Marlins deal Ozuna to the Cardinals
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. » Miami has agreed to trade left fielder Marcell Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals, the third All-Star jettisoned by the Marlins this month in an unrelenting payroll purge under new CEO Derek Jeter.
Miami traded second baseman Dee Gordon to Seattle last Thursday for three prospects and dealt right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, the reigning NL MVP, to the Yankees on Monday for second baseman Starlin Castro and two prospects. The Cardinals had a deal in place for Stanton last week, but he invoked his notrade clause and blocked the move.
Center fielder Christian Yelich could be the next to exit the downsizing Marlins, bought by Bruce Sherman’s group on Oct. 2.
Miami had a $116 million payroll on Aug. 31, up from $81 million at the end of last year, and is intent on reducing obligations. Stanton was owed $295 million over the next decade, and Gordon $38 million through 2020.
The 27-year-old Ozuna is eligible for arbitration and likely will earn more than $10 million. He is eligible for free agency after the 2019 season.
A two-time All-Star, Ozuna set career highs last season by hitting .312 with 37 home runs and 124 RBIs.
Mets ink Swarzak
Free-agent reliever Anthony Swarzak has reached a deal with the Mets for $14 million over two years.
Swarzak was a combined 6-4 with two saves and a 2.33 ERA in 70 games last season for the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee. The 32-year-old righty has pitched for five teams in the last four years, including Minnesota, Cleveland and the Yankees.
The Mets went 70-92 and came to the meetings looking for relief help.
Swarzak is 23-30 with a 4.22 ERA over eight seasons.
Twins nab Pineda
TheMinnesotaTwinshavesigned former Yankees starting pitcher Michael Pineda, giving a two-year, $10 million contract to the right-hander recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Pineda will earn $8 million. He’ll get $2 million for the 2018 season, which he’ll likely miss while continuing the rehab following elbow ligament replacement.
Pineda’s procedure was performed July 18. The typical timetable for Tommy John patients to return to the mound is between 12 and 18 months.
The 28-year-old Pineda went 8-4 with a 4.39 ERA in 17 starts for the Yankees last season.
Costas gets Frick Award
Bob Costas has won the Ford C. Frick Award presented by the baseball Hall of Fame for broadcasting excellence.
The honor was announced Wednesday at the winter meetings.
Popular and successful at calling the Olympics and other sports, the 65-year-old Costas flourished over four decades of baseball work, using his familiar voice to paint word pictures of the national pastime.
Starting out at NBC in the early 1980s, Costas has handled play-by-play and pregame assignments at the World Series, postseason and regular season over the years. A 28-time Emmy Award winner, he has called games and been a documentary host for the MLB Network for nine seasons.