Daily Clips
December21, 2017
LOCAL
Royals’ Whit Merrifield shared scenes of his time on a Japanese game show
December 20, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
MINORS
2018 To Feature Royals, Golden Spikes & Storm Chasers
5 "Flashback Jerseys" to be worn during franchise's 50th season
December 14, 2017Omaha Storm Chasers
NATIONAL
Giants make Bay splash, get Longo from Rays
Tampa Bay acquires Arroyo, Span, two pitching prospects
December 20, 2017By Daniel Kramer/MLB.com
Britton ruptures right Achilles, to have surgery
December 20, 2017By Brittany Ghiroli/MLB.com
Sources: Tribe agrees to 2-year deal with Alonso
Free-agent first baseman hit 28 home runs during 2017 season
December 20, 2017By Chad Thornburg/MLB.com
Negro Leagues pioneer 'Peanut' Johnson dies
Two-way player was one of three women to compete, only one to pitch
December 20, 2017By Bill Ladson/MLB.com
Five teams that Cain could upgrade in center
Longtime Royal finished fifth in 2017 with +15 Outs Above Average
December 20, 2017By Mike Petriello/MLB.com
MLB TRANSACTIONS
December21, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Royals’ Whit Merrifield shared scenes of his time on a Japanese game show
December 20, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
It’s called Sports Danshi Grand Prix. And as near as I can tell, this game show in Japan pits athletes against one another in a series of activities.
That’s pretty vague, but I’m not well versed in my Japanese game shows. However, I know this much: Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield took part in Sports Danshi Grand Prix.
Merrifield shared a few photos on Instagram and it seems that eight men took part in the game show, including Olympic sprinter Justin Gatlin.
There are three photos and a video, and you can tap the right arrow button to see them all. In the video, Merrifield takes part in a game called “Shotgun touch.” He had to press a button, sprint to touch a spot on the ground before a ball, which is dropped from above, hits the spot. As you’ll see, it looks a lot like he’s diving to catch a ball in right field.
Merrifield also shared a series of photos and videos of his time on Sports Danshi Grand Prix on his Instagram stories, and here are a few of those: (click link for videos & photos)
MINORS
2018 To Feature Royals, Golden Spikes & Storm Chasers
5 "Flashback Jerseys" to be worn during franchise's 50th season
December 14, 2017Omaha Storm Chasers
The Omaha Storm Chasers will celebrate their 50th Season in franchise history presented by First National Bank by turning back the clock and wearing five Flashback Jerseys throughout the upcoming 2018 campaign. These five Flashback Jerseys will commemorate each of the organization's five decades dating back to 1969. The Omaha Royals, Golden Spikes and Storm Chasers will all be represented over the course of the year.
On Friday, April 20, the team will sport black Storm Chasers jerseys to represent the 2011 team. Omaha wore the black jerseys beginning with the first year of play in Werner Park in 2011 through the 2015 season. Notable players to have participated in this era included future Major League All-Stars such as Salvador Perez , Mike Moustakas , Eric Hosmer , Jarrod Dyson and Wil Myers . The Storm Chasers also earned four division titles, three Pacific Coast League Championships and Back-to-Back Triple-A National Championships during that era.
On Friday, May 25, the Storm Chasers will turn back the clock to the 2000's, with the team suiting up as the 2010 Omaha Royals to remember their final season at Rosenblatt Stadium. The franchise was the Omaha Royals from 2002-10, with their roster featuring players such as Moustakas, Dyson, Mike Sweeney, Zack Greinke , Billy Butler , Greg Holland , Luke Hochevar and Jed Hansen. The 2002 squad was led by skipper Bucky Dent, with Mike Jirschele at the helm for the rest of the decade and through the 2013 campaign.
The Omaha Golden Spikes will return for one night on Friday, June 22 to commemorate the 1990-99 decade. Despite only playing as the Golden Spikes for three seasons (1999-2001), players from that era included stars such as Carlos Beltran, Raul Ibanez and Jeff Montgomery. Sweeney, Kevin Appier, Jermaine Dye, Joe Randa, Chris Hatcher , Bob Hamelin and Dwayne Hosey all played in that decade as well with the Omaha Royals between 1990-98. The club also earned three division titles between 1990-99, in addition to an American Association and Triple-A National Championship in 1990. The club also began their first season in the Pacific Coast League in 1998.
In celebration of the 1980-89 decade of Omaha professional baseball, the organization will wear Flashback Jerseys hailing from the 1985 Omaha Royals. Players during this decade included David Cone, Tom Gordon, Buddy Biancalana, Kevin Seitzer, Ken Phelps and Bombo Rivera. It was during this era the Kansas City Royals earned their first World Series title in 1985, while Omaha earned four American Association Divisional crowns as well.
