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**StarDust Bum** · 10-31-2019, 02:48 AM

Josh Hamilton charged with child injury
October 30, 2019
By The Associated Press

KELLER, Texas (AP) Former All-Star slugger Josh Hamilton has been charged with injury to a child after his 14-year-old daughter told his ex-wife that he had struck her.

Hamilton, 38, surrendered Wednesday to the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas, and was released on $35,000 bond. If convicted, he could be sentenced to two to 10 years in prison.

According to an affidavit by a Keller Police Department detective, Hamilton's daughter told police that he went on a rampage Sept. 30. She says she made a comment to Hamilton that upset him, so he threw a full bottle overhand at her, hitting her in the chest, then cursed and shouted at her. He pulled away the chair on which she rested her feet and threw it, breaking the chair. It didn't hit her, but he then grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her from the chair on which she sat. She fell to the floor, and he lifted her up, threw her over his shoulder and carried her to her bedroom.

The girl said at this point she was telling Hamilton, ''I'm sorry.'' Upon reaching her bedroom door, he tossed the teen onto her bed, pressed her face onto the mattress and began hitting her legs with an open hand and closed fist.

She said that after he finished striking her, he told her, ''I hope you go in front of the f---ing judge and tell him what a terrible dad I am so I don't have to see you anymore and you don't have to come to my house again.''

As he left the room, he told her to gather her things for school. When she replied that she had already put them in the car, he responded, ''Well, aren't you just the perfect child.''

The Dallas Morning News reports that Hamilton's ex-wife Katie Hamilton, the mother of the children, had sought a protective order for the girl against Hamilton earlier this month.

Hamilton has an unlisted telephone number and couldn't be reached for comment. It was unclear if he has an attorney.

Hamilton played for the Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels. This summer, he was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.

''The Texas Rangers take the issue of family violence very seriously. We are aware of the situation involving Josh Hamilton. Since this is an ongoing legal matter, we have no further comment,'' the Rangers said in a statement.

After Hamilton was the first overall pick out of high school in the 1999 amateur draft by Tampa Bay, his career was nearly destroyed by cocaine and alcohol addiction. He returned to baseball with Cincinnati and made his big-league debut in 2007, when he hit 19 homers in 90 games before being traded to the Rangers. He was part of their only two World Series teams (2010 and 2011) and was an All-Star five seasons in a row.

An awe-inspiring display in the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium in 2008 was a highlight of his career, when the first-time All-Star led the American League with 130 RBIs while hitting .304 with 32 homers in his first full season. He hit four homers in the 2010 AL Championship Series and had a four-homer game at Baltimore in 2012.

Hamilton left the Rangers in free agency, signing a $125 million, five-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels before the 2013 season. He was recovering from shoulder surgery when the Angels traded him back to Texas in 2015 after his two injury-plagued seasons with Los Angeles. He played 50 games for Texas in 2015, but never again after surgery on his left knee at least three times after that.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-31-2019, 02:50 AM

Joe Girardi a big hit in 1st appearance as Phillies manager
October 28, 2019
By The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Joe Girardi hit a grand slam after putting on the red pinstripes for the first time.

Girardi was charming, engaging and entertaining in his introductory news conference as the 55th manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Already popular among fans, Girardi said all the right things Monday.

''It means a lot to me that the fans are behind me,'' Girardi said. ''I'm well aware of the passion for the great game of baseball here. I've lived it as a player and as a manager. I know the importance of winning here. I had a chance to compete against a great team with Charlie Manuel here in 2009, and it was a great place to come watch a game. The passionate fans of the Phillies were great - they were not easy to play against - and I want it to be that way for many years to come.''

Girardi brings an impressive resume to Philadelphia. He managed the New York Yankees for 10 years, succeeding Joe Torre after the 2007 season. He led New York to its 27th World Series title, beating the Phillies in six games in 2009.

He also managed the Marlins for one season and was NL Manager of the Year after going 78-84 in 2006, the only manager to win the award with a losing record.

