MLB
notebook: Pirates pick up slugger Dickerson from Rays
Send a link to a friend
[February 23, 2018]
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired
All-Star outfielder/designated hitter Corey Dickerson in a trade
with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Pirates sent right-handed reliever Daniel Hudson, minor-league
infielder Tristan Gray and cash considerations to the Rays as part
of the deal announced Thursday. Dickerson had surprisingly been
designated for assignment by Tampa Bay over the weekend after being
selected as the American League's starting designated hitter in last
year's All-Star Game.
The 28-year-old slashed .282/.325/.490 with a career-high 27 home
runs and 62 RBIs last season, ranking second on the Rays with an
.815 OPS. Dickerson's batting average slipped from .312 in the first
half to .241 in the second, but he still remained a key part of the
Rays' offense down the stretch.
"Corey Dickerson adds a quality power threat to our lineup as
evidenced by his 60-plus extra base hits and 20-plus home runs each
of the last two seasons," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington
said in a statement. "Corey is a driven player who will also add a
quality presence to our clubhouse."
--Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson said on his Instagram
account that he will join the New York Yankees at their spring
training camp for a week in Tampa, Fla., beginning Monday.
"Hey New York City, I'm here, I got the Yankees hat on," Wilson said
in a video post while standing on a street corner in New York. "I'm
heading to spring training on Monday. I can't wait to see you guys
Feb. 26. We're going to have some fun for that week."

Wilson was acquired by the Yankees from the Texas Rangers in
exchange for future considerations in a Feb. 7 trade. The four-time
Pro Bowl quarterback was a fourth-round pick by the Colorado Rockies
and played minor-league baseball for the organization in 2010-11
before focusing on his football career.
--Rays top prospect Brent Honeywell bolted off the mound in disgust
after a brief workout with an apparent arm injury.
Honeywell, the No. 1 prospect in the system and No. 12 in Major
League Baseball according to MLBPipeline.com, threw 10 pitches
before cutting the session short when he felt discomfort in his
right forearm. The right-handed starting pitcher is ranked 14th in a
Baseball America ranking of prospects.
"He was throwing pretty good, he was throwing perfect," said catcher
Jesus Sucre, who witnessed the incident. "He threw a changeup first
pitch to Wilson. Next pitch (was a fastball and) he was screaming."
--Yankees general manager Brian Cashman admitted to chasing Brandon
Drury for months, and doing so with a plan in mind: slotting him at
third base.
Coach Phil Nevin, who spent the previous three seasons in Arizona
and worked with Drury on the Diamondbacks' coaching staff, helped
push Cashman's appreciation for Drury to a new level. Acquired in a
three-way trade with the Diamondbacks and Rays, Drury was the
primary second baseman in Arizona last season. He also has logged
time at both corner outfield positions and third base.
"He is someone I think the industry has valued for a while because I
know we have," Cashman said.

[to top of second column] |

--Oakland Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman was not present at
the team's workouts as he underwent an MRI exam on his right hand,
according to a report from MLB.com
Chapman, 24, was dealing with some soreness in his right palm. He
visited orthopedic hand surgeon Dr. Steven Shin near his hometown in
Los Angeles for the precautionary examination.
"We don't believe it's serious," A's general manager David Forst
said of the injury in an email to the San Francisco Chronicle.

--Looking to add a starting pitcher ahead of Opening Day, the
Philadelphia Phillies have been linked to prized free-agent
right-hander Jake Arrieta in recent days.
Arrieta, a surprise leftover on the market in the final days of
February, is represented by agent Scott Boras, who often negotiates
with owners directly when it comes to his biggest clients. That
hasn't been the case with the Phillies, though, as owner John
Middleton told reporters that he's had no contact with Boras. That
will continue to be the case moving forward.
"We're pretty clear that [general manager Matt Klentak's] the guy,"
Middleton said. "I think you have to do that or you cut the legs out
from your general manager. Look, I don't know what I'd do if my
phone rang right now and it was Scott Boras. I mean, honestly, I
think what I'd say is, 'Scott, it's nice to talk to you, but I don't
negotiate. Matt does. I don't want to be rude, but I'm paying the
guy a lot of money.'"
--Carlos Torres agreed to a contract with the Cleveland Indians, who
lost two of their most dependable right-handed relievers in the
offseason.
Torres, who has pitched at least 59 innings in each of the past four
seasons, was added to help offset the subtraction of Bryan Shaw
(Colorado Rockies) and Joe Smith (Houston Astros) in free agency.
Torres, 35, was 4-1 with a 4.21 ERA with the Milwaukee Brewers last
season.
--A testicular cancer diagnosis midway through last season has
Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon seeing things in a new light
entering his third major-league campaign.

"I know people always say that when they've gone through something
like cancer, but it really is true," Taillon told reporters at the
Pirates' spring training facility. "I look at life differently. I'm
a little more serious about things. I'm a more mature person than I
was a year ago at this time."
After returning June 12 from his May diagnosis and surgery, Taillon
went 8-7 with a 4.44 ERA in 25 starts for the season. Despite the
diagnosis marring what looked to be a breakout campaign for the
former top prospect through the season's first month, Taillon
described the fact that it happened during the season as a
"best-case scenario."
--Field Level Media
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |