NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Of the 294 text messages Jim Leyland received in the hours after his election to the Hall of Fame, the ones that touched him most were from former minor leaguers.
“Guys that never made it. Guys that you had to tell them their career was over. That’s not easy to do,” Leyland said. “When you’re telling an 18-, 19-year-old kid it’s over, that’s a little tougher than people think.”
Leyland appeared at a news conference Monday, a day after his election by the contemporary era committee for managers, executives and umpires. As Hall of Fame managers Tony La Russa and Joe Torre watched from front-row seats, Leyland put on a cream Hall of Fame jersey.
“This baby fits nice!” he gushed.
He recounted messages from stars like Barry Bonds and Justin Verlander, of his nervous wait Sunday, of in-game decisions long ago that he still wrestled with.
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In a no-smoking ballroom, Leyland looked forward to after his half-hour question-and-answer session— so he could get to a place where he could smoke a cigarette.
He won three pennants and led the Florida Marlins to a World Series title in 1997, retiring with 1,769 regular-season victories over 22 seasons with Pittsburgh, Florida, Colorado and Detroit from 1986 to 2013. Leyland, who turns 79 in two weeks, was reluctant to express a preference on a logo for the cap of his hall plaque and would take the hall’s advice, possibly to omit any logo.
“I do not want to disrespect anybody that I managed for,” he said.
Braves acquire Kelenic
The Atlanta Braves acquired outfielder Jarred Kelenic, pitcher Marco Gonzales and infielder Evan White from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday night for right-handed pitchers Cole Phillips and Jackson Kowar.
The move added a veteran lefty to the Braves pitching staff, along with Kelenic, who at one time was one of baseball’s top young prospect. In the process, Seattle cleared a chunk of salary off its payroll, giving up on Kelenic in order for the Braves to take the contracts of Gonzales and White.
Seattle is sending Atlanta $4.5 million on Aug. 1 as part of the trade. Gonzales is owed $12 million for the 2024 season, while White has $17 million in guaranteed money remaining on his contract.
BRIEFLY
FREE AGENT: Outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, a South Korean MVP and the son of a former MVP, will become a free agent Tuesday and major league teams can sign him through Jan. 3. The 25-year-old Lee hit .318 with six homers and 48 RBI in 86 games this year for the Kiwoom Heroes.
, a season cut short when he broke his left ankle during a game against the Lotte Giants on July 22. Lee batted .349 in 2022, when he set career bests of 23 homers and 113 RBIs in 142 games.
DODGERS: Manager Dave Roberts told MLB Network that Mookie Betts is set to become the regular second baseman for Los Angeles in 2024. A strong-armed outfielder, Betts played 107 games in right field for the reigning NL West champions this past season and 70 games at second. With the Dodgers bringing back Jason Heyward on a one-year deal, they have him as an option in right.
BREWERS: Outfielder Jackson Chourio agreed to the largest contract for a player with no major league experience, an $82 million, eight-year deal with Milwaukee. The 19-year-old has played only six games above the Double-A level. His deal includes team options for 2032 and 2033. He broke the previous high for a player yet to make his debut, a $50 million, six-year deal outfielder Luis Robert signed with the Chicago White Sox in 2020.
PHILLIES: Philadelphia signed manager Rob Thomson to a one-year contract extension through the 2025 season after he led the team to two straight trips to the NL Championship Series. The 60-year-old has a 155-118 record since replacing Joe Girardi as manager on June 3, 2022. Thomson led the Phillies to the 2022 World Series, where they lost in six games to the Houston Astros. The Phillies returned to the NLCS this season but lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
METS: New York announced the hiring of former Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons as bench coach under new manager Carlos Mendoza. The Mets also hired Antoan Richardson as first base coach, Mike Sarbaugh as third base coach and José Rosado as bullpen coach. The 61-year-old Gibbons managed the Blue Jays from 2004-08 and 2013-18.
TIGERS: Detroit hired four new coaches for manager A.J. Hinch’s staff, adding Joey Cora as the third base coach. The Tigers announced the moves during baseball’s winter meetings. They also hired Anthony Iapoce as first base coach, Ryan Sienko as catching coach and Lance Zawadzki as assistant major league hitting coach for the 2024 season.
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