Manfred aims to limit defensive shifts

Cardinals acquire slugger Goldschmidt from Diamondbacks

WASHINGTON, Dec 6, (RTRS): Major League Baseball could be headed toward a shift regarding defensive shifts if commissioner Rob Manfred gets his way.

Manfred, long a detractor of the increasingly popular defensive shifts, has “strong” support from MLB’s competition committee to put some form of limit on the maneuvers, The Athletic’s Jayson Stark reported Wednesday.

Shifts reportedly increased by 30 percent last season, and the majors’ overall batting average of .248 marked the lowest level in 46 years. Batters also produced a .318 on-base percentage and a .409 slugging percentage. In 2017, the figures were .255/.324/.426.

Any change to the playing rules would need to be approved by the Major on Wednesday for right-hander Luke Weaver and two other players.

Arizona also received catcher Carson Kelly, infielder Andy Young and the Cardinals’ Compensation B selection in the 2019 draft.

Goldschmidt has slugged 30 or more homers in four of the past six seasons, but the Diamondbacks were shopping the 31-year-old because he was entering the last season of his contract. He batted .290 with 33 homers and 83 RBIs in 2018.

“We’ve been busy this offseason working to upgrade our lineup, and today we are excited to announce the acquisition of one of the game’s premier players in first baseman Paul Goldschmidt,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said in a news release.

Goldschmidt, who will make $14.5 million in 2019, has three 100-RBI campaigns and batted .300 or better three times since 2013

Overall, he batted .297 with 209 homers and 710 RBIs in 1,092 games over parts of eight seasons for Arizona. He finished second in National League MVP balloting in 2013, when he set career highs of 36 homers and 125 RBIs, and again in 2015.

The player known as ‘Goldy’ had become the face of the franchise and a big fan favorite, which made it more difficult for the Diamondbacks and general manager Mike Hazen to pull the trigger on the deal.

“Paul has been a key member of the

Manfred

D-backs family and this is not a decision we made without careful thought and consideration,” Arizona managing general partner Ken Kendrick said in a statement. “Ultimately, we have complete confidence in Mike Hazen and our Baseball Operations staff and we are all in agreement that this was the best decision, but that doesn’t minimize how much Paul has meant to us and will continue to mean to us. He is a great player but an even better person.” Hazel offered similar sentiments. “I would like to personally thank Paul Goldschmidt for everything he did as a D-back,” Hazen said in a statement. “It’s not often you come across a player of his caliber who carries himself with such selflessness and humility, both on and off the field, while representing the organization and the state of Arizona.”

Having already lost left-hander Patrick Corbin in free agency, and with center fielder A.J. Pollock likely to sign elsewhere soon, the deal appears to be a sign that the Diamondbacks are entering a rebuilding phase.

The 25-year-old Weaver displayed promise for the Cardinals in 2017 when he went 7-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 13 appearances (10 starts). He struck out 72 and walked just 17 in 60-1/3 innings.

However, he took steps backward last season and went 7-11 with a 4.95 ERA in 30 appearances (25 starts). He struck out 121 in 136-1/3 innings and walked 54.

Overall, Weaver is 15-17 with a 4.79 ERA in 52 appearances (43 starts) over parts of three big league seasons.

Kelly, 24, was ranked as St Louis’ No. 3 prospect by Baseball America and as the third-best catching prospect in the minor leagues. the visiting Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 on Wednesday night. Goalie Martin Jones made 39 saves for the Sharks, who have won two in a row.

San Jose’s Barclay Goodrow opened the scoring at 3:44 of the first period with a snipe that isn’t often seen from a fourth-line player. After Melker Karlsson stole the puck in the offensive zone, Kevin Labanc made a quick pass to Goodrow, who snapped a shot into the net for his fourth goal of the season.

Tomas Hertl doubled the Sharks’ lead just past the midway point of the opening frame with an easy tally set up by Lebanc. With San Jose on the power play, Labanc fired a perfect pass to Hertl at the doorstep, and he simply redirected the puck for his seventh of the season.

The goal snapped Carolina’s penalty-kill run at 21 successful kills, a stretch that lasted more than seven games.

Meier’s goal at 8:42 of the second period made it a 3-0. Meier was in the slot when he deflected Radim Simek’s shot into the cage for his 14th goal of

the season. The assist was Simek’s first NHL point.

The rout was on when Joe Pavelski scored at 15:02 of the second period with a lucky goal. Even though no teammates were in the vicinity, Pavelski sent the puck to the front of the net and Carolina’s Jordan Staal inadvertently deflected the puck into his own cage. It was Pavelski’s fifth goal in as many games and 18th of the season.

Alex Chiasson #39 of the Edmonton Oilers looks to steal the puck from Colton Parayko #55 and Ivan Barbashev #49 of the St Louis Blues at the

Enterprise Center on Dec 5 in St Louis, Missouri. (AFP)

Oilers 3, Blues 2, SO In St Louis, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid tallied shootout goals to rally the Edmonton Oilers past the host St Louis Blues 3-2 on Wednesday.

The pair beat Blues goalie Jake Allen as Edmonton won the extra session 2-1 after Tyler Bozak opened it with a goal for St Louis.

Nugent-Hopkins and Oscar Klefbom scored goals for the Oilers, who recovered from a 2-0 deficit against the Blues to split their brief two-game road swing in Dallas and St Louis.

McDavid returned to the lineup after a one-game absence caused by illness and assisted on Klefbom’s game-tying goal in the last minute of regulation. He rang in the deciding goal in the shootout to break a 1-1 tie.

Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot made his first start since Nov 25 and had 28 saves.

Ivan Barbashev and Brayden Schenn had goals for the Blues, who lost their second straight. Allen stopped 34 shots.

The game marked the first meeting between the NHL’s most recent coaching hires – St Louis’ Craig Berube and Edmonton’s Ken Hitchcock, who got their jobs on consecutive days in November.