KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Left-handed reliever Will Smith, who has won World Series rings the past three seasons with three different organizations, has agreed to a $5 million contract with the Royals, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday.
The 34-year-old Smith can also make a certain amount of performance bonuses, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal for the 2024 season was pending a physical.
Smith began his big league career as a starter in Kansas City, then transition to the bullpen, where he has had the majority of his success. He has pitched for five other clubs, going to the All-Star Game with the Giants in 2019 and then winning the World Series in 2021 with the Braves, the following year with the Astros and this past season with the Rangers.
Smith allowed four runs in five appearances for Texas this past postseason, including two in the World Series against Arizona.
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The Royals had one of the worst pitching staffs in the majors last season, and their bullpen was particularly awful, compiling a 5.23 ERA that was better than only one other team. The problems with relievers was exacerbated when the Royals traded Aroldis Chapman and Scott Barlow, their two best high-leverage pitchers, prior to the deadline.
The Royals began to rebuild their bullpen last month, when they acquired Nick Anderson from the Braves for cash. Anderson had a 3.06 ERA over 35 1/3 innings for Atlanta, though he was shut down for the second half of the season with a shoulder strain.
Kansas City has been relatively quiet in free agency, despite glaring needs elsewhere on the roster. The biggest one now is the rotation, where the Royals have little behind Cole Ragans, Brady Singer and Jordan Lyles.
Marlins acquire Bethancourt
The Miami Marlins acquired catcher Christian Bethancourt from the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, bringing in another player that new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix is familiar with from his days in Tampa Bay.
Bethancourt batted .225 with 16 doubles, 11 home runs, and 33 RBIs in 104 games with Tampa Bay during the 2023 season. He also threw out 13 of 57 baserunners. The Panamanian-born backstop has a career batting average of .231 with 113 RBIs and 31 home runs.
Cleveland claimed Bethancourt, 32, off waivers Nov. 6 and will receive cash considerations in the deal.
This is the second trade that Bendix, the former Rays general manager, has executed since his hiring on Nov. 6. He also completed a trade with his former team in late November, acquiring utilityman Vidal Bruján and right-hander Calvin Faucher from the Rays.
Guardians sign Hedges
The Cleveland Guardians are reuniting with Austin Hedges, agreeing with the popular veteran catcher on a $4 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday.
Hedges, who played in Cleveland from 2020-22, will sign the contract once he passes a physical, said the person who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal can't be finalized until the medical tests are completed.
Although he's not much of a hitter, Hedges is solid defensively and perhaps most importantly, he's a clubhouse leader. The Guardians missed his presence last season and especially having him as an influence for younger players.
Hedges finished last season winning a World Series with the Texas Rangers. He got one at-bat against Arizona and struck out.