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The Atlanta Braves announced Monday night they traded right-handers Rob Whalen and Max Povse to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for outfielder Alex Jackson and a player to be named later.

Whalen took to Twitter to thank the Braves:

The 22-year-old made his MLB debut last year after beginning the campaign in Double-A.

He finished the season with a 7-6 record and 2.40 ERA in the minors, and in his five MLB starts, he went 1-2 with a 6.57 ERA. He averaged 8.4 strikeouts and 3.3 walks per nine innings, illustrating his erratic command.

Povse split his season between High-A and Double-A, making 26 starts and posting a 3.36 ERA. Rotoworld’s Christopher Crawford believes he’ll be a nice addition for Seattle:

The Mariners selected Jackson with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 draft. He spent the 2016 season with the Single-A Clinton LumberKings, batting .243 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI. MLB.com ranked the 20-year-old as the sixth-best prospect in Seattle’s farm system.

Matthew Pouliot of Rotoworld questioned why Seattle parted ways with the highly touted prospect:

The trade makes sense for both teams.

After starting their rebuild, the Braves have assembled a strong core of young arms. They selected pitchers with their first three picks in 2016 and drafted Kolby Allard and Mike Soroka in the first round in 2015. Through trades, Atlanta also acquired Sean Newcomb and Touki Toussaint.

Baseball America‘s JJ Cooper pointed out how difficult it would’ve been for Povse, in particular, to break through:

The Braves can afford to part ways with Whalen and Povse since neither has shown the makings of a future ace. The Mariners, meanwhile, will benefit from bolstering their rotation depth.

Trading Jackson is risky given his age and potential, but the 20-year-old may never reach his MLB ceiling. He struck out 103 times in 92 games in 2016, a year after collecting 96 punchouts in 76 games, which is concerning.

Jackson has the power to become a staple in the middle of Atlanta’s lineup, the possibility of which is worth the price of surrendering two talented pitchers.

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Although Edinson Volquez is coming off an underwhelming 2016 campaign, that didn’t stop the Miami Marlins from reportedly signing the free-agent starting pitcher.

The Miami Herald‘s Clark Spencer first reported Monday night that the Marlins agreed to terms with Volquez. According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, Volquez will earn $22 million over two years, pending a physical.

The terms of the deal would justify Volquez‘s decision to turn down his $10 million mutual option with the Kansas City Royals for 2017. Given his struggles last year, the move looked risky, but the 33-year-old appears to have benefited in the long run.

A few years ago, Volquez would have been a significant upgrade for the Marlins rotation.

However, he finished 10-11 with a 5.37 ERA in 34 starts for the Royals in 2016. According to FanGraphs, he had the second-highest ERA among qualified starters. His 4.57 FIP was more flattering but still the 14th-worst mark in the majors.

Marlins Park ranked 27th in runs (0.834) and 26th in home runs (0.793) in ESPN.com’s park factor database, which is good news for Volquez. His numbers should improve in his first year with the Marlins.

Paying $11 million per year to Volquez is a gamble for Miami, but it’s a testament to how difficult finding value on the free-agent market is this offseason.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval hasn’t lived up to the expectations of his big contract and could be on the move because of that, with his former team the San Francisco Giants being rumored as a potential suitor.

Continue for updates.

Evans Comments on Sandoval Rumors

Saturday, Nov. 26

“I am not aware of any consideration of a reunion,” Giants general manager Bobby Evans said, per Chris Haft of MLB.com, “but we’ll never forget all that he meant to the Giants organization.”

Sandoval, Giants Reunion Being Considered

Friday, Nov. 25

According to Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald on Friday, the San Francisco Giants have “considered a reunion” with Sandoval. 

However, Drellich added that dealing Sandoval would be “a long shot,” even though current Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski was not the man to bring him to Boston.

Sandoval Has Been Major Disappointment with Red Sox

Sandoval is preparing for his third year with the Red Sox after signing a five-year, $95 million deal before the 2015 season, via Spotrac. 

In those first two years, Sandoval appeared in just 129 games and hit .242 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI. 

It’s a far cry from a player who batted .294 over a seven-year stretch with the Giants, which included two All-Star appearances and a 2012 World Series MVP award. 

Physical issues have played a major role in Sandoval’s inability to produce, though. He was limited to just three games in 2016 after he suffered a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. 

Sandoval also dealt with weight issues, which the team tried to address last season in an attempt to slim him down. While it didn’t work before the 2016 season, it looked like the long layoff did him wonders, as seen during his visit to watch FC Barcelona train:

With the retirement of David Ortiz, the Red Sox will be looking for another productive bat to support Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia. If Sandoval plays like he did in San Francisco, then he would be worth holding on to in Boston. 

