Former MVPs McCutchen, Donaldson dealt to contenders
Former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen is shaving his beard for a possible World Series run. Ryan Madson is switching bullpens, trying to help another team win a title.
Former American League MVP Josh Donaldson is on his way to Cleveland from Toronto.
And Gio Gonzalez? He might be moving across the diamond at Nationals Park.
A bunch of contenders got busy Friday, making trades to bolster potential playoff rosters. A player must be on a club by Aug. 31 to be eligible for the postseason.
Relievers are always in demand, and the Milwaukee Brewers fortified themselves by acquiring veteran lefthander Xavier Cedeno from the Chicago White Sox for two minor lea- guers.
The Brewers also seemed to be close to getting Gonzalez from Washington to boost their rotation. Milwaukee was playing at Washington, so a trade would mean simply swapping dugouts.
The busy Brewers also acquired veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson from the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night for a minor leaguer.
Clubs can start calling up reinforcements from the minors on Saturday. But it’s who they added before September that could really count in October.
As they battled the Tampa Bay Rays late Friday night, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan reported that the Indians had landed Donaldson. Further details of the trade have not been confirmed or reported.
Donaldson, who was the 2015 AL Most Valuable Player when he belted 41 homers and drove in 123 runs, is hitting .234 with a .757 OPS in 137 at-bats. Donaldson is also a three-time AllStar.
McCutchen, one of several players to pass through waivers after the July 31 trade deadline, was sent from San Francisco to the New York Yankees for a pair of minor leaguers.
The 2013 NL MVP was hitting .255 with 15 home runs, 55 RBIs and 13 stolen bases for the Giants. McCutchen will take over in right field — that was slugger Aaron Judge’s spot in the Bronx, but he hasn’t swung a bat since a fastball broke his wrist five weeks ago.
The 31-year-old McCutchen was expected to be in the lineup Saturday at Yankee Stadium to face Detroit. Before he plays, though, he must adhere to the Yankees’ strict rule on facial hair, and that meant shaving the beard he’s sported for almost his whole career.
“Just gonna take me a sec to get used to my freshly shaved face,” he posted on Twitter.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, having seen closer Kenley Jansen wobble since coming off the disabled list, got Madson from the Nationals for a minor league pitcher. Madson helped Philadelphia win the World Series in 2008 and Kansas City do the same in 2015.
The Oakland Athletics, who finished last in the AL West the past three years, tried to improve their playoff chances by getting righthanded reliever Cory Gearrin from Texas Rangers for a pair of minor league pitchers. Gearrin was a combined 2-1 with a 3.51 ERA and one save in 56 appearances for the Rangers and San Francisco.
In another deal, the Colorado Rockies got backup catcher Drew Butera from Kansas City for a minor league lefthander.
Odds and ends
Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (shoulder) will be activated from the disabled list Saturday and be in the starting lineup against the Phillies. … Red Sox lefthander David Price likely won’t make his next scheduled start, and the team remains unsure when ace lefthander Chris Sale will return to the rotation.