Astros’ McHugh awaits decision on arbitration hearing
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Astros’ Collin McHugh and Toronto’s Marcus Stroman became the latest pitchers to go to salary arbitration.
McHugh asked for a raise from $529,000 to $3.85 million, and the team pushed for a $3.35 million salary during Friday’s hearing. The 29-year-old righthander, was 13-10 with a 4.34 ERA, down from 19-7 in 2015.
Stroman asked for a raise from $525,900 to $3.4 million, and Toronto argued for a $3.1 million salary. The 25-year-old righthander was 9-10 with a 4.37 ERA last year in his first full season following a torn left ACL.
Decisions will not be issued until all cases are completed that involve first-time eligible starting pitchers. Milwaukee’s Chase Anderson and Arizona’s Taijuan Walker also have gone to hearings, and Tampa Bay’s Jake Odorizzi and St. Louis’ Michael Wacha are among six players scheduled for hearings next week.
A Trump tie-in to Marlins sale
The Kushner family, which already has close ties to the White House, may soon move into Major League Baseball.
Joshua Kushner, whose older brother is a son-inlaw and adviser to President Donald Trump, has a preliminary agreement to buy the Miami Marlins for about $1.6 billion, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations said, though nothing is finalized.
Jared Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, is not believed to part of the effort to the buy team.
Odds and ends
The Mets traded pitcher Gabriel Ynoa, 23, to Baltimore for cash, clearing a roster spot for New York to finalize its contract with reliever Fernando Salas. …
In an effort to improve infield depth, the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired versatile Phil Gosselin, 28, from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for minor league pitcher Frank Duncan.