Bee swarm forces Padres and Rockies to take cover
Bizarre scene forces delay; Rangers, Odor agree to six-year deal
When a pack of bees swarmed the field, the Rockies and Padres didn’t seem to know what to do. So they hit the deck. In a bizarre scene at spring training Thursday, players from both teams went flat on the dirt when bees stormed the infield during the ninth inning of Colorado’s 10-5 win over San Diego.
Padres pitcher Trey Wingenter stepped off the mound when the horde hit, and after hesitating a moment, the 6-foot-7 right-hander dropped to a knee. Rockies batter Daniel Castro quickly did the same, and then Wingenter, Castro, plate umpire Alex Tosi and everyone else in the infield dropped flat on their stomachs. The broadcast picked up someone yelling, “Bees! Bees!”
The players stayed down for about 10 seconds, and fans gave them a cheer when they finally stood up. “I saw something happen over here as all the players got on the ground,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “It was reminiscent of Petco Park a few years ago when a beekeeper had to come down from the left-field corner. That was about a 20-30 minute delay.”
Rangers: Rougned Odor can buy a lot of hay, and maybe even a few more horses, with his new contract from the Texas Rangers.
The young second baseman agreed to a sixyear pact that includes a club option for 2023 and guarantees him at least $49.5 million. The deal was sealed when the AL West champions added two horses .
“I have a passion for horses,” Odor said. “I love horses. It’s one of my hobbies, being around the horses.”
So when general manager Jon Daniels saw no reaction from Odor after presenting the financial numbers, the GM showed a picture of the quarterhorses.
Odor got a $2 million signing bonus and a $13.5 million club option for 2023 with a $3 million buyout. His salary will be $1 million this season, and then it will increase to $3 million in 2018 and $7.5 million in 2019. He will make $9 million in 2020 before $12 million in each of the last two years of the contract.
“He’s 23 years old and already one of the best middle infielders in the game,” Daniels said. “The sky’s the limit.”
The new contract will also allow Odor to move his parents and teenage sister to Texas from his tumultuous home country of Venezuela.
“I always wanted to bring my family to here. They love Texas, they love being around here,” Odor said.
Nationals: Blake Treinen will begin the season as the closer for Washington, even though he has only one big league save. After Washington went a winter without landing a ninth-inning man and a spring training trying to figure out who would earn the role, manager Dusty Baker announced Thursday the 28-year- old Treinen won the job.
Baker, general manager Mike Rizzo and pitching coach Mike Maddux waited until the team’s final day in Florida — the Nationals were playing an exhibition game at the Boston Red Sox — to settle on Treinen, who found out Thursday morning that he would be the reigning NL East champions’ closer.
Mets: Left-hander Steven Matz likely will be sidelined for more than a month thanks to his latest bout with elbow pain.
In his place, righthander Zack Wheeler will step into the rotation after a long journey back from Tommy John surgery. His first big league start since 2014 is scheduled for April 7 at Citi Field against the Marlins.
Tigers: have released right-hander Mike Pelfrey. Pelfrey was entering the second season of a two-year, $16 million deal. He was 4-10 with a 5.07 ERA in 2016 last season. Pelfrey is 65-91 with a 4.57 ERA in a career that started in 2002 with the New York Mets and included a three-season stint in Minnesota.
Twins: ByungHo Park, the most impressive player Minnesota’s spring training, will start the season in the minor leagues.
In a surprise move, the Twins revealed they will keep 13 pitchers on the roster and Park will begin his season in Class AAA Rochester.
Park has a .353 average with a team-leading six home runs and 13 RBIs in exhibition games.
Twins players were shocked as news of Park’s departure swept the clubhouse Thursday. Park, after initially looking stunned upon leaving manager Paul Molitor’s office, was confident as he spoke to reporters.
Indians: Infielder Yandy Diaz has made Cleveland’ s Opening Day roster after he was expected to start the season in the minor leagues. Diaz, who batted .325 in 95 games at TripleA Columbus last season, is considered one of the Indians’ top prospects. He had an excellent spring camp.
Brewers: Milwaukee will place starter Matt Garza on the 10- day disabled list to the start the season because of a strained right groin.