The 2024 Deadline Deals That Just Missed My List

 Obviously I put a lot of time into finalizing the Top 10 list from yesterday, but there were a ton of deadline deals that came down the pipe that I still wanted to acknowledge, even if they were smaller. I mean, there were a lot of big moves involving relievers, most of which dropped yesterday, and I'm not including all of those. I don't think going '[LOUD TRUMPET FANFRE] LUCAS ERCEG' is a thrilling move. Moving relievers is just moving relievers sometimes, unless they're renowned, consistently good relievers. Like, if somebody's having a decent 2024 in middle relief, I don't need 10 minutes devoted to it on ESPN. 

So here are some of the moves that I thought were interesting that just didn't quite crack the list. In descending order from moderately amusing to genuinely close to making the list.

-Mark Canha to the Giants, prospect to the Tigers

Why it Works: The Giants are still technically in the race, they're not moving too many key pieces and they kept Snell, so Canha is a pretty subtle replacement for Soler. He's versatile with good power perks.

Why it Didn't Make the List: Canha had a strong start but has mellowed into a year that isn't necessarily peak Canha. So there's no reassurance that he'll be too helpful.

-Paul deJong to the Royals, prospect to the White Sox

Why it Works: deJong is honestly an upgrade from Adam Frazier in terms of a veteran utility man to back up Garcia and Massey. He's clearly not Cardinals caliber anymore but he's a good extra guy to have around. Plus, they traded for him during a White Sox-Royals series so it was easy for him to report.

Why it Didn't Make the List: Very much a supplemental move, for security. The Royals season may not completely come down to deJong, I think. But he'll help.

-Andrew Chafin to the Rangers, prospects to the Tigers

Why it works: Chafin joins Kirby Yates and David Robertson as veteran options for a Rangers team that's doing some smart things to prepare for a run. He's also still very durable and a great guy to have around.

Why it didn't make the list: Chafin has pretty much become a staple of the trade deadline. You know he's gonna move, it's just never certain where. He could have joined any team and it's make the same impact.

-A.J. Puk to the Diamondbacks, Deyvison de los Santos and an OF prospect to the Marlins

Why it works: Puk is a very solid relief piece, and could become a fan favorite in Arizona. 

Why it didn't make the list: First of all, Puk's in the middle of a down year where he didn't work as a starter, he got hurt, and he just sort of flew by in relief again. But most crucially, this is what the D-Backs think Deyvison de los Santos is worth. I genuinely think this guy is gonna become a huge power player in the leagues very soon, and if the Guardians were foolish enough to return him to Phoenix, I figured the D-Backs would make them regret it. But no. de los Santos had a huge spring for the Guardians, he's hit THIRTY HOME RUNS IN THE MINORS THIS YEAR, and now he's waiting in Jacksonville for the moment where a replacement player in Miami passes out. The Marlins got a lot of cool pieces this deadline, people like Connor Norby, Kyle Stowers, Adam Mazur and Graham Pauley, but de los Santos may be the most important one, and I don't know if he was worth A.J. Puk.

-Carson Kelly to the Rangers, 2 prospects to the Tigers

Why it Works: Kelly is a very sturdy backup catching option, and could be a better version of what Austin Hedges was last year. Heim is still very much the plan, but Kelly is a very nice backup option, in that he was feasibly starting in Detroit. Perhaps a bit cruel to snag him, but...they still have Jake Rogers, so they'll be fine.

Why it didn't make the list: It's a backup acquisition, so it's more bolstering than truly upgrading.

-Hunter Harvey to the Royals, prospect to the Nationals

Why it Works: Well, the Royals get bullpen help, they got one of the biggest relief pieces early and the Nats kept Finnegan. Win for pretty much all involved parties. The Royals made a lot of wise, if not entirely flashy, moves this deadline and Harvey is a very good one, as he's already boosted the bullpen's appeal.

Why it Didn't Make the List: There were bigger relief moves. Plus, Harvey's already given the Royals some injury worries in his 4 games there.

-Amed Rosario to the Dodgers [again], prospect to the Rays

Why it Works: There weren't many true 'reruns' this deadline, but this was the biggest one. Rosario was a huge boost for the Dodgers last year, and since Hernandez isn't cutting it, they're trying Rosario again too. It's clear that the coaches know how to get the contact stuff out of Rosario, and hopefully they'll do so in a way where he doesn't have to play the field very often.

