Seattle ships DeSclafani to Twins for Polanco
The Seattle Mariners acquired second baseman Jorge Polanco from the Minnesota Twins on Monday for former Giants pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, reliever Justin Topa, two minor leaguers and cash.
The 33-year-old DeSclafani was traded to the Mariners earlier this month from San Francisco. He had a 4.88 ERA for the Giants last season while making 18 starts.
The right-handed Topa had a 2.61 ERA in 75 relief appearances as a rookie for the Mariners in 2023.
The 30-year-old Polanco became expendable with the emergence last season of rookie Edouard Julien for the Twins, who are trimming their club-record payroll from 2023 in light of the uncertainty around their regional broadcast revenue. Polanco will make $10.5 million this season, and his contract has a $12 million club option for 2025.
Polanco came back from a knee injury to hit .255 with 14 home runs and a .789 OPS in 80 games for the Twins. He made the AL All-Star team in 2019 while hitting a career-high .295 in 153 games.
DeSclafani was thought to be an option at the back end of Seattle's rotation for the upcoming season. He's made just 23 starts combined the past two seasons after having a career-best year in 2021 when he went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 31 starts for San Francisco.
The right-hander makes $12 million this year in the final season of a $36 million, three-year deal.
The prospects going to the Twins are outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez and pitcher Darren Bowen. EX-MANAGER WILLIAMS DIES AT 80 >> Jimy Williams, the 1999 American League Manager of the Year for Boston who won 910 games over a dozen seasons that included stints with Toronto and Houston, has died. He was 80.
The Red Sox said Williams died Friday at AdventHealth North Pinellas Hospital in Tarpon Springs, Florida, after a brief illness.
Williams was voted AL Manager of the Year after leading the Red Sox to their second straight playoff appearance. ANGELS AGREE TO 1-YEAR DEAL WITH HICKS >> Outfielder Aaron Hicks has agreed to a one-year, $740,000 contract with the Los Angeles Angels.
Hicks' salary is the major league minimum and will be offset against the $9.5 million he was guaranteed by the Yankees, who released him from a $70 million, 7-year contract.
Women's college basketball
SOUTH CAROLINA KEEPS GRIP ON NO. 1
>> South Carolina remained the clear No. 1 team in the country and No. 2 Kansas State matched its best ranking ever after a chaotic week that saw nearly half of the AP Top 25 lose at least one game.
The Gamecocks received all 35 first-place votes in the latest Associated Press women's basketball poll after their 76-70 road victory over then-No. 9 LSU.
Iowa moved back up to third and was followed by Stanford at No. 4 and then North Carolina State.
Men's college basketball
UCONN, PURDUE STAY ATOP TOP 25 >> The top five of the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll remained unchanged with defending national champ UConn still ahead of mighty Purdue, streaking North Carolina, defensive-minded Houston and Tennessee.
The Huskies were still the clear No. 1, picking up four more firstplace votes after a 99-56 rout of Xavier for their eighth straight win. They topped the poll on 48 of 63 ballots from the national panel of media, while the Boilermakers received 14 votes for No. 1 and the Cougars picked up the remaining one.