MLB news roundup: Cubs sign Wesley Wright, Yankees minor-league catcher suspended
The Cubs added a valuable relief arm on Wednesday. The Dodgers are close to re-signing one of their own.
J. Meric
The Chicago Cubs signed free-agent reliever Wesley Wright to a one-year, $1.4 million deal on Wednesday, according to USA Today Sports' Bob Nightengale. Wright was non-tendered by the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this week.
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Wright posted a 2.92 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 12⅓ innings for the Rays, who acquired him from the Houston Astros on Aug. 12 in exchange for cash considerations. Wright owns a 4.37 career ERA in parts of six big-league seasons.
The 28-year-old left-hander wound up signing for right around what he was projected to make next year after a slight arbitration raise, per MLB Trade Rumors’ estimated arbitration salaries for 2014.
Yankees minor-leaguer suspended
Major League Baseball imposed a 50-game ban on New York Yankees minor-league catcher Ryan Baker, the league announced in a press release on Wednesday.
Baker apparently refused to take a required drug test at some point this offseason, which is a violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment program. The 29-year-old backstop has appeared in only 61 games, including four as a pitcher, in five seasons with the Yankees organization. Baker is a career .139/.226/.204 hitter.
Dodgers, Wilson discussing one-year deal with player option
The deal between the Los Angeles Dodgers and free-agent reliever Brian Wilson that is reportedly close to happening will likely be of the one-year variety and will include a player option for 2015, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
Wilson signed a minor-league deal with the Dodgers midway through the 2013 season and showed he was fully recovered from Tommy John surgery by posting an 0.66 ERA in 13⅔ innings of work.
Garagiola will be honored
Longtime MLB player and broadcaster Joe Garagiola Sr. will be presented with the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award on July 26, 2014 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced on Wednesday.
Garagiola spent nine years as a player and many more as an announcer for NBC Sports, the Angels and the D-Backs. He officially retired from broadcasting on Feb. 22.
Angels hire Hansen
The Los Angeles Angels hired Dave Hansen to serve as their assistant hitting coach, the team announced on Wednesday.
Hansen held essentially the same position for the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first half of the 2011 season before taking over as the interim hitting coach for the remainder of that season and had the interim tag removed for the following year.
After being relieved of his duties by the Dodgers following the 2012 season, Hansen spent 2013 as the hitting instructor for the Seattle Mariners.
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