Off the wire
OF Puig, Braves reach deal
Free agent outfielder Yasiel Puig and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a one-year deal, a person with knowledge of the deal said Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement is not official until Puig passes a physical.
The agreement helps the Braves address a depth problem in their outfield. Puig hit a combined .267 with 24 home runs and 84 RBI for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019.
He also stole 19 bases.
Puig, 29, was the last big-name free agent from the offseason who had not signed with a team. Puig, from Cuba, made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013. He hit .263 with a career-high 28 home runs for the Dodgers in 2017 and added 23 home runs in 125 games in 2018. The National League East champion Braves were facing a depth problem in their outfield even after signing Marcell Ozuna to a one-year, $18 million deal in the offseason. Veteran Nick Markakis opted out of the season before summer camp. Ozuna or Adam Duvall could be needed as the designated hitter in the shortened 60-game season. The team’s shortage of outfielders was highlighted when rookie Cristian Pache jammed his right ankle in Monday night’s intrasquad game and was not available Tuesday. If Ozuna is the primary designated hitter, Puig could join Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ender Iniarte in a starting outfield.
10 umpires opt out of season
About 10 Major League Baseball umpires have opted out this season, choosing not to work games in the shortened schedule because of concerns over the coronavirus. Two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press about the decisions Tuesday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey and Washington Nationals infielder Ryan Zimmerman are among a dozen or so players who won’t participate this year because of health issues. The 60-game, virus-abbreviated season begins July 23. There are 76 full-time MLB umpires and more than 20 of them are age 55 or over. Joe West and Gerry Davis are the oldest umps at 67. Umpires who are deemed at risk — either for their age, health situation or other issues — and opt out will continue to get paid. Umps get their salaries over 12 months and have already been paid through April. A deal between MLB and its umpires reached during the virus shutdown ensured that if even one regular-season game was played this season, the umps were guaranteed 37.5% of their salaries.