CarterHud

From CBS

           The Minnesota Twins have signed U Marwin Gonzalez to a two year, $21 million deal.

            Gonzalez is a player that can play every position but pitcher and catcher, and hang around average defensively. Plus, he is a good hitter. Primarily, he played left field and everywhere around the infield with Houston last year. Well, CJ Cron and Jonathan Schoop are staying at first and second, respectively, and Eddie Rosario is in left, so Gonzalez could be the opening day shortstop, and play third, if Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sano continue on from their horrid 2018s. Obviously, Gonzalez can play backup at 1B, 2B and LF, but I\’d expect to see him primarily at the left side of the infield.

            Gonzalez gets a multi-year deal, a success, and the money per year, $10.5 million, is decent. He can cash in after 2020 if he keeps up his numbers at the plate in 2017, not his bad 2018 numbers.

            Gonzalez, who will be 30 by Opening Day, had a .247 batting average, with 16 home runs, 68 RBIs and two stolen bases in 552 Plate Appearances for the Houston Astros in 2018. The best year of his career came in 2017, when he had a batting average of .303, with 23 home runs, 90 RBIs and eight stolen bases in 515 Plate Appearances. In his MLB career, all in Houston, Gonzalez has a batting average of .264, with 76 home runs, 292 RBIs and 37 stolen bases in 2706 Plate Appearances.

From SBNation

                 The Washington Capitals have acquired defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2019 5th round pick (from Buffalo) from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for defenseman Madison Bowey and a 2020 2nd round pick.

                  This is an over payment for the Capitals. Sure, Jensen could end up like Michal Kempy for them last year and be the perfect fit they need to win the Cup, but they give up a lot. Jensen is having a good season for Detroit, put is probably worth either just Bowey or just the 2nd. Not both. At least they do get a pick back. But, since they do get him, he is an improvement to their bottom two defensive pairings, and still is one of the best right handed shot defenseman rentals available, sweetening his value.

                  Jensen, 28, has scored two goals and 13 assists for 15 points in 60 games for the Wings this year. In his NHL career, all in Detroit, Jensen has scored six goals and 37 assists for 43 points in 190 games.

                   For the Wings, this is a good sell for Jensen. He was their third best rental, behind Gustav Nyqvist and Jimmy Howard, and it\’s good for them to get him out of the way so they can decide whether or not to trade Howard by Monday\’s deadline. They get Bowey, a young defenseman who has NHL experience, and a future 2nd round pick. Giving up a spare 5th doesn\’t matter.

                   Bowey, 23, has scored one goal and five assists for six points in 33 games for the Caps this year. In his NHL career, all in D.C., Bowey has scored one goal and 17 assists for 18 points in 84 games.

From Padres Twitter

                 The San Diego Padres have signed SS/3B Manny Machado to a 10 year, $300 million deal. (I know I\’m a day late, sorry about that)

                 This signing changes the whole MLB, as what we all expected once Manny finally signed, but more importantly, changes the Padres organization\’s focus for the next couple of years. Machado is a generational player, signed until he\’s 36, and he\’s just 26 now, entering his prime. The Padres infield now includes Machado, Eric Hosmer, who is looking to bounce back after a disappointing first year of his new 7 year contract with the team, and eventually top prospects Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Urias. If Urias and Tatis realize their full potential, that could be the Padres\’ infield until either a new star comes around, or Hosmer\’s contract ends or he\’s traded years down the line.

                  For Machado, he gets the biggest free agent contract in North American sports history. He also will receive the second most money in MLB history, second to the 13 year, $325 million Giancarlo Stanton got in an extension with the Marlins. He will likely not play on a contender in year one, but the team with already the league\’s best farm system will now build around him.

                   Machado, 26, had a .297 batting average, with 37 home runs, 107 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 709 Plate Appearances (over all 162 games) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles in 2018, his best career season. Over his career for those two teams, Machado has a  batting average of .282, with 175 home runs, 513 RBIs and 53 stolen bases in 4074 Plate Appearances.

