MLB Notebook: Royals acquire Shields, Davis from Rays for Myers
BY Associated Press
Monday, December 10, 2012
12/10/12 at 3:28 AM
The Kansas City Royals acquired former All-Star James Shields and fellow right-hander Wade Davis from the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday night for outfielder Wil Myers and a package of minor league prospects.
Kansas City has been working all offseason to shore up a starting rotation that has been abysmal for years, re-signing Jeremy Guthrie and acquiring Ervin Santana from the Los Angeles Angels. But the trade for Shields and Davis represents the most aggressive move yet under general manager Dayton Moore, who believes the Royals are primed to contend as early as this season.
"We have to start winning games at the major league level, and the way you develop a winning culture is by winning major league games," Moore said. "It's time for us to start winning at the major league level."
The blockbuster deal essentially means the Royals are mortgaging part of their future to start winning in the present.
Along with giving up Myers, widely voted the minor leagues' top player last season, the Royals also traded away right-hander Jake Odorizzi, who would have competed for a spot in the Kansas City rotation this season. Left-hander Mike Montgomery and third baseman Patrick Leonard also are headed to the Rays, while the Royals will receive a player to be named or cash.
Phillies confirm trade for Rangers' Young: Michael Young's leadership skills were as attractive to the Philadelphia Phillies as his hitting ability.
The Phillies acquired the seven-time All-Star infielder from the Texas Rangers for two relief pitchers, filling a void at third base. The deal was announced Sunday, a day after Young agreed to waive his no-trade clause.
"Michael brings a lot to our team, not just on the field, but off it as well," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "He has been one of the premiere hitters in the American League for a decade and is someone who has a tremendous presence in the clubhouse."
Young is known for being an unselfish player and a true professional - two qualities Philadelphia's front office values in a player.
"He has all the elements we're looking for," Amaro said. "First of all, the makeup is extraordinary. He's the ultimate team player. He knows how to play baseball. He's a winning baseball player. He's had the opportunity to be in big games in the playoffs and he just fits real well."
The Rangers get right-hander Josh Lindblom and minor league righty Lisalverto Bonilla. The Rangers also will pay a significant portion of Young's salary for 2013. Young is due to earn $16 million. Reports said the Phillies will pay him about $6 million.
"If there was crying in baseball, I guess I would cry," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of losing Young. "This is a very, very tough situation. He's always been my go-to guy in the six years I've been here, and he's not only done a lot in that respect for me, but leadership that he brought to the clubhouse and the leadership that he brought on the field, and the leadership that he had in the community is something that we sorely will miss."
Young batted .277 with eight homers and 67 RBIs in 2012, a down year for him. He hit .288 with runners in scoring position and .333 against left-handed pitchers. He made 40 starts at first base, 25 at third base, 14 at second base and four at shortstop.
Dodgers sign South Korea pitcher Ryu: The Los Angeles Dodgers signed South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin to a $36 million, six-year deal on Sunday, bolstering their starting rotation for next year.
The team and Ryu had until 4 p.m. to reach an agreement or else the left-hander would have returned home and the Dodgers would have been refunded the $25.7 million fee they paid for exclusive rights to negotiate with him.
Ryu becomes the first player to go directly from the Korea Baseball Organization to the U.S. big leagues, and he is expected to join a strong rotation that includes 2011 NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Josh Beckett, Ted Lilly, Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang. The Dodgers also are trying to sign free-agent right-hander Zack Greinke.
Ryu's agent, Scott Boras, said last month he was confident a deal could be struck with the Dodgers, whose new ownership has shown a willingness to spend money on new players.
The 25-year-old pitcher has spent seven seasons with the Hanwha Eagles in the Korean league and was an All-Star each year. Last season, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder was 9-9 with a 2.66 ERA in 27 games. He limited opponents to a .232 batting average and led the league with a career-high 210 strikeouts.
Indians, Reynolds reportedly agree to deal: A person familiar with the negotiations says the Cleveland Indians have agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent slugger Mark Reynolds.
The person spoke Sunday night on condition of anonymity because the agreement is pending a physical.
The 28-year-old Reynolds batted .221 with 23 homers and 69 RBIs in 135 games for Baltimore in 2012.