But if the Red Sox are set on dealing him, it would probably take a big-market organization to pick up his deal and eat most of that salary.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The Atlanta Braves added one of the most versatile players in baseball Thursday by signing Sean Rodriguez to a two-year deal worth over $11 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.

Heyman reported Rodriguez will earn $5 million per year with a $1.5 million signing bonus, making the deal worth a total of $11.5 million.

The 31-year-old utility man played seven different positions last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing everywhere on the field except for pitcher and catcher. While he spent the most time at first base, he played more than 10 games each at second base, shortstop, third base, left field and right field.

Rodriguez is also coming off the best offensive season of his career. In 140 games, he batted .270 with a .349 on-base percentage to go with 18 home runs and 56 RBI. All were career highs for the nine-year veteran, who’s also spent time with the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels.

“Sean’s just done a remarkable job,” Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington said, per Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “The defensive versatility and the impact, it’s hard to measure.”

Rodriguez will now hope to build on his success from last season, helping his new team in a variety of areas while trying to return to the playoffs. In Atlanta, he’ll likely be utilized at several positions across the infield and corner outfield, though Freddie Freeman is entrenched as the team’s first baseman and Dansby Swanson is the future at shortstop.

The Braves are still rebuilding, but Rodriguez’s versatility will make him a valuable option as the team gives playing time to young prospects.

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The Seattle Mariners agreed to trade starting pitcher Taijuan Walker to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday as part of a five-player trade.

The Diamondbacks announced they acquired Walker and infielder Ketel Marte from Seattle in exchange for shortstop Jean Segura, outfielder Mitch Haniger and left-handed pitcher Zac Curtis.

Walker has showcased a lot of promise across parts of four seasons in the big leagues. The 24-year-old right-hander possesses a mid-90s fastball and a wipeout curveball, giving him a lot of untapped potential as he continues to learn how to attack the strike zone.

MLB.com ranked him as the fourth-best prospect in all of baseball in 2013, but Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times cautioned: “Reminder about prospects: Three years ago, Mariners wouldn’t trade Taijuan Walker to get David Price. Today, Walker gets Jean Segura.”

A foot injury slowed Walker’s development some during the 2016 season. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times previously reported the starter made a Triple-A rehab appearance during the campaign. The good news was he got in some on-field work without feeling any pain, which likely played a role in his becoming a hot trade target.

His results before the injury were encouraging. He posted a 3.66 ERA, which is nearly one full run better than a year ago, and 1.14 WHIP while striking out 80 batters in 86 innings. His walk rate (1.88 per nine innings) was also on track to become a career low, according to FanGraphs.

He ultimately made 25 starts in 2016 and posted a 4.22 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto commented on the trade, per Tim Booth of the Associated Press: “It’s always hard. It’s hard anytime you give up talent like Taijuan. Frankly you have to give to get.”

Receiving a talent like Segura in return makes things easier.

The 26-year-old slashed .319/.368/.499 in 153 games in 2016, drilling 20 home runs and stealing 33 bases. He stole as many as 44 bases in 2013, and ESPN Stats & Info noted he led the National League with 203 hits in 2016. He also finished with career highs in WAR (5.7) and OPS (.867).

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reflected on the swap: “Arizona sold high on Jean Segura and bought low on Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte. Marte a legit SS, four years younger than Segura to boot.”

In terms of Walker, some may wonder why the Mariners traded a pitcher with so much upside who’s under team control through 2020, per Spotrac. The most likely explanation would be the front office’s uncertainty about whether he can truly become an ace, so Seattle capitalized on his value while he’s still a prized young arm.

All told, moving a pitcher with Walker’s potential is a risk, even when considering the package the Mariners got in return. But it’s one Seattle decided to take after getting a close look at the starter since drafting him in the first round in 2010.

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Longtime Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca died Wednesday at the age of 90.

Bobby Valentine, a former MLB manager and husband to Branca’s daughter, Mary, announced the news on Twitter: “One of the greatest guys to ever throw a pitch or sing a song is [no] longer with us. Ralph Branca passed this morning. In his 91st year on earth he left us with [the] same dignity and grace that defined his [every day] on earth. He will be truly missed!!!”

Branca is famous for surrendering the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” home run to Bobby Thomson in 1951, which delivered the New York Giants the National League pennant.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports and MLB Network was among those who reacted to the news of Branca’s death:

Jay Jaffe of SI.com also chimed in, praising Branca for the manner in which he handled a situation that otherwise could have defined him negatively:

Branca pitched for the Dodgers from 1944 through 1953 before enjoying brief stints with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees. He returned to Brooklyn for one final appearance in 1956 before retiring at the age of 30.