Girardi's record with the Yankees was 910-710, the sixth-most wins in team history. Girardi won at least 84 games each season in New York and had four years with 95 or more, including 103 in 2009. He led the Yankees to three AL East titles and six postseason appearances.

''Having had 10 years in a big market in New York like Joe did with a World Series and six playoff appearances, his resume really speaks for itself,'' general manager Matt Klentak said. ''But beyond that I can tell you that when we talk to people about Joe, people that he's known in his career, people that he's worked with, the players that have played for him, to a man or a person, every one of them would begin that conversation talking about what a good person Joe is and then at the end of that conversation they would conclude with: `Don't forget that he's an incredible person.' I think when you're making a hire like this it's a pretty good move to bet on a quality individual and I really think we're getting one of the best.''

Girardi's wife, son and two daughters joined him at the news conference. He name-dropped several former Phillies and told a few stories, including asking former Phillies slugger Ryan Howard for an autograph for his son when he was manager of the Marlins. Girardi made his major league debut as a player for the Cubs against the Phillies in 1989 and played his first road game in Philadelphia at old Veterans Stadium.

The 55-year-old Girardi had a .267 batting average and 1,100 hits with a .991 career fielding percentage as a catcher in 15 seasons. He won three World Series titles playing with the Yankees and was an All-Star with the Cubs in 2000.

''One way to establish respect, obviously, is your credibility, your track record,'' Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins said. ''He has one of the best out there, and we're excited to be a part of that.''

The Phillies haven't had a winning season since 2011 when they finished a run of five straight NL East titles, two pennants and one World Series championship under Manuel.

''I'm selfish. I want to win,'' Girardi said. ''We need to do whatever it takes to win.''

Girardi was nicknamed ''Binder Joe'' in New York for his use of analytics. Former Phillies manager Gabe Kapler was unfairly criticized for relying on analytics too much.

''Numbers tell a story over time,'' Girardi said. ''I am an analytical guy who has an engineering degree. I love math and they can never give me too much information. It's a tool we can use to evaluate players in so many different ways. In reality, our job is to bring the best out in players, and whatever tool we have to help us I want it.''

**StarDust Bum** · 10-31-2019, 02:52 AM

Ross, Cubs eyeing return to playoffs
October 28, 2019
By The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) David Ross slipped on his old No. 3 jersey, as if it was 2016 all over again, though he and the Cubs insisted this is not about the past.

It's a step toward a future they hope includes a return to the postseason and more World Series championships.

The Cubs introduced Ross as their 55th manager on Monday to replace Joe Maddon with their sights set on getting back to the playoffs after missing out for the first time in five years.

''I've been a part of a lot of winning teams,'' said Ross, a revered leader on the 2016 championship team who also played on a World Series winner in Boston. ''I know what winning looks like. There's things that I expect out of players, out of myself, that entail winning.''

The Cubs gave Ross a three-year deal last week with a club option through the 2023 season. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer are under contract through 2021, and stars Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are under club control through then.

''I think he signed a fairly standard length for a first-year manager,'' Epstein said. ''I never for one second think about my contract or the duration of it. We're always trying to act in the best interest of the organization for the long haul and trying hard to make sure that that big picture and the long view manifest in winning seasons in the current year. I think he's somebody that the entire organization felt good about. It wasn't one person picking him; he was the consensus choice throughout the organization. Hopefully, he's here for a really long time.''

The most immediate issue for Ross will be deciding which coaches to keep and which outsiders to hire.

Ross said he has texted the Cubs' coaches, but he has not begun to assemble a staff.

Epstein said Ross plans to keep ''a number of coaches'' and might bring in some from the outside. He said adding a former manager or veteran bench coach to the staff ''is important'' given Ross' lack of experience.

The 42-year-old Ross never has managed or coached. He played two of his final 15 seasons with the Cubs and was a respected leader on the 2016 team that ended the infamous World Series championship drought dating to 1908.

Affectionately nicknamed ''Grandpa Rossy'' by Bryant and Rizzo, he became at age 39 the oldest player to homer in a Game 7 of the World Series when he connected against Andrew Miller in the sixth inning in Cleveland. The Cubs wound up winning in the 10th, and Ross got carried off the field and into retirement by teammates.

