The Red Sox surprised many after dismissing former manager Alex Cora in the wake of a cheating scandal centered around sign-stealing that has shaken Major League Baseball this offseason.

Cora is a former member of the Houston Astros coaching staff that was discovered to have participated in a scandalous sign-stealing scheme over the past several seasons that has led to the dismissal of several coaches and front office members related to the controversy.

On Tuesday, the Sox chose the interim replacement for Cora who will be tasked with leading the team forward.

Ron Roenicke, the 63-year-old baseball lifer who previously served as the team’s bench coach under Cora, has been handed the reigns to the Red Sox in the capacity of interim manager.

That title means that, while Roenicke is the manager now, the team could eventually look to replace him with a more long-term option.

Roenicke will have his chance to earn the permanent job title, however. The California native has spent nearly two decades as a coach in the Major Leagues, and also served as the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers from 2011 to 2015, accumulating a 342-331 record along with two postseason appearances.

His job won’t be easy, as the Red Sox are coming off of a disappointing 2019 and the recent trades of star outfielder Mookie Betts and pitcher David Price, but he will attempt to do his best to lead Boston to a competitive 2020 campaign.

The post Ron Roenicke to Be Named Interim Red Sox Manager appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One of baseball’s scariest teams got even better on Tuesday after agreeing to a deal that will bring two of the biggest names in baseball to Tinseltown.

The Los Angeles Dodgers found a way to work out a deal to acquire superstar outfielder Mookie Betts, along with starting pitcher David Price, from the Boston Red Sox in a trade that will significantly alter the baseball landscape.

The Dodgers will also receive cash as part of the deal to offset Betts’ and Price’s significant salaries.

In exchange, the Red Sox will reportedly receive outfielder Alex Verdugo, a well-regarded young player who hit .294 for Los Angeles last season.

The Red Sox wanted to move on from Betts, who is set to become a free agent after this season, and Price, whose high salary hasn’t quite matched up to his performance on the mound in recent years.

The Dodgers will almost certainly look to sign Betts to a long-term extension after acquiring him in the deal. The young outfielder was the 2018 AL MVP and is also a 4-time All Star.

Price will almost certainly step into the Dodgers’ pitching rotation, looking to improve from a mediocre 2019 season which saw him post a 4.28 ERA.

For the Red Sox, this deal is all about clearing out salary for the future, while the Dodgers will look to compete for a World Series title with their shiny new acquisitions.

The post Dodgers Acquire Mookie Betts, David Price in Blockbuster Trade With Red Sox appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The San Francisco Giants have agreed to a multi-year deal with free agent infielder Wilmer Flores according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, taking one of the most decorated free agents left on the market off of the board.

Flores, who enjoyed the best season of his Major League career in 2019 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, is expected to fill a role as a utility infielder for the Giants.

The 28-year-old Venezuela native batted .317 in 89 games with Arizona last season, accumulating 9 home runs and 37 RBIs. He was a useful member of the team despite not playing a full-time role.

Prior to 2019, Flores had spent the rest of his career as a member of the New York Mets organization. He spent several seasons in a part-time starting role for the team from Queens, including during the team’s World Series run in 2015.

He is the owner of a career .268/.310/.432 batting line, offering solid infield defense at both second and third base.

For new Giants manager Gabe Kapler, Flores will fill an important role as a veteran and versatile infielder as the team looks to claw its way back to contention over the next few years.

Flores is expected to report to Giants camp in Arizona later this month.

The post Giants Agree to Deal With Free Agent IF Wilmer Flores appeared first on SportzBonanza.

According to multiple sources, the Houston Astros have settled on a well-known choice as the new manager of their team.

Dusty Baker, the veteran MLB manager who has previously had stints with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Washington Nationals, will take over the Houston Astros’ bench after a sign-stealing scandal that has shaken the club to its core.

AJ Hinch, the team’s former manager, was dismissed along with former general manager Jeff Luhnow after an MLB investigation implicated them as the ringleaders of a cheating scandal over the past few seasons.

Baker, who will become MLB’s oldest manager at the age of 70, has a history of success in the big leagues. Employing an “old-school” approach, the California native has compiled an 1863-1636 (.532) record in 22 seasons as a manager at the Major League level.

Despite his teams qualifying for the playoffs a total of 9 times during his years as a manager, Baker has yet to win a World Series. The closest he has come was with the 2002 San Francisco Giants, who lost the World Series in a heartbreaking 4-3 series loss to the Anaheim Angels.

