NEW YORK — The Yankees bolstered their pitching for the stretch run and playoffs, obtaining starter Frankie Montas and reliever Lou Trivino from the Oakland Athletics on Monday for four prospects.
New York sent Oakland 26-year-old rookie left-hander J.P. Sears along with three minor leaguers: 24-year-old left-hander Ken Waldichuk, 23-year-old right-hander Luis Medina and 22-year-old infielder Cooper Bowman.
Montas, a 29-year-old right-hander, is 4-9 with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts, including a 2.76 ERA since the start of May. He has 109 strikeouts and 28 walks in 104 2/3 innings.
He was the second significant starting pitcher dealt ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline after Cincinnati sent Luis Castillo to Seattle.
Montas has a $5,025,000 salary this year, is eligible for arbitration this winter and can become a free agent after the 2023 season. His fastball averages 96 mph.
Trivino, a 30-year-old right-hander, is 1-6 with a 6.47 ERA – double his 2021 figure – and 10 saves in 13 chances. Right-handed batters are hitting .289 against him this year while lefties are hitting .392 with nine walks in 60 plate appearances.
He has a $3 million salary, is eligible for arbitration ahead of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, then can become a free agent.
The A’s, trying to get government approvals for a new ballpark in downtown Oakland, last made the playoffs in 2020, beating the Chicago White Sox in the wild-card round before losing to Houston in the Division Series.
Following the end of the lockout this March, Oakland traded first baseman Matt Olson to Atlanta, third baseman Matt Chapman to Toronto and right-hander Chris Bassitt to the New York Mets. The A’s opened the season with the lowest payroll in the major leagues at $48 million and cut about $3 million more over the rest of the season by trading Montas and Trivino.
Sears is 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA in two starts and five relief appearances with the Yankees. He is 1-1 with a 1.67 ERA in nine starts and two relief appearances at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Bowman, a fourth-round draft pick last year who signed for a $353,000 bonus, hit .217 this year for Class-A Hudson Valley with 15 doubles, eight homers, 35 steals and 35 RBI.
Medina is 4-3 with a 3.38 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 72 innings this season at Double-A Somerset.
Waldichuk, a fifth-round selection in 2019, is 6-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 116 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton and Double-A Somerset this year.
• The New York Yankees acquired rookie reliever Scott Effross in a trade with the Chicago Cubs.
Effross, a sidearming right-hander, is 1-4 with a 2.66 ERA and one save in 47 games this year. He made his big league debut last season, going 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 14 appearances with Chicago.
“He’s actually been someone that has been on our radar for several months,” Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said. “I’ve heard his name a lot. I know our guys have liked him a lot and obviously he’s had a really good season this year for the Cubs.”
The rebuilding Cubs received minor league right-hander Hayden Wesneski in the deal. The 24-year-old Wesneski, a sixth-round selection in the 2019 amateur draft, is 6-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 19 starts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Wesneski spent part of last season with Double-A Somerset, where his pitching coach was Daniel Moskos, now an assistant pitching coach with the Cubs.
The addition of the 28-year-old Effross gives Boone another option in front of All-Star closer Clay Holmes.
Effross is particularly tough on right-handed batters, holding them to a .159 batting average this year.
“He’s really having one of the better seasons of any reliever in the league,” Boone said.
3-TEAM TRADE: The Houston Astros acquired first baseman Trey Mancini from the Baltimore Orioles in a three-team trade that also moved speedy outfielder Jose Siri to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Astros were in the market for a first baseman with Yuli Gurriel struggling this season. The 38-year-old Gurriel hit .319 to win the American League batting title in 2021, but has hit just .243 with seven homers and 28 RBI this year.
Mancini, who has been in the lineup at designated hitter 51 times this season, also could fill that role for the AL West leaders with Michael Brantley out indefinitely with a shoulder injury.
