The Los Angeles Angels announced the acquisition of infielder Danny Espinosa from the Washington Nationals Saturday evening. Baseball America's Josh Norris first reported the trade.
In exchange for Espinosa, the Nationals received two prospects: right-handed pitchers Kyle McGowin and Austin Adams. Espinosa was reportedly unhappy with the Nationals following their trade for center fielder Adam Eaton. The deal effectively moved Trea Turner, who was the Nationals' primary center fielder for the back half of the 2016 season, to shortstop and Espinosa to the bench.
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In the first move of the new offseason, the Los Angeles Angels announced the acquisition of outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.
The deal was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Right-handed pitcher Victor Alcantara headed back to Detroit in the trade, per the official announcement. The Angels, as part of the trade, exercised Maybin's 2017 team option worth $9 million. This is the reason that likely facilitated the deal from Detroit's perspective. Maybin was an odd man out in their outfield, but instead of declining his option and making him a free agent, the Tigers were able to get a prospect in return. Los Angeles needed an upgrade in left field, and that is where Maybin will fit in. The team had the second-worst OPS from this position in 2016; they ranked 23rd in fWAR. The 29-year-old Maybin played in 94 games last season and was fairly productive. Over 391 plate appearances, he hit .315/.383/.418 with four home runs, 43 RBI and 15 stolen bases. He was worth 2.0 fWAR, his highest total since 2012. Lifetime, Maybin has hit .259/.322/.373 but has struggled to stay healthy. The former 10th overall pick has appeared in 100 or more games just three times in his 10 year MLB career. As for the other part of the trade, the Angels' No. 8 prospect (MLB.com), Alcantara, will go to the Tigers. At Double-A Arkansas this season, he went 3-7 with a 4.30 ERA and a 79-57 K/BB ratio over 110 innings. He has pitched as both a starter and a reliever over his career but has generally served as the former. --Devan Fink
The New York Mets have acquired right-handed relief pitcher Fernando Salas from the Los Angeles Angels, they announced.
In exchange, the Angels received right-handed pitching prospect Erik Manoah. Salas will add depth to a Mets' relief pitching staff that already ranks among the best in the Majors. Anchored by closer Jeurys Familia, Mets' relief corps have posted a 4.4 fWAR this season, good for fifth in the Majors. Their ERA of 3.68 ranks eleventh. The 31-year-old Salas is 3-6 with a 4.47 ERA and a 45-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 56.1 innings pitched this season. He has a 4.64 FIP and a 4.50 xFIP, as well as a -0.2 fWAR. The Mets, however, are buying stock in the recent version of Salas. Over his last 20 appearances, Salas has a 2.60 ERA and a much improved 18-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 17.1 innings. He has been serving as the Angels' closer recently, and he has saved four games in August alone. Salas was arbitration eligible for the final time last offseason, meaning he will be a free agent at the end of the year. The Mets are adding him for a possible playoff run, where his back-end relief experience should come in good handy. As for the Angels, a move of Salas, who is a rental, makes sense for a non-contending team. In return, they got Manoah, who was the Mets' 13th round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft. This season, in Class-A Short Season Brooklyn, Manoah is 5-5 with a 5.37 ERA and a 63-27 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 62 innings (13 games; 12 starts). --Devan Fink
After 14 Major League seasons, New York Yankees’ first baseman Mark Teixeira has decided to hang up the cleats.
According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, Teixeira will announce his retirement today and will go into effect at the end of the season. The Yankees announced a 3 p.m. eastern press conference with Teixeira but did not give a reason as to why. The 36-year-old Teixeira was initially drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the 2001 MLB Draft. The fifth overall pick was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. It didn’t take long for Teixeira to earn a big league promotion, making the team out of Spring Training in 2003 and appearing in his first game as the designated hitter on April 1, 2003. Teixeira would go on to have a very successful season, hitting 26 home runs and driving in 84 with an .811 OPS. He finished fifth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. Teixeira would go on to play four-and-a-half seasons with the team that initially drafted him, posting a slash line of .283/.368/.533 while there, being named to an All-Star team and winning two Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers each. In 2007, Teixeira was traded to the Braves in a deal that got the Rangers Elivs Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. He suited up for 157 games with Atlanta before being dealt to the Angels at the 2008 trade deadline. During the 2008-09 offseason, Teixeira became a free agent and cashed in. He signed an eight-year, $180 million contract with the Yankees, leading many to wonder if it was time for a salary cap in baseball. “At the rate the Yankees are going, I’m not sure anyone can compete with them,” Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told Bloomberg News in 2008. “Frankly, the sport might need a salary cap.” Teixeira went on to earn his money the very next season, hitting .292/.383/.565 with 39 home runs and 122 RBIs, both leading the American League en route to the Yankees’ World Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Since, the Yankees have seen Teixeira decline, likely due to both age and injuries. He’s posted just a .239/.336/.463 slash line since 2009, averaging 23 home runs and 69 RBIs. Teixeira has battled injuries and has not played 150+ games since the 2011 season. In 2016, Teixeira is having the worst season of his career, hitting .198/.287/.340 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs over 303 plate appearances. With that in mind, it only makes sense that the impending free agent has decided to call it a career. Cover Those Bases wishes Teixeira the best of luck in retirement. —Devan Fink
The Los Angeles Angels are close to signing free-agent right-handed starter Tim Lincecum to a Major League deal, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported Monday afternoon.
Contract details are currently unknown. Lincecum was reportedly deciding between three serious suitors. In addition to the Angels, these teams included the White Sox and Giants. Lincecum held a showcase for teams on May 6. This was done to show that Lincecum was healthy after rehabbing from a hip surgery in 2015. Approximately 20 teams went to scout him. The soon-to-be 32-year-old Lincecum pitched 76 1/3 innings with the Giants in 2015, posting a 4.13 ERA and a 60 to 38 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 15 starts. The Giants were interested in a reunion with him though only as a relief pitcher. In Los Angeles, however, Lincecum will get an opportunity to start. The team has dealt with a plethora of injuries to their starting rotation, including the loss of Andrew Heaney and Garrett Richards to UCL injuries. The team has been forced to turn to Jhoulys Chacin and Nick Tropeano in spite of these injuries. Lincecum, at the very least, will provide depth to a starting rotation that currently has the the fourth-highest expected FIP (xFIP) in the Majors. Lincecum, at his best, won back-to-back Cy Young awards with the Giants in 2008 and 2009. He was known as one of the best young pitchers in baseball but since 2012 has not been able to pitch to the same excellence. --Devan Fink |
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