Vladi Guerrero, son of HOF slugger, strikes deal with Mets
NEW YORK — Another member of the Guerrero family is headed to pro ball.
Vladi Miguel Guerrero, an outfielder/infielder who is a son of Hall of Fame slugger Vladimir Guerrero and a half-brother of Toronto star Vladimir Guerrero Jr., agreed with the New York Mets on a minor league contract Monday.
A left-handed hitter from the Dominican Republic, the 17-year-old Guerrero was among the players the Mets reached deals with as the 2024 international signing period opened.
The club also agreed with the No. 6 overall prospect, catcher Yovanny Rodriguez ($2.85 million); No. 31, shortstop Yensi Rivas ($500,000); and No. 41, outfielder Edward Lantigua ($950,000).
Players born from Sept. 1, 2006, through Aug. 31, 2007, are eligible to sign during this year’s period, which ends Dec. 15. Teams have signing bonus pools ranging from about $4.65 million to approximately $7.1 million; signing bonuses of $10,000 and under don’t count against a team’s cap.
Houston reliever Kendall Graveman will miss the 2024 season after having surgery on his right shoulder, Astros general manager Dana Brown announced Tuesday.
Graveman had surgery last week, Brown said.
Graveman was acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox last July and had a 2.42 ERA in 23 appearances with the Astros. He developed soreness in his right shoulder and was not able to pitch in the playoffs.
The Texas Rangers acquired right-handed reliever Daniel Duarte for cash in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.
Duarte went 3-0 with a 3.69 ERA in 31 appearances spanning five stints last season. The 27-year-old was designated for assignment Saturday when the Reds finalized a $3 million, one-year contract with free agent pitcher Brent Suter.
Originally signed by the Rangers out of Mexico in 2013, Duarte was on Cincinnati’s opening day roster in 2022 but made just three appearances. He missed most of that season with an elbow injury and finished 2023 on the injured list with a shoulder issue.
Former Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle was hired by the club as a pitching strategist on Tuesday.
The Nationals said the 37-year-old Doolittle, who announced his retirement as a player in September, will “serve as a liaison between the analytics department and pitching staff, while assisting the manager and pitching coach with strategy, mental preparation and mechanics.”
Doolittle, a left-handed reliever, pitched in the major leagues for more than a decade, twice earning Allstar honors. He was a member of Washington’s 2019 World Series championship team.
Dusty Baker is returning to the San Francisco Giants for a third stint with the team, this time as a special assistant in the front office, according to a person with direct knowledge of the hire.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday night because Baker’s new position with the club hadn’t been formally announced. That is expected to happen this week.
Baker is still beloved in the Bay Area and this very well could be his final baseball stop in what almost certainly will be a Hall of Fame career.
Baker finally won a longawaited World Series title as a manager with Houston in 2022. He owns a 2,1831,862 career managerial record with the Giants, Cubs, Reds, Nationals and Astros.
The Atlanta Braves agreed to a minor league contract Monday with 17year-old infielder Jose Perdomo for a $5 million bonus, the highest amount on the first day of the 2024 signing period and the most for a Venezuelanborn player.
The deal consumes the majority of the Braves’ international bonus pool of about $5.9 million.
Perdomo, 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, is regarded as a strong hitting prospect with the defensive skills to remain at shortstop.