Diamondbacks acquire OF Marte from Pirates
PITTSBURGH » When the Arizona Diamondbacks landed ace Madison Bumgarner in free agency last month, the three-time World Series winner made a surprising offer, one that came with a very urgent catch.
Bumgarner told the Diamondbacks they could defer some of the money on his five-year deal if they promised to spend the up-front savings on making the club better in 2020.
Arizona followed through Monday, acquiring twotime Gold Glove outfielder Starling Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“He fits a lot of what we’re trying to do,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen.
Including free up Ketel Marte — no relation to Starling Marte — to move to second base on a semi-permanent basis. Ketel Marte split time between the center field and second last year while making the AllStar team for the first time and finishing fourth in NL MVP balloting. Hazen said he likes the chemistry Ketel Marte developed with shortstop Nick Ahmed, and Starling Marte’s arrival should let that relationship flourish.
“We feel like he’s a Gold Glove second baseman,” Hazen said.
An honor Starling Marte won twice during his eight years with the Pirates. His arrival in the majors in 2012 served as one of the final building blocks that pushed the team to three straight playoff berths from 201315. His go-ahead home run in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 23, 2013 pushed Pittsburgh to the postseason for the first time in more than two decades, and his blend of speed, athleticism and one of the strongest outfield arms in the game made him a natural fit at spacious PNC Park.
Though the Pirates have fallen well off the pace in the NL Central over the last four years, Marte has been one of the few bright spots. The 31-year-old hit .295 in 2019, setting career highs with 23 home runs and 82 RBIs. It wasn’t nearly enough, however, to help Pittsburgh avoid finishing dead last in the division, a plummet that led to a massive leadership overhaul.
New Pirates general manager Ben Cherington reached out to Hazen — the two previously worked together in Boston — shortly after taking over last October. Talks broke off over the holidays but picked back up this month, with Arizona receiving Marte as well as $1.5 million from the Pirates due on Sept. 15. In return, the Diamondbacks sent shortstop Liover Peguero and pitcher Brendan Malone — both 19-year-old prospects — to Pittsburgh.
“It was painful giving up the players we did ultimately give up,” Hazen said. “We just felt like we have a duty to both the present and the future and we felt like we were going to have to give something good up in order to get a good major league player.” ZIMMERMAN, NATS FINALIZE DEAL » can earn $3 million in performance bonuses. He can earn $1.5 million based on games: $250,000 each for 65, 80, 95, 110, 125 and 140. He also can get $1.5 million for plate appearances: $250,000 apiece for 250, 300, 350, 500, 450 and 500.
Zimmerman also gets a full no-trade provision. Since he already has the right to block trades as a 10-year veteran who has spent five years with his current club, the provision would matter only if he accepts a trade, then wants to block a deal to a different team.
He had become a free agent last fall after the Nationals declined an $18 million option, choosing to pay a $2 million buyout.
Injuries limited Zimmerman to 52 games and a .257 average with six homers and 27 RBIs last year, but he was a key contributor in the postseason. He homered in Game 4 of the Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Pedro Báez and in the World Series opener off Houston’s Gerrit Cole. REDS GET CASTELLANOS » Free agent outfielder Nick Castellanos signed a $64 million, four-year deal Monday with the Reds, Cincinnati’s latest big-money move to emerge from years of losing.
The deal allows Castellanos to opt out and become a free agent after the 2020 or 2021 seasons. He gets salaries of $16 million in 2020, $14 million in 2021, and $16 million in 2022 and 2023. There’s a mutual option for 2024 at $20 million with a buyout of $2 million.
It was the fourth significant move by the Reds, among the most active teams in free agency since their sixth consecutive losing season.