The reigning World Series champion Houston Astros have struck quickly to fill one of their few glaring needs after agreeing to a reported three-year contract with 2020 American League MVP Jose Abreu.
Abreu, who had spent his entire nine-year major league career with the Chicago White Sox, will earn $19.5 million per season, according to Houston television station KRIV.
The 35-year-old first baseman was named the AL’s top player during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign after batting .317 with 19 home runs and an MLB-leading 60 RBIs in 60 games that season.
Though his home run total dipped from 30 in 2021 to 15 this past season, Abreu finished fifth in the AL in both batting average (.304) and on-base percentage (.378) after drawing a career-high 62 walks. Abreu also recorded the lowest strikeout rate of his MLB career at 16.2 per cent in 2022.
Abreu’s addition makes it unlikely the team will re-sign incumbent first baseman Yuli Gurriel, who struggled to a .242 average and a .647 OPS this past season and turned 38 in June.
It is the second notable signing the Astros have made this offseason after retaining reliever Rafael Montero to a three-year, $34.5 million contract earlier this month.
Houston still hopes to bring back its most prominent free agent in 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, who is reportedly seeking a deal similar to the three-year, $130 million contract the Mets gave Max Scherzer last offseason.
MLB: Royce Lewis hits two home runs as Twins beat Blue Jays to end 18-game playoff skid
Rookie Royce Lewis hit two home runs in his return from injury, Pablo Lopez pitched effectively into the sixth inning and the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 Tuesday in their wild card series opener.
The win snapped Minnesota’s 18-game postseason losing streak, the longest in MLB history, as the Twins won their first playoff game since 2004.
Lewis, who had been sidelined for the last two weeks with a strained left hamstring, went deep off Toronto starter Kevin Gausman in each of his first two career postseason at-bats and was responsible for all three of Minnesota’s runs.
Lopez scattered five hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings to earn the victory in his second career playoff start.
Three relievers worked 2 1/3 innings before Jhoan Duran got the final three outs to secure Minnesota’s first home postseason win since Game 1 of the 2002 ALCS at the Metrodome.
Kevin Kiermaier drove in Bo Bichette with a sixth-inning single for Toronto’s only run.
The Twins will look to win their first postseason series since 2002 on Wednesday when they send veteran Sonny Gray to the mound. Former Twin Jose Berrios is slated to start Game 2 for Toronto.
Diamondbacks chase Burnes, rally by Brewers
Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno each hit home runs off Corbin Burnes, and the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied to take Game 1 of their wild card series against the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-3.
Carlos Santana singled in Christian Yelich in the first inning, and Tyrone Taylor hit a two-run homer in the second to give Milwaukee a 3-0 lead.
The D-backs responded with home runs by Carroll and Marte in the third to tie the game, then took the lead on Moreno’s solo shot in the fourth. Christian Walker’s two-run double in the ninth provided insurance for Paul Sewald, who earned his first career postseason save.
Burnes needed 92 pitches to get through four innings, allowing four runs, five hits and two walks.
Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt was chased in the third inning, but six pitchers from the Diamondbacks’ bullpen combined to close the game with 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
Wheeler stifles Marlins in Phillies’ win
Zack Wheeler turned in a stellar start and Jose Alvarado preserved the lead with a key strikeout to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-1 victory over the Miami Marlins in their wild-card opener.
Wheeler limited Miami to one run and five hits over 6 2/3 innings without a walk and eight strikeouts.
Alvarado fanned Yuli Gurriel with two runners on in the seventh to end Miami’s threat. He retired two batters in the eighth before Jeff Hoffman got the third out.
Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth to seal the win.
Alec Bohm’s RBI double in the third opened the scoring and Bryson Stott delivered an RBI single in the fourth for a 2-0 lead.
Cristian Pache’s single later in the inning extended the lead and Nick Castellanos doubled home Philadelphia’s fourth run in the eighth.
The Phillies will try to book a return trip to the NLDS with a win in Game 2 on Wednesday.
Rangers blank sloppy Rays behind Montgomery
Jordan Montgomery scattered six hits over seven innings and the Texas Rangers extended the Tampa Bay Rays’ playoff woes with a 4-0 win in Game 1.
Montgomery retired 14 of his last 16 batters and fanned pinch-hitter Junior Caminero to end his outing with five strikeouts and no walks.
The left-hander also made the defensive playoff game, diving to make a catch on Jose Siri’s bunt along the first-base line with runners at the corners in the second.
Tampa Bay lost its sixth straight postseason game dating to Game 2 of the 2021 AL Division Series against Boston.
Corey Seager and Josh Jung drove in runs and Texas benefited from four errors by the Rays, who are hitting .133 while scoring just one run in their last three playoff defeats.