He spent the past three years in Chicago's front office and as an ESPN analyst. Working with Epstein and Hoyer, he said he gained deeper appreciation for the work behind the scenes - the communication between top executives and the manager, the coaching, scouting and development in the minors.

As for the type of manager Ross will be?

''I'm going to be a manager that wants to watch the game and see how it plays out,'' he said. ''I don't think that I'll be this guy that bunts all the time or doesn't bunt. ... I'm going to watch the game, let it come to me, feel my way through it.''

Just don't expect him to let management pull his strings.

''If you're a front office and you want a puppet, you don't hire David Ross,'' Epstein said.

Ross takes over for one of the most successful managers in franchise history. Maddon led the Cubs to the playoffs in four of his five seasons, with three appearances in the NL Championship Series to go with that World Series win.

The Cubs conducted two interviews each with Ross and Houston bench coach Joe Espada. Ex-Yankees manager and former Cubs catcher Joe Girardi, former Phillies manager Gabe Kapler, bench coach Mark Loretta and third-base coach Will Venable were also known to have interviewed.

But the Cubs ultimately decided to go with the man who was widely viewed as the heir apparent to Maddon.

''I think it's a collaborative effort between us all,'' Ross said. ''But I will be making my own decisions and continue (getting) feedback from the group.''

Ross was known as a player who would tell teammates what they needed to hear - not necessarily what they wanted to hear. He was able to do it in a way that made them gravitate toward him, rather than alienate them.

Ross wasn't afraid to tell the front office what he thought, either.

''I remember one time I didn't love how he was calling pitches for a certain young pitcher we had just called up,'' Epstein said. ''I remember trying to find him. We sat down for about five minutes in the dugout before a game and I kind of shared with him: `Well, here's what we have on this pitcher and here's what worked for him in the minors. Here's our scouting report. Here's what the analytics say.'''

Epstein expected Ross, the backup catcher, to go along with it. Instead, he got ''serious pushback right in my face'' with his player telling him ''here's in reality what he can and can't do.''

**StarDust Bum** · 10-31-2019, 02:53 AM

Padres officially announce Tingler hiring
October 28, 2019
By The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) The San Diego Padres have officially announced the hiring of Jayce Tingler as their new manager.

Tingler, who has most recently been on the Texas Rangers' coaching staff as major league player development field coordinator, has agreed with the Padres on a three-year contract, San Diego executive vice president and general manager A.J. Preller said Monday.

''Jayce has extensive experience in virtually every aspect of coaching, player development and baseball operations, and our entire group believes that he's the right person to lead our talented roster,'' Preller said in a statement. ''His multi-faceted skill set, combined with his ability to develop talent and help players reach their potential at the Major League level, were key factors in his selection as our manager.''

Tingler will officially be introduced at a news conference at Petco Park on Thursday.

The 38-year-old Tingler takes over a team that has missed the playoffs for 13 straight seasons and hasn't had a winning record in nine years.

His only previous managerial experience has been at the lowest rungs, including guiding Leones del Escogido to a 9-1 start in the Dominican Winter League.

He replaces Andy Green, who was blamed for the Padres' second-half collapse when he was fired with eight games left in the season. Green had no previous big league managing experience when he was hired before the 2016 season.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-31-2019, 02:56 AM

Ex-Mets manager Callaway joining Angels
October 27, 2019
By The Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Former New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway will be the Los Angeles Angels' next pitching coach, a person familiar with the decision said.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday night because the Angels haven't announced the hiring.

The person also said veteran coach John Mallee will join the staff of new Angels manager Joe Maddon.

Callaway was fired Oct. 3 after going 163-161 in two seasons in charge of the Mets. New York made a nine-game improvement in the standings this season to finish 86-76, but it wasn't enough to secure a playoff spot or to save Callaway's first managerial job.

Before joining New York, Callaway spent five successful seasons as the Cleveland Indians' pitching coach. Cleveland's pitchers led the AL in strikeouts in each of his final four seasons in charge, and his staffs were the backbone of five consecutive winning teams during his tenure, including the 2016 AL champions.

