MLB Weekly Digest 11/20/17

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The last week in MLB was about a club in the American League making a trade to add more firepower to their lineup, a pair of stellar hitter’s in both leagues earn some hardware, and a free-agent outfielder sets lofty contract demands.

Mariners Acquire Ryon Healy from Athletics For Pagan & Campos

The Seattle Mariners made a move last week to upgrade their offense as they acquired infielder Ryon Healy from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for right-handed pitcher Emilio Pagan and minor league-infielder Alexander Campos, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.

#Mariners acquire INF Ryon Healy from Oakland in exchange for RHP Emilio Pagan and minor league INF Alexander Campos.

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) November 16, 2017

Healy, who hit .271 with 25 homers, 71 RBIs, and a .754 OPS in 149 games for the Athletics last season will be the Mariners everyday first baseman, says Divish.

Dipoto confirms that they will play Healy at first base on a daily basis.

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) November 16, 2017

The young player has plenty of power and will make their lineup more potent. The Mariners did give up some talent in the deal by sending Pagan and Campos to Oakland. Pagan posted a 3.22 ERA in 50.1 innings (34 games) with 56 strikeouts and only eight walks. Campos compiled a .290 batting average with 37 runs scored, 26 RBI and seven stolen bases in 59 games with the DSL Mariners in the Dominican Summer League in 2017. Pagan could be an asset in the late innings for the Athletics and Campos might develop into a solid hitter.It’s the type of deal that benefits both teams involved.

Marlins Giancarlo Stanton Wins NL MVP, Astros’ Jose Altuve Wins AL MVP

Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton had a season to remember by clubbing 59 home runs, tallying 132 RBIs and his OPS was very impressive at 1.007. The unforgettable season propelled him to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award on Thursday as he edged Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto. Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt finished third on the ballot.

Out of this world. Into the history books.

After a 59-HR campaign, @Giancarlo818 is your 2017 @officialBBWAA NL #MVP. pic.twitter.com/NgB4WCHA1z

— MLB (@MLB) November 16, 2017

Stanton became the first Marlins player in history to win MVP when he defeated Votto by two voting points, marking the third-closest vote in the NL history, according to BBWAA.

The slugging outfielder was a tough out for opposing pitchers due to the power that he possesses. It was surprising that the voters chose someone for MVP whose team didn’t make the postseason. Stanton will probably be the last Marlins player to win MVP for quite a while as the team is shopping him this offseason.

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve had a year that won’t be forgotten. He was a critical cog that helped the Astros win the World Series, and was selected as the American League Most Valuable Player on Thursday.

Jose Altuve wins AL MVP Award ????

• .346/.410/.547
• 24 HR
• 39 2B
• 81 RBI
• 32 SB pic.twitter.com/NJsYF5nhaI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 16, 2017

Altuve finished ahead of New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez with 405 votes (27 first-place votes). Judge came in second with 279 votes (two first-place votes), and Ramirez had 237 votes (one first-place vote). Altuve made some history with the MVP Award, by becoming the eighth person all-time to win a batting title, MVP, and World Series in the same year, per ESPN Stats & Info.

José Altuve (@astros) became the 8th player to win a batting title, MVP & World Series in the same year. That and more from @EliasSports: https://t.co/9HlNE5aRk7 pic.twitter.com/cx8ASmghmu

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 17, 2017

The last player to accomplish that feat was San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey in 2012. Altuve was the model of consistency during the regular season. He amassed a .346 batting average and .957 OPS in 153 games with 24 home runs, 81 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases.

Judge showcased prodigious power throughout the 2017 campaign, but he wasn’t consistent.

J.D. Martinez Sets Extremely High Contract Demands

One of the best hitters available in free agency is seeking a massive contract.

J.D. Martinez wants a seven-year, $210 million deal, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The J.D. Martinez asking price to teams at GM Meetings:
Seven years, $210 million

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 15, 2017

Martinez was a hitting machine last year for the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks. The outfielder posted a .303 batting average and 1.066 OPS in 119 games with 45 home runs and 104 RBIs split between both clubs. Martinez is an elite hitter who can have an impact for any team, but it might be difficult for him to secure that type of deal.

There are only a handful of teams that could possibly meet his contract demands, and those clubs probably don’t think Martinez is worth $200 million or more. The other aspect that might scare away potential suitors is the length of seven years.

I do expect Martinez will get an outstanding contract, but not at his current asking price.

About Post Author

Chris Lacey

Chris is a New Jersey native whose favorite sports team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. He previously attended Western New England College to study Sports Management. Chris has been following the Diamondbacks since he was 12. You can find him on Twitter at @aecanada12.

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