Tyler Glasnow allowed four runs and six hits in five-plus innings with eight strikeouts and five walks.
Angels move on from manager Nevin after losing season
Phil Nevin will not return as manager of the Los Angeles Angels in 2024 after a second straight losing season.
The Angels declined Nevin’s contract option for next season, announcing they would find a new clubhouse leader in a statement Monday.
This winter, Los Angeles will hire their fourth manager in six seasons since Mike Scioscia’s 19-year tenure ended after the 2018 season.
Nevin, who took over for Joe Maddon during last season, went 119-149 as the Halos’ manager and missed the playoffs in both seasons.
The Angels flirted with a play-off spot and were five games over .500 at the end of July but went 17-38 down the stretch as stars Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout missed time due to injury.
ESPN reported Monday that general manager Perry Minasian will keep his job.
Los Angeles defeated the Oakland Athletics 7-3 Sunday to end the season.
“I know it didn't go the way we wanted, but I'm proud of the way that room held together,” Nevin said Sunday. “It wasn't fun. It's not fun ending the way we did, but it's a great group in there. There's a lot of great things that are on the horizon here with the young players and the guys coming back. Good future.”
The Angels are at a crossroads as an organisation with Ohtani set to hit free agency this winter and after Trout has missed significant time in two of the last three seasons.
Despite having two of baseball's most iconic stars, the Angels haven’t won a play-off game since 2009.
MLB: Astros rout Diamondbacks to win AL West
Cristian Javier threw six scoreless innings as the Houston Astros clinched a third consecutive American League East title with Sunday's 8-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The defending World Series champions also secured the AL's No. 2 seed and a first-round playoff bye with a win in Sunday's regular-season finale, coupled with the Texas Rangers' 1-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.
Both the Astros and Rangers finished the season at 90-72, with Houston winning the tiebreaker by virtue of taking the season series from Texas.
The Diamondbacks will also be headed to the playoffs but will be the National League's No. 6 seed due to the loss. Arizona ended with an identical record as Miami, with the Marlins getting the NL's second wild card by also winning the season series between the teams.
Arizona, which is making its first postseason trip since 2017, will face Milwaukee in the opening round. The NL Central champion Brewers will host Game 1 of the series Tuesday.
Houston started fast by scoring four times in the first inning, highlighted by Alex Bregman's two-run homer off Kyle Nelson. Bregman tripled and scored in the second for a 5-0 lead, and Jose Abreu later added a two-run homer in the seventh after Kyle Tucker tripled and scored in the fifth.
Bregman, Abreu and Tucker all finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored.
Javier earned his 10th win of the season by holding the Diamondbacks to three hits and two walks. Arizona didn't score until Jake McCarthy singled in the eighth and scored on Lourdes Gurriel's double.
Kirby dominant as Mariners deny Rangers AL West title
The Seattle Mariners prevented the Texas Rangers from capturing the AL West with Sunday's 1-0 win behind six stellar innings from George Kirby.
Kirby yielded just three hits while striking out seven to drop the Rangers to the AL's No. 5 seed and send them into an opening-round series against Tampa Bay. The Rays will host Game 1 on Tuesday.
Seattle, which was eliminated from playoff consideration with Saturday's 6-1 loss to Texas, scored the game's only run in the fourth. After Eugenio Suarez and Jarred Kelenic singled and Ty France drew a walk from Rangers starter Dane Dunning to load the bases, Dominic Canzone plated Suarez with a groundout.
Kirby made the lead stand before three relievers finished off the Mariners' MLB-leading 18th shutout. Isaiah Campbell worked the ninth to earn his first career save.
Dunning, working on three days' rest, was charged with the lone run while pitching 3 1/3 innings. Martin Perez threw 3 2/3 hitless innings in relief.
Braves tie MLB season record with Ozuna's two homers
Marcell Ozuna went deep twice to give the Atlanta Braves a share of MLB's record for home runs in a season, though the Washington Nationals rallied with three runs in the ninth inning to hand the NL's No. 1 overall seed a 10-9 loss in the regular-season finale.
Washington trailed 8-7 entering the ninth before loading the bases off Michael Tonkin, who walked Drew Millas to force in the tying run before surrendering Jacob Young's go-ahead two-run single.
Ozuna got Atlanta back within one by blasting his 40th homer of the season in the bottom of the ninth, which put the Braves at 307 for the campaign to match the mark set by the 2019 Minnesota Twins.
Young and Kelbert Ruiz each drove in three runs for the Nationals, who pounded out 15 hits on the afternoon. Lane Thomas went 4 for 6 with two runs scored and Ruiz finished with three hits.
Ozuna's first homer, a three-run shot in the third, tied the game at 5-5. Matt Olson and Michael Harris each knocked in two runs for the NL East champs.
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