Callaway won a World Series ring as a pitcher for the Angels in 2002, although he didn't appear in any postseason games. He was the Halos' fifth starter down the stretch of the regular season.

Mallee was the Cubs' hitting coach for three seasons under Maddon, including their World Series championship season in 2016.

He was Phillies manager Gabe Kapler's hitting coach for the past two seasons until Philadelphia fired him in August. Mallee also has been a hitting coach for the then-Florida Marlins and the Houston Astros.

**StarDust Bum** · 10-31-2019, 02:58 AM

Maddon's plan for Angels blends themes
October 24, 2019
By The Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Joe Maddon was a part of the Los Angeles Angels organization during most of its glory days, including that lone World Series championship in 2002.

With many of his past players and future ones in the crowd Thursday, Maddon outlined his vision for trying to bring the Angels back into contention during his first news conference as manager.

Much of that comes from things he learned in the Angels farm system in the late 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s, first as a player and then as a coach. In short, he is looking for a fundamentally sound team with a simple, aggressive style.

Most of all, he is looking to get the Angels back to a perfect balance of using analytics and the human element of the game. Or as Madden puts it, data versus art.

''My point is to move this thing forward, I want to create this method that incorporates both,'' said Maddon, who agreed to a three-year deal on Oct. 16. ''I think we did it in Chicago and I want to bring it here. I did it previously in Tampa Bay. I love them both. But you can not be so heavy sided one way or the other and think you will be that successful on an annual basis.

''In today's game, everyone is working off the same sheet of music. I think there's a reason why fans have been turned off a bit by our game. That's because the game looks the same no matter where you go.''

In the 14 years since he left the Angels, Maddon has continued to enjoy success. The three-time Manager of the Year spent nine seasons with Tampa Bay, including leading the Rays to the AL pennant in 2008 before a five-year run in Chicago, which included leading the Cubs to a championship in 2016 for the first time in 108 years.

Maddon will be asked to perform the same turnaround in Los Angeles, whose 72-90 record this season was its worst since 1999. The Angels have four straight losing seasons for the first time since the 1970s and haven't been to the postseason since 2014 despite having Mike Trout and Albert Pujols on their roster.

Owner Arte Moreno said he has always stayed in contact with Maddon but decided with at least six weeks left to go in the season that he was going to move on from Brad Ausmus after one season.

''It just felt that we had made some changes and they weren't working the way I felt they should be working,'' he said.

Maddon was expected to be a highly sought candidate after a mutual parting with the Cubs, but he was eager to return to Southern California.

''There were other teams interested, too, but this was the place I wanted to be, and I let Arte know that,'' he said.

Maddon said he is closing in on finalizing his coaching staff, and that more interviews with candidates will take place Friday. He said he feels like he has started to have a good working relationship with general manager Billy Eppler, who goes into next season on the final year of his contract.

Eppler also said that they have worked well together during the early going.

''One of the things that Joe and I were talking about through the interview process is, `Do you think managing a major league baseball game is more like poker, or do you think it's more like chess? What do you think it actually is?' I don't think there's a right or wrong answer, but we both gave our answers at the same time and we both said poker,'' Eppler said. ''You have to understand your hand, have to understand the hand your opponent's holding, and I think a seasoned manager does that.''

Moreno and Eppler said the Angels will be aggressive in free agency. They have Trout as the centerpiece but a weak pitching staff. The franchise is also still dealing with revelations that a team employee had a role in procuring opioids for pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who was found dead in his hotel room in Texas on July 1.

The team continues to cooperate in ongoing investigations. Maddon said it was not brought up during negotiations.

Despite the organization's recent stretch of futility, Maddon was not afraid to outline his expectations for 2020 with many players looking on, including Pujols and Shohei Ohtani.

''I'm not going to sugarcoat it, my goal is to be playing in October. I don't like watching this crap on TV right now. It's much more fun to be involved,'' he said. ''Never permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure of the moment, ever. When you arrive at that point, that's when you can really do some special things. That's what I'm really going to preach this year.''