The final Flashback Jersey will honor where it all began by commemorating the 1969 Omaha Royals for the 1969-79 decade. During this era, Omaha earned five Division crowns and three American Association titles, including League Championships in each of their first two seasons in franchise history under the direction of manager Jack McKeon. Other notable Omaha Royals alumni in this era include Royals Hall of Famers George Brett, Frank White, Dan Quisenberry and Paul Splittorff, in addition to U L Washington, Willie Wilson, George Spriggs and Jerry Cram.
As the 2018 season draws closer, the Storm Chasers will be announcing more exciting details about the 50th Season in Franchise History presented by First National Bank, including alumni appearances,, giveaways, promotions and more. Fans will be able to follow along with these announcements and posts regarding the franchise's history on the Storm Chasers' social media channels by using the hashtag #50maha.
Following the Royals Exhibition Game presented by SAC Federal Credit Union on March 26, the Storm Chasers begin regular season Pacific Coast League play at Werner Park on Thursday, April 5. The Omaha Storm Chasers have been the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals since the franchise's first game on April 18, 1969, and is the longest-running Triple-A affiliation in Minor League Baseball.
NATIONAL
Giants make Bay splash, get Longo from Rays
Tampa Bay acquires Arroyo, Span, two pitching prospects
December 20, 2017By Daniel Kramer/MLB.com
Seeking to bolster a lineup that they believed needed a significant power boost, while also trying to account for attrition in the process, the Giants acquired longtime Rays third baseman Evan Longoria in a trade on Wednesday.
In parting with their best player in franchise history, the Rays' return included center fielder Denard Span, and three of the Giants' Top 30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline: infielder Christian Arroyo (No. 1), left-hander Matt Krook (No. 25) and right-hander Stephen Woods (No. 29). Tampa Bay also sent San Francisco cash considerations.
The trade fits immediate needs for both clubs. San Francisco was seeking a jolt to a lineup that ranked last in the Majors in home runs (128) and slugging percentage (.380), and looking for an established veteran to fill that void. Longoria, a three-time All-Star who is a career .270/.341/.483 hitter with 261 homers, 892 RBIs and 780 runs scored, has an established track record of stability. He has played in 798 games the last five years, more than any player in the Majors.
"This move fills an important need for our club and completes one of our offseason goals," Giants executive vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean said. "Evan has been one of the best third basemen in the game over the last decade, and we are thrilled to add him to the organization. Moving forward, we will continue to work on additional opportunities to improve the club for 2018."
The Rays were motivated to trim payroll this offseason, but were more prominently linked to potentially dealing pitchers Chris Archer and Alex Colome, who led the Majors with 47 saves last year. They had a minimal time frame to deal Longoria, who signed a six-year, $100 million extension beginning in 2017, as he was nearing full 10-and-5 rights three days into the 2018 season, which would have allowed him to veto a trade to any club. Longoria is owed $81 million through '22 with a $13 million team option for '23, and he will receive a $2 million bonus for being traded, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
"Erik and Matt and the front office have been very open and communicated from Day 1," Longoria said. "They kind of, not without letting me dictate it on my own terms, were very open to letting me go somewhere where they felt like I had the best opportunity as a player to win, and also for them to be able to accomplish what they want to accomplish in trying to rebuild the franchise. I was very clear to them that my hope was that if this did happen, that it would be a win for both sides."
Longoria, 32, was the Rays' first-round Draft pick in 2006 and he blossomed into the face of the franchise during the club's four postseason runs, including the American League pennant-winning run in 2008. Despite significant turnover from their playoff years, having seen David Price, Ben Zobrist, James Shields, Melvin Upton Jr., Scott Kazmir and other All-Stars depart via trade or free agency, as well as manager Joe Maddon, Longoria remained the club's cornerstone. He has been widely praised for his loyalty and leadership.
"Evan is our greatest Ray. For a decade, he's been at the center of all of our successes, and it's a very emotional parting for us all," said Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg. "I speak for our entire organization in wishing Evan and his wonderful family our absolute best."
Longoria won his third Gold Glove Award at third base last year, but he dipped slightly at the plate, hitting .261/.313/.424 with 20 homers and 86 RBIs. The Giants, who play home games at pitcher-friendly AT&T Park, are likely hoping that Longoria regains the offensive prowess he showed in 2016, when he hit a career-high 36 homers. Giants manager Bruce Bochy envisions batting Longoria third or fourth, which would give him flexibility with first baseman Brandon Belt and catcher Buster Posey, who largely occupied those spots in '17. With Span gone, the club will have a void at leadoff.
"The numbers say that's where he should hit. It'd be somewhere in the heart of the order," Bochy said of Longoria. "I'll just wait and see exactly where we're at when this is all said and done … I think when you talk about the elite third basemen in the game, Evan's name is going to be there."
