Cardinals get Goldschmidt from D-Backs
PHOENIX — The St. Louis Cardinals struck gold in their search for a big hitter, acquiring slugging first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in a blockbuster trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
Eager to push for the playoffs after a three-year absence, St. Louis sent pitcher Luke Weaver, catcher Carson Kelly, minor league infielder Andy Young and a 2019 draft pick to Arizona.
A six-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner at 31, Goldschmidt was among the top players available in the trade market. He hit .290 with 33 home runs and 83 RBIs last season.
“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,” Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said in a statement.
Goldschmidt has a $14.5 million salary next year, receives a $1 million assignment bonus for the trade and will be eligible for free agency after next season. The Cardinals have a history of acquiring top hitters and then signing them to long-term deals, including Mark McGwire and Matt Holliday.
St. Louis went 88-74 last season and felt it needed a boost in the middle of a lineup that includes Matt Carpenter, Marcell Ozuna and Yadier Molina to compete with the likes of Milwaukee and the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. The Cardinals’ postseason drought is their longest since 1997-99.
Free-agent slugger Bryce Harper has supposedly been on the Cards’ wish list, too, with the winter meetings coming up this weekend. Last offseason, the Cardinals had worked out a deal with Miami for NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton, but he refused to waive his no-trade clause.
Arizona went 82-80 in the NL West and finished behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado, which both made the playoffs.
Marlins tab Stottlemyre
Former Seattle Mariners pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. has been hired as pitching coach for the Miami Marlins. Also joining manager Don Mattingly’s staff is former Kansas City Royals manager Trey Hillman, who will be first base and infield coach.
Like Mattingly and Marlins CEO Derek Jeter, Stottlemyre and Hillman have ties to the New York Yankees. Stottlemyre’s father, Mel, was a Yankees pitcher and pitching coach. Hillman is a former manager in the Yankees’ minor league system, and in 2011-13 he was Mattingly’s bench coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Marlins hired Jeff Livesey as assistant hitting coach to work with hitting coach Mike Pagliarulo. Kevin Barr was promoted to strength and conditioning coach.
Seattle had a 4.19 ERA, sixth in the American League, with Stottlemyre as pitching coach in 2016-18.
Utilityman Owings agrees to deal with Royals
Chris Owings has agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, five days after the utilityman was cut loose by Arizona.
The 27-year-old Owings hit .206 in 106 games this year. He made 33 starts in right field, 10 in center, nine at third, eight and second and three in left. He had 12 homers and 51 RBIs in 2017.