Baker’s Astros will be expected to contend for the World Series in 2020 and in the near future, giving the long-time manager a chance to go out as a champion before his eventual retirement.

The post Dusty Baker to be Named Houston Astros Manager appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One of the biggest names left on the free agent board this MLB offseason inked a deal on Monday with the Cincinnati Reds, continuing the team’s frenetic recent activity.

Nicholas Castellanos, the free agent outfielder who played for the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs last year, agreed to a four-year deal with the Reds worth $64 million, according to multiple reports.

Castellanos was a key figure for the Cubs down the stretch, despite the team’s failure to qualify for the playoffs. He batted .321 with 16 home runs and 36 RBI in only 56 games for Chicago, finishing the season with a .289 average and 27 long balls in total.

The Miami-area native has been a consistent offensive force since breaking into the league at the end of the 2013 season at the tender age of 21. Converted from third base to the outfield due to his defensive problems at the hot corner, what has never failed to produce has been the slugger’s bat.

Castellanos, who turns 28 just before the start of the season, is expected to be a fixture in the Reds’ outfield for the next few years. He will be penciled in as the team’s right fielder heading into the 2020 season.

He is expected to report to Reds camp in Goodyear, Arizona for Spring Training next month.

The post Free Agent OF Nicholas Castellanos Signs 4-Year, $64 Million Contract With Reds appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Mets probably never expected to part ways with Carlos Beltran before their new manager coached a single game for them, but that is exactly what has happened in the wake of a scandal that has rocked the MLB this offseason.

Beltran, who was hired to manage the NL East team earlier this offseason, will ultimately leave before ever stepping inside of the dugout after he was implicated in a sign-stealing scandal during his time as a player with the Houston Astros.

The Puerto Rico native came to an agreement with the New York Mets’ front office and ownership group to step aside and let the team choose a different manager after he was mentioned as one of the leading figures in the scandal.

The MLB statement that condemned Beltran said, “Approximately two months into the 2017 season, a group of players, including Carlos Beltrán, discussed that the team could improve on decoding opposing teams’ signs and communicating the signs to the batter.”

Former Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and former manager AJ Hinch were suspended for a season by Major League Baseball earlier this offseason, and subsequently fired, as a result of the scandal.

The Mets will now embark on a search for their second new manager of the offseason with less than a month remaining before the beginning of Spring Training.

The post Mets, Carlos Beltran Agrees to Part Ways appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Detroit Tigers signed veteran starting pitching Ivan Nova to a one-year deal for the 2020 season, adding veteran experience to a young and unproven pitching staff.

Nova’s deal with the Tigers includes a guarantee of $1.5 million, and could reach over $2 million if he meets certain performance incentives.

This will be the Dominican righty’s fourth Major League team after previously spending time with the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago White Sox.

Once one of the top pitching prospects in the game, Nova has become a workhorse right handed pitcher, but not a star. Since making his debut in the 2010 season, he owns a 4.36 ERA in 223 Major League starts.

2019 was Nova’s only season with the White Sox, and he struggled on the South Side of Chicago. The ten-year veteran posted a 4.72 ERA in 34 starts, striking out only 5.5 batters per nine innings.

Despite his underwhelming recent seasons, the 33-year-old is a good bet for a team that is simply looking for some stability while it undergoes a painful rebuild and waits for its best pitching prospects to develop.

Nova will report to Tigers Spring Training to begin his career with the team next month.

The post Tigers Sign P Ivan Nova to One-Year Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago White Sox continued their busy 2019-20 offseason on Tuesday, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $6 million with veteran sidewinding reliever Steve Cishek.

Cishek, a ten-year MLB veteran who has spent time with the Marlins, Cardinals, Mariners, Rays, and Cubs, will add quality and experience to a White Sox bullpen that will look to improve after a shaky 2019.

The deal also has an option for a second year at the same $6 million price tag.

It won’t be a long move for the 33-year-old righty, who spent the past two seasons on the North Side of Chicago with the cross-town rival Cubs. Cishek was excellent with the Cubs over the past two seasons, compiling a 2.54 ERA over 134.1 innings.

The Massachusetts native owns a 2.69 ERA in 572 career appearances, having racked up a grand total of 584 strikeouts.

Cishek, who is renowned for his excellent fastball, will probably serve in a late inning role with the White Sox. It’s still too early to tell whether he or Alex Colome will be named the closer for the 2020 season, or if they will share time at the position.

He is expected to report to White Sox Spring Training in Glendale, Arizona to join his new team next month.