San Francisco had a glaring need at third base since Pablo Sandoval left in free agency after its World Series run in 2014. The Giants signed free agent Casey McGehee in '15, but after struggles, they turned to prospect Matt Duffy, who appeared in line to take over long term before he was traded to the Rays in '16. At that point, they acquired Eduardo Nunez, a productive fit when healthy, though he battled injuries during his one-year stint by the Bay. That opened the '16 postseason door for Conor Gillaspie, who was designated for assignment last year. The Giants traded Nunez, a .313 hitter in '17, to Boston last summer, then split time between Kelby Tomlinson and Sandoval, who signed late in the season to a Minor League deal and struggled mightily.
"One of the priorities for us was third base," Giants general manager Bobby Evans said. "Evan, as Brian mentioned, the consistency of his play -- 150-plus games every year and just his overall approach to the team, his presence in our lineup, in our clubhouse -- he's sorely needed."
Evans said the Giants had looked at Longoria, who hails from Southern California and still has much family in the area, as a third-base option in their end-of-season confab, and began engaging the Rays at last week's Winter Meetings.
With Wednesday's trade, the Rays have positioned themselves for the future. In adding Arroyo (the No. 56 overall prospect), who was the centerpiece in the return, Tampa Bay now has seven of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects.
Arroyo, who rooted for Tampa Bay-area teams like the Rays growing up, made his MLB debut last year to much fanfare after surging through the Minor League ranks. The Giants' first-round pick in 2013, he earned his first callup in April, but struggled to a .192/.244/.304 slash line in 135 plate appearances over 35 games, was sent down in June, then missed a bulk of time after injuring his wrist and breaking his left hand.
"[Arroyo] has a tremendous opportunity to bring new life to that organization," Longoria said of his trade counterpart. "That was kind of the way I looked at it when I was a young player, and I think he'll have the same opportunity. I know that it's probably hard for the fan base to see right now. But obviously in the recent past, you look at what the Astros did, and I think that's kind of the arc that the Rays would like to take now and build a core group of young players that they can build off of."
Krook, 23, was the Giants' fourth-round pick in 2016, though he was on track for a career with the Marlins before a post-Draft physical raised concerns over his pitching shoulder, thus nixing the $1,587,700 deal he had in place as their supplemental first-round pick in 2013. The Giants have been patient with the left-hander, whom they hoped to develop as a starter.
Woods, 22, was interestingly enough a Rays sixth-round pick in 2013, but he turned down their offer to attend the University of Albany, where he went 7-16 with a 6.10 ERA over three years. He was the Giants' eighth-round selection in '16.
Span, 33, hit .268/.330/.402 with 23 homers, 96 RBIs and 143 runs scored as the Giants' primary leadoff hitter the last two seasons, playing in 272 games. Span struggled in AT&T Park's spacious gaps with -12 Outs Above Average, per Statcast™, worst among center fielders. The 10-year veteran, who was born and lives in Tampa, Fla., also spent five years in Minnesota and three years in Washington, is owed $11 million in 2018, with a $12 million team option in '19 that includes a $4 million buyout.
Britton ruptures right Achilles, to have surgery
December 20, 2017By Brittany Ghiroli/MLB.com
The Orioles sustained a huge blow on Wednesday morning with news that closer Zach Britton had ruptured his right Achilles sprinting during an offseason workout the previous day. Britton's injury will require surgery on Thursday in California to be performed by Dr. Ken Jung. The injury will sideline Britton for at least four months.
"It's probably the most frustrating thing I've experienced," said Britton, who underwent an MRI to confirm the rupture. "Last year [being on the disabled list was disappointing], but those were minor things. Now, this isn't something that's going to affect me long term. As soon as I have the surgery and rehab, I can get back to pitching like I can pitch. It's not career threatening or anything like that. But it's just going to be a real grind. I was really frustrated because I was feeling good with the forearm and the knee. I was about to throw bullpens. I was right where I wanted to be."
Britton said he wasn't doing anything unusual during Tuesday's workout when he suffered the injury.
"It was after throwing, I was just doing my regular running," Britton said. "Felt like something punched me in the leg. I went down. It was probably the most painful thing I've ever experienced."
The news comes at a particularly unfortunate time for the Orioles, who find themselves at an organizational crossroads with superstar -- and pending free agent -- Manny Machado. The club has been weighing trade offers for Machado and also was listening to deals for Britton.
Britton, who will also be eligible for free agency after the 2018 season, was nearly traded to the Astros in July, and he has been the subject of trade rumors again this offseason. The injury will take Britton out of play in any potential deal, removing one of Baltimore's best trade chips.
Britton, coming off a left forearm injury that sidelined him for a good chunk of the 2017 season, saw his American League record of 60 consecutive converted saves snapped in August. Without him, the Orioles will turn to Brad Brach and Mychal Givens in the later innings.
"Fortunately, we have some capable people in the end of our bullpen," executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said. "We were definitely looking around this offseason for left-handers, so we will continue to look for another left-hander."