**StarDust Bum** · 11-01-2019, 02:59 AM

Royals hire Mike Matheny as manager
October 31, 2019
By The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Mike Matheny walked through the doors of Kauffman Stadium a year ago to take a job as a special adviser with the Kansas City Royals, an out-of-the-spotlight position that allowed him to take stock of his career and his shortcomings.

He had been fired by the Cardinals earlier in the summer, ending a six-year tenure highlighted by a World Series trip and lowlighted by a three-year swoon that cost him his job.

''When I left,'' Matheny recalled, ''I went home to my wife and my five amazing kids and I said, `I don't know how to explain it but this is where I'm meant to be.''

Turns out he'll be calling the K his office for a while.

Ned Yost decided to retire near the end of the season, and the Royals finally made official what many expected: They were handing the job to Matheny, who had spent the year working side-by-side with people throughout the organization, from the farm clubs to the scouting staff.

''He has interacted with leadership of all levels. He's spent time in our rookie league, with the medical staff, evaluating people for the draft,'' general manager Dayton Moore said Thursday. ''As Mike interacted with all those people, to a man, they were amazed by his leadership.''

That's one of many things he spent the past year working on.

Matheny also worked on his people skills. He embraced analytics. He even hired a media consultant to learn how to better deal with the press.

All of those were criticisms that ultimately led to his ouster in St. Louis.

The 49-year-old Matheny went 591-474 with the Cardinals and was the first manager to reach the postseason his first four seasons. The Cardinals reached the World Series in 2013, losing to the Red Sox, but Matheny was fired in July 2018 as the team skidded toward a third consecutive season without a postseason trip.

`"I needed two days. I don't know why two days,'' he said, when asked how long he needed to decompress after his firing. ''I loved playing the game, but what I truly found I love to do was coach and manage.''

He will have his hands full managing the Royals.

They are coming off another 100-loss season and are in the midst of a massive retooling effort following their back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014-15. It was a run that culminated with their first championship since 1985 and energized an entire city.

But that team's foundation reached free agency shortly after beating the New York Mets for the title, forcing the small-market organization to dismantle and rebuild. Wins have been hard to come by, even as the team showed progress with a wave of young position players reaching the majors.

The fact that Matheny spent the past season evaluating the progress of those players, along with a batch of talented pitchers still in the minors, gave him a leg up in the competition for the job.

''They aspire to play for Mike,'' Moore said, ''and that's ultimately what sold us on him.''

Matheny was a Gold Glove-winning catcher who succeeded Tony La Russa as Cardinals manager after St. Louis won the 2011 World Series. But after some immediate success endeared him to plenty of Cardinals fans, Matheny was just 216-201 in his final two-plus seasons, culminating in the club's first in-season managerial change since Joe Torre was replaced by Mike Jorgensen in 1995.

While Matheny brings postseason experience - he managed 43 playoff games in St. Louis - his real value beginning next season will be developing the young talent on the roster.

Talented shortstop Adalberto Mondesi had shoulder surgery but should be back next season, and outfielder Jorge Soler set a club record with 48 homers last season. Third baseman Hunter Dozier added 26 in a breakthrough season while Whit Merrifield had another 200-hit season at second base.

With a young lineup largely set, the Royals will spend the next couple of seasons piecing together a starting rotation and bullpen. Brad Keller and Jakob Junis are the only certainties among starters and closer Ian Kennedy was the only reliable relief option last season.

Matheny's hiring comes at a pivotal juncture off the field, too.

In late August, the Glass family announced they were selling the Royals to an ownership group led by local businessman John Sherman in a deal expected to be worth about $1 billion. Sherman and his local co-investors will become only the third owners since Ewing Kauffman founded the club in 1969.

Sherman is considered an astute businessman and respected civic leader, but he's also a brilliant baseball mind. He was a season ticketholder of the Royals for years before purchasing an interest in the Cleveland Indians - an interest he will be selling before his purchase of the Royals is complete.

League owners are expected to vote on the sale at their meeting Nov. 21.

