Astros land closer Osuna
Trade Giles to Jays; Yanks acquire Lynn
Swapping a closer with onfield problems for one with off-field troubles, the World Series champion Houston Astros yesterday traded Ken Giles to the Toronto Blue Jays along with a pair of pitching prospects for Roberto Osuna.
Houston also sent righthanders David Paulino and Hector Perez to Toronto as part of the deal, a day before the deadline for trades without waivers.
The Astros lead the AL West, but were set to begin a series at Seattle having lost a season-high four in a row. They also acquired reliever Ryan Pressly from Minnesota last week.
The 23-year-old Osuna is eligible to pitch in the big leagues starting Sunday after a 75-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. He has made six scoreless oneinning appearances in the minors since July 14, the last three at Triple A.
Osuna has not pitched in the majors since May6, two days before he was put on administrative leave when he was charged with one count of assault in Toronto, which remains pending.
“This has been exceptionally difficult,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said on a conference call. “This was a negotiated agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association.”
Osuna is 0-0 with nine saves in 10 chances and a 2.93 ERA in 15 games this season. He was an All-Star last year, when he went 3-4 with 39 saves and a 3.38 ERA.
The right-hander would be eligible to pitch in the postseason, unlike players suspended under the drug policy this year, such as Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano, who is ineligible.
“The due diligence by our front office was unprecedented. We are confident that Osuna is remorseful, has willfully complied with all consequences related to his past behavior, has proactively engaged in counseling, and will fully comply with our zero tolerance policy related to abuse of any kind,” Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said in a statement yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Yankees made two deals to affect their pitching staff.
They acquired right-hander Lance Lynn from the Minnesota Twins for first baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin and right-handed pitching prospect Luis Rijo.
Minnesota will also send $2 million to the Yankees to cover half of the $4 million remaining in Lynn’s $12 million salary.
The 31-year-old Lynn was 7-8 with a 5.10 ERA in 20 starts for the Twins, walking 62 and striking out 100 in 1021⁄3 innings.
He is likely to become a long reliever with the Yankees to replace Adam Warren, who was traded to Seattle for $1.25 million in international signing bonus pool allotment.
Earlier, the Mariners added to their bullpen by acquiring left-handed reliever Zach Duke from the Twins for two minor leaguers: pitcher Chase De Jong and infielder Ryan Costello.
The Atlanta Braves acquired outfielder Adam Duvall from the Cincinnati Reds to bolster their lineup for a postseason push.
The Braves sent righthanders Lucas Sims and Matt Wisler and outfielder Preston Tucker to Cincinnati. All three spent time in Atlanta this season but were currently with Triple-A Gwinnett.