Deadline deals made
DOZIER, ARCHER AMONG 15 SWAPS ON MLB DEADLINE DAY
For Brian Dozier, getting traded meant a dash to the airport and a long trip to Dodger Stadium. For Jake Diekman, it was a lot easier — he simply rode the bullpen cart from one clubhouse to the other at Chase Field.
Chris Archer, Jonathan Schoop and a bunch of relievers moved on deadline day, a flurry of 15 swaps Tuesday before time ran out to make deals without waivers.
The trade market kept spinning at a dizzying pace. Every team except San Francisco made at least one deal since the All-Star Game, with Tampa Bay swinging seven.
Archer, a two-time All-Star, hugged teammates at Tropicana Field before heading to Pittsburgh. He is 3-5 with a 4.31 ERA in 17 starts this season, and joins a Pirates club that has pushed back into the playoff race even after trading away Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen in the off-season.
“They’re super-hot right now, and they want me,” Archer said. “I’m excited to be part of the organization that wants me, part of a rich baseball history, a hard-working community. I can’t wait to get there.”
The Rays sent former All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos to NL East-leading Philadelphia, while Leonys Martin, Kevin Gausman and Cameron Maybin also switched sides as contenders tweaked their rosters.
And why not? All but four National League teams began the day within 5 1/2 games of a playoff spot. The American League is more spread out — division leaders Boston, Cleveland and Houston have been busy.
Manny Machado, Cole Hamels, Zach Britton, Mike Moustakas and Ian Kinsler were among the big names that moved earlier this month.
come in tomorrow, try to get that split and take it back home, see what we can do.”
David Salgueiro led off Medicine Hat’s first inning with a home run, Louie Canjura and Jaxson Hooge hit RBI singles in the fourth and Canjura doubled and scored on the heels of the wild double play to give starting pitcher Alex Dafoe some breathing room.
Dafoe went six innings, striking out seven and allowing seven hits. Barry Caine didn’t allow a hit in two innings, then Tyler Shumpert got the save in the ninth, stranding two runners who reached on an error and a walk.
Salgueiro finished 2for-3, adding an eighthinning double that led to Carson Johnson plating Jaxson Hooge with a sacrifice fly.
For Lethbridge, lefthander Andrew Grieder lasted four innings in taking the loss.
The Bulls will go with Luc Hebert in Game 2 against Matt Brooks for the Mavericks.
Bryce Harper, Jacob deGrom, J.T. Realmuto and McCutchen had been mentioned in trade speculation, but stayed put.
“I think whenever you hear your name or see your name on stuff, you always wonder. But I think that’s just the business side of the game,” Harper said.
One of Harper’s teammates packed up.
Exactly a year after getting traded from Minnesota to Washington, reliever Brandon Kintzler was part of another deadline deal. This time, the Nationals sent him to the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs.
“I thought they were joking. I figured it’s not April’s Fools. They called me in, I said, ‘Am I traded?’ They said yeah,” Kintzler said.
An All-Star last year, Kintzler turns 34 today.
“Birthday again tomorrow, so I’m travelling on my birthday again, so that’s great. It is what it is,” he said.
Dozier had been a fixture in Minnesota’s lineup for years. But the Twins dipped this season, and they sent the power-hitting second baseman to the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Rather than starting at Target Field in Minneapolis, the 31-yearold Dozier hustled to join his new club as it hosted Milwaukee. He’s now part of a revamped infield for the defending NL West champion Dodgers, who added Machado two weeks ago.
“Brian’s brand here in Minnesota, I don’t know if you can get much better than that,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “Everything that he’s done for the community and the way that he’s played the game, he’s set a great example.”
The New York Mets had discussions about their talent-rich young pitchers, who include deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler.
“We were not going to move those players unless it involved considerable talent coming back in our direction,” assistant general manager John Ricco said.
Diekman definitely was on the go.
The 31-year-old lefty struck out two while pitching for Texas on Monday night in a win at Arizona. The Diamondbacks reacquired reliever Brad Ziegler from Miami early Tuesday, then boosted their bullpen by getting Diekman from the Rangers.
Wanting to make Diekman’s move easy, the Diamondbacks offered the services of the bullpen cart used to ferry relievers into the game.
“They asked and I was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t want to carry all of my stuff,’” Diekman said.