The A’s moved quickly on to their backup plan after losing out on Stephen Drew, signing import Hiroyuki Nakajima to take over at shortstop, according to FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal and others. The San Francisco Chronice’s Susan Slusser reports that it’s a two-year, $6.5 million deal with a $5.5 million option for 2015.
Nakajima, 30, hit .311/.382/.451 with 13 homers and 74 RBI for the Seibu Lions last season, finishing second in the Pacific League in both average and OBP. He was fourth in slugging percentage.
The Lions originally posted Nakajima last winter, with the Yankees winning his rights, but he opted to return to Japan for another year rather than accept a modest offer and a utility role in New York. He was a free agent this time around.
Nakajima’s signing should complete a flexible A’s lineup, which might look something like this:
LF Coco Crisp – S
CF Chris Young – R
DH Yoenis Cespedes – R
RF Josh Reddick – L
3B Josh Donaldson – R
1B Brandon Moss – L
C Derek Norris – R/George Kottaras – L
SS Hiroyuki Nakajima – R
2B Jemile Weeks – S/Scott Sizemore – R
Alternatively, Nakajima or Weeks could hit second and bump Young down to fifth if either impresses in spring training. Also, there will be plenty of movement around the outfield, with Cespedes getting lots of starts there, and Seth Smith is still around as a DH against right-handers.
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Matt Garza to return from disabled list Tuesday, Carlos Villanueva headed to bullpen
May 18, 2013, 12:40 PM EDT
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Matt Garza has been cleared to return from the disabled list and will make his season debut Tuesday against the Pirates, according to CSNChicago.com. Garza didn’t throw a pitch after July 21 last season due to a stress reaction in his elbow and was forced to begin this season on the disabled list due to…
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AP
CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports that the Yankees have acquired infielder Reid Brignac from the Rockies. Colorado will receive cash considerations in return. Brignac was designated for assignment by the Rockies on Thursday after he batted .250/.294/.375 with one home run, six RBI and a .669 OPS in 53 plate appearances this season. Originally drafted…
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Curtis Granderson was moved to left field when he returned from the disabled list this week, but he’ll make his first career start in right field this afternoon against the Blue Jays. According to Chad Jennings of the Journal News, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Granderson was “fine” with the latest move when they discussed…
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Heath Bell watched Thursday’s Reds-Marlins game from the stands
May 18, 2013, 10:59 AM EDT
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It turns out that Diamondbacks reliever Heath Bell made his return to Marlins Park on Thursday night, not for last night’s series opener. According to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, Bell said that he took in Thursday’s Reds-Marlins game from the stands. The D-backs arrived in Miami in the wee hours Thursday morning and Bell took…
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The Marlins signed veteran reliever Jon Rauch to a one-year, $1 million contract over the winter, but he has been designated for assignment after making just 15 appearances with the club. Duane Below has been called up from Triple-A New Orleans to replace him on the active roster. Rauch has really struggled in the early…
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AP
UPDATE: Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told Mike Puma of the New York Post this afternoon that there’s no deadline for a decision to be made on Davis’ status. 10:10 AM: Ike Davis finally broke his 0-for-24 hitless streak yesterday with a single to center field in the sixth inning, but he’s still at risk…
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AP
The Astros aren’t just losing a ton of ballgames, they are losing ugly. After Edgar Gonzalez pitched himself into a bases-loaded jam with two outs in the bottom of the ninth last night against the Pirates, he induced a fairly innocent looking pop-up to shallow right field which would have sent the game into extra…
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After tossing a one-hit shutout against the Angels in his last start on Sunday, Chris Sale got the best of them again last night. Sale struck out a season-high 12 over 7 2/3 scoreless innings as the White Sox topped the Angels 3-0 at Angel Stadium. The 24-year-old southpaw gave up just three hits and…
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MLB.com Twins beat writer Rhett Bollinger spoke to Twins assistant GM Rob Antony, asking how Rich Harden’s rehab was going. Antony replied, ”Slow. Not very well to be honest with you.” The Twins signed Harden to a one-year Minor League contract in December, agreeing to pay him $1 million if he made it to the Majors.…
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Jose Reyes is making progress on an ankle injury suffered on April 12 against the Royals. MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm reports the shortstop had a walking boot removed and talk part in stretching prior to tonight’s game against the Yankees. Another surprising piece of news: Reyes was expected to be out until the All-Star break, but…
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AP
You’re probably not going to see a prettier grand slam this season, folks. With his team down 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning against Dodgers reliever Paco Rodriguez, Braves left fielder Justin Upton crushed a 1-1 fastball deep to left field to give the Braves a 6-4 lead. ESPN Stats & Info reported…
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AP
Phillies third base coach Ryne Sandberg is expected to be the next Phillies manager if and when the Charlie Manuel era ends. Sandberg started his playing career with the Phillies but went to the Cubs in the infamous Ivan de Jesus trade in 1982, arguably one of the worst trades in baseball history. With the…
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AP
Recently, Padres third baseman Chase Headley said he won’t negotiate a contract extension with the team during the season. Headley is eligible for his fourth year of arbitration going into 2014, after which he would become eligible for free agency. Headley has, for a while, been one of the most bandied-about names in trade rumors,…
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At the end of March, the Diamondbacks unceremoniously signed first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to a five-year, $32 million contract extension. Just seven weeks later, that contract is looking like a steal. The 25-year-old entered tonight’s game with ten home runs and a 1.013 OPS, marks that not only put him near the top among first…
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Derek Albin at Pinstriped Bible looked at the numbers and concluded that Yankees right fielder Ichiro Suzuki isn’t likely to be much more productive than he has been thus far in 2013. The 39-year-old has a .239/.280/.328 line in 145 trips to the plate, putting him on pace for the worst season of his career…
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AP
The Pirates aren’t known as one of the more Sabermetrically-savvy teams like the Rays and Athletics, but they do have Dan Fox (formerly of Baseball Prospectus) as the director of baseball systems development. Thanks to Fox and others, the Pirates are able to use stat reports to prepare lineups and pitching match-ups with greater specificity. SB…
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Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times says that although the Rays haven’t announced anything officially, prospect Jake Odorizzi is likely to replace the injured David Price in the starting rotation. The Rays placed their defending AL Cy Young award winner on the disabled list yesterday with a strained left triceps muscle, an injury they…
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Athletics starter Brett Anderson has not pitched in a game since his April 29 start against the Angels due to ongoing problems with his right foot. In the time since, the A’s have had the lefty run and throw side sessions, and they even had him make a rehab start, but the injury never seemed…
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Reuters
Matt Harvey held the Cubs to two runs in 7.1 innings this afternoon and delivered the game-winning RBI single in a 3-2 Mets victory. Harvey is now 5-0 with a 1.55 ERA in nine starts this season, posting an awesome 68/14 K/BB ratio in 64 innings. And he’s a career .243 hitter. Harvey walked zero…
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This doesn’t narrow it down too much. Maybe it eliminates the idea of “skip a start and wait and see,” but it’s still unclear if Pettitte will take his next turn: The team hasn’t decided what to do with Andy Pettitte. Girardi said he would likely either make his next start or hit DL. —…
