Reds, LHP Miley agree to $15min, 2-year deal
Rays complete deal with Japanese slugger Tsutsugo
CINCINNATI, Dec 17, (AP): All-Star pitcher Wade Miley and the Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a $15 million, two-year contact, a person familiar with deal told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday night because the agreement had not been announced.
Miley, a 33-year-old left-hander, was 14-6 with a 3.98 ERA in 33 starts for the AL champion Houston Astros.
He had a $4.5 million base salary and earned $500,000 in performance bonuses. He made just one postseason appearance, allowing three runs and four hits over 2 2/3 innings in the Game 3 Division Series loss to Tampa Bay.
Miley is 85-82 with a 4.23 ERA in nine seasons for Arizona (2011-14), Boston (2015), Seattle (2016), Baltimore (2016-17), Milwaukee (2018) and Houston. He was an All-Star in 2012, when he went 16-11.
Miley would join a rotation that includes Luis Castillo, Trevor Bauer, Sonny Gray and Anthony DeSclafani.
The Tampa Bay Rays and Japanese slugger Yoshitomo Tsutsugo have finalized a two-year contract worth about $12 million.
The 28-year-old Tsutsugo will be formally introduced by the Rays on Tuesday at Tropicana Field. Tsutsugo was made available to major league teams through the posting process by Yokohama of Japan’s Central League. The Rays will have to pay a posting fee of about $2.4 million to his former club.
A left-handed-hitting corner outfielder, Tsutsugo batted .272 this year with 29 homers and 79 RBIs. He has a .285 average with 205 homers and 613 RBIs during 10 seasons with Yokohama, including 44 homers and 110 RBIs in 2016.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed free agent catcher Luke Maile to a one-year deal.
The Pirates made the announcement on Monday. They are in need of help at catcher after declining the option on Elias Diaz. Maile is considered an above average defensive catcher but has struggled at the plate throughout
Houston Astros Wade Miley catches a football before Game 2 of the baseball World Series against the Washington Nationals, in Houston.
(AP)
his career. The five-year veteran is a .198 hitter and has 10 home runs and 60 RBIs in 215 games.
Maile made his major league debut with Tampa Bay in 2015. He spent the last three years with the Toronto Blue Jays. He played in a career-high 68 big league games in 2018 and posted career highs in doubles (13) and RBIs (27) while batting .248. He hit just .151 in 44 games for Toronto in 2019.
The move fills up the last remaining open spot on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster.
Former AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and the New York Mets finalized a $10 million, one-year contract on Monday.
A right-hander who turns 31 on Dec 27, Porcello joins a rotation that includes Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz.
Michael Wacha, who agreed to a $3 million deal last week, also hopes to earn a rotation spot. With Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman preparing to come to spring training as starters, the Mets have eight potential starters vying for five spots in spring training.
Porcello grew up in New Jersey and went to Seton Hall Prep in West Orange.
He was 14-12 with a 5.52 ERA in 32 starts last year, his fifth and final season with Boston. His best year for the Red Sox was 2016, when he went 22-4 and won the AL Cy Young. He went 17-7 in 2018 and helped the Red Sox win the World Series.
Porcello has a 149-118 record and 4.36 ERA in 11 big league seasons, the first six with Detroit.
Right-hander Stephen Nogosek was designated for assignment.
Left-hander Joely Rodríguez and the Texas Rangers have finalized a $5.5 million, two-year contract, a deal that could be worth $8 million if a team option for 2022 is exercised.
A 28-year-old reliever who spent the past two seasons with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Central League, Rodríguez will get salaries of $2.5 million in each of the next two seasons. Texas has a $3 million option for 2022 with a $500,000 buyout.
Rodríguez can earn $500,000 annually in performance bonuses for games finished: $50,000 each for 20 and each additional five through 45.
He was 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in 38 relief appearances for Philadelphia in 2016 and ‘17, a season he also went 2-0 with a 6.33 ERA in 22 relief appearances for Texas’ Triple-A team at Round Rock.
Adam Warren will rehab from Tommy John surgery with the New York Yankees.
Warren agreed Monday to a minor league contract with his former team but is not expected to pitch next year while he recovers from surgery that took place in September.
A 32-year-old right-hander, Warren debuted with the Yankees in 2012, was traded to the Chicago Cubs in December 2015, reacquired by New York in July 2016 and dealt to Seattle in July 2018. He signed a one-year contract with San Diego as a free agent ahead of the 2019 season and was 4-1 with a 5.34 ERA in 25 relief appearances through June 7, then was placed on the injured list the following day with a strained right forearm.