeler, who agreed in March to a $126 million, three-year contract for 2025-27, and right-hander Aaron Nola, who is in the first season of a $172 million, seven-year contract.

Left-hander Ranger Suarez, who entered the weekend tied for the big league lead with 10 wins, is eligible for arbitration next winter and can become a free agent after the 2025 season.