Free agent Puig, Braves reach one-year 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 homers and 84 RBIs for Cincinnati and Cleveland in 2019. He also stole 19 bases.
The 29-year-old Puig 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 homers for the Dodgers in 2017 and added 23 homers in 125 games in 2018.
The NL 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 on Tuesday.
A LONG HOME STRETCH MIGHT HELP BLUE JAYS » A top Canadian government health official says the Blue Jays might want to consider hosting an extended stretch of home games in order to get approval to play in Toronto amid the pandemic.
Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s Deputy Chief Public Health Officer, said Tuesday that back and forth travel from the United States, where coronavirus cases are surging, is a major issue that could prevent the government from approving Major League Baseball to play in Canada.
Njoo noted Canada has been reporting about 300 cases per day compared to 60,000 per day in the U.S.
Njoo said discussions with the Blue Jays and MLB continue and the government is
always open.
The Blue Jays are scheduled to open the season July 24 at Tampa Bay. Toronto’s home opener is listed as July 29 against Washington.
Such a change would require a change in MLB’s schedule and would mean opposing teams flying to Canada for what would have been home games in their home ball parks.
MLB requires an exemption to a requirement that anyone entering Canada for nonessential reasons must self-isolate for 14 days. The U.S.-Canada border remains closed to nonessential travel and the two countries are poised to extend their agreement to Aug. 21, but a final confirmation has not been given, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
The Blue Jays have said they prefer to play in Toronto. Their training facility in Dunedin, Florida, has been mentioned as an alternative if they are not given an exemption to play in Toronto. But Florida is seeing a record surge in COVID-19 cases.
11 MLB UMPIRES OPTING OUT OF SEASON » Eleven umpires have opted out or decided not to participate in the upcoming Major League Baseball
season, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported.
The identities of the umpires are not yet known. Like the players, umpires have the right to opt out with full pay if they are in a high-risk group due to pre-existing health problems. Those who decline to participate in the 60-game season because of concern for family members will not be paid.
Umpires began arriving at camps on Friday and will work bullpen sessions and intrasquad games once they clear testing protocols for the coronavirus.
A-ROD GROUP ADVANCES IN BID TO BUY METS » Billionaires Steve Cohen and Josh Harris, a contingent led by Alex Rodriguez and a fourth unidentified group have advanced to the next level of bidding to purchase the New York Mets, Sportico reported.
Investment bank Allen & Co., which is overseeing the sale process, informed the respective groups of their status.
Rodriguez is backed by Florida Panthers owner Vinnie Viola and Vitaminwater co-founder Mike Repole. Per ESPN, Rodriguez and fiancee Jennifer Lopez added
Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce, former NFL running back DeMarco Murray and retired offensive lineman Joe Thomas as investors in the bid. Also, the NBA’s Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) and Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets) are included in the group.
YANKS’ TANAKA TAKES LINE DRIVE TO HEAD » Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is unsure whether he will be able to take his first turn through the rotation as he recovers from a line drive off his head. Tanaka was hit on the right side near the temple by Giancarlo Stanton’s shot during batting practice on July 4. While the 31-year-old right-hander says he has no concussion symptoms, he has not thrown off a mound since.
Right fielder Aaron Judge was close to returning to intrasquad games following a stiff neck that sidelined him since late last week.
Tanaka was taken to a hospital for a CT scan after he was hit. New York put Tanaka through the concussion protocol but he said he has not felt any symptoms.