Sep 15, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (3) singles during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field. Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco Giants acquired three-time All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria from the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
The Rays, in turn, receive top infielder prospect Christian Arroyo and minor league pitchers Matt Krook and Stephen Woods. Tampa Bay also must take on the last year of outfielder Denard Span’s contract, which is for $9 million.
Longoria has five seasons remaining on a six-year, $100 million contract that also includes a seventh-year club option.
–Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton ruptured his Achilles tendon during a workout and is expected to be sidelined at least four months.
Britton’s injury will require surgery on Thursday in California to be performed by Dr. Ken Jung.
Britton, who was an All-Star in 2015 and 2016, led the league two seasons ago with 47 saves and had an 0.54 ERA and 0.836 WHIP.
–Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred defended the new Miami Marlins ownership group, in particular Derek Jeter, during an interview on ESPN radio.
Manfred went on the Dan Le Batard show, which is based in Miami, and fielded questions about the Marlins trading away All-Stars Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna and Dee Gordon, and the general direction of the team under Jeter’s ownership group.
“This is really simple,” Manfred told ESPN Radio. “We approved a very well-funded group that made numerous presentations to us about their commitment to provide winning baseball in South Florida over the long haul. That’s generally what we look for in the approval process.
“We don’t get into, are you going to trade ‘Player X’ or ‘Player Y’ at a particular point in time, nor do we ask them to make a commitment to people before they even got in and made an evaluation of their talent level, their ability to win with the people that they have. That’s just not how the ownership process works.”
–The Seattle Mariners officially signed free-agent right-handed relief pitcher Juan Nicasio to a two-year contract, the team announced.
Financial terms were not disclosed by the team, but the Seattle Times reported the deal was for a total of $17 million.
Nicasio, 31, pitched in a career-high 76 games in 2017 with three different teams — Pittsburgh (65), Philadelphia (two) and St. Louis (nine) — finishing with a combined 5-5 record, six saves and a 2.61 ERA.
–The Milwaukee Brewers and free-agent right-hander Jhoulys Chacin reached an agreement on a two-year contract, multiple outlets reported.
Chacin joins Yovani Gallardo as the second free-agent pitcher to sign with the Brewers over the past week. Gallardo is rejoining his former team after struggling in one season apiece with the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners, respectively.
The 29-year-old Chacin posted a 13-10 mark with a 3.89 ERA and a career-high 153 strikeouts in 32 starts last season with the San Diego Padres.
–The Los Angeles Dodgers started the process of restocking their bullpen by signing right-hander Tom Koehler to a one-year contract on Wednesday.
Koehler, 31, who was non-tendered by Toronto, is 36-55 with a 4.39 ERA in 161 major league games with Miami (2012-17) and the Blue Jays (2017).
Koehler began the 2017 season with the Marlins and went 1-5 in 12 starts before being dealt to the Toronto on Aug. 19. He then made all but one of his 15 appearances in the bullpen, compiling an 0-2 record and 2.65 ERA. Koehler held batters to a .242 average and struck out 18 in 17 innings.
