Raisel Iglesias was traded from the Cincinnati Reds to the Los Angeles Angels for Noe Ramirez and a player to be named later or cash on Monday. Aaron Doster/Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels acquired closer Raisel Iglesias from the Cincinnati Reds for right-hander Noé Ramirez and a player to be named or cash Monday in the first trade of the week of baseball’s winter meetings.

Iglesias has been the Reds’ closer for the past four seasons, racking up 100 saves in 114 opportunities over that stretch with a career 3.15 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP.

Iglesias will make $9,125,000 next season in the final year of his contract. The trade allows the Reds to save money while putting a cornerstone in the Angels’ bullpen, which is being rebuilt by rookie general manager Perry Minasian this offseason.

“Bullpen is an area we’d like to improve, and we feel like he’s a positive addition in that area,” Minasian said. “He has a history of pitching late in games, a history of pitching in big games. Not only did he fit from a talent standpoint, but a makeup standpoint. He loves to pitch and loves to compete. He’s not scared of the big moment, and we’re very excited to have him.”

Although Minasian didn’t state it outright, the Angels could be in position to make significant gains this month because of wealthy owner Arte Moreno’s willingness to spend money in what could be a depressed free agent market due to many teams’ lost revenue from the coronavirus pandemic. Moreno said last month that the Angels’ payroll won’t go down this season as he attempts to earn the club’s first playoff victory since 2009.

One week after acquiring veteran shortstop José Iglesias from Baltimore, Minasian added one of the most effective closers of the last half-decade. Both Cuban players are in the final year of their contracts, but that didn’t scare off the Halos.

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“They’ve been productive players over the course of their careers,” Minasian said of his two recent acquisitions. “You’d love to have more control over two players of this quality, but currently they have one year left and we’re going to see where that goes. Who knows? Maybe down the road, they’re here for a lot longer.”

Raisel Iglesias is one of just five major league relievers with at least 100 saves over the past four seasons along with Edwin Diaz, Kenley Jansen, Brad Hand and Alex Colome.

ROBERTO CLEMENTE AWARD: Longtime St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright has won the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually by Major League Baseball for community involvement and philanthropy.

Wainwright’s Big League Impact foundation and recording artist Garth Brooks’ Teammates for Kids Foundation teamed for a Home Plate Project with Texas pitcher Kyle Gibson, and raised money from more than 150 big leaguers that let to the donation of about $5.8 million donated to 94 charities. The effort provided more than 4 million meals to prevent childhood hunger during the novel coronavirus pandemic and nearly 8 million meals in all.

Wainwright also has built Haiti’s Ferrier Village Secondary School, which opened for 2019-2020 school year while partnering with Water Mission to build a clean water system for the community; funded the construction of a clean water system servicing more than 15,000 people in Honduras; purchased 11 acres in Ethiopia for the site of a clinic and a dairy and crop farm, and partnered with Crisis Aid International to feed children in Africa and aided sex trafficking victims; works with Crisis Aid to provide weekly meals for 3,000 families, including 200 families annually in South St. Louis.

A 39-year-old right-hander, Wainwright is a free agent after spending all 15 of his big league with the Cardinals. He is a three-time All-Star with a 167-98 record and 3.38 ERA.

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MARINERS: Outfielder Mitch Haniger and the Seattle Mariners agreed to a $3.01 million, one-year contract that avoided arbitration.

Haniger did not play last season due to lingering issues from injuries sustained during the 2019 season. But the Mariners expect the former All-Star to be fully recovered and ready for the start of the 2021 season.

His 2021 salary matches the same one he had in 2020, when he earned $1,114,815 in prorated pay in a season shortened due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. His 2021 salary is not guaranteed, the same as in 2020.

Haniger, 29, had his best year in 2018 when he hit .285 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI and was selected to the All-Star team. But the following year was filled with injury problems. He had a ruptured testicle and then developed a back injury during his recovery that limited Haniger to just 63 games.

JAPANESE STAR PITCHER Tomoyuki Sugano has been posted by the Yomiuri Giants and is available for bidding to major league teams.

The bidding starts at 8 a.m.Tuesday and runs through 5 p.m. on Jan. 7.

A right-hander who turned 31 on Oct. 11, Sugano was 14-2 with a 1.97 ERA and three shutouts in 20 games last season, striking out 131 and walking 25 in 137 1/3 innings while allowing 97 hits. He is 101-49 with a 2.32 ERA over eight seasons in Japan.

Sugano started for Japan against the United States in the semifinal of the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He did not get a decision in the Americans’ 2-1 win, allowing an unearned run and three hits in six innings with six strikeouts and a walk.

Under the posting agreement, the fee would be 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million.


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