Mancini, 30, is hitting .268 with 10 homers and 41 RBI in 92 games this season. He broke into the majors with Baltimore in 2016 and batted .270 with 117 homers and 350 RBI in 701 games with the Orioles.
Houston also received minor league right-hander Jayden Murray from Tampa Bay. The Astros sent Siri to the Rays and minor league right-hander Chayce McDermott to the Orioles.
The 27-year-old Siri made his big league debut last year. He hit .178 with three homers and 10 RBI in 48 games with Houston this season.
Mancini has a $7.5 million salary this season as part of a contract that includes a $10 million mutual option for 2023 with a $250,000 buyout.
PADRES-BREWERS: The San Diego Padres acquired All-Star closer Josh Hader from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for recently benched closer Taylor Rogers and three other players in a blockbuster deal between NL playoff contenders.
The NL Central-leading Brewers shipped one of the game’s top relievers to the Padres for Rogers, right-hander Dinelson Lamet, outfielder Esteury Ruiz and pitching prospect Robert Gasser.
The trade features the two big league saves leaders. Hader has 29 saves and Rogers has 28, though the Padres recently removed Rogers from the closer role after he blew consecutive opportunities in a series at Detroit. The Padres obtained Rogers from Minnesota on Opening Day.
DODGERS-RAYS: The Tampa Bay Rays acquired left-handed reliever Garrett Cleavinger from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for minor league outfielder German Tapia.
BRAVES-NATIONALS TRADE: Atlanta re-acquired infielder Ehire Adrianza from Washington in exchange for a minor league outfielder.
The Braves cleared a spot for Adrianza when veteran Robinson Canó was designated for assignment after hitting .154 in nine games.
As the Braves await the return of second baseman Ozzie Albies from a broken left foot, which is expected by late August, Adrianza provides depth behind Orlando Arcia.
The Nationals acquired outfielder Trey Harris, who hit .238 for Double-A Mississippi this season.
ROYALS-MARINERS: Kansas City acquired left-hander Anthony Misiewicz from Seattle for cash considerations.
The 27-year-old Misiewicz, who will be added to the Royals’ 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Omaha, appeared in 17 games for Seattle this season with a 4.61 ERA. He was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on June 10, where he had a 3.65 ERA in 13 appearances.
ROYALS-DIAMONDBACKS: The Royals traded third baseman Emmanuel Rivera to the Arizona Diamondbacks for right-hander Luke Weaver to add organizational pitching depth.
BRAVES: All-Star third baseman Austin Riley and the Atlanta Braves agreed to a $212 million, 10-year contract that starts in 2023, the most lucrative deal in team history and a surprise given he had three additional seasons under club control.
DIAMONDBACKS: The Arizona Diamondbacks placed left-hander Caleb Smith on the 15-day injured list with a fracture of his nonpitching hand.
Smith injured his hand in frustration after allowing two runs and three hits in two innings of relief against Atlanta on Saturday. The injury occurred after he was removed from the game.
“Caleb broke his hand by punching something that he shouldn’t have been punching,” Arizona Manager Torey Lovullo said. “I don’t know exactly what it was, but he was very frustrated when he came out of the game.”
Lovullo has expressed his displeasure about the incident to Smith, who returned to Arizona, where the steps in his rehab process will be determined.
“I had a conversation with him and shared my frustration,” Lovullo said. “He’s been accountable to that. He shares the same frustration that I do and his teammates do. He’s been throwing the ball really well.”
Lovullo doesn’t know if Smith will have surgery or how long he’ll be sidelined.
ROCKIES: The Colorado Rockies placed outfielder Kris Bryant on the 10-day injured list with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
It’s the third trip to the IL for Bryant, who signed a $182 million, seven-year contract with the Rockies in March. He missed 18 games from April 26-May 20 with back soreness and 32 games from May 23-June 26 with a lower back strain.
Bryant, 30, who starred with the Chicago Cubs from 2015 until being traded to San Francisco on July 30, 2021, is hitting .306 in 42 games, with five homers and 14 RBI.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
