The Los Angeles Angels acquired right-handed reliever Jim Johnson from the Atlanta Braves on Thursday in exchange for minor league pitcher Justin Kelly.
Johnson converted 22 of 31 opportunities last season for the Braves. The 34-year-old New York native posted a 6-3 mark with a 5.56 ERA in 61 appearances in 2017.
Johnson owns a 33-43 record with a 3.79 ERA in 612 career appearances for the Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Braves. His 176 saves rank seventh among active pitchers, trailing only Craig Kimbrel (291), Kenley Jansen (230), Aroldis Chapman (204), Joakim Soria (204), Greg Holland (186) and Mark Melancon (179).
–The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired right-handed reliever Brad Boxberger from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league pitcher Curtis Taylor.
Boxberger is two seasons removed from being an All-Star. The 29-year-old had 41 saves in 2015, but was a candidate to be non-tendered on Friday to offer arbitration-eligible players contracts.
Boxberger overcame missing 80 games with a right flexor strain to post a 4-4 mark with a 3.38 ERA in 30 appearances last season with the Rays. He owns a 17-20 mark with 44 saves and a 3.19 ERA in 231 career innings.
–Veteran right-handed reliever Yusmeiro Petit agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Oakland Athletics, according to multiple reports.
Petit is slated to earn $3.5 million in 2018 and $5.5 million in 2019. There is a contract option for 2020 at $5.5 million with a $1 million buyout.
Petit, 33, was 5-2 with a 2.76 ERA for the Los Angeles Angels last season and struck out 101 and walked just 18 in 91 1/3 innings. Petit is 28-34 with a 4.31 ERA in 10 major league seasons with the Marlins (2006), Diamondbacks (2007-09), Giants (2012-15), Nationals (2016) and Angels.
–Former Seattle Mariners second baseman Bret Boone apologized in a statement on social media following an exchange with a reporter in which he made light of sexual harassment.
“All, there are zero excuses for what I said earlier. None. It was 100 percent wrong,” Boone, a three-time All-Star, posted on Twitter. “It was offensive. It was inappropriate. It was not remotely productive to any conversation regarding harassment. I apologize and it will never happen again.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Boone sent Seattlepi.com reporter Stephen Cohen a direct message after the latter wrote about his disappointment in the allegations against radio host Garrison Keillor. Boone wrote that he got sexually harassed “twice today,” when “the Starbucks girl” smiled at him and when a woman at a drug store flirted with him. The 48-year-old then joked that he was getting a lawyer and that the behavior was unacceptable.