The post White Sox Sign Veteran Reliever Steve Cishek to 1-Year Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Veteran MLB right-handed pitcher Julio Teheran has found a new home in free agency, signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

The long-time Atlanta Braves starter, whose team option for the 2020 season was not picked up at the conclusion of the season, heads west to join a team where he will expected to be a key member of the pitching staff.

The Colombia native will reportedly earn $9 million next season.

Teheran, once one of the top prospects in baseball, spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Braves. He was a durable workhorse, pitching at least 170 innings in every season since 2013.

Twice named an All-Star during his run with the Braves, Teheran has molded himself into a ground ball artist with a crafty repertoire after losing the zip on his fastball over the past few seasons. While he doesn’t throw too hard anymore, he was still effective in 2019, posting a 10-11 record with a 3.81 ERA.

Teheran is the second right-handed addition to the Angels rotation in free agency this season, joining Dylan Bundy as a new face in Anaheim.

Los Angeles will be thrilled if Teheran can eat innings and post respectable numbers, allowing the team’s high-powered offense to do the heavy work in 2020.

The post SP Julio Teheran Agrees to 1-Year Deal With Angels appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Star free agent starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner has found a new home, signing a long-term deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that will take him from one NL West franchise to another.

The durable, accomplished left-handed pitcher has reportedly agreed to a five-year contract worth $85 million with Arizona. After spending the first ten seasons of his career with San Francisco, Bumgarner didn’t go far to find his next home.

The Giants’ division rivals, the Diamondbacks, have secured one of the best deals of the offseason by inking their new accomplished starter. The money and number of years committed to Bumgarner are considered reasonable for a pitcher of his caliber.

Bumgarner is a four-time NL All Star and a three-time World Series champion with his former team. In addition, he is known for his acumen for playoff performance, owning the lowest ERA (0.25) by any starting pitcher in the World Series with more than 5 starts in the history of the sport.

The North Carolina native took a small step back in 2019, posting a 9-9 record with a 3.90 ERA that was well above his career mark of 3.13, reflecting the league’s inflated home run rate.

At the age of 30, however, Arizona is confident that their new ace has plenty of productive years left in the tank.

The post Madison Bumgarner Signs 5-Year, $85 Million Deal With Diamondbacks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Red Sox surprised many after dismissing former manager Alex Cora in the wake of a cheating scandal centered around sign-stealing that has shaken Major League Baseball this offseason.

Cora is a former member of the Houston Astros coaching staff that was discovered to have participated in a scandalous sign-stealing scheme over the past several seasons that has led to the dismissal of several coaches and front office members related to the controversy.

On Tuesday, the Sox chose the interim replacement for Cora who will be tasked with leading the team forward.

Ron Roenicke, the 63-year-old baseball lifer who previously served as the team’s bench coach under Cora, has been handed the reigns to the Red Sox in the capacity of interim manager.

That title means that, while Roenicke is the manager now, the team could eventually look to replace him with a more long-term option.

Roenicke will have his chance to earn the permanent job title, however. The California native has spent nearly two decades as a coach in the Major Leagues, and also served as the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers from 2011 to 2015, accumulating a 342-331 record along with two postseason appearances.

His job won’t be easy, as the Red Sox are coming off of a disappointing 2019 and the recent trades of star outfielder Mookie Betts and pitcher David Price, but he will attempt to do his best to lead Boston to a competitive 2020 campaign.

The post Ron Roenicke to Be Named Interim Red Sox Manager appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One of baseball’s scariest teams got even better on Tuesday after agreeing to a deal that will bring two of the biggest names in baseball to Tinseltown.

The Los Angeles Dodgers found a way to work out a deal to acquire superstar outfielder Mookie Betts, along with starting pitcher David Price, from the Boston Red Sox in a trade that will significantly alter the baseball landscape.

The Dodgers will also receive cash as part of the deal to offset Betts’ and Price’s significant salaries.

In exchange, the Red Sox will reportedly receive outfielder Alex Verdugo, a well-regarded young player who hit .294 for Los Angeles last season.

The Red Sox wanted to move on from Betts, who is set to become a free agent after this season, and Price, whose high salary hasn’t quite matched up to his performance on the mound in recent years.

The Dodgers will almost certainly look to sign Betts to a long-term extension after acquiring him in the deal. The young outfielder was the 2018 AL MVP and is also a 4-time All Star.

Price will almost certainly step into the Dodgers’ pitching rotation, looking to improve from a mediocre 2019 season which saw him post a 4.28 ERA.

