Around The Diamond: MLB News & Notes

12/4/2014

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Last week the stove was a lot hotter as the BoSox signed big name high priced talent in Pablo Sandoval & Hanley Ramirez. Since then the burners have been on low flame as not one bat or arm found themselves a new home. Although no new contracts were signed the league collectively was still busy.

This week MLB's general managers prepare for their annual winter meetings in San Diego were things are sure to reheat. Before the baseball brass have even gathered trades are being negotiated and executed. Not the blockbuster deals that make the back page, rather the small "role" player exchanges that quietly help clubs accumulate victories.

Dodgers Active

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Wednesday the acquisition of outfielder Chris Heisey from Cincinnati in exchange for right-handed pitcher Matt Magill. Dodger President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman made the announcement. Heisey (pronounced HI-zee), who will turn 30 on Dec. 14, appeared in 119 games at all three outfield positions for the Reds in 2014, his fifth Major League season. He excelled in his 47 pinch-hit appearances, batting .273 (12-for-44) and leading qualifying NL pinch-hitters with four home runs and a .659 slugging percentage.

The Pennsylvania native has a .247 career batting average in 543 games, including a .283 average and a .587 slugging percentage in 155 pinch-hit appearances. During the course of his career, Heisey, who has not committed an error since 2012, has appeared in 311 games in left field, 93 games in center field and 70 games in right field, while ranking sixth among NL outfielders (min. 300 games) with a .908 zone rating since 2010. He was originally selected by the Reds in the 17th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Messiah College in Pennsylvania.

Magill, 25, pitched in seven professional seasons in the Los Angeles organization, including six starts with the Dodgers in 2013 in his only big league action. He was originally selected by the club in the 31st round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Royal High School in Simi Valley.

The Kansas City Royals announced late last week that they have acquired infielder Ryan Jackson from the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations. Jackson, 26, was claimed off by the Dodgers on November 3 from the San Diego Padres, but was designated for assignment on Monday. He missed most of the 2014 season with a right wrist injury. The shortstop played in six games at Triple-A El Paso, going 3-for-16 (.188) with a double and five walks. He also played in five games on his rehab assignment with the Padres' Arizona Rookie League team. A fifth-round draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009, Jackson had a pair of Major League stints with St. Louis in 2012 and 2013, playing in 20 games for the Cardinals. He batted .278 with 19 doubles, a triple, three homers and 49 runs scored in 121 games for Triple-A Memphis in 2013, also drawing 52 walks for a .352 on-base percentage.

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Royal Off Season
The Kansas City Royals have beennamed the Organization of the Year by Baseball America the publication announced today. It marked the second time the Royals have earned the honor, also garnering the award following the 1994 season.

With a roster made up of predominately players that came up through the minor league system, the Royals stormed to 89 victories in 2014 and reached the World Series for the first time in 29 years, falling to the San Francisco Giants in seven games. The club set a Major League record by winning its first eight postseason contests, beginning with a thrilling 9-8 triumph in 12 innings over Oakland in the Wild Card Game and included a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels in the Division Series and a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series.

Of the 26 players the American League champions used during the postseason, 13 of them were either drafted by the club or signed as international free agents, while nine others came over via trades.

"We are thrilled to receive this great honor," Royals General Manager Dayton Moore said. "I'm extremely proud of our entire organization."

Besides this distinct honor the Royals have kept busy thus far this off season. Organizing a trade with Miami. The Kansas City Royals they have acquired left-handed pitcher Brian Flynn and right-handed pitcher Reid Redman from the Miami Marlins in exchange for right-handed pitcher Aaron Crow. Flynn, 24, has pitched at the Major League level with Miami in each of the last two seasons, making two appearances (one start) this past season. The left-hander spent a majority of the 2014 season at Triple-A with New Orleans, where he posted an 8-10 record with a 4.06 ERA (63 ER in 139.1 IP), making 25 starts for the Zephyrs. He enjoyed an outstanding month of May, going 4-1 with a 2.31 ERA in his six starts during the month, holding opponents to a .237 batting average. Flynn was named a Pacific Coast League postseason All-Star in 2013, when he posted 2.80 ERA (43 ER in 138.0 IP) and a .246 opponents' batting average after being promoted from Double-A early in the year. The southpaw was acquired by the Marlins from Detroit in the deal that sent Anibal Sanchez and current Royal Omar Infante to the Tigers in 2011. Flynn was drafted by Detroit out of Wichita State.

Redman, 26, split the 2014 season between Jupiter (A-Advanced) and Jacksonville (AA), where he combined to go 5-1 with seven saves and a 2.04 ERA (14 ER in 61.2 IP), allowing just 12 walks and posting 68 strikeouts in 44 relief appearances. H

e was selected to the Florida State League (A-Advanced) All-Star Game this year, after going 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA in his first 19 appearances for the Hammerheads. Redman was originally drafted by the Tampa Rays in 2012 as an infielder, but was converted to a relief pitcher after signing with the Marlins' organization in 2013. He's posted a 2.00 ERA in 63 career minor league appearances, going 7-3 with eight saves and 93 strikeouts in 90.0 innings.

Crow, 27, went 6-1 with a 4.12 ERA and three saves in 67 relief appearances with the Royals this year, but did not pitch in the postseason.

Baseball Stadiums Top Instagram Shares

Fans attending Major League Baseball ballparks during the 2014 season again shared personal photos from their in-ballpark experiences in record numbers alongside the most popular travel destinations around the globe, highlighted by Dodger Stadium and Yankee Stadium ranking among the top 10 most popular Instagram locations of 2014. Major League Baseball ballparks have cracked the Instagram Top 10 in each of its four years of ranking the world's most popular photo-shared locations - the only sports league to have venues represented annually. Dodger Stadium, which also finished seventh and eighth in the last two annual rankings, respectively, moved up six spots to become Instagram's second-most geo-tagged location in 2014, trailing only Disneyland. Yankee Stadium debuted in the Instagram rankings for the first time (9th).

The only other U.S. sports and entertainment venue to make this year's list was Madison Square Garden in New York.

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