Rangers add Gibson to beef up rotation
The Texas Rangers have bolstered their rotation by agreeing to a three-year deal with veteran righthander Kyle Gibson, according to multiple reports Wednesday.
The team has not confirmed the deal, which is reportedly worth $30 million and is contingent on Gibson passing a physical.
Gibson, 32, had spent his entire seven-year career with the Minnesota Twins, racking up a 67-68 record with a 4.52 ERA in 193 games (188 starts). He went 13-7 last season, posting a 4.84 ERA and striking out 160 batters in 160 innings.
Gibson would join a rotation that features veterans Mike Minor and Lance Lynn.
The Rangers, who finished 78-84 last season, are expected to add at least one more starter in the off-season.
The Padres and Brewers completed the first significant trade of the off-season with San Diego sending middle infielder Luis Urias and left-hander Eric Lauer to Milwaukee in exchange for outfielder Trent Grisham and righthander Zach Davies, according to multiple reports.
The centrepieces of the swap are
Grisham and Urias.
Grisham, who played 51 games in the majors in 2019, was expected to occupy the Brewers’ outfield for years to come. Urias has been described as a Jose Altuve-type player — a sharp hitter and slick fielder who has the potential to hit with power despite his smaller stature.
With the Brewers, Urias is expected to play shortstop and team with second baseman Keston Hiura. The 22-year-old Urias had 215 at-bats with the Padres in 2019, registering eight doubles, four home runs and 24 RBIs. He finished with a .223 batting average.
In 2019, Grisham, a former firstround pick, batted .231, hitting six home runs and adding 24 RBIs. While he finished the season with a 1.000 fielding percentage, Grisham, 23, will be remembered in Milwaukee for the pivotal error he committed in the Brewers’ wildcard game loss to the Washington Nationals in October.
Davies made a significant contribution in 2019 to the Brewers.
The 26-year-old appeared in 31 games, all starts, and had a 10-7 record with a 3.55 ERA in 1592/3 innings. In five seasons in Milwaukee, he had a 43-32 record.
Lauer, 24, was a Padres firstround pick in the 2016 draft. In two seasons with San Diego, he compiled a 14-17 record with a 4.40 ERA in 53 appearances (52 starts).
Also Wednesday, the Padres agreed to terms with free-agent pitcher Drew Pomeranz, according to multiple reports. Contract terms were not disclosed.
The 31-year-old veteran was 2-10 last season with the Giants and the Brewers. He was 2-9 with a 5.68 ERA in 21 games (17 starts) with the Giants, but sparkled in a relief role with Milwaukee. He was 0-1 with a 2.39 ERA with two saves. He appeared in 25 games (one start.)
Pomeranz has a career record of 46-58 in nine seasons. He also has pitched for the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox and he spent part of the 2016 season with the Padres.
The Pittsburgh Pirates hired Derek Shelton as their new manager, general manager Ben Cherington announced Wednesday. Shelton, 49, replaces Clint Hurdle, who was fired in September after nine seasons with the team. He’ll be introduced Dec. 4 at PNC Park.
Though Shelton has worked in various coaching roles since 2005, this is his first stint as a manager at the major-league level. He previously worked as a manager in the New York Yankees farm system. He was bench coach of the Minnesota Twins the last two seasons.
“I have known Derek for more than 15 years and have great admiration for his passion for the game and players, work ethic, curiosity, and desire to learn,” said Cherington in a media release. “He has worked and learned from some of the best in the game, and in turn has helped players and colleagues learn and improve during his 20 years of coaching and managing.”
“My family and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Pittsburgh community and are humbled to be a part of this storied franchise,” said Shelton.
Shelton had a brief minor-league career as a catcher, but his career ended after elbow surgery following the 1993 season.