close

Mother of Pirates’ catcher safely returned

3 min read

Venezuelan authorities say police have rescued the mother of Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Elias Diaz three days after she was kidnapped.

Zulia state Gov. Omar Prieto announced Sunday evening on his Twitter account that 72-year-old Ana Isabel Soto was rescued earlier in the day by judicial police, state police and other security officers.

Prieto said in a second tweet that he has ordered state police to investigate a police anti-drug team for alleged involvement in the kidnapping. He gave no other details, but Venezuelan media said five officers had been arrested in the case.

The Pirates had confirmed on Thursday that Diaz’s mother was missing and said the team was working with Venezuelan officials to secure her safe return.

Rays, pitcher head

to arbitration

Pitcher Jake Odorizzi and the Tampa Bay Rays have gone to salary arbitration with the sides $250,000 apart.

The right-hander, who turns 28 next month, asked arbitrators Dennis Archer, Phillip LaPorte and Matt Goldberg for a raise from $4.1 million to $6.3 million. The Rays argued during Monday’s hearing that he should be paid $6.05 million.

Odorizzi was 10-8 with a 4.14 ERA in 28 starts last year. He struck out 127, his lowest total in four full major league seasons, and walked a career-high 61.

Infielder Adeiny Hechavarria beat the Rays in arbitration on Feb. 3 and will get $5.9 million instead of the team’s $5.3 million offer.

Players lead 7-6 with decisions pending for Odoruzzki and Cleveland pitcher Trevor Bauer. Eight more hearings are scheduled for this week.

A roommate

for Stanton

Talk about a house divided.

Giancarlo Stanton and AJ Ramos, former teammates with the Miami Marlins and still close friends, are looking into living together this season now that both play in New York. It would seem to be a convenient arrangement, with one on the road most of the time anyway – except when Stanton and the Yankees face Ramos and the Mets in the Subway Series.

“I’m going to be setting some traps for him. You know, might mess up his sleep a little bit, stuff like that,” Ramos said. “But no, we’re still looking. Nothing set in stone just yet.”

At spring training Monday, the Mets’ reliever was asked how you split a grocery bill with a roommate who has a $325 million contract?

“Oh, he buys it all. For sure,” Ramos said with a smile. “I’m just playin’. Nah, it’s good times, man.”

Ramos, a 2016 All-Star, was traded by the Marlins to the Mets last July. Stanton was dealt to the Yankees in December as part of Miami’s payroll purge under new ownership.

The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Stanton socked 59 home runs last year, most by a major leaguer since 2001, and won the NL MVP award. Now he moves from cavernous Marlins Park into hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium, with its familiar short porch in right field.

“I mean, he can get jammed and hit a ball out there. That park is very small,” Ramos said. “He can basically burp a ball out. So I think he’s gonna do pretty good.”

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today