GRISHAM EARNS GOLD GLOVE
It’s first victory by a Padres player since 3B Headley in 2012
Trent Grisham on Tuesday became the first Padres player in eight years to win a Gold Glove.
In his first “full” major league season, the 24-year-old Grisham was honored as the National League’s top defensive center fielder.
“I was thinking about it last night, me and my wife,” Grisham said. “I would say the biggest thing is in a 60-game season, especially being the first one, it’s hard to evaluate yourself and evaluate your year. And definitely having a defensive accolade like a Gold Glove will help me judge my year and go into the offseason to get better and just be focused and proud to be here.”
Grisham, acquired from the Brewers via trade last November after playing just 51 games his rookie season, led NL center fielders in 2020 with seven defensive runs saved and was second to the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger in outs above average, with six.
Bellinger and Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. were the other Gold Glove finalists.
Gold Glove winners are usually determined by a vote of managers and coaches. Due to the abbreviated season that had teams playing only opponents in their geographical region, this year’s winners were determined solely based on the Society for American Baseball Research’s Defensive Index, normally just 25 percent of the total.
Padres third baseman Manny Machado was a finalist, but lost out fo Colorado’s Nolan Arenado.
Third baseman Chase Headley was the Padres’ last Gold Glove winner, earning the award in 2012.
Other Gold Gloves
Rockies third baseman Arenado won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove and right fielder Mookie Betts snared his fifth in a row, his first with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers after four with Boston.
Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon also won his eighth Gold Glove — and fourth straight — in his final major league season.
Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo earned the honor for the third straight year in the pandemic-shortened season and fourth time overall. He was joined for the first time by Cubs shortstop Javier Baez.
Cincinnati catcher Tucker Barnhart won for the second time and first since 2017. St. Louis second baseman Kolten Wong won for the second year in a row, six days after the Cardinals allowed him to become a free agent rather than exercise his $12.5 million option for 2021.
St. Louis left fielder Tyler O’Neill, Atlanta pitcher Max Fried and Grisham were firsttime winners.
Gordon and Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez were the only players to repeat in the AL. They were joined by seven first-time winners, including Indians second baseman Cesar Hernandez. The others were Seattle first baseman Evan White and shortstop J.P. Crawford, Texas third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa and right fielder Joey Gallo, Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert and Los Angeles Angels pitcher Griffin Canning.
The 36-year-old Gordon announced his retirement in September. He joined Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente and first baseman Wes Parker (both in 1972) as the only position players to win a Gold Glove in their last big-league season, according to Sportradar.
Gordon, Hernandez, White and Wong earned $18,519 bonuses, prorated portions of $50,000. Arenado and Robert earned $9,259, prorated portions of $25,000, and O’Neill earned $3,704, a prorated portion of $10,000.
Perez’s 2021 salary escalated by $250,000 to $5.75 million, and Barnhart’s by $250,000 to $4 million.