Dodgers deal for Texas’ Darvish
Trade deadline arms race also sees Gray go to Yankees
ARLINGTON, TEXAS The loaded Los Angeles Dodgers made a late trade for Texas ace Yu Darvish on Monday, their boldest move in pursuit of a World Series crown that’s eluded them for nearly 30 years.
The runaway NL West leaders, already with the best record in the majors and the highest payroll, acquired Darvish for three minor league players: second basemanoutfielder Willie Calhoun, righthander A.J. Alexy and infielder Brendon Davis.
“It’s an honour to be wanted by the team,” Darvish said through a translator.
Darvish, 30, is a four-time allstar. The right-hander is 6-9 with a 4.01 ERA in 22 starts this season as he comes back from Tommy John surgery.
Darvish is 0-5 with a 5.81 ERA over his last eight starts.
Calhoun, 22, hit .298 with 23 home runs and 67 RBIs in 99 games at triple-A Oklahoma City.
Alexy, 19, was 2-6 with a 3.67 ERA in 19 starts at low-A Great Lakes. Davis, 20, hit a combined .241 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs at Great Lakes and high-A Rancho Cucamonga.
Earlier Monday, Los Angeles acquired lefty reliever Tony Watson from Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, the Oakland A’s traded pitcher Sonny Gray to the Yankees for three prospects, boosting New York’s starting rotation for an unexpected playoff run.
Oakland gets right-hander James Kaprielian, a former firstround draft pick recovering from Tommy John surgery; Jorge Mateo, a top prospect who plays shortstop and the outfield; and Dustin Fowler, an outfielder who made his major-league debut in June. New York also receives US$1.5 million in international signing bonus allocation from the A’s.
Gray slots into the middle of a rotation that includes Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, C.C. Sabathia and Jaime Garcia.
A 27-year-old right-hander who has been slowed by a series of injuries, Gray is 6-5 with a 3.43 ERA in 16 starts this season and is 4-2 with a 1.37 ERA in his last six starts. He makes US$3,575,000 and is not eligible for free agency until after the 2019 season.
In other moves Monday:
The Baltimore Orioles acquired
middle infielder Tim Beckham from the Tampa Bay Rays for minor-league pitcher Tobias Myers, an 18-year-old taken in last year’s draft.
Reliever David Hernandez is
headed to Arizona from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for pitcher Luis Madero.
Washington acquired reliever
Brandon Kintzler from Minnesota for a left-handed pitching prospect.
The Milwaukee Brewers reacquired reliever Jeremy Jeffress from Texas.
Infielder Adam Rosales was traded by Oakland to Arizona for minorleague pitcher Jeferson Mejia.
The Mets dealt reliever Addison
Reed to the Boston Red Sox for three 22-year-old pitching prospects.
The Chicago Cubs acquired
reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila from Detroit for minorleague infielders Jeimer Candelario and Isaac Paredes and a player to be named or cash considerations.