From TSN

               The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired center Matt Duchene and defenseman Julius Bergman from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forwards Vitaly Abramov and Jonathan Davidsson, plus conditional first round picks in 2019 and 2020. The 2019 pick is top-3 lottery protected, while the 2020 pick goes to Ottawa if Duchene re-signs in Columbus this offseason.

                 The Blue Jackets were stuck in limbo this trade deadline with both their two best players, forward Artemi Panarin and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky free agents at the season\’s conclusion, and both have expressed disinterest in re-signing. Panarin is the best pending UFA in the league, but in this trade, the team acquires the 2nd best UFA in Duchene. They also get Bergman, an AHL defenseman. If Columbus doesn\’t win the Stanley Cup, then they\’ll be in danger of losing their best three players AND not having a first round pick in a span of a week.

                   Duchene, 28, has scored 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in 50 games in 2018-19, which is shaping up to be his best career season. But besides this year, his best year was with the Colorado Avalanche in 2013-14, when he scored 23 goals with 47 assists for 70 points in 71 games. In his career for the Sens and Avalanche, Duchene has scored 228 goals and 307 assists for 535 points in 704 games.

                   Bergman, 23, has six points, all assists, in 33 games for the AHL\’s Belleville Senators this year. Over the two prior seasons for the San Jose Barracuda, Bergman has scored 13 goals and 37 assists for 50 points in 129 games.

                    After acquiring Duchene from Colorado early last season, costing them top six center Kyle Turris, the year before\’s first round pick in Shane Bowers and more, including their first round pick this year, that could be the 1st overall pick, the Sens fell to the bottom of the league. Now, they are scrambling to acquire assets for their big three rentals. Duchene is the biggest, supplemented by Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel. Defenseman Cody Ceci could go too. In this trade, they get back a first for this year, possibly a first for next year, and two prospects. Abramov is the better one, and younger, plus he\’s playing in the AHL. Davidsson is currently overseas. They give up their best player, and Bergman, an AHL prospect who they acquired this offseason for Mike Hoffman.

                      Abramov, 20, has scored 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points in 52 games for the AHL\’s Cleveland Monsters this year, his first full AHL season. Last year, for the QMJHL\’s Victoriaville Tigres, Abramov scored 33 goals and 45 assists for 78 points in 40 games. In parts of three seasons for the QMJHL\’s Gatineau Olympiques, Abramov scored 96 goals and 127 assists for 223 points in 145 games.

                      Davidsson, 21, has scored 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 35 games for Djurgardens IF in the SweHL this year. Last year, he scored 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points in 52 games for the club.

                  

From LA Times

           The Washington Capitals have acquired winger Carl Hagelin from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2019 third round pick and a conditional 6th round pick. The condition on the draft pick is that if Hagelin plays in 50 percent of the games in any two playoff rounds, assuming the Caps play in two rounds, the Kings get a 6th.

            For the Capitals, Hagelin is a former division rival with the Rangers and Penguins who is a UFA at the end of the season. He was a vital part on the third line for the Penguins when they won two Stanley Cups from 2016-17. The Caps will put him in their bottom six, but now he is in the midst of his worst career season. But, the price isn\’t much to pay.

             Hagelin, 30, has scored two goals and six assists for eight points in 38 games for the Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins this year. The best year of his NHL career came in 2013-14 with the New York Rangers, when he scored 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points in 72 games. In his NHL career for the Kings, Penguins, Rangers and Anaheim Ducks, Hagelin has scored 90 goals and 140 assists for 230 points in 526 games.

              For the Kings, they acquired Hagelin earlier this season for Tanner Pearson, a trade that now doesn\’t look so good since at the time, they could have gotten more than a third round pick for Pearson. Hagelin is an upcoming UFA, and since the Kings are a bad team, they had to trade him. With Hagelin\’s struggles this year, the return is decent.