The Cubs trade catcher Welington Castillo to the Mariners

By Craig CalcaterraMay 19, 2015, 9:40 AM EDT
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Jeff Passan of Yahoo reports that the Chicago Cubs have traded catcher Welington Castillo to the Seattle Mariners.

Castillo, 28, is hitting .163/.234/.349 in a backup role. Which he’ll also serve for the Mariners, as they have Mike Zunino. Who also can’t really hit, but he’s there for his great defense. So, a depth move. Depth is good.

UPDATE: The Cubs will get back righty Yoervis Medina, Passan reports. Medina has pitched 12 games for the Mariners this year and has a 3.00 ERA, but Passan says he will likely head to Triple-A Iowa.

Oakland Athletics reverse course, will continue to pay minor leaguers

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By Craig CalcaterraJun 5, 2020, 7:11 PM EDT
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Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher has reversed course and will continue to pay minor leaguers. Fisher tells Slusser, “I concluded I made a mistake.” He said he is also setting up an assistance fund for furloughed employees.

The A’s decided in late May to stop paying paying minor leaguers as of June 1, which was the earliest date on which any club could do so after an MLB-wide agreement to pay minor leaguers through May 31 expired. In the event, the A’s were the only team to stop paying the $400/week stipends to players before the end of June. Some teams, notable the Royals and Twins, promised to keep the payments up through August 31, which is when the minor league season would’ve ended. The Washington Nationals decided to lop off $100 of the stipends last week but, after a day’s worth of blowback from the media and fans, reversed course themselves.