Pirates, Cruz agree to deal
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Reliever Juan Cruz is added to the bullpen staff.
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The Pirates signed right-hander Juan Cruz to a minor league contract and offered him an invitation to spring training.
Cruz, 33, pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011.
He went 5-0 with a 3.88 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, pitching 482/3 innings in 56 relief appearances.
He will likely compete with Chris Leroux, Jared Hughes, Tim Wood, Ryota Igarashi and others for a spot in a crowded bullpen or could provide depth in case of injury.
Cruz also pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Oakland A's, Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals in his 11-year major league career.
Pitcher John Lannan and Washington have argued baseball's first salary arbitration case of the year. The left-hander asked for a raise from $2.75 million to $5.7 million during a hearing before a three-person panel. The Nationals argued he should be paid $5 million. A decision by arbitrators Robert Herzog, Elizabeth Neumeier and John Skonier is expected today. Lannan was 10-13 with a 3.70 ERA in 33 starts last season. The Nationals also agreed to terms with reliever Chad Durbin for a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
It appears "likely" that Boston and David Ortiz are headed to a hearing to decide his arbitration case, a major league source said. General manager Ben Cherington said that hearings for Ortiz and pitcher Alfredo Aceves are not scheduled for this week, so there is still time to negotiate. Aceves is the only other Red Sox player who is still without a deal. If the sides do go to a hearing, it will be the team's first since Tim Wakefield in 2002.
Reliever Francisco Cordero and Toronto finalized a $4.5 million, one-year contract. The 36-year-old right-hander was 5-3 with a 2.45 ERA and 37 saves in 43 chances for Cincinnati last season, reaching 30 saves for the seventh time. He held batters to a .198 average, the lowest of his career. Cordero, a three-time All-Star, has a 44-45 record with a 3.17 ERA and 327 saves, 12th on the career list.
Kansas City slugger Billy Butler accepted the 47th annual Hutch Award for community service at Safeco Field in Seattle. The Hutch Award, presented yearly by the Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, has been given annually since 1965 in honor of player and manager Fred Hutchinson, who died of cancer at the age of 45. Winners have included Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax, Carl Yastrzemski, Pete Rose, Joe Torre, Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Lou Brock, George Brett and Johnny Bench.
Prosecutors say criminal charges will not be filed against first baseman James Loney, who was arrested last year on suspicion of driving under the influence. A city attorney's office spokesman Frank Mateljan said that the office determined there was insufficient evidence to proceed with a case. Loney was arrested Nov. 14 after his Maserati hit three cars on a Los Angeles freeway.
First Published February 2, 2012 12:00 am
