CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Reds have traded left-handed starter John Lamb to the Tampa Bay Rays for money, five days after he was designated for assignment.
Lamb came to Cincinnati in a four-player deal that sent Johnny Cueto to Kansas City midway through the 2015 season. He made 10 starts for the Reds that year and went 1-5 with a 5.80 ERA. Surgery on a disk in his back sidelined him until May of this season. He went 1-7 with a 6.43 ERA in 14 starts.
Lamb was traded Wednesday.
The Reds also got left-handers Brandon Finnegan and Cody Reed from the Royals in the deal for Cueto.
Nationals: Team picks up 2017 option on Gonzalez
WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals have exercised their $12 million club option for 2017 on left-hander Gio Gonzalez's contract.
The team announced the move Thursday via Twitter and also said it would decline its option for reliever Yusmeiro Petit for next season.
The 31-year-old Gonzalez was 11-11 with a 4.57 ERA this season, throwing 177 1/3 innings in 32 starts.
MLB
He has won at least 10 games in each of his five seasons with the Nationals, including a high of 21 in 2012.
For his career, Gonzalez is 102-77 with a 3.73 ERA with Oakland and Washington.
Petit was 3-5 with a 4.50 ERA across 62 innings, including one start and one save. He was left off Washington's roster for its NL Division Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cardinals: Matheny agrees to 3-year contract extension
ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, whose team missed the playoffs in 2016 for the first time in his five-year tenure, has agreed to a three-year contract extension.
The Cardinals announced the new contract Thursday, a day after the rival Chicago Cubs won the World Series. Terms were not disclosed.
Matheny is 46. The Cardinals have averaged 92 wins per season since he took over after Tony La Russa retired following the World Series-winning 2011 season. Overall, Matheny is 461-349.
The former Gold Glove catcher led the Cardinals to playoff appearances in 2012 through 2015 before falling one game short this season, including NL Central titles in 2013-2015. He also led St. Louis to the 2013 World Series, losing in six games to Boston.