MLB Winter Meeting Evening Notes: Kirby Yates finds a new home, Draft Lottery Results, former Red Sox infielder signs with the Mets
The Texas Rangers have agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with reliever Kirby Yates, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic was first to report.
Yates, 36, compiled another solid season in his second year with the Atalanta Braves. He pitched to a 3.28 ERA in a late inning role.
The veteran right hander brings another arm to Texas with closing experience with Aroldis Chapman currently a free agent.
Yates recorded a career best 41 saves with the Padres in 2019, when he was named an all star.
Cleveland lands the top overall pick in the MLB Draft
The MLB held their second ever draft lottery tonight to determine the order of the 2024 draft.
The Cleveland Guardians who only had a 2% chance, the ninth best odds, ended up landing the number one pick. This marks their first overall pick in franchise history. Cleveland has selected second five times since the amateur draft started in 1965, most recently taking Paul Shuey in 1992.
The Washington Nationals initially landed the first pick, but was ineligible to pick in the top six because the collective bargaining agreement states a team that pays in the revenue-sharing plan cannot have a lottery pick in back-to-back years.
Entering the lottery, the Athletics (4th), Royals (6th), and Rockies (3rd) each held the best odds to land the number one overall pick with each team having a 18.3% chance.
The Red Sox only had a 1.2% chance to get the first overall pick but ended up staying in their 12th slot.
The Padres, Yankees and Mets all drop 10 spots as they exceeded the second CBT threshold. The penalty wouldn’t have been enforced if any of the three landed in the top six.
Rays sign RHP Chris Devenski to 1-year deal with 2025 club option
The Tampa Bay Rays signed right-handed reliever Chris Devenski to a $1.1 million, one-year contract on Tuesday with a club option for 2025.
The 33-year-old righty spilt the 2023 season between the Los Angeles Angels and the Rays, posting a 6-4 with a 4.46 ERA over 38 games. He was released by the Angels on Aug. 29 and signed with the Rays on the same day.
The deal will pay Devenski $1 million in 2024 and includes a $2 million team option with a $100,000 buyout for 2025.
The California native went 3-2 with a 2.08 ERA over 8 2/3 frames in nine outings for the Rays during the final month of the regular season.
He threw two scoreless innings in the Rays’ 4-0 loss to the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers in Game 1 of an AL Wild Card Series.
José Iglesias agrees to minor league contract with Mets
Free agent shortstop José Iglesias agreed Tuesday to a minor league deal with the New York Mets and will report to big league spring training.
The 33-year-old hit .292 with three homers and 47 RBIs in 118 games during the 2022 season for the Colorado Rockies.
An 11-year major league veteran, Iglesias was an All-Star in 2015 with Detroit, when he batted .300 with two homers, 23 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.
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