Mike Clevinger was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the San Diego Padres on Monday. Tony Dejak/Associated Pres
The San Diego Padres acquired Mike Clevinger in a multiplayer deal with the Cleveland Indians on Monday, bolstering their rotation with another bold move ahead of baseball’s trade deadline.
San Diego got Clevinger, outfielder Greg Allen and a player to be named from Cleveland for a package of young players that included outfielder Josh Naylor, right-hander Cal Quantrill and catcher Austin Hedges.
Led by Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego is going for its first playoff appearance since 2006. The acquisition of Clevinger is the Padres’ fifth trade since Saturday.
San Diego acquired veteran catchers Jason Castro and Austin Nola in a pair of deals on Sunday, making Hedges expendable. First baseman Mitch Moreland came over in a trade with Boston, and the Padres added reliever Trevor Rosenthal in a deal with Kansas City.
The 29-year-old Clevinger strengthens a rotation that has had a few stumbles lately, including Garrett Richards going two or fewer innings in consecutive starts and opening-day starter Chris Paddack struggling before bouncing back with a strong performance on Sunday at Colorado.
Clevinger went 13-4 with a 2.71 ERA in 21 starts last year. The long-haired right-hander also is contractually controlled through the 2022 season.
Cleveland is in the mix for the AL Central title, but Clevinger may have wore out his welcome when he was caught breaking COVID-19 protocols a couple weeks ago, leading to a trip to the team’s alternate training site.
Clevinger and teammate Zach Plesac left the team’s Chicago hotel, socialized outside the team’s “bubble,” missed curfew and caused a rift inside the clubhouse. Clevinger returned to Cleveland’s rotation on Wednesday, pitching six effective innings in a victory over Minnesota.
Clevinger is the third front-line starter traded away by Cleveland in the past year. Trevor Bauer was shipped off to Cincinnati at the 2019 deadline, and two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber was dealt to Texas in December.
The Indians also got infielder Gabriel Arias, left-hander Joey Cantillo and infielder Owen Miller in the Clevinger deal.
Even without Clevinger, the Indians have plenty of young pitching with ace Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Plesac and rookie Triston McKenzie, who has looked like a seasoned veteran in two starts.
The trade could signal more moves.
All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor’s future looms over the Cleveland franchise. He has turned down several contract extensions from the club, which has acknowledged it can’t compete with what other teams can offer him as a free agent.
Lindor is under contractual control through 2021, so the Indians have to weigh chasing a World Series title — they haven’t won one since 1948 — or dealing the popular star before he walks.
COVID-19: The first two games of Oakland’s series at Seattle have been postponed to allow for additional testing and contact tracing after a member of the Athletics’ organization tested positive for the coronavirus.
The positive test already caused the postponement of Oakland’s game Sunday against the Houston Astros. Now games against the Mariners on Tuesday and Wednesday are being put off. The A’s are also scheduled to play at Seattle on Thursday.
Major League Baseball said it will continue to provide updates as necessary.
On Sunday, the A’s said they would self-isolate in Houston. There were no details provided on whether the positive result came from a player or someone else.
BLUE JAYS-DIAMONDBACKS TRADE: Toronto acquired left-hander Robbie Ray in a trade with Arizona, giving the Blue Jays a former All-Star who has struggled so far in 2020.
The Diamondbacks got lefty Travis Bergen in the deal. Toronto also received cash considerations as part of the trade.
The 28-year-old Ray was a 2017 All-Star and finished seventh in the NL Cy Young Award voting that year after going 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA. He’s known for his big strikeout numbers and had a career-high 235 last season.
But Ray has struggled with his command so far this year. He has a 1-4 record with a 7.84 ERA. He’s walked 31 batters in 31 innings and given up nine homers while striking out 43. He will be a free agent at the end of the season.
The 26-year-old Bergen is in his second year in the big leagues. He played for the San Francisco Giants in 2019 and had a 5.49 ERA in 21 relief appearances. He pitched for the Blue Jays once in 2020, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out three.
If Ray can figure out his command issues, he could help the Blue Jays, who are pushing for a playoff spot in the expanded 16-team format. They have an 18-14 record and are one game behind the New York Yankees for second place in the AL East.
The Diamondbacks turned into sellers at the trade deadline after losing their last 10 of 11 games. They’re 14-21 overall and in last place in the NL West.
RANGERS-A’S TRADE: Oakland acquired Mike Minor in a trade with Texas, adding another piece to their rotation as they try for their first division title since 2013.
Minor has struggled this year, going 0-5 with a 5.60 ERA with Texas, but he went 14-10 with a 3.59 ERA in 32 starts last season. The 32-year-old left-hander is eligible for free agency after this season.
Oakland is on top of the AL West, but it was swept by second-place Houston in a doubleheader on Saturday. It’s unclear when the A’s might return to the field after a member of their organization tested positive for the coronavirus, leading to the postponement of their series finale against the Astros and the first two games of their three-game set at Seattle.
SUSPENDED: Cincinnati outfielder Jesse Winker and Manager David Bell were each suspended for one game Monday for their roles in a benches-clearing incident Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
Chicago Coach Mike Borzello also was suspended one game.
Chris Young, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president of baseball operations, announced the penalties. Winker, Bell and Borzello were also fined, and Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto received a fine as well.
Winker, Votto, Bell, Borzello and Cubs Manager David Ross were all ejected following an exchange of high pitches that sparked a shouting match and cleared the benches and bullpens over the weekend.
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