Cubs acquire 3B Busch, Almonte from Dodgers

The Chicago Cubs acquired power-hitting third baseman Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte from the Los Angeles Dodgers for two minor league prospects on Thursday.

The Dodgers received pitcher Jackson Ferris and center fielder Zyhir Hope.

The 26-year-old Busch was the Pacific Coast League player of the year last season with Clas AAA Oklahoma City and could be the Cubs' opening day third baseman.

The left-handed Busch hit 27 homers with 90 RBIS while batting .323 with a .431 on-base percentage for Oklahoma City. He also made his major league debut in late April and was 12 for 72 with two homers and seven RBIS in 27 games over three stints. In 2022, he combined to hit .274 with 32 homers and 108 RBIS at Double-a and Triple-a.

The 29-year-old Almonte was 3-2 with a 5.06 ERA in 49 relief appearances for Los Angeles last season. The righthander is 7-6 with a 4.51 ERA over 196 outings with the Colorado Rockies (2018-21) and Dodgers (2022-23).

Ferris, who turns 20 on Monday, was a second-round pick by Chicago in the 2022 amateur draft. Hope, who turns 19 on Jan. 19, was an 11thround pick by the Cubs in 2023.

Ex-met Harrelson dead at 79:

Bud Harelson, the scrappy and sure-handed shortstop who fought Pete Rose on the field during a playoff game and helped the New York Mets win an astonishing championship, died early Thursday morning. He was 79.

The Mets said Thursday that Harrelson died at a hospice house in East Northport, New York after a long battle with Alzheimer's. He was diagnosed in 2016 and publicly shared his struggle two years later, hoping he and his family could help others afflicted.

During a major league career that lasted from 1965-80, the light-hitting Harrelson was selected to two All-star Games and won a Gold Glove. Known to family and teammates as Buddy, he spent his first 13 seasons with New York and was the only man in a Mets uniform for both their World Series titles.

In one of the most famous scenes in baseball history, it was a euphoric Harrelson who waved home Ray Knight with the winning run on Bill Buckner's error in Game 6 of the '86 Series against Boston.

Harrelson also managed the Mets for nearly two seasons, guiding them to a second-place NL East finish in 1990 after taking over in late May. He was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 1986, joining Rusty Staub as the first two players honored.

In Game 3 of the 1973 NL Championship Series between the Mets and Cincinnati Reds, Rose slid hard into Harrelson at second base on a double play. The two ended up toe-totoe and then wrestling in the infield dirt at Shea Stadium, triggering a wild, bench-clearing brawl that spilled into the outfield.

Imanaga, Cubs finalize $53M deal:

Japanese lefthander Shóta Imanaga and the Chicago Cubs finalized a $53 million, four-year contract on Thursday, a deal that includes a club option that could make the agreement worth $80 million over five seasons.

Braves strike deals with Fried, Minter:

The Atlanta Braves have agreements their last arbitration-eligible players by striking deals with lefthander Max Fried ($15M) and A.J. Minter ($6.22M).

Odermatt breaks World Cup drought

Marco Odermatt finally won a World Cup downhill Thursday in his 36th attempt with a victory at Wengen, Switzerland, following eight previous second-place finishes at downhill events.