The Mount Vernon, New York, native posted a career record of 88-68 with a 3.79 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 829 strikeouts in 1,484 innings.

He made the All-Star team each year from 1947 through 1949. His best season came in 1947, when he went 21-12 with a 2.67 ERA and finished 11th in the MVP voting.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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Major League Baseball owners and players are discussing a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of the Dec. 1 expiration of the current deal.

Continue for updates.

Latin American Players Reportedly Set to Fight Potential International Draft

Monday, Nov. 28

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported a “significant number” of Latin American players are expected to be at Monday’s bargaining session to fight the international draft.

Passan noted that “Latin representation at union meetings has been an issue in the past,” but the divisiveness of the issue “spurred interest.” Passan called the move a “bold play” by the players’ union, saying “the implication is it is putting a line in the sand” on the international draft.

MLB, Union Reportedly Make Progress in Talks

Wednesday, Nov. 23

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reported negotiations “have progressed this week, to the point where sources finally are expressing optimism that an agreement can be reached before owners impose a lockout.

“Two sources who had spoken with both sides told ESPN.com on Wednesday that they now sense there is ‘a path to a deal,’ following negotiations Tuesday that stretched into the night.” 

On Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the owners were considering locking out the players if the two sides failed to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement before the current deal expires on Dec. 1.

Multiple Sticking Points Holding Up New CBA

Rosenthal noted such a move would end baseball’s streak of 21 straight years of labor peace.

A lockout in the offseason would impact roster decisions, such as free-agent signings and trades. Rosenthal did say the winter meetings could still happen from Dec. 4-8, but there wouldn’t be “the usual frenzy of major league activity.”

The threat of the lockout looms over Tony Clark, who heads the players’ union, and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in their first time in their current roles. Clark replaced the late Michael Weiner, but Rosenthal noted Manfred served as the lead negotiator for MLB in the last three collective bargaining agreements before taking over as commissioner.

Fans hoping the two sides can avoid a lockout can look toward Manfred’s recent history of serving as lead negotiator in times of labor peace as something of a positive. What’s more, the commissioner told Joel Sherman of the New York Post, “In terms of trying to make a deal, 10 days is plenty of time.”

Sherman also said the two sides negotiated until late Tuesday afternoon and will continue doing so while the players attend their annual meeting from Monday through Wednesday in Dallas.

According to Rosenthal, owners are frustrated with how slow the discussions from the players’ union have been, noting “a number of significant issues remain unresolved.” He also quoted an anonymous player who said, “We are not afraid of a lockout.”

Rosenthal broke down a few of the issues holding up negotiations, including draft-pick compensation and the potential implementation of an international draft.

In the current system, teams lose a draft pick when they sign a free agent who received a qualifying offer. If draft-pick compensation were removed, there would be unrestricted free agency and teams would theoretically be more willing to sign marquee players without fearing the loss of a draft pick.

According to Rosenthal, the owners offered to eliminate the draft-pick compensation if they could implement an international draft, but the players opposed the draft “in part because foreign-born amateurs do not have the same leverage and opportunities as their U.S.-born counterparts, including college.”

Rosenthal also pointed to the competitive-balance tax and the Joint Drug Agreement as other issues the two sides are “at odds over” as negotiations continue.

Despite the potential for a lockout, Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports’ Big League Stew cautioned that a week before the Dec. 1 deadline is the ideal time for a source on the owners’ side to leak the threat in hopes of players caving on some demands.

Cwik also acknowledged there is plenty of money at stake that could help a deal get done sooner rather than later. 

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Veteran catcher Jason Castro reached an agreement Tuesday with the Minnesota Twins on a new contract.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports cited a source and reported the news. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported that it was a three-year, $24.5 million deal.

Although Castro’s overall statistics, including a career .232 average, don’t jump off the page, it’s important to remember evaluating catchers requires grading on a curve. The number of impact hitters at the position is limited, which makes his power potential more valuable.   

The 29-year-old backstop has racked up double-digit home runs in four straight seasons despite not playing more than 126 games in any campaign. His best season came in 2013, when he finished with 18 long balls and a .350 on-base percentage.

Those types of numbers are hard to find at the catcher spot, and that created a little more intrigue around his status entering the offseason, though he had a .307 OBP with 11 homers in 2016.

In September, he didn’t rule out a return to the Astros, but he made it clear he wanted to explore the possibilities, per Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle.

“It’s kind of a weird feeling coming down to the end here,” Castro said. “It’s been a great six-and-a-half years here, and I’ve really enjoyed everything about it. But the future’s kind of up in the air, so we’ll see what happens.”

In the end, Castro decided it was time for a change of scenery after spending his entire career so far in Houston. The Astros may look to move Evan Gattis behind the plate to fill the void because it’ll be easier to fill a hole at designated hitter than it would be at catcher.

