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SPORTS Wednesday 29 January 2020

In this Oct. 22, 2019, file photo, Washington Nationals' Ryan
Zimmerman hits a home run during the second inning of Game
1 of the baseball World Series against the Houston Astros in
Houston.
Associated Press
Ryan Zimmerman,

Nationals finalize In this July 8, 2017, file photo, Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker watches batting practice

$2M, 1-year contract before a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves in Washington. Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ryan the provision would matter AP source: Astros, Dusty Baker

Zimmerman and the World only if he accepts a trade,
Series champion Washing- then wants to block a deal working on manager deal
ton Nationals finalized a $2 to a different team.
million, one-year contract He had become a free By KRISTIE RIEKEN "Dusty has a unique and managed for two seasons
on Wednesday. agent last fall after the AP Sports Writer proven ability to connect and will have to deal with
The 35-year-old first base- Nationals declined an $18 HOUSTON (AP) — Dusty with players, be a step the fallout from the sign-
man, who has spent his million option, choosing to Baker is working to finalize ahead with game strategy stealing saga that is certain
entire 15-year big league pay a $2 million buyout. an agreement to become and provide superior lead- to cast a pall over Hous-
career with the Nationals, Injuries limited Zimmerman manager of the Houston ership, as he did here for 10 ton's quest to return to the
can earn $3 million in per- to 52 games and a .257 av- Astros, a person with knowl- years," Baer said. World Series.
formance bonuses. He can erage with six homers and edge of the negotiations Now Baker will chase his MLB Commissioner Rob
earn $1.5 million based on 27 RBIs last year, but he told The Associated Press first title as a manager with Manfred disciplined the
games: $250,000 each for was a key contributor in the on Tuesday. a team that returns the bulk Astros after he found the
65, 80, 95, 110, 125 and 140. postseason. He homered in The 70-year-old Baker be- of its roster from last year team broke rules by using
He also can get $1.5 mil- Game 4 of the Division Se- comes the oldest manager that reached the World Se- electronics to steal signs
lion for plate appearances: ries against the Los Angeles in the big leagues. He takes ries for the second time in during its run to the 2017
$250,000 apiece for 250, Dodgers' Pedro Báez and over from AJ Hinch, who three years before losing to World Series championship
300, 350, 500, 450 and 500. in the World Series opener was fired Jan. 13 just an the Nationals. and again in the 2018 sea-
Zimmerman also gets a full off Houston's Gerrit Cole. hour after he was suspend- It's a chance he wondered son.
no-trade provision. Since Zimmerman is expected to ed for the season by Major if he'd ever get. He spoke The Astros were fined $5 mil-
he already has the right to share time at first base with League Baseball for his role to The Associated Press lion, the maximum allowed
block trades as a 10-year newcomer Eric Thames in Houston's sign-stealing about it in 2018 after he left under the Major League
veteran who has spent five and holdover Howie scandal. the Nationals. Constitution, and forfeited
years with his current club, Kendrick.q Baker's hiring is a sign the "Do you ever make peace their next two first- and sec-
AL champions want to with it?" he asked then. "You ond-round amateur draft
House resolution bring an old-school men- make peace but it makes picks.
tality and stern presence you kind of lose some faith The investigation found
proposed against minor to a franchise reeling from in mankind, between right that the Astros used the

league contraction the dismissal of Hinch and and wrong. And you real- video feed from a center
ize in the world, especially field camera to view and
general manager Jeff Luh-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Four the 2020 season. now. Baker has 22 years of in this new world, there's al- decode opposing catch-
members of the House MLB wants to cut short- managerial experience, ways been discrimination, er's signs. Players banged
of Representatives intro- season leagues and re- starting in 1993 with the San race discrimination, but it on a trash can to signal to
duced a resolution Tues- duce the number of farm Francisco Giants. seems like in this new world batters what was coming,
day urging Major League teams each big league A three-time National there's age and salary dis- believing it would improve
Baseball not to follow club affiliates with. It has League Manager of the crimination, which go hand chances of getting a hit.
through with its proposal proposed replacing the Year, Baker last managed in hand." The penalties left Houston
to eliminate 42 current mi- eliminated minor league the Washington Nationals, His hiring is a stark depar- scrambling to find a man-
nor league teams. teams with a not yet de- who let him go after a 97- ture from the youth-orient- ager with spring training
MLB made the proposal fined Dream League, 65 season in 2017. ed recent history of the As- less than a month away.
last year to the National somewhat similar to col- Since 2018 Baker has served tros, who hired Hinch when Baker has compiled a
Association of Profession- legiate summer leagues. as a special adviser to Gi- he was just 41. Baker takes 1,863-1,636 regular season
al Baseball Leagues, the The resolution was intro- ants CEO Larry Baer, work- over a team that should record in a career where
governing body of the mi- duced by Reps. Lori Trah- ing in both the baseball be a favorite to contend he spent 10 years with the
nors, during negotiations an, D-Mass.; David McKin- and business operations of again after winning 100- Giants, four years with the
for a Professional Baseball ley, R-W. Va.; Max Rose, the club. He regularly at- plus games in three straight Chicago Cubs and six sea-
Agreement to replace D-N.Y.; and Mike Simpson, tended son Darren's col- seasons. sons with the Cincinnati
the deal that expires after R- Idaho.q lege games at the Univer- But it will also be a chal- Reds before his two-year
sity of California in Berkeley. lenge for a man who hasn't stint with the Nationals. q