George Sherrill, Dan Wheeler join Royals on minors deals

By Aaron GleemanDec 11, 2012, 1:20 PM EST
3 Comments

In addition to adding outfielder Willy Taveras on a minor-league deal the Royals have also signed left-hander George Sherrill and right-hander Dan Wheeler to minor-league contracts, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.

Sherrill was once a very good left-handed setup man, but missed nearly all of this year following Tommy John elbow surgery and faces an uphill battle coming back at age 36.

Wheeler got knocked around in a dozen appearances for the Indians and in May the 34-year-old was outrighted to Triple-A, where he threw 43 innings with a 2.32 ERA and 30/13 K/BB ratio.

They’ll both try to win a middle relief gig during spring training.

Report: White Sox acquire Yonder Alonso from Indians

Yonder Alonso
Getty Images
By Ashley VarelaDec 14, 2018, 10:26 PM EST
2 Comments

The White Sox have reportedly picked up first baseman Yonder Alonso from the Indians, according to Stadium. The return for Alonso is expected to be nothing more flashy than a “fringe prospect,” though the minutiae of the deal is still pending a formal announcement from both teams.

Alonso, 31, inked a two-year deal with the Indians during the 2017 offseason. His first campaign with the club yielded a modest .250/.317/.421 batting line, 23 home runs, .738 OPS and 0.7 fWAR in 574 PA. The real boon for the White Sox may not be a passable veteran bat, however, but something more intangible — like Alonso’s clout with his brother-in-law and highly-coveted free agent slugger, Manny Machado.

While Alonso’s 2018 output represented a significant decline from the career-best numbers he posted in 2017, he’s still a solid contributor at the plate and, more importantly, slated to remain under team control for the next two years with just $8 million owed in 2019 and a $9 million option in 2020. As MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince notes, the $17 million the Indians just erased from their payroll should give them enough room to accommodate the contracts for right-handers Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber — a bonus regardless of what they happen to get in the trade.