Why it didn't make the list: Aforementioned defensive woes. Also, assuming this goes as well as it did in 2023, Rosario may play a similar role in LA as he did last year. 

-Martin Perez to the Padres, prospect to the Pirates

Why it works: This is the second straight year of the Pirates and Padres make a move at the deadline, and this one is for a more flattering reason. The Pirates' rotation is filling up, and Perez is looking like more of a budgetary liability, as well as a space-blocker for younger arms. So the Padres gladly took him on, along with the contract, as a depth starter to round out the year. It's a load lightening move, similar to Lorenzen heading to KC, that helps both parties.

Why it didn't make the list: Perez is not as strong as he was in Texas honestly, and isn't exactly gonna run the Padres' rotation. 

-Justin Turner to the Mariners, prospect to the Blue Jays

Why it works: Veteran power bat to the Mariners, just what they need right now [cause the ones they have aren't working]. Not as flashy as Arozarena, but very wise, as Turner, while 39, is still capable of some cool moments at the plate. He's already off to a nice start in Seattle as well.

Why it didn't make the list: Turner is 39. Also because the Jays were clearly just trying to clear the DH space so a native son could make the team in August. 

-Josh Bell to the Diamondbacks, $$ Cash Money to the Marlins

Why it works: Sometimes timing is everything. The second it was announced that Christian Walker was hitting the IL, the D-Backs got to work and pulled a deal for Josh Bell without losing any prospects. Very simply, 'we need a power hitting 1B, you need to keep your prospects, let's do this.' So now Bell, who's honestly perfect for the D-Backs, gets to power hit for a contender and hopefully come back into his own.

Why it didn't make the list: It's a replacement/DH addition, it's not gonna do as much work for the D-Backs as Marte and Gallen will.

-James Paxton back to the Red Sox, prospect to the Dodgers

Why it works: The Dodgers really shouldn't have DFA'd Paxton, so the Red Sox called their bluff and got a starting weapon they know works in Boston. Paxton gives a veteran presence in a primarily young rotation, and returns to an environment he's succeeded in.

Why it didn't make the list: The Sox were teasing they'd be making a big starting pitching addition, and in the wake of the deadline it became clear that this was all they could do. Also, Paxton's first start back didn't especially go very well.

-Kevin Kiermaier to the Dodgers, Ryan Yarbrough [back] to the Rays

Why it works: Between Kiermaier, Jason Heyward, James Outman and Andy Pages, the Dodgers could be gearing up for an incredible defensive outfield. Yes, Teoscar Hernandez also exists, but Kiermaier is a boost at CF, and can help the younger guys come into their own. 

Why it didn't make the list: Kiermaier's past his prime, he's mostly gonna be a depth piece, and the Dodgers were probably the most boring team to get him.

-Jesse Winker to the Mets, prospect to the Nationals

Why it Works: Winker gives Mets another lineup boost, and strengthens even the lower half. The Mets are somehow becoming better and better as the season goes on, and Winker could be a big piece of that.

Why it didn't make the list: Winker is very much one of those players who cannot succeed everywhere. We've seen several cities that Winker just doesn't work in. The Mets could very well be a winning organization for Winker, but it's not immediately evident whether or not he'll continue his Nats pace or revert to Seattle numbers. 

-Eloy Jimenez to the Orioles, prospect to the White Sox

Why it Works: Jimenez, at his best, can be a killer lineup piece, and is a powerful addition to a team that already has outrageous power numbers. Also, been a while since he's played for a true competitor.

Why it didn't make the list: The only real place I can see Jimenez feasibly playing is DH, and that's already pretty well covered by Ryan O'Hearn. If anything, Jimenez will be a depth piece that'll have to fight for at-bats, which...he was already kind of sleepwalking through in Chicago. So this...could work, or it could fail. 

-Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the Pirates, prospect to the Blue Jays

Why it Works: We have learned...the hard way, I'd say, that Isiah Kiner-Falefa works best in small markets. He really worked out in Toronto, and Pittsburgh is honestly perfect for him. They need more refined infield pieces and he'll pop right in and start doing great contact work.

Why it Didn't Make the List: I thought De La Cruz was the bigger eyebrow raiser, and I'm also slightly concerned by A.) the injury he's coming back from and B.) Kiner-Falefa's Jekyll-and-Hyde quality. 

