All-Star outfielder Springer agrees to $150 mln, 6-year deal with Jays
NEW YORK, Jan 20, (AP): All-Star outfielder George Springer became the most prominent among baseball’s free agents to reach an agreement, a $150 million, six-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical.
Springer, who turned 31 in September, is a three-time AllStar who spent his entire sevenseason career with Houston and was World Series MVP when the Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games for their first title in 2017. The championship was later tainted when it was discovered Houston illicitly stole signs that season.
He hit .265 with 14 homers and 32 RBIs in the shortened 2020 season, earning a prorated $7,777,778 from a $21 million salary.
Springer has a .270 career average with 174 home runs and 458 RBIs, including career bests of a a .292 average with 39 homers and 96 RBIs in 2019.
Left-hander José Quintana has agreed to an $8 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement is subject to a successful physical.
Los Angeles was looking to boost its rotation following a fourth-place finish in the AL West at 26-34, 10 games behind first-place Oakland. Angels’ starters had a 5.52 ERA in the shortened 2020 season, 29th among the 30 major league teams and ahead of only Detroit’s 6.37.
Don Sutton, a Hall of Fame pitcher who was a stalwart of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation spanning an era from Sandy Koufax to Fernando Valenzuela, died Tuesday. He was 75.
The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, said Sutton died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, after a long struggle with cancer. The Atlanta Braves, for whom Sutton was a long-time broadcaster, said he died in his sleep.
A four-time All-Star, Sutton had a career record of 324-256 and an ERA of 3.26 while pitching for the Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, California Angels and the Dodgers again in 1988, his final season.
Toby Gardenhire, the son of former major league manager Ron Gardenhire, will manage Minnesota’s new Triple-A affiliate, the St. Paul Saints.
The Saints and Twins made the announcement. The 38-year-old Toby Gardenhire was supposed to manage Minnesota’s Triple-A team, the Rochester Red Wings, last season before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled minor league competition.