Baseball Notes: Dodgers rearm with Greinke, Ryu
Flush with cash after the team's sale this year, the Los Angeles Dodgers are busy spending it on starting pitching.
Flush with cash after the team's sale this year, the Los Angeles Dodgers are busy spending it on starting pitching.
The team introduced lefthander Ryu Hyun-Jin of South Korea on Monday, making him the first player ever to go directly from the Korean league to the major leagues.
And he was just the setup man.
The Dodgers finalized a $147 million, six-year deal with free agent right-hander Zack Greinke, the 2009 AL Cy Young winner, later in the day.
The deals for Greinke and Ryu give the Dodgers eight starting pitchers under contract for next season, including 2011 NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw.
Greinke split last season with Milwaukee and the Los Angeles Angels. He went a combined 15-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 34 starts, and finished the season going 5-0 with a 2.04 ERA in his last eight starts.
Signing season. Leftfielder Ryan Ludwick signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have re-signed free agent reliever Jason Grilli to a two-year contract worth $6.75 million. The 36-year-old went 1-6 with a 2.91 ERA in 64 games in 2012 and struck out 13.8 batters per nine innings, fourth-best in the National League.
Versatile infielder Jeff Keppinger signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Chicago White Sox. He hit a career-high .325 in 115 games with Tampa Bay last season.
The New York Yankees are looking to retain free-agent outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, Fox Sports reported.
He was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Yankees in July.
He batted .322 with a .794 OPS in 67 games with New York and is likely to sign a one-year contract.