Trusted veteran Petit will return to A’s bullpen
The a’s exercised their $5.5 million option on right-handed reliever Yusmeiro Petit, in perhaps what was one of the easier decisions for the organization this offseason.
Petit had a 2.71 ERA and a .194 opponents batting average in 83-1/3 innings. Perhaps the most telling stat: Petit appeared in 80 games, which led the AL.
He was manager Bob Melvin’s go-to guy, never wavering in his dominance and resilience even in the face of adversity. Petit’s father, Alberto, died in September. Complicated travel plans had Petit decide to forgo a trip to his hometown of Maracaibo, Venezuela, and stay with the team.
He pitched five days later. His teammates constantly spoke of his leadership skills.
The A’s declined the $5.75 million option on left-handed reliever Jake Diekman. Diekman came to Oakland at the trade deadline from Kansas City with an 0- 6 record and 4.75 ERA. He was sometimes unhittable, but inconsistent with walk issues in his time with the A’s, drawing up a 4.43 ERA in 28 games.
The A’s now have five players on the books for 2020 — Petit, Joakim Soria, Khris Davis, Stephen Piscotty and Mike Fiers — totaling $42 million in committed money. There are 12 players eligible for arbitration. — Shayna Rubin
SERIES GOES 7 GAMES BUT THIRD-LEAST VIEWED » This year’s World Series between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros went seven games but finished as the third-least viewed.
The Series averaged 13.91 million viewers, Nielsen said, down 1.3% from 14.1 million last year for Boston’s five-game victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The first title in the 51-year history of the Nationals-Montreal Expos franchise averaged an 8.1 rating and 16 share. The lowest-rated Series remains 2012, when the Giants’ sweep of Detroit averaged a 7.6 rating and 12.64 million viewers. Philadelphia’s five-game win over Tampa Bay in 2008 averaged 13.19 million.
The Nationals’ 6-2 victory in Game 7 on Wednesday night averaged 23,013,000 viewers according to Nielsen. That’s down 18.5% from the 28.42 million average for the 2017 Game 7 between the Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers. ROYALS HIRE EX-CARDINALS SKIPPER MIKE MATHENY AS MANAGER » The Kansas City Royals hired Mike Matheny, bringing in a manager who took the cross-state Cardinals to the World Series six years ago before a three-season swoon cost him his job.
The 49-year- old Matheny went 591- 474 with the Cardinals and was the first manager to reach the postseason his first four seasons. The Cardinals reached the World Series in 2013, losing to the Red Sox, but Matheny was fired in July 2018 with the team in jeopardy of missing the playoffs.
Matheny was hired last November by the Royals as a special adviser.
The Royals are in the midst of a massive retooling effort after their back-toback World Series appearances in 201415. They won the title in 2015. GIANTS COACH HERGES HEADED TO DBACKS » Matt Herges, the Giants’ bullpen coach for the past two seasons. has been named pitching coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks, replacing Mike Butcher, who was not retained after four seasons.
Herges, 49, pitched 11 seasons in the majors with eight teams from 1999-2009. NATIONALS HAVE SOME BIG DECISIONS TO MAKE » Not everybody associated with the Washington Nationals gets to spend a long time on the party train after the franchise’s first World Series title. The offseason is here and it will be a busy one for general manager Mike Rizzo. Beating the Astros was terrific fun, but now is when the big-time headaches begin.
The first big decision will occur by Saturday as World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg has 72 hours from the final out to decide whether to opt out of his contract. Strasburg has four years and $100 million remaining on his deal. Star third baseman Anthony Rendon, a National League MVP candidate, is an unrestricted free agent.
Other key players with decisions looming include relievers Sean Doolittle and Daniel Hudson and infielders Howie Kendrick and Asdrubal Cabrera.