Reds deem Jonathan Broxton ready to pitch … and close?

By Apr 8, 2014, 2:50 PM EDT
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Reds manager Bryan Price has already said that Jonathan Broxton would take over as Aroldis Chapman’s closer fill-in once healthy, so now that he’s off the disabled list it’ll be interesting to see if the big right-hander immediately jumps into ninth-inning duties.

Broxton has been sidelined since undergoing elbow surgery in August, but threw back-to-back scoreless innings on a minor-league rehab assignment at Double-A on Friday and Saturday to convince the Reds he’s ready.

Broxton has plenty of closing experience, including 27 saves as recently as 2012, but he was mediocre for the Reds before being shut down last season. He’ll try to hold the gig until Chapman is ready to return from facial fractures, which could happen as soon as late May.

Cardinals sign pitcher Miles Mikolas to 3-year, $55.75M deal

Associated PressMar 25, 2023, 1:38 AM EDT
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Rhona Wise/USA TODAY Sports
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ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.