-Paul Blackburn to the Mets, prospect to the A's

Why it works: It was bound to happen eventually, and it's honestly wild that Blackburn is the highest profile Oakland A to get dealt this year. When he's healthy he's an excellent asset, and he looked sharp enough in his first game back the other night. He'll be a very nice addition to a scrappy but tough rotation that includes Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana, David Peterson and Luis Severino. 

Why it didn't make the list: Mostly the injury concern honestly. There were other larger rotation additions that I think deserved inclusion more.

-Lane Thomas to the Guardians, Jose Tena and 2 prospects to the Nationals

Why it works: The Guardians didn't do too much this deadline, but this was a really smart move. Thomas is a very versatile OF piece with excellent power perks, and he's a great addition to a very contact-friendly lineup. He was getting kinda buried in Washington and will likely do a ton better in Cleveland.

Why it didn't make the list: Thomas' 2024 numbers to date haven't distilled as much confidence as I'd like, even if I know he's capable of great things.

-Austin Hays to the Phillies, Seranthony Dominguez and Cristian Pache to the Orioles

Why it Works: Hays has already been very heroic in Philly, and has fulfilled his end of the bargain as a talented, defensively-exceptional outfielder with some excellent offensive moments. He is a definite upgrade from many of our DH-lite outfielders of the moment, and Hays-Marsh-Castellanos is a very good combination in my opinion. Also all he cost were a couple people that weren't doing anything for us.

Why it didn't make the list: If anyone could make the Phils regret trading him the second he gets away from the pitching coaches, it is Seranthony Dominguez. I also worry about Hays' down season after his breakthrough 2023. Hays may not be a starring guy, and may just be a depth addition, even if he's been a definite upgrade so far.

-Frankie Montas to the Brewers, Jakob Janis and Joey Wiemer to the Reds

Why this works- it actually helps both teams. Montas gives the Brewers a SP boost for 2024, Wiemer could be great for the Reds going forward as he had no room in Milwaukee, and Junis is an excellent replacement for someone like Lucas Sims. Both teams immediately benefit, and the Reds now have room for returning young starters.

Why it didn't make the list: Because the Reds...kinda win? This allows them to do more going forward, vs. Montas just rounding out 2024 pretty much with the Brewers. It helps the Reds more than the Brewers, even if the Brewers do go far with Montas this year. Also, Montas clearly isn't as good as he was pre-Yankees, and even if he's been unhittable in parts he's still evened his ERA, so there's enough of a reason for the Reds to deal him.

Tomorrow, expect a post about the deals that didn't make much sense to me.

Top 10 Trade Deadline Deals Of 2024

 Kind of a weird, anticlimactic trade deadline this year honestly. Because there was all this hubbub about all these big pieces that might be moving, people like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Garrett Crochet, Luis Robert, Tarik Skubal and Tyler Anderson, and the big tussle of the finishing moments is 'who's gonna land Tanner Banks??'. Like, I remember the 2011 trade deadline coming down to 'who's gonna get Mike Adams', and I'm sitting there going 'THIS can't be the stakes, man.'. And that's where we were this year. A lot of relievers, salary dumps and pawn-offs lining the last moments of the deadline, with the big pieces, for the most part, feeling anticlimactic.

I am gonna do posts not only on the honorable mentions of the deadline, but also the ones I didn't really get, but I was able to pin down a solid Top 10. And somehow, this is a pretty strong Top 10. Y'wanna know how strong? THIS IS NUMBER TEN:

#10: Jazz Chisholm to the Yankees, 3 prospects to the Marlins

I was initially a little caught off guard with this move, not only because I was unsure where exactly Chisholm would play, as the outfield was stocked and we kinda had 2nd base filled, but I was unsure of how will Chisholm would mesh with this team. This team already has a lot of big personalities, people like Alex Verdugo, Marcus Stroman and Juan Soto, and Chisholm is another entity entirely given that the Marlins have already had meetings over how much of a wild card he can be. So yes, the Yankees were getting another really nice piece with a lot of perks, but it could backfire tremendously. He's been pretty strong through his first few games, and already has his first two-homer game as a Yankee [AND HIS SECOND], so I think he's the kind of extra bat this team desperately needed. 

#9: Tanner Scott, Bryan Hoeing to the Padres, Adam Mazur, Graham Pauley and 2 prospects to the Marlins.

