CLEARWATER
http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-jorge-soler-jersey ;, Fla. (AP) — Pitcher Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $45 million, four-year contract, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for this week.The 25-year-old right-hander set career bests last year when he was a first-time All-Star, going 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA. He would have been eligible for free agency after the 2021 season..“I think Aaron Nola brings a preparation we can all look up to and our other players can emulate,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said Wednesday. “I think his between-the-lines competitiveness is off the charts. He’s such a fighter, he’s such a grinder, he’s such a battler.”Under a deal announced Wednesday, Nola gets a $2 million signing bonus, $4 million this year, $8 million in 2020, $11.75 million in 2021 and $15 million in 2022. Philadelphia has a $16 million team option for 2023 with a $4.25 million buyout.“He doesn’t want any of the attention
http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-drew-butera-jersey ;, he doesn’t want the spotlight on him,” Kapler said. “He just wants to compete, compete, compete. That’s what he’s done and that’s why he’s one of the two or three best pitchers in the National League over the course of the last couple of years.”Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Nola had asked for a raise from $573,000 to $6.75 million and the Phillies had offered $4.5 million. Nola is to discuss the deal Thursday.Among the more than 175 players who were eligible for arbitration this year, Nola is the first to get a deal of more than one guaranteed season. Arizona left-hander T.J. MacFarland and Milwaukee catcher Manny Pina agreed to contracts that included 2020 club options.ARRIETARight-hander Jake Arrieta had left knee surgery last month. Kapler described the surgery as minor and said it was a meniscus cleanup with no structural issues.Kapler said Arrieta already has pitched off a mound and the team expects him to be ready for the regular season.“We’re just going to be smart about his running and cutting progression,” Kapler said.TRAINER’S ROOMRight-hander Jerad Eickhoff had carpal tunnel surgery on Oct. 1 and recently had a follow-up visit where it was determined he was not a candidate for further surgery. Kapler said Eickhoff will throw a bullpen session next week and be re-evaluated.“I think he’s had so much adversity over the last 12-18 months,” Kapler said. “He just wants to feel 100 percent so he continues to strive toward that goal.”Outfielder Aaron Altherr had surgery on his right foot at the end of the season and was immobilized for six weeks. Kapler said Altherr is gradually building toward running and he is expected to be ready for the start of the season.SEEING BOTH SIDESKapler says he doesn’t have any strong feeling either way on the proposed rule change that will would force a pitcher to face three batters in an inning or get the final out.“It’s fun to be able to mix and match and use one reliever to come in and get a guy out,” he said. “But if the rule was the same for everybody there are things that would work well for our roster.”Kapler said that David Robertson and Tommy Hunter are two relievers he thinks can have equal success against righties or lefties.THIRD BASE BATTLEKapler said Maikel Franco and Sean Kingery could be competing to start at third.“There is some competition at third base,” Kapler said. “And that’s a conversation I’ll have with Maikel and Scott.” MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s Target Field was the perfect place for Fernando Rodney to perform his patented post-save celebrations
http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-whit-merrifield-jersey ;, when the 41-year-old right-hander leans back to pretend he’s pulling a bow and shoots an imaginary arrow high into the sky.There’s a bright red bulls-eye, the ubiquitous logo for the retail chain that has Target Field’s naming rights, looming on a billboard above right-center field. That gave Rodney a place to aim. His abbreviated season with the Twins was mostly a hit, too.The Oakland Athletics had bigger plans for 2018, though. They brought Rodney back to Minnesota this weekend as one of several stalwarts in their sturdy bullpen next to Blake Treinen, Lou Trivino, Jeurys Familia and Yusmeiro Petit. Treinen has 32 saves for the A’s. Rodney (25) and Familia (17) combined for 42 saves with the Twins and New York Mets before arriving in separate trades.“I’m chilling. I’m relaxing. No pressure on myself because we’ve got Familia, we’ve got all these guys that have got stuff to close the game and to beat Houston,” Rodney said in the visitors’ dugout before Thursday’s game.The A’s took a one-game deficit behind the Houston Astros in the AL West into the evening.In his first six appearances for Oakland, Rodney allowed only three hits without a run while striking out four.“He’s been absolutely terrific. For a guy that’s used to pitching the ninth inning, we’ve asked him to do some different things here and he’s had absolutely no problem with it at all
Cheslor Cuthbert Jersey ,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Pitching a down game yesterday, so he just wants to come in and contribute however he can. He’s got a really good personality to him. He fit in really well with the guys and, obviously, he’s been a significant factor for us.”Rodney had six blown save chances with the Twins and had his share of shaky conversions, too, but for a $4.25 million salary the Twins were willing to sign up for that experience because they had confidence in his, well, experience.“We’re like family,” Rodney said. “We had a lot of fun together, me and those guys.”At Rodney’s request, the Twins produced a special introduction video for his appearances
Brian Flynn Jersey , set to the rap song “Live the Night .” He said he was working with the A’s to assemble a montage that could be played at the Oakland Coliseum.As for those arrows, which have been in storage now that he’s not usually working in the ninth inning?“We save the arrow for the postseason,” Rodney said.That’s the whole reason he’s with the A’s. There’s a team option on his contract for 2019 at a below-market rate of $4.25 million, so the Twins could’ve hung onto him despite their housecleaning that took place before the July 31 non-waiver deadline. But once they found a satisfactory offer from the A’s in minor-league pitcher Dakota Chalmers, they thought highly enough of Rodney to be willing to deal him to a contender.“I think I’ll keep fighting, keep playing baseball and try to come back next year,” Rodney said. “I don’t know what team, but next year I think I’ve got a chance again, and I want to do it.”
