MLB news roundup: Cardinals acquire Peter Bourjos for David Freese; Mets sign Chris Young
2011 World Series MVP David Freese went to the Angels in another significant trade on Friday. Elsewhere, the Mets signed a veteran outfielder and Astros owners past and present are butting heads.
The St. Louis Cardinals upgraded their outfield defense by acquiring Peter Bourjos from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for David Freese, who addresses a need at third base in Anaheim. Los Angeles minor-leaguer Randal Grichuk went to St. Louis in the deal while the Cardinals sent relief pitcher Fernando Salas to the Halos.
Assuming Bourjos recaptures the fielding ability he flashed before an injury-plagued 2013, the Cardinals' outfield defense should be markedly better than it was last season. It would be hard for it to get worse; Jon Jay and company ranked last among center field units in the NL in 2013 at 16 runs below average.
Freese gives the Angels their first solid everyday option at third base since Chone Figgins manned the hot corner in Anaheim.
The New York Mets and free-agent outfielder Chris Young agreed on a one-year, $7.25 million deal on Friday, according to multiple reports. The Mets are banking on Young to bounce back from a poor 2013 performance in which he hit .200/.280/.379 for the Oakland Athletics.
Young hit only 12 home runs last season, the fewest he's hit in any full season. The 30-year-old outfielder hit 20 or more home runs four times while with the Arizona Diamondbacks, including 32 as a rookie in 2007.
Current Houston Astros owner Jim Crane is suing the team's former owner, Drayton McLane, according to David Barron of the Houston Chronicle. The lawsuit revolves around Comcast SportsNet Houston, a television network described by Crane as "an asset they (the previous McLane-led ownership group) knew at the time to be overpriced and broken."
CSN Houston was available in only 40 percent of area households at the time of its launch in 2012.
The Kansas City Royals on Friday designated backup catcher George Kottaras for assignment, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
Kottaras hit .180/.349/.370 in 126 plate appearances with the Royals in 2013. The 30-year-old Canadian backstop has always shown decent on-base ability and was considered by scouts as Kansas City's best option behind starter Salvador Perez, according to Dutton. However, the team settled on cheaper options than Kottaras, who could be in line for an arbitration increase of $200,000 on top of the $1 million he made last season.
