Join us » Gibbons has said the left-hander needs to rack up innings

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees traded veteran catcher Brian McCann and $11 million to the Houston Astros on Thursday for a pair of young minor league pitchers.Houston sent right-handers Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman to the Yankees.?The Yankees are kicking in $5.5 million of the $17 million McCann will make in each of the next two seasons.It had to be the right fit, McCann said on a conference call. It wasnt going to be just anywhere.The Astros busy day also included the signing of free-agent outfielder Josh Reddick?to a deal that is reportedly for four years and worth $52 million.?In Reddick, the Astros get a steady glove in right field, who in 155 combined games last season between the As and Dodgers hit .281 with 17 doubles, 10 home runs and 37 RBIs.McCann is a seven-time All-Star, but his playing time diminished in the second half of the season as rookie Gary Sanchez emerged as a power hitter behind the plate. Sanchez hit 20 home runs in just 53 games.The 32-year-old McCann hit .242 with 20 homers and 58 RBIs this year.We entered the offseason with the acquisition of a catcher as a primary focus, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said in a statement.Brian McCann is a great fit for the Astros as he is not only a good defensive catcher, he is also a left-handed hitter with proven run-producing ability, Luhnow said. His experience and his ability to impact his teammates will be a significant benefit to our team.Jason Castro made the most starts at catcher for the Astros last year, batting .210 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs.Houston and the Yankees met in the AL wild-card game in 2015, but neither team reached the playoffs this year.McCann made his big league debut with the Braves in 2005. He hit 24 homers the next year and has hit at least 18 home runs in every season since then.McCann has 245 career homers with 888 RBIs while batting .266.This was McCanns third season in New York after signing an $85 million, five-year deal as a free agent. The Yankees had a $15 million option for 2019 with no buyout.?I wanted to catch every day, he said. I feel like I still have a lot of good years left.McCann likes what he sees in the Astros, praising a lot of great young pieces.I wanted to be a part of it, he said.The 21-year-old Abreu was a combined 3-8 with a 3.72 ERA for two teams in Class A. The 20-year-old Guzman was a combined 3-4 with a 4.05 ERA with two rookie-level teams.The Yankees signed McCann in the winter prior to the 2014 season, with a full no-trade clause. McCann is entering the fourth year of the contract.The deal includes a vesting option that, in theory, he will now have a better chance of achieving. If McCann has a total of 1,000 plate appearances combined in 2017-18 and he plays 90 games at catcher in 2018, while avoiding the disabled list, he would add another $15 million for 2019.With the Yankees, it would seem unlikely he would reach those goals, unless Sanchez underperformed or were injured. With McCann gone, the Yankees have catchers Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka as possible backups to Sanchez on the 40-man roster.Information from The Associated Press, and ESPNs Buster Olney and Andrew Marchand was used in this report. fake jerseys china . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. replica jerseys china . Andreas Johnson had a goal and two assists while Jacob de la Rose also scored for Sweden (2-0-0). Esa Lindell and Rasmus Ristolainen replied for Finland (1-1-0) Lindell opened the scoring for Finland just 41 seconds into the game, but the hosts quickly regained their composure and tied the score less than four minutes later on Wennbergs first of the game. https://www.chinajerseysreplica.us/ . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. wholesale jerseys china . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. china jerseys . -- Edmontons Val Sweeting is two wins away from a trip to Winnipeg to play in Canadas Road of the Rings in December.BOSTON, Massachusetts - As the Blue Jays were winning two out of three in Boston with a piecemeal starting rotation, the franchises one-time ace was making his first start with Triple-A Buffalo. Ricky Romeros outing, on Saturday in Louisville, was more of the same from the struggling left-hander. "Saw the line and obviously it wasnt a very good one," said pitching coach Pete Walker. "Im sure hes not real happy (today.) I guess its a little disappointing to see those numbers but I know hes still working hard and I still think hes on the right path. Hopefully he can stay positive and continue to go out there and pitch." The line Walkers talking about: 3 2/3 innings, six earned runs, 10 hits, five walks, no strikeouts, a wild pitch and a balk. Romero threw 76 pitches, of which only 41 were strikes. Even more disconcerting is the fact Romero was only three days removed from a disastrous start for the Blue Jays in Tampa Bay, in which he faced seven hitters and recorded only one out before being lifted from the game. "I think anytime anybody has returned from the big leagues to the minor leagues its always a letdown," said Walker. "Those Triple-A hitters can swing the bat. I mean, theres a lot of good players down there and Im sure most major leaguers can attest to that. When they go down for the first time or when theyre first sent down when theyre in the big leagues, its always a little bit of a letdown. Mentally you go out there and you think you can just go out there and do what you need to do but they swing the bat and they can put you in some tough situations." There is no timeline for Romeros return to the major leagues. Manager John Gibbons has said the left-hander needs to rack up innings, to compete away from tthe major league spotlight.dddddddddddd. Surely there is at least concern, at worst doubt, about Romeros ability to return to pre-2012 form. Getting ping ponged to the majors for two unsuccessful starts and back to the minors cant have been a positive experience for an already fragile psyche. The physiological aspect of Project: Romero is still considered relatively minor. "Hes moved his foot in line to home plate about 12 to 14 inches over. Its an adjustment but its not like its, were changing arm slot and changing major things. Its an undertaking though, dont get me wrong, I still think it takes a lot of work and time. But I think, you know, hes made a commitment to it and I think still in the long run its better for him. Its just a matter of him getting results." MELKY CABRERA TO GET WORLD SERIES RING San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy will have a special gift for Melky Cabrera on Tuesday. A World Series ring. "Thats a big blessing God sent me," said Cabrera through his interpreter, third base coach Luis Rivera. "They called me and they told me that they would give me a ring. I asked them to ship it and they said, No, were going to give it to you when we go to Toronto. Its special for me." Cabrera was leading the majors with a .346 batting average when he was suspended for 50 games for performance enhancing drug use last August 15. Despite being eligible to return for the National League Championship Series, the Giants didnt reinstate Cabrera. BRANDON MORROW ON TARGET FOR WEDNESDAY START Morrow, who was scratched from his scheduled start Friday and rescheduled start Sunday due to a back strain, threw a 30-pitch bullpen session and expects to be ready to pitch on Wednesday against the Giants. ' ' '