This was the big nail biter of this deadline. WHO'S GONNA GET TANNER SCOTT? And while it could have gone a ton of ways, the Padres pulling the trigger, and doing so in the most explosive way, did impress me. Not only do they get Scott, they get the other really good Marlins reliever, Bryan Hoeing. That's two really excellent bullpen pieces right there, and they're joining people like Jeremiah Estrada and Robert Suarez and Yuki Matsui in that Padres bullpen. The Padres have a lot going for them already, and they've already gotten a big piece from San Diego in Luis Arraez. But now they've taken the best relief piece off the board, and they're going into a NL West picture where they need to outlast the D-Backs and [a little] the Dodgers. This is a really good move. It's just this low because...I can only be so wowed by 'well we're gotten a good reliever, huzzah'.

#8- Michael Lorenzen to the Royals, pitching prospect to the Rangers

One year after trading Cole Ragans to Kansas City, the Rangers essentially get a just return for him. There is something a bit odd about a competitor losing a vital starter, but considering that they're getting a lot of people back, and have already gotten Cody Bradford back, it doesn't worry me as much. Besides, Lorenzen was a depth starter for them anyway, got off to a great start and became an issue when people were on the way back. So now Lorenzen is a low-but-still-mighty starter for the Royals, who just needed one more great rotation piece to fully become a competitor. I hope Lorenzen conserves his arm better than he did with the Phils, and I hope his strong year persists. Cause if so, the Royals just made their wild card case even juicier. 

#7: Zach Eflin to the Orioles, 3 prospects to the Rays

It is...bizarre how many Phillies pitchers wound up on the Orioles this deadline. Eflin, Seranthony Dominguez, Gregory Soto. In addition to Craig Kimbrel, who's already over there. Eflin is a very crucial starting addition for the Orioles. One would put Trevor Rogers into this category, but I'll get to my issues with that move eventually. Eflin, however, is a proven starting standout, with great years under his belt with Philly and Tampa, and he's coming off another strong year for the Rays. The Orioles have Burnes, Rodriguez and Kremer nailed down, but with Bradish and Means hurt those last two spots need to be better, even with Albert Suarez's surprise year. Eflin is an excellent pick for a rotation spot in Baltimore, and has the probability to succeed where Jack Flaherty failed in Baltimore last year.

#6: Carlos Estevez to the Phillies, 2 prospects to the Angels

Even if the Orioles tried to rival them this year, the Angels continue to be the most frequent trade partner for the Philadelphia Phillies. Brandon Marsh and Noah Syndergaard came over thanks to them, and now Carlos Estevez comes over from Anaheim as well. This is a great move to me because I genuinely predicted that it needed to be made. The Phillies lack of a closer has gotten them into trouble this year, and Jose Alvarado has really struggled in the ninth. To me, the most logical 9th inning man for the Phillies to chase was Estevez, as he's been an awesome closer this year, and seems to be the kind of guy that would succeed here. Sure enough, they made this move, and now we've got a great closer finally. There's a chance he lets us down, but he had a really strong run once he really got going, so hopefully he stays on that foot.

#5: Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson to the Braves, Tyler Matzek and a prospect to the Giants.

I'm not normally one for nostalgia moves, or salary dumps, but this one is very useful for both teams. The Giants could still feasibly compete, and clearing the DH position actually helps them more than it wounds them. It also clears up the payroll so they can work on locking up the big pieces. The Braves also needed a surefire power boost after the injuries, and Soler is a great power bat, especially in the postseason, as the Braves found out firsthand. Soler and Jackson were celebrated members of the 2021 team, and while it did take giving up a 2021 player in Matzek to get them back, and it may very likely cost fellow 2021 Brave Eddie Rosario a roster spot, it gives the Braves more to work with as they battle for a playoff spot.

#4: Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to the Cardinals, Michael Kopech and Tommy Edman to the Dodgers, Miguel Vargas and prospects to the White Sox

Okay. Only mega-deal in the bunch and it's only #4. So...this deal doesn't really change much, honestly. The St. Louis rotation has an average age of like 32, and Fedde's 31 so he only helps a bit, even if he's a much more reliable and consistent arm than a lot of the older options. Pham obviously hits well in St. Louis, he'll keep doing his thing. Kopech is a nice asset for LA, Edman's yet another utility guy joining the Dodgers this month. It...changes things up a little I guess, and Fedde is the big exclamation point here for sure. But all that it really does is slightly reaffirms the Cardinals as a playoff threat while...ridding them of another excess young player, which they seem to be doing a lot lately [would not have called O'Neill, Edman and Carlson all leaving in a span of like 8 months]. I think it does help the Cardinals a lot, but I don't know if it's enough to really establish them as the alpha in the wild card race.

