Lind dealt to Mariners, Lawrie to White Sox
Major League Baseball recommends netting between both dugouts at stadiums
NASHVILLE— The busy Seattle Mariners acquired former Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind from the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday for three teenage minor-league pitchers.
The Brewers are getting right-handers Daniel Missaki, Carlos Herrera and Freddy Peralta in the trade announced at the winter meetings.
Milwaukee picked up the $8-million option for 2016 on Lind’s contract last month, but did so with the expectation that general manager David Stearns would trade him as part of the organization’s rebuilding process.
The Mariners have been looking for a first baseman because general manager Jerry Dipoto already dealt Mark Trumbo and Logan Morrison.
The 32-year-old Lind, acquired by the Brewers last year for starting pitcher Marco Estrada, batted .277 with 20 homers and 87 RBIs in 149 games during his only season with the Brewers. He hit .291against righties but only .221 vs. lefties last year.
He is a .274 hitter in 10 big-league seasons with 166 homers and 606 RBIs for Toronto (2006-14) and Mil- waukee.
This was the third trade for the Mariners this week at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. They previously acquired pitcher Dave Miley from Boston and reliever Evan Scribner from Oakland.
Dealing Lind leaves Ryan Braun as the only Brewers player under contract beyond 2017.
The Chicago White Sox acquired Canadian third baseman Brett Lawrie from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for left-handed pitcher Zachary Erwin and right-hander J.B. Wendelken, according to MLB.com.
The 25-year-old Lawrie, traded from the Blue Jays to Oakland last off-season in the deal that brought MVP Josh Donaldson to Toronto, hit .260 with 16 homers, 60 RBIs and 29 doubles last season.
The New York Mets quickly bounced back from losing out on their first choice for a new second baseman, acquiring Neil Walker from the Pittsburgh Pirates for lefthander Jonathon Niese.
The teams made the swap of established big leaguers Wednesday at the winter meetings.
The Mets had made it known that they were targeting Ben Zobrist as their No. 1 goal this off-season. But on Tuesday, the all-star free agent chose the Chicago Cubs and former manager Joe Maddon.
The 30-year-old Walker fills the hole created when playoff slugger Daniel Murphy became a free agent after New York lost the World Series.
Walker can become a free agent after this season. A Silver Slugger winner in 2014, Walker batted .269 with 16 homers and 71RBIs last season for the Pirates, his hometown team.
Major League Baseball has recommended teams have protective netting between the dugouts for any field-level seats within 70 feet of home plate. The guidelines were issued Wednesday at the winter meetings following a season in which several fans were injured by foul balls, prompting MLB to study fan safety.
Commissioner Rob Manfred says “it is important that fans have the option to sit behind protective netting or in other areas of the ballpark where foul balls and bats are less likely to enter.”