MLB infielder Jose Caballero was in a literal no-lose state of affairs on Thursday, July 31, when the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees confronted one another in a matinée.
The 2 American League East groups had been in the course of their sport at Yankee Stadium when information broke that Caballero, 28, who was enjoying second base for the Rays, had been traded — to the Yankees.
“Every little thing occurred so rapidly,” Caballero told reporters after the sport. “You need to decide up and transfer over, change groups. And now you've obtained to provide your greatest and hopefully convey a championship to this metropolis — one thing that I'm positive the followers expect, and have been anticipating for a very long time.”
The weird second was the results of just a few fortunate accidents coinciding. Thursday was MLB's commerce deadline, that means it was the final day groups may make in-season offers. The Rays and Yankees simply occurred to be enjoying one another in a weekday afternoon sport, as the ultimate sport of a collection typically is, to make journey simpler.
The deal got here collectively partly due to an almost three-hour rain delay in the course of the 7-5 New York win.
“We gained the sport, I assume,” Caballero joked.
As is typical when a participant is traded throughout a sport, the Rays eliminated him from the lineup and the TV broadcast caught him hugging his Tampa teammates within the guests dugout at Yankee Stadium. There was not an analogous scene within the different dugout, nevertheless, because the Yankees despatched minor leaguer Everson Pereira and a participant to be named later to Tampa Bay in return.
“I noticed him hugging individuals,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned in his postgame press convention, admitting he wasn't positive on the time that his workforce had acquired the utility participant. “I knew we had been undoubtedly within the image, so I figured perhaps that was the case, however I wasn't positive.”
Boone, 52, continued, “I feel he brings lots to the desk. I feel he's going to be a really helpful participant for us. He's a scrappy, powerful participant. I'm actually excited to have him within the combine.”
His former supervisor, Kevin Money, additionally spoke extremely of Caballero, who leads the American League with 34 stolen bases.
“I've mentioned it for a lot of, a few years now,” Money, 47, mentioned. “Cabby does lots that can assist you win baseball video games, whether or not it's defensively or on the bases, developing with the large hit right here and there.”
Caballero now joins a Yankees workforce seeking to return to the World Collection for the second straight yr. New York misplaced final yr's Fall Traditional to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 5 video games.
