SEATTLE (AP) — Mallex Smith was made a promise by

Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto when he was acquired for a second time by the Mariners after an initial tenure that lasted less than two hours.“Dipoto didn’t guarantee anything Zack Cozart Jersey , but he said I at least have 78 minutes,” Smith joked. “We’ll see.”Smith is back with the Mariners as part of a five-player deal between Seattle and Tampa Bay on Thursday that landed the Rays catcher Mike Zunino and outfielder Guillermo Heredia.The swap continued a lengthy trade history between the teams and came as a surprise to Zunino, who said he had recent conversations with Seattle manager Scott Servais looking ahead to 2019.“I was shocked. To see your name in trade talks, let alone this early in the offseason, was beyond my expectations,” Zunino said.Smith, 25, stole a career-best 40 bases this year and was caught 12 times. He hit .296, tied for the major league lead with 10 triples and had 40 RBIs. He is not eligible for free agency until after the 2022 season. He signed with San Diego in 2012, was traded to Atlanta in December 2014 and was dealt to the Mariners in January 2017, then sent to the Rays on the same day in a trade that shipped left-hander Drew Smyly to Seattle.His previous Seattle stint lasted all of 77 minutes before he was sent to the Rays.“Bringing Mallex back home to Seattle is exciting for us all,” Dipoto said in a statement. “His combination of speed, base running impact, defense and on-base abilities are unique in today’s game. We believe his breakout 2018 performance reflects the many ways his skills will positively impact the Mariners for years to come.”Smith said he’s going in with the idea of playing in center field, which would allow Seattle to move Dee Gordon to his natural position of second base. But the move for Smith could just be the start of a hectic offseason overhaul for the Mariners.“I feel like it’s a good fit. I feel like the team wants me,” Smith said. “It’s very comfortable when you know the team wants you. Jerry has traded for me twice, so I feel like I’ll fit in well here.”Heredia, who turns 28 in January, hit .236 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 337 plate appearances as a fourth outfielder for the Mariners this year. He is not eligible for free agency until after the 2022 season.Zunino, 27, was taken by Seattle with the third overall pick in the 2012 amateur draft and signed for a $4 million bonus. He hit just .201 this year but had 20 homers with 44 RBIs, down from a .251 average, 25 homers and 64 RBIs in 2017. While well-regarded for his defense, he has struck out 310 times in 760 at-bats during the past two seasons.Zunino said an oblique injury just before the start of the regular season caused him to struggle at the plate and led to his drop from the progress he had shown as a hitter in 2017.“It really took me longer than I’d like. I came back and it took me longer than I would have liked to get comfortable http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey ,” Zunino said. “Once that happened, I ended up giving away too many at-bats … tried to chase too much. I think getting back to that, trying to take care of my body, getting back to 100 percent is the main goal. I feel great now.”Zunino grew up in Cape Coral, Florida, and played for the University of Florida. He made $2,975,000 this year, is eligible for salary arbitration and can become a free agent following the 2020 season.Seattle also sent minor league left-handed pitcher Michael Plassmeyer to Tampa Bay while the Rays sent minor league outfielder Jake Fraley to the Mariners. A game in Springfield, and other stories"A wildly popular Cubs-centric look at baseball’s past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along as we review select scenes from the rich tapestry of Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball history. The embedded links often point to articles that I’ve chosen as illustrative of the scenes, from The Society for American Baseball Research, reproductions of period newspapers, images, and other such material. It’s all lightly unpacked and tidied up, just for you.You might learn something, but mostly, it’s for fun!Today in baseball history:1920 - The Chicago Cubs give his unconditional release to Lee Magee after having learned from him a week ago that he has been betting against his team. Magee will sue the Cubs for his salary of $4,500, charging that his livelihood as a ballplayer was destroyed through the sudden canceling of his contract. The Cubs will ask for a dismissal of the suit, saying that “previous to the making of the contract the plaintiff was guilty of betting against the team of which he was a member, and sought to win bets by intentional bad playing to defeat said team.” (3)1923 - Christy Mathewson and Giants attorney Emil Fuchs put together a syndicate that buys the Boston Braves for $300,000, The future Hall-of-Fame right-hander become the principal owner and team president Albert Pujols Jersey , but due to his deteriorating health, he was no more than a figurehead, turning over the presidency to Fuchs at the season. (1)1943 - Chicago Cubs owner Philip Wrigley and Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey draw up charter for the “All-American Girls Softball League”, which will eventually become the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The league, originally conceived in the belief that the major leagues would suspend play because of World War II, will operate from 1943 to 1954 around the Chicago area. When the league changes its name and switches to hardball, the pitching distance is 40 feet and bases 68 feet apart. After struggling through poor attendance in its early seasons, the league will draw over one million fans in 1948. (2)1953 - August A. Busch, seeing the purchase as a marketing tool, convinces the Board of Directors of Anheuser-Busch to buy the Cardinals from Fred Saigh for $3.75 million. The beer baron convinces the former owner, who has been convicted of tax evasion, as a matter of civic pride to take less money than the offer from an ownership group that would move the Redbirds to Houston. (1)1953 - The U.S. Court of Appeals rules that organized baseball is a sport and not a business, affirming the 25-year-old Supreme Court ruling. This effectively dismisses the antitrust suits of Jack Corbett and former Brooklyn Dodgers minor leaguer Walter Kowalski. The $300,000 suit of Corbett, the owner of the El Paso Texans, is based on his belief that he lost money when Major League Baseball prohibited him from signing several players suspended for participation in the Mexican League. Kowalski’s $150,000 suit is based on the general principles of the antitrust and restraint-of-trade laws. Their lawyer in these cases is Frederic Johnson, who also represents player Danny Gardella in his suit against Major League Baseball. (3)1963 - The Cubs officially put an end to their radical approach in using multiple field bosses during the season when they hire Bob Kennedy as their only manager. With the “College of Coaches” system disbanded, the club will post an 82-80 record under their lone skipper. (1)1992 - After Hall-of-Famer Homer Simpson and his co-workers qualify the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant’s softball team for the league final, Mr. Montgomery Burns, the owner of the facility, hires nine professional MLB players, to win a $1 million bet with his Shelbyville rival. Although he hits nine home runs, the southpaw-swinging Darryl Strawberry Mike Trout Jersey , the only major leaguer to actually participate in the game, after Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Sax, Ozzie Smith, Jose Canseco, Don Mattingly, and Mike Scioscia are all sidelined after being involved in a series of bizarre pregame accidents, will be replaced by Homer in the last inning, because Burns wants a righty to face the opponent’s left-hander. (1)2015 - Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announces a series of measures to quicken the pace of the game. Chief among them are that a batter will need to keep at least one foot in the batter’s box at all times during an at-bat, and that the intermission between half innings will be strictly timed. Pitchers will be required to complete their warm-up pitches before there are only 30 seconds left before resumption of play, or risk forfeiting any unmade pitches. More dramatic changes, such as adding a pitch clock, are not introduced at this time. Violation of the new guidelines will result in fines, and not in game-related penalties. (3)Cubs birthdays: Frankie Gustine, Jesus Figueroa, Ryan Sweeney, Julio Borbon, Spencer Patton. Also notable: Sam Rice (HoF).Sources:(1) — The National Pastime.(2) — Today in Baseball History.(3) — Baseball Reference.(4) — Society for American Baseball Research.(5) — Baseball Hall of Fame.Thanks for reading. #Cubsnews