**StarDust Bum** · 11-01-2019, 03:01 AM

Pence a free agent after comeback year with hometown Rangers
October 31, 2019
By The Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Hunter Pence has become a free agent after a comeback season with his hometown Texas Rangers.

Texas utility infielder Logan Forsythe and retiring right-handed pitcher Edinson Volquez also became free agents Thursday, a day after the World Series ended.

Relievers Shawn Kelley and Nate Jones, along with newly acquired catcher Welington Castillo, are likely to become free agents, as well, with the team not expected to exercise 2020 contract options.

The 36-year-old Pence hit .297 with 18 homers and 59 RBIs in 83 games. He was voted as the starting designated hitter for the AL All-Star team, though he couldn't play in the game because of a right groin strain. He didn't play after Aug. 22 because of a lower back strain.

Kelley was 5-2 with 11 saves and a 4.94 ERA in 50 games. He has a $2.5 million option with a $250,000 buyout.

Texas earlier Thursday acquired Castillo, who has an $8 million option and a $500,000 buyout. The 32-year-old catcher hit .209 over 72 games last season.

Jones, who has a $3.75 million club option with a $1.25 million buyout, was acquired in July from the White Sox while recovering from right forearm surgery.

**StarDust Bum** · 11-01-2019, 03:02 AM

Cole, Rendon among FA's on market
October 31, 2019
By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon became a free agent Thursday, a day after homering to spark Washington's seventh-inning comeback in Game 7 of the World Series.

Houston pitcher Gerrit Cole also went free after warming up in the bullpen but never getting into the season finale.

And Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg, the World Series MVP, could be joining them in the next few days. He has the right to opt out of his contract, which has $100 million over four years remaining.

Baseball's business season starts shortly after the final out.

''I think it's hard to kind of fast-forward,'' Astros manager AJ Hinch said. ''Seasons end really fast. I don't care if you get all the way to the seventh game of the World Series. It's all of a sudden - boom! - it's over.''

Cole, Rendon and Strasburg all are represented by Scott Boras, known for slow, methodical negotiations. Last winter, he reached outfielder Bryce Harper's $330 million, 13-year contract with Philadelphia on Feb. 28.

Cole, a 29-year-old right-hander who went 20-5 this year, is expected to get a record contract for a pitcher, topping David Price's $217 million, seven-year deal with Boston before the 2016 season and Justin Verlander's $31.33 million average salary under a three-year deal with the Astros that started in 2019.

Cole tweeted a letter Thursday praising Houston fans.

''Before I became an Astro I didn't know much about Houston, but after just two years you have made it feel like home,'' he wrote. ''This is a relationship between a team and ... fans like no other that I know.''

Strasburg, a 31-year-old right-hander, just finished the third season of a $175 million deal and at 18-6 also is coming off his best season. Rendon led the major leagues with 126 RBIs while hitting .319 with 34 homers.

A total of 131 players became free agents Thursday, and 53 more potentially are eligible pending decisions on team, player and mutual options during the next few days.

Among the pitchers available are major league ERA leader Hyun-Jin Ryu, Zack Wheeler, Madison Bumgarner, Rick Porcello, Cole Hamels, Jake Odorizzi and Dallas Keuchel, who went free after the 2018 season and waited until June to reach a one-year deal with Atlanta.

Others eligible include shortstop Didi Gregorius, third baseman Josh Donaldson and outfielders Yasiel Puig, Marcell Ozuna and Jose Abreu - the AL RBIs leader.

Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman and Boston slugger J.D. Martinez also have the right to opt out, and catcher Yasmani Grandal has a mutual option with Milwaukee.

Teams must decide by Monday whether to make $17.8 million qualifying offers to their former players who became free agents, Players are eligible for the offer if they were on the roster for the season and never received a qualifying offer before. The price dropped for the first time, by $100,000, following a second straight slow offseason for roster moves.

Edwin Encarnacion's $25 million option was declined by the Yankees, triggering a $5 million buyout.