For the Red Sox, this deal is all about clearing out salary for the future, while the Dodgers will look to compete for a World Series title with their shiny new acquisitions.

The post Dodgers Acquire Mookie Betts, David Price in Blockbuster Trade With Red Sox appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The San Francisco Giants have agreed to a multi-year deal with free agent infielder Wilmer Flores according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, taking one of the most decorated free agents left on the market off of the board.

Flores, who enjoyed the best season of his Major League career in 2019 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, is expected to fill a role as a utility infielder for the Giants.

The 28-year-old Venezuela native batted .317 in 89 games with Arizona last season, accumulating 9 home runs and 37 RBIs. He was a useful member of the team despite not playing a full-time role.

Prior to 2019, Flores had spent the rest of his career as a member of the New York Mets organization. He spent several seasons in a part-time starting role for the team from Queens, including during the team’s World Series run in 2015.

He is the owner of a career .268/.310/.432 batting line, offering solid infield defense at both second and third base.

For new Giants manager Gabe Kapler, Flores will fill an important role as a veteran and versatile infielder as the team looks to claw its way back to contention over the next few years.

Flores is expected to report to Giants camp in Arizona later this month.

The post Giants Agree to Deal With Free Agent IF Wilmer Flores appeared first on SportzBonanza.

According to multiple sources, the Houston Astros have settled on a well-known choice as the new manager of their team.

Dusty Baker, the veteran MLB manager who has previously had stints with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Washington Nationals, will take over the Houston Astros’ bench after a sign-stealing scandal that has shaken the club to its core.

AJ Hinch, the team’s former manager, was dismissed along with former general manager Jeff Luhnow after an MLB investigation implicated them as the ringleaders of a cheating scandal over the past few seasons.

Baker, who will become MLB’s oldest manager at the age of 70, has a history of success in the big leagues. Employing an “old-school” approach, the California native has compiled an 1863-1636 (.532) record in 22 seasons as a manager at the Major League level.

Despite his teams qualifying for the playoffs a total of 9 times during his years as a manager, Baker has yet to win a World Series. The closest he has come was with the 2002 San Francisco Giants, who lost the World Series in a heartbreaking 4-3 series loss to the Anaheim Angels.

Baker’s Astros will be expected to contend for the World Series in 2020 and in the near future, giving the long-time manager a chance to go out as a champion before his eventual retirement.

The post Dusty Baker to be Named Houston Astros Manager appeared first on SportzBonanza.

One of the biggest names left on the free agent board this MLB offseason inked a deal on Monday with the Cincinnati Reds, continuing the team’s frenetic recent activity.

Nicholas Castellanos, the free agent outfielder who played for the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs last year, agreed to a four-year deal with the Reds worth $64 million, according to multiple reports.

Castellanos was a key figure for the Cubs down the stretch, despite the team’s failure to qualify for the playoffs. He batted .321 with 16 home runs and 36 RBI in only 56 games for Chicago, finishing the season with a .289 average and 27 long balls in total.

The Miami-area native has been a consistent offensive force since breaking into the league at the end of the 2013 season at the tender age of 21. Converted from third base to the outfield due to his defensive problems at the hot corner, what has never failed to produce has been the slugger’s bat.

Castellanos, who turns 28 just before the start of the season, is expected to be a fixture in the Reds’ outfield for the next few years. He will be penciled in as the team’s right fielder heading into the 2020 season.

He is expected to report to Reds camp in Goodyear, Arizona for Spring Training next month.

The post Free Agent OF Nicholas Castellanos Signs 4-Year, $64 Million Contract With Reds appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Mets probably never expected to part ways with Carlos Beltran before their new manager coached a single game for them, but that is exactly what has happened in the wake of a scandal that has rocked the MLB this offseason.

Beltran, who was hired to manage the NL East team earlier this offseason, will ultimately leave before ever stepping inside of the dugout after he was implicated in a sign-stealing scandal during his time as a player with the Houston Astros.

The Puerto Rico native came to an agreement with the New York Mets’ front office and ownership group to step aside and let the team choose a different manager after he was mentioned as one of the leading figures in the scandal.

The MLB statement that condemned Beltran said, “Approximately two months into the 2017 season, a group of players, including Carlos Beltrán, discussed that the team could improve on decoding opposing teams’ signs and communicating the signs to the batter.”

Former Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and former manager AJ Hinch were suspended for a season by Major League Baseball earlier this offseason, and subsequently fired, as a result of the scandal.

The Mets will now embark on a search for their second new manager of the offseason with less than a month remaining before the beginning of Spring Training.