Catchers always require some additional off days due to the wear and tear of the position, but Castro still needs to stay more involved to make the new deal pay off. He played in just 113 games last season, compared to 139 for the Kansas City Royals‘ Salvador Perez, a top-tier option.

That said, it’s still a solid investment for the Twins given the catcher’s power upside. They’d like to see him move back closer to those 2013 numbers going forward, though.

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Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan reported Monday that authorities in the Dominican Republic are investigating allegations that a group of Texas Rangers prospects sexually assaulted an underage teammate in a “hazing incident.”

Police questioned eight prospects and informed a Dominican court they intend to charge at least four of the players with a crime. Passan wrote that Rougned Odor’s brother and Yohel Pozo are among those at the focus of the police investigation.

Prospects from Colombia and Venezuela were the victims of the hazing rituals, and some were under the age of 18, according to Passan, who detailed a brief Snapchat video showing one specific occurrence:

Video of the alleged assault, which took place toward the end of October, was captured and posted on Snapchat, according to sources. A 10-second clip of video, obtained by Yahoo Sports, shows the alleged victim in a Rangers shirt and Rangers shorts laying on a bed with his arms held behind his back and his legs pinned down. At least four men are seen in addition to the alleged victim, whose penis is exposed, grabbed and maneuvered underneath a hand towel. All of the men in the video, including the alleged victim, are seen laughing.

Citing a report from Dominican media outlet Metro, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal wrote last Thursday that Dominican authorities arrested three Rangers prospects from the organization’s Dominican Summer League team several months ago.

Last week, the Rangers provided a statement:

The Texas Rangers became aware of an incident at our Academy in the Dominican Republic and we acted promptly to open an investigation. We have reported the incident and are cooperating fully with Major League Baseball and the authorities in the Dominican Republic. With this being an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment at this time.

After being shown evidence of the alleged hazing, the Rangers alerted MLB to the incident, and the players involved were then placed on administrative leave as part of the minor league domestic violence policy.

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The Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) released its 2017 Hall of Fame ballot Monday, and Jeff Bagwell, Trevor Hoffman, Tim Raines, Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez, Ivan Rodriguez and Jorge Posada highlight the list of 34 former players.

Bagwell, Hoffman and Raines each obtained at least 67.3 percent of the vote in the 2016 Hall of Fame class, though the three failed to reach the requisite 75 percent needed for induction. Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza did reach that percentage and were inducted in 2016.

That bodes well for the trio in the future, as the BBWAA noted: “Every player who has ever cleared the 65 percent threshold in any one BBWAA election has eventually been inducted into the Hall of Fame, save for Jack Morris—who exhausted his BBWAA eligibility in 2015 and will not be eligible for the Modern Baseball Era Committee consideration until the fall of 2017.”

The three can certainly make a strong case.

Bagwell was the 1994 National League MVP and finished his career with a .297 batting average and 449 home runs. Hoffman was one of the most dominant closers in MLB history, finishing his career with 601 saves (second all-time), and he was twice voted as the runner-up for the Cy Young Award. Raines led the NL in steals four times and is fifth all-time in swiped bags with 808.

The newcomers to the ballot offer strong cases as well.

Vladimir Guerrero finished his career hitting .318 with 449 homers and 1,496 RBI, and he had one of the strongest outfield arms in the game. He was also exciting to watch at the plate, as he was unafraid to swing at a pitch no matter where it was thrown and had the power to hit pitches well off the plate out of the park.

“Vlad’s one of the greatest guys and best teammates I’ve ever been around,” former teammate Torii Hunter told Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com. “I felt honored to play on the same team with a Hall of Famer.”

Manny Ramirez was no slouch with the bat either, hitting .312 with 555 homers and 1,831 RBI. He was a phenomenal postseason hitter, blasting 29 home runs and 78 RBI in 111 postseason games, and he was one of the game’s quirkier figures during his career.

However, he also twice tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs—serving one suspension and retiring to avoid another—which may keep him off some ballots.

Ivan Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, meanwhile, were both excellent catchers. Rodriguez was known for his consistent fielding and his excellent offensive production for the position, hitting .296 with 311 home runs.

“I feel very excited about it,” Rodriguez told Bloom. “It’s hard to believe five years went by that quick. It feels like I just retired a couple of years ago. It will be nice. It will be fun. Hopefully I can be in the Hall of Fame. Nobody knows. I’m feeling positive.”

Posada won four titles with the New York Yankees as part of the legendary core of players for the team that included Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte.

The other notable names include Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Jeff Kent, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Mike Mussina, Curt Schilling, Gary Sheffield and Lee Smith.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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