CLEARWATER http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-jorge-soler-jersey ;, Fla. (AP) — Pitcher Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a $45 million, four-year contract, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for this week.The 25-year-old right-hander set career bests last year when he was a first-time All-Star, going 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA. He would have been eligible for free agency after the 2021 season..“I think Aaron Nola brings a preparation we can all look up to and our other players can emulate,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said Wednesday. “I think his between-the-lines competitiveness is off the charts. He’s such a fighter, he’s such a grinder, he’s such a battler.”Under a deal announced Wednesday, Nola gets a $2 million signing bonus, $4 million this year, $8 million in 2020, $11.75 million in 2021 and $15 million in 2022. Philadelphia has a $16 million team option for 2023 with a $4.25 million buyout.“He doesn’t want any of the attention http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-drew-butera-jersey ;, he doesn’t want the spotlight on him,” Kapler said. “He just wants to compete, compete, compete. That’s what he’s done and that’s why he’s one of the two or three best pitchers in the National League over the course of the last couple of years.”Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Nola had asked for a raise from $573,000 to $6.75 million and the Phillies had offered $4.5 million. Nola is to discuss the deal Thursday.Among the more than 175 players who were eligible for arbitration this year, Nola is the first to get a deal of more than one guaranteed season. Arizona left-hander T.J. MacFarland and Milwaukee catcher Manny Pina agreed to contracts that included 2020 club options.ARRIETARight-hander Jake Arrieta had left knee surgery last month. Kapler described the surgery as minor and said it was a meniscus cleanup with no structural issues.Kapler said Arrieta already has pitched off a mound and the team expects him to be ready for the regular season.“We’re just going to be smart about his running and cutting progression,” Kapler said.TRAINER’S ROOMRight-hander Jerad Eickhoff had carpal tunnel surgery on Oct. 1 and recently had a follow-up visit where it was determined he was not a candidate for further surgery. Kapler said Eickhoff will throw a bullpen session next week and be re-evaluated.“I think he’s had so much adversity over the last 12-18 months,” Kapler said. “He just wants to feel 100 percent so he continues to strive toward that goal.”Outfielder Aaron Altherr had surgery on his right foot at the end of the season and was immobilized for six weeks. Kapler said Altherr is gradually building toward running and he is expected to be ready for the start of the season.SEEING BOTH SIDESKapler says he doesn’t have any strong feeling either way on the proposed rule change that will would force a pitcher to face three batters in an inning or get the final out.“It’s fun to be able to mix and match and use one reliever to come in and get a guy out,” he said. “But if the rule was the same for everybody there are things that would work well for our roster.”Kapler said that David Robertson and Tommy Hunter are two relievers he thinks can have equal success against righties or lefties.THIRD BASE BATTLEKapler said Maikel Franco and Sean Kingery could be competing to start at third.“There is some competition at third base,” Kapler said. “And that’s a conversation I’ll have with Maikel and Scott.” MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s Target Field was the perfect place for Fernando Rodney to perform his patented post-save celebrations http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-whit-merrifield-jersey ;, when the 41-year-old right-hander leans back to pretend he’s pulling a bow and shoots an imaginary arrow high into the sky.There’s a bright red bulls-eye, the ubiquitous logo for the retail chain that has Target Field’s naming rights, looming on a billboard above right-center field. That gave Rodney a place to aim. His abbreviated season with the Twins was mostly a hit, too.The Oakland Athletics had bigger plans for 2018, though. They brought Rodney back to Minnesota this weekend as one of several stalwarts in their sturdy bullpen next to Blake Treinen, Lou Trivino, Jeurys Familia and Yusmeiro Petit. Treinen has 32 saves for the A’s. Rodney (25) and Familia (17) combined for 42 saves with the Twins and New York Mets before arriving in separate trades.“I’m chilling. I’m relaxing. No pressure on myself because we’ve got Familia, we’ve got all these guys that have got stuff to close the game and to beat Houston,” Rodney said in the visitors’ dugout before Thursday’s game.The A’s took a one-game deficit behind the Houston Astros in the AL West into the evening.In his first six appearances for Oakland, Rodney allowed only three hits without a run while striking out four.“He’s been absolutely terrific. For a guy that’s used to pitching the ninth inning, we’ve asked him to do some different things here and he’s had absolutely no problem with it at all Cheslor Cuthbert Jersey ,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Pitching a down game yesterday, so he just wants to come in and contribute however he can. He’s got a really good personality to him. He fit in really well with the guys and, obviously, he’s been a significant factor for us.”Rodney had six blown save chances with the Twins and had his share of shaky conversions, too, but for a $4.25 million salary the Twins were willing to sign up for that experience because they had confidence in his, well, experience.“We’re like family,” Rodney said. “We had a lot of fun together, me and those guys.”At Rodney’s request, the Twins produced a special introduction video for his appearances Brian Flynn Jersey , set to the rap song “Live the Night .” He said he was working with the A’s to assemble a montage that could be played at the Oakland Coliseum.As for those arrows, which have been in storage now that he’s not usually working in the ninth inning?“We save the arrow for the postseason,” Rodney said.That’s the whole reason he’s with the A’s. There’s a team option on his contract for 2019 at a below-market rate of $4.25 million, so the Twins could’ve hung onto him despite their housecleaning that took place before the July 31 non-waiver deadline. But once they found a satisfactory offer from the A’s in minor-league pitcher Dakota Chalmers, they thought highly enough of Rodney to be willing to deal him to a contender.“I think I’ll keep fighting, keep playing baseball and try to come back next year,” Rodney said. “I don’t know what team, but next year I think I’ve got a chance again, and I want to do it.”