Cleveland exercised Corey Kluber's $17.5 million team option and declined options on second baseman Jason Kipnis ($16.5 million) and reliever Dan Otero ($1.5 million). Kipnis gets a $2.5 million buyout and Otero $100,000 buyout. Left-hander Oliver Perez's option became guaranteed at $3 million because he pitched in 60 or more games and passed a club physical.

Arizona turned down a $6 million option on infielder Wilmer Flores, who gets a $500,000 buyout.

Seattle declined Wade LeBlanc's $5.5 million option and the left-hander will receive a $450,000 buyout.

San Diego declined a $2.5 million option on RHP Adam Warren, who gets a $500,000 buyout, and a $2 million option on LHP Aaron Loup, who gets a $200,000 buyout. Both will become free agents.

Versatile Oakland reliever Yusmeiro Petit had his $5.5 million contract option for the 2020 season exercised by the Athletics, who declined their half of a $5.75 million mutual option on left-handed pitcher Jake Diekman, who gets a $500,000 buyout.

**StarDust Bum** · 11-01-2019, 02:31 PM

Athletics exercise $5.5 million contract option for Petit
October 31, 2019
By The Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Versatile Oakland reliever Yusmeiro Petit had his $5.5 million contract option for the 2020 season exercised by the Athletics on Thursday.

The A's declined their half of a $5.75 million mutual option on left-handed pitcher Jake Diekman, who came to Oakland in a trade from Kansas City on July 27 and went 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA in 28 outings for Oakland after beginning 0-6 with the Royals. Diekman gets a $500,000 buyout.

Petit made an AL-leading 80 appearances in 2019, when the 97-win A's lost for a second straight year in the AL wild card game.

He went 5-3 with a 2.71 ERA and .194 opponent batting average. The right-hander - who agreed to a $10 million, two-year contract with the A's in November 2017 - would have received a $1 million buyout.

The A's also announced next year's coaching staff Thursday under manager Bob Melvin on Thursday.

Bench coach Ryan Christenson, hitting coach Darren Bush, pitching coach Scott Emerson, bullpen coach Marcus Jensen and quality control coach Mark Kotsay will remain in their current positions while Eric Martins has been promoted to the major league staff as assistant hitting coach after serving five years in a hitting coach role in the minors.

Mike Aldrete moves from assistant hitting coach to first base coach while Al Pedrique goes from first base coach to third base to replace Matt Williams, new manager of the Kia Tigers in South Korea.

**StarDust Bum** · 11-01-2019, 02:33 PM

Indians exercise Kluber's 2020 option
October 31, 2019
By The Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) The Indians officially exercised starter Corey Kluber's $17.5 million contract option for next season.

Team president Chris Antonetti said last month that the Indians would pick up Kluber's option. The club formally made the move Thursday while declining options on second baseman Jason Kipnis and reliever Dan Otero for 2020.

Kluber, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, didn't pitch for the Indians after May 1, when the right-hander sustained a broken arm when he was hit by a comebacker. He was nearing a return in the minor leagues before an oblique injury ended his comeback.

The 33-year-old Kluber is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.

The Indians have parted ways with Kipnis, a two-time All-Star. He had a $16.5 million option for next season. Antonetti hasn't ruled out possibly re-signing the 32-year-old, who has been with Cleveland his entire career.

Also, left-hander Oliver Perez will make $3 million next season. The reliever had a vesting option for 2020 that was triggered by games pitched, subject to a successful physical.

**StarDust Bum** · 11-01-2019, 02:34 PM

'A group of heartbroken men': Astros lose
October 31, 2019
By The Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) It was well within their grasp.

The Houston Astros had a shot at a mini dynasty with a second title in three seasons. Instead, they failed to get one win in two chances at home against the Washington Nationals and have an offseason as runner-ups to ponder what might have been.

''I've got a group of heartbroken men ... that did everything they could to try to bring a World Series championship to this city,'' manager AJ Hinch said. ''And we fell one win shy.''

The Astros won a franchise-record and MLB-best 107 games to earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. It didn't help in a World Series in which they dropped all four games in Houston, capped by Wednesday night's 6-2 loss that left them to watch the Nationals celebrate on their home field.

