Contenders aren’t hard to deal with
Astros pick up a premium starter, Scott Kazmir, in trade with Athletics, and Pirates get third baseman Aramis Ramirez from Brewers.
The Oakland Athletics, beginning their expected summer selloff leading up to the July 31 trade deadline, sent veteran left-hander Scott Kazmir to his hometown Houston Astros, and into the thick of the AL West race, on Thursday.
The A’s, last in the division with a 44-53 record, received two minor leaguers, sought-after catcher Jacob Nottingham and right-handed pitcher Daniel Mengden. The Astros, 54-43 and a game behind the West-leading Angels, got a toptier starter as they chase their first playoff berth since 2005, when they were still in the National League and were swept in the World Series by the Chicago White Sox.
Kazmir, 31, was preparing to start Thursday for the A’s against Toronto, until he got a phone call from General Manager Billy Beane and Manager Bob Melvin informing him he’d been traded. Pirates get Ramirez
Pittsburgh acquired veteran third baseman Aramis Ramirez and cash considerations from Milwaukee for minor league pitcher Yhonathan Barrios. Ramirez, 37, a three-time All-Star who began his big league career with the Pirates in 1998, is hitting .247 with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs in what he says is his final season. The trade came 12 years to the day after Pittsburgh sent Ramirez to the Chicago Cubs. The playoff-contending Pirates needed infield help with regular third baseman Josh Harrison and shortstop Jordy Mercer out at least another month with injuries. Etc.
Cubs rookie third baseman Kris Bryant’s jersey has been the top seller in baseball since he was called up from the minors in mid-April, Major League Baseball said. San Francisco left-hander Madison Bumgarner, MVP of the 2014 World Series, had the most popular jersey overall during the first half of the season. The rest of the top 10: Buster Posey, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, Bryce Harper, Hunter Pence, Angels star Mike Trout, Matt Harvey, David Ortiz and Anthony Rizzo ....New York Mets third baseman David Wright, on the disabled list since April 15 because of a back injury, will begin baseball activities next week, and catcher Travis d’Arnaud is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment, the team said. . . . Cleveland reliever Nick Hagadone had surgery on his left elbow and is expected to miss six to nine months.