Saturday was a slow news day for the Atlanta Braves as the only nugget was the signing of left-handed reliever Chris Rusin to a minor-league deal that also includes an invite to spring training. Expect to see more of these announcements as well as a list of players who will receive non-roster invites soon.
Rusin spent the majority of the 2019 season at Triple-A where he produced a 4.93 ERA and a 5.00 FIP in 65 2/3 innings. He made two appearances at the major league level allowing five hits and four runs in just one inning of work.
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The Houston Astros will reportedly interview veteran skipper Dusty Baker on Monday for their vacant managerial position. The team sat down earlier this week with Buck Showalter, John Gibbons and Cubs third-base coach Will Venable. Bench coach Joe Espada is also thought to be a candidate.
Indians manager Terry Francona said on MLB Network Radio that shortstop Francisco Lindor is not on the trading block.
“I can guarantee you we’re not trying to trade Lindor. We have him for two more years. Keeping him is everybody’s goal. Also know that keeping him and fielding a competitive team is a challenge in our market. There’s no getting around that. It’s not gonna be easy. I think that’s as honest as you can be.”
A spokesperson for the Baseball Hall of Fame responded to a recent ESPN report on Saturday stating that any player on Major League Baseball’s ineligible list will not be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame, even after the banned individual’s death. ESPN’s report contained a quote from a senior MLB source that stated that the league has no hold on banned players that are on the ineligible list after they die.