In a season where aces Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole powered their spectacular success, a bullpen implosion in the seventh inning in Game 7 ensured the Astros wouldn't get a second ring this year.

Zack Greinke, picked up at the trade deadline as the last piece to a team that seemed destined for another title, had his best outing of the postseason Wednesday night. When he was lifted with one on and one out in the seventh, Houston led by a run. Two pitches later, Howie Kendrick took Will Harris deep and the Nationals took the championship from the Astros.

It was an agonizing ending for a team was favored to be champions all season. In Verlander and Cole they had two front-runners for the AL Cy Young Award. Their loaded roster also boasted MVP candidate Alex Bregman and rookie of the year favorite Yordan Alvarez along with star hitters Jose Altuve, George Springer and Carlos Correa.

''This is going to sting for a really long time, and it should,'' Hinch said. But when everything, the dust settles, we'll be very proud of the season we had, albeit one win short.''

Verlander, who threw his third no-hitter this season, won 20 games for the second time in his career and first since winning a career-high 24 in 2011 with Detroit when he won the Cy Young and MVP. Cole set a team record by winning his last 16 regular-season decisions and topped the AL with a career-best 2.50 ERA. His career-high 326 strikeouts were the most in the majors and set a franchise record that had stood since 1979 when J.R. Richard fanned 313.

Bregman had 41 homers and 112 RBIs - both career-highs - to power Houston's offense and compete with Mike Trout for AL MVP honors. Alvarez started the season in Triple-A before a June call-up. He had 27 homers and 78 RBIs in just 87 games.

But those gaudy numbers and all the hardware Houston players might receive this offseason won't make what happened Wednesday night sit any better. The Astros entered the season saying their only goal was another championship.

''It stings, and it's going to sting for a little bit, but after that, it kind of washes away,'' Springer said. ''We know the feeling of success, which we had. We know the feeling of failure, which we now had. You build on it and take that into next year.''

Houston won 100 games for the third straight season and should be in good position to maintain that success next year with most of its core returning. They're likely, however, to lose one big piece from this year's run. Cole becomes a free agent and expected to command at least a $200 million contract, which could be too rich for the Astros.

Still, the Astros believe they remain built for sustained success.

''We will have more opportunities to win the World Series, play in the postseason,'' Bregman said. ''This team was amazing with 107 wins. I think this team will bounce back from this and come ready to play next year.''

**StarDust Bum** · 11-04-2019, 01:49 AM

11/03/19 The Associated Press Cubs exercise Rizzo's $16.5M option, decline Morrow, Barnett

11/03/19 The Associated Press Arenado, Gordon get 7th Gold Gloves, Greinke 6th

11/03/19 The Associated Press OF Gordon goes free after $23M option declined by Royals

11/03/19 The Associated Press Castillo opts out of Red Sox contract

11/03/19 The Associated Press Phillies' Arrieta exercises $20M option

11/03/19 The Associated Press Chapman, Yanks agree to $48M deal

11/03/19 The Associated Press Strasburg opts out, becomes free agent

11/03/19 The Associated Press Jansen stays with Dodgers, Gyorko out

11/02/19 The Associated Press Giants' Watson exercises $2.5M option

11/02/19 The Associated Press Cubs exercise option on LHP Quintana

11/01/19 The Associated Press Rangers decline '20 options for new catcher, 2 relievers

11/01/19 The Associated Press Braves decline Billy Hamilton's option

11/01/19 The Associated Press Moustakas, Grandal go onto free agent market

11/01/19 The Associated Press Harrelson, Shannon among Frick Award finalists

11/01/19 The Associated Press Marlins decline $16 million option on Starlin Castro

11/01/19 The Associated Press Nationals decline Matt Adams' $4 million option

11/01/19 The Associated Press Rockies name Darryl Scott bullpen coach

11/01/19 The Associated Press Mets decide to hire Beltran as manager

11/01/19 The Associated Press Galvis' $5.5M option exercised by Reds

Announcement

Cnotes MLB 2019 - 2020 News Notes and Rumors Thru Spring Training !

Cnotes MLB 2019 - 2020 News Notes and Rumors Thru Spring Training !

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