Hot Stove Roundup: Reagins, Maybin, Cuddyer, Snyder - MLB

With the Hot Stove officially underway, news is coming in at a rapid fire pace. Here’s just a few things you may have missed:

– Angels owner Arte Moreno has awarded general manager Tony Reagins with a long-term contract extension.
Specifics were not announced, however one club official said it was at
least as long as the three-year contract Reagins signed in 2007 after
replacing Bill Stoneman. The Angels have won the American League West
in each of Reagin’s first two seasons at the helm.

– Cameron Maybin will undergo surgery to repair a partially torn left labrum on Monday.
The injury caused him some discomfort during the season, but he was
able to play without any limitations. He should be ready for the start
of spring training. With the trade of Jeremy Hermida this week, Maybin
is expected to have an everyday role with the club in 2010. The
22-year-old batted .250/.318/.409 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 176
at-bats for the Marlins this season, but put together a .319/.399/.463
line in 82 games with Triple-A New Orleans.

– The Twins have exercised Michael Cuddyer’s $10.5 million option for 2011.
The team had five after the World Series to decide on the option, or
otherwise pay Cuddyer a $1 million buyout. It seems counter to the way
the Twins usually operate, since Cuddyer simply isn’t worth that kind
of money, especially with his below-average defense in right field.
Cuddyer, who turns 31 years old next March, batted .276/.342/.520 with a
career-high 32 homers to go along with 94 RBI and an .862 OPS in 2009.

– According to Tim Dierkes at MLB Trade Rumors, the Diamondbacks are discussing a trade that would send oft-injured catcher Chris Snyder to the Blue Jays.
On the surface it makes sense since Rod Barajas is about to hit free
agency, but Synder is coming off back surgery in September and has two
years and $11.25 million left on his contract. With top-prospect J.P.
Arencia nearly ready for the majors, color me skeptical.

– And finally, the Nationals have declined Austin Kearns’ $10 million option for 2010, while the Rockies have declined a $4 million option on Yorvit Torrealba.

WASHINGTON (AP) Lane Thomas singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals sent the Philadelphia Phillies to their fifth straight loss, winning 8-7 after blowing a six-run lead.

The defending NL champion Phillies have just five victories in their last 18 games and are tied with the Nationals at the bottom of the NL East at 25-32.

“We’ve got to overcome it,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We’ve got to play better, get consistent in all phases and keep moving forward.”

Alex Call drew a two-out walk against Connor Brogdon (2-1) in the eighth, stole second on a low pitch that catcher JT Realmuto couldn’t make a throw on and scored on Thomas’ single to right center.

“The way Lane’s swinging the bat, if you can get on second base, we can win the game,” Call said. “I look over and the ball’s in the dirt, he doesn’t catch it. Now I’m saying: ‘All right, Lane. Come on!’”

Kyle Finnegan (3-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the victory, stranding the tying run on second in the ninth.

Nick Castellanos homered twice, singled, doubled and drove in five runs for Philadelphia, which had scored just three runs in its past three games.

“There’s definitely a lot of positives as a group,” Castellanos said. “Showing some fight. It would have been really, really easy to lay down and allow the way the game started to be the way that it finished.”

Down 7-1 after four innings, Philadelphia tied it at 7 in the eighth. Brandon Marsh worked a nine-pitch walk against Mason Thompson leading off, and Drew Ellis singled with one out. Finnegan came on to face Kyle Schwarber, who hit a ground ball up the middle. Shortstop CJ Abrams fielded it behind it behind second base, touched second for one out, but threw wildly to first and Marsh came home with the tying run.

Castellanos’s second homer, a two-run shot to center in the sixth, pulled the Phillies to 7-3 and Marsh added an RBI single in the inning.

In the seventh, Schwarber doubled with one out and Bryson Scott reached on an infield single. Hunter Harvey came on and walked Bryce Harper to load the bases. Castellanos singled to center scoring two runs to make it 7-6.

Luis Garcia homered and Jeimer Candelario doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Nationals, who have won seven of 12.

Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler, coming off eight shutout innings against Atlanta, allowed seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

“This one’s on me really,” Wheeler said. “Guys battled back. Just couldn’t finish it out. We know who we have in this room and what we’ve got to do.”

Josiah Gray gave up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings for Washington.

Candelario doubled just beyond the reach of left fielder Schwarber to drive in the first of Washington’s two runs in the first.

In the second, Abrams hit a one-out drive to deep center that Marsh misplayed into a double. With two outs and two on, Candelario doubled off the wall in right center to make it 5-0.

Garcia ended Wheeler’s night with a solo homer in the fourth.

“When you come out the way we did, you’ve got to tack on,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “It didn’t happen tonight, but we got one more than the other guys.”

CANDY MAN

Candelario is 9 for 26 (.346) with four doubles, a home run, nine RBIs, five walks, and seven runs scored in his last seven games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Thomson said RHP Taijuan Walker played catch Friday and there are “no worries about his next start.” In a four-inning outing against the Mets on Thursday, Walker’s sinker velocity averaged 90.6 mph, down from 92.7 mph for the season. His fastball, splitter and curveball velocity also dropped.

Nationals: OF Victor Robles (back spasms) took batting practice on the field for the first time since going on the injured list. … LHP Sean Doolittle (elbow) gave up a run on two hits and struck out two batters in 2/3 of an inning working his second straight night for Class A Fredericksburg.

UP NEXT

Phillies: LHP Matt Strahm (4-3, 3.20) will start a bullpen game on Saturday.

Nationals: LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-3, 3.57) went seven innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters in his previous outing – a no decision against the Royals.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports