With the Baseball Winter Meetings quickly approaching we have seen a flurry of offseason transactions around the majors. Thursday was no different with a pair of relievers signing new contracts, and a trade between the Royals and Brewers.
The Boston Red Sox inked free agent reliever Edward Mujica, who spent last season with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 29-year-old right hander inked a two year deal worth $9.5 million. The contract is pending a physical.
Mujica was the closer for the Cardinals for most of the regular season, but late season struggles and arm issues meant he struggled, lost the job, and was used sparingly down the stretch and into the playoffs. Mujica was 2-1 with 37 saves, a 2.78 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and 46:5 strikeout to walk ratio in 64 2/3 innings last season over 65 appearances. He is expected to take over the role of setup man for the Red Sox.
Meanwhile the Dodgers re-signed their own reliever, inking Brian Wilson to a 1-year, $10 million deal that includes a player option for 2015 worth a further $9 million. Wilson joined the Dodgers in August after recovering from Tommy John Surgery when he was a member of the San Francisco Giants.
The 31-year-old right hander was 2-1 in 18 appearances with the Dodgers. In 13 2/3 innings he he had 13 strikeouts, four walks, a 0.66 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. Wilson showed the power and control that made him one of the best closers in the majors with the Giants and formed an excellent one-two punch in LA with Kelsey Janssen.
The Miami Marlins inked Rafael Furcal to a one-year deal worth $3 million plus incentives. Furcal has spent most of his career as a shortstop, but with Adeiny Hechavarria in that spot, the Marlins plan is to play the 36-year-old at second base. Furcal missed the entire 2013 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery late in the 2012 season. Furcal hit .264/.325/.346 with five home runs, 49 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 121 games with the Cardinals in 2012.
The Chicago White Sox agreed to terms with right handed reliever Ronald Belisario on a one-year deal worth $3 million. Belisario became a free agent when he was non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in the week. Belisario, 30, posted a 5-7 mark, with 1 save, a 3.97 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and 49/28 K/BB ratio over 68 innings and 77 appearances this past season for the Dodgers.
Elsewhere the Milwaukee Brewers traded Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki to the Kansas City Royals for left-handed pitcher Will Smith.
The 31-year-old Aoki hit .286/.356/.370 with eight home runs, 37 RBIs, 80 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases in 155 games for the Brewers last year. He should start for the Royals and hit near the top of the order.
The 24-year old Smith has a 4.76 ERA through 123 career innings and shifted to the bullpen this year after struggling as a starter. He seemed to do better out of the pen as his 2013 season saw him go 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, 43:7 strikeout to walk ratio over 33.1 innings in 19 appearances for the Royals.
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