Melky Cabrera and J.J. Hardy wound up with new teams on Thursday as baseball’s Winter Meetings concluded in Orlando, Florida.
Outfielder Cabrera, 26, who spent parts of five years with the New York Yankees, reached a preliminary one-year, US$1.25 million agreement with the Kansas City Royals.
Cabrera batted .255 with a .317 on-base percentage and four home runs last season, his first after being traded to the Atlanta Braves from the Yankees. He made his Major League Baseball debut with the Yankees in 2005 and became a fan favorite on June 6, 2006, by reaching over the outfield wall to steal a home run from Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox.
The Baltimore Orioles acquired shortstop Hardy, 28, infielder Brendan Harris and US$500,000 from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for a pair of minor league right-handed pitchers.
Hardy, a 2007 All-Star, batted .268 with six home runs and 38 runs batted in last season.
The New York Mets made two free-agent moves, signing catcher Ronny Paulino and relief pitcher D.J. Carrasco. Paulino, 29, a career .273 hitter with 31 home runs, spent his first six years with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Florida Marlins. Paulino, who signed a one-year deal with the Mets, will miss the first eight games of next season while serving the remainder of a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
Carrasco, 33, who signed a two-year contract with the Mets, spent last season with the Pirates and Diamondbacks.
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