Nov 2, 2023 3 min read

Pirates make trade

The Pittsburgh Pirates traded right-handed reliever Cody Bolton to Seattle on Thursday in exchange for cash.

Bolton went 0-1 with a 6.33 ERA in 16 appearances for the Pirates during his rookie season in 2023, striking out 22 batters in 21 1/3 innings.

Pittsburgh also lost first baseman Alfonso Rivas and infielders Tucupita Marcano and Vinny Capra to waivers.

Rivas, acquired in a trade with San Diego on Aug. 1, hit .229 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 40 games with Pittsburgh.

Marcano, who can play shortstop, second base and in the corner outfield, was claimed by Cleveland. Marcano appeared in 75 games for the Pirates in 2023 before tearing the ACL in his right knee in July.

In baseball

Atlanta right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was voted player of the year and the National League’s outstanding player by fellow major leaguers in the annual Players Choice Awards of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani was voted the American League’s outstanding player, the union said Thursday.

Acuña became the first player with 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a season, hitting .337 with 41 homers, 106 RBI and 73 stolen bases. No player previously had 40 homers and 50 steals in a season.

• Nelson Cruz says he is retiring at age 43 after hitting 464 home runs in 19 major league seasons.

Cruz was released by San Diego on July 10 after batting .245 with five homers and 23 RBI in 49 games. He had signed a $1 million, one-year contract.

Cruz hit 18 postseason homers and played in consecutive World Series with the Texas Rangers in 2010 and ’11. He made five appearances among the top 10 in Most Valuable Player voting.

In basketball

Walter Davis, a five-time NBA All-Star who had his number retired by the Phoenix Suns, has died. He was 69.

Davis was star in college for North Carolina where he played for the late Dean Smith. It was North Carolina, where Davis’ nephew Hubert Davis is the Tar Heels’ basketball coach, which announced Water Davis’ death Thursday.

The school’s release said Walter Davis died Thursday morning of natural causes while visiting famil y in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Walter Davis was drafted fifth overall by Phoenix in 1977 and became the NBA rookie of the year after averaging 24.2 points a game. He played 11 of his 16 pro seasons with the Suns, who retired his No. 6.

In college, Davis was practically unstoppable as he led one of the top programs in the game. He helped the Tar Heels to the NCAA title game in 1977, where they lost to Marquette.

In auto racing

Romain Grosjean was hired by Juncos Hollinger Racing on Thursday to replace Callum Ilott, who the team abruptly sacked last week.

Grosjean will begin his fourth season in IndyCar with a third team. Similar to his 2021 debut in the United States, his new organization will be one of the smallest on the grid.

The French-Swiss former Formula One driver entered IndyCar for one season with tiny Dale Coyne Racing before earning a shot with Andretti Global. He spent two rocky season with Andretti, and his run ended with Grosjean and team personnel screaming at each other at the end of a qualifying session.

Andretti elected not to extend Grosjean’s contract. Grosjean said he’s taking the case to arbitration, but has settled on joining JHR in the meantime. The Juncos outfit expanded to two cars last season to accommodate Argentinian driver Agustin Canapino.