The post Mets, Carlos Beltran Agrees to Part Ways appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Detroit Tigers signed veteran starting pitching Ivan Nova to a one-year deal for the 2020 season, adding veteran experience to a young and unproven pitching staff.

Nova’s deal with the Tigers includes a guarantee of $1.5 million, and could reach over $2 million if he meets certain performance incentives.

This will be the Dominican righty’s fourth Major League team after previously spending time with the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago White Sox.

Once one of the top pitching prospects in the game, Nova has become a workhorse right handed pitcher, but not a star. Since making his debut in the 2010 season, he owns a 4.36 ERA in 223 Major League starts.

2019 was Nova’s only season with the White Sox, and he struggled on the South Side of Chicago. The ten-year veteran posted a 4.72 ERA in 34 starts, striking out only 5.5 batters per nine innings.

Despite his underwhelming recent seasons, the 33-year-old is a good bet for a team that is simply looking for some stability while it undergoes a painful rebuild and waits for its best pitching prospects to develop.

Nova will report to Tigers Spring Training to begin his career with the team next month.

The post Tigers Sign P Ivan Nova to One-Year Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago White Sox continued their busy 2019-20 offseason on Tuesday, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $6 million with veteran sidewinding reliever Steve Cishek.

Cishek, a ten-year MLB veteran who has spent time with the Marlins, Cardinals, Mariners, Rays, and Cubs, will add quality and experience to a White Sox bullpen that will look to improve after a shaky 2019.

The deal also has an option for a second year at the same $6 million price tag.

It won’t be a long move for the 33-year-old righty, who spent the past two seasons on the North Side of Chicago with the cross-town rival Cubs. Cishek was excellent with the Cubs over the past two seasons, compiling a 2.54 ERA over 134.1 innings.

The Massachusetts native owns a 2.69 ERA in 572 career appearances, having racked up a grand total of 584 strikeouts.

Cishek, who is renowned for his excellent fastball, will probably serve in a late inning role with the White Sox. It’s still too early to tell whether he or Alex Colome will be named the closer for the 2020 season, or if they will share time at the position.

He is expected to report to White Sox Spring Training in Glendale, Arizona to join his new team next month.

The post White Sox Sign Veteran Reliever Steve Cishek to 1-Year Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Veteran MLB right-handed pitcher Julio Teheran has found a new home in free agency, signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

The long-time Atlanta Braves starter, whose team option for the 2020 season was not picked up at the conclusion of the season, heads west to join a team where he will expected to be a key member of the pitching staff.

The Colombia native will reportedly earn $9 million next season.

Teheran, once one of the top prospects in baseball, spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Braves. He was a durable workhorse, pitching at least 170 innings in every season since 2013.

Twice named an All-Star during his run with the Braves, Teheran has molded himself into a ground ball artist with a crafty repertoire after losing the zip on his fastball over the past few seasons. While he doesn’t throw too hard anymore, he was still effective in 2019, posting a 10-11 record with a 3.81 ERA.

Teheran is the second right-handed addition to the Angels rotation in free agency this season, joining Dylan Bundy as a new face in Anaheim.

Los Angeles will be thrilled if Teheran can eat innings and post respectable numbers, allowing the team’s high-powered offense to do the heavy work in 2020.

The post SP Julio Teheran Agrees to 1-Year Deal With Angels appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Star free agent starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner has found a new home, signing a long-term deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that will take him from one NL West franchise to another.

The durable, accomplished left-handed pitcher has reportedly agreed to a five-year contract worth $85 million with Arizona. After spending the first ten seasons of his career with San Francisco, Bumgarner didn’t go far to find his next home.

The Giants’ division rivals, the Diamondbacks, have secured one of the best deals of the offseason by inking their new accomplished starter. The money and number of years committed to Bumgarner are considered reasonable for a pitcher of his caliber.

Bumgarner is a four-time NL All Star and a three-time World Series champion with his former team. In addition, he is known for his acumen for playoff performance, owning the lowest ERA (0.25) by any starting pitcher in the World Series with more than 5 starts in the history of the sport.

The North Carolina native took a small step back in 2019, posting a 9-9 record with a 3.90 ERA that was well above his career mark of 3.13, reflecting the league’s inflated home run rate.

At the age of 30, however, Arizona is confident that their new ace has plenty of productive years left in the tank.

The post Madison Bumgarner Signs 5-Year, $85 Million Deal With Diamondbacks appeared first on SportzBonanza.