And speaking of the Dodgers' subtle retooling:

#3: Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers, prospects to the Tigers

Well, Skubal didn't leave, and Flaherty didn't land in the Bronx, so this is kind of a disappointment by comparison. Not that the Dodgers didn't need Flaherty; they clearly needed pitching help rather than keep rolling out rookies, and Flaherty is definitely sturdier this year than he was in 2023. He will be a reliable, consistent arm that will hopefully stay healthy through to the postseason and give them at least something to work with. It just feels like the Dodgers getting Flaherty is kind of the boring option. Like, the Yankees deal fell through, the other teams wanted too much, let's just go with LA. I think this is a very good move, and could be the most crucial one by year's end. But there's two that I think are game changer moves if all goes according to plan.

#2: Bryan de la Cruz to the Pirates, 2 prospects to the Marlins.

Much higher than I thought. The Pirates have gotten so good recently, are now ahead of the Cardinals in the standings, and are definite wild card players this year. They need more lineup pieces in order to really come through in this race, especially considering the fact that the Astros stopped them from hitting for a while the other night. Getting Isiah Kiner Falefa, while it didn't make the list, is a great contact boost, but getting Bryan de la Cruz, who's had great power AND contact moments for the Pirates, is an excellent move. This is the kind of exciting, powerful player the Pirates needed more of, and putting him in that outfield alongside Reynolds and Taylor makes me feel a ton better about their chances going forward. De la Cruz could struggle, as he has in Miami, but I have a feeling he could spark fire in Pittsburgh.

However, they didn't need a lineup boost as badly as one team, and my god they got one...

#1: Randy Arozarena to the Mariners, 3 prospects to the Rays

This shot to the top of the list when it happened early in the week, and fought opposition from so many bigger moves from bigger teams. But honestly, the Mariners getting an incredible power hitter and multi-tool player in Arozarena, right when they desperately need lineup pop as Crawford and Julio go on the IL, was the game changer for me. Randy's struggled this year, but he's still capable of so much, and everyone knows it. It was really only a matter of when the Rays would pawn Arozarena off, and maybe it needed to be now. In his first few games, Arozarena has been very trustworthy for the M's, and there's already been a shift upward for the team. I do think this was the guy they needed, because if he can keep performing like this beyond the return of the other guys, this team could battle back to the top of the division. Or at least it'd be nice if they did. 

So, coming up in the next few days, you'll see some more posts about deals I also thought were noteworthy, and deals that puzzled me. 

Heavy Rotation

 

There's a Simpsons gag where Homer and the family are trying to watch TV, and when their dog blocks the TV with its paws it's endearing and cute, but when the cat does it Homer yells 'GET THAT CAT OUT OF THE WAY'. 

That's basically where I'm at with both the Royals and Astros trading for rotation updates they don't especially need. It's fine if the Royals do it because they replace a C starter with a B+ starter. It's not great if the Astros do it because for the love of god, there's like 20 pitchers waiting to come off the IL and you're already saying there's no room for them. 

So after dealing for Michael Lorenzen, the Royals will be headed into the last two months of the season with a rotation consisting of Seth Lugo, Brady Singer, Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha and Lorenzen. That is...insanely good. Everybody in that rotation has an ERA lower than 3.80. Lugo is still a Cy Young candidate, but Singer and Ragans are honestly just as good. And Wacha, now active, is having a nice season himself, with a 7-6 record and a 3.65 ERA. Wacha is one of those guys that doesn't need to be the star of the rotation but can deliver consistency and solid work wherever he goes. He's played for a different team in each of the last six seasons, and while he was a little more impressive in Boston and San Diego, he's been very good here and only has room to improve.

Putting Lorenzen in this rotation gears the Royals for a playoff run, and it comes at a time when they're dangerously close to the Twins in the standings. Both teams are very good, and could progress to October, but in a playoff picture where the Yankees, Mariners, Red Sox and Rangers are also after wild card spots, it's gonna take a lot to truly stand out. I think the Royals can do this with this rotation, and their improved pitching picture [thanks to Hunter Harvey, who I really hope didn't just immediately hurt himself]. 

It also helps that Bobby Witt, Salvador Perez, Freddy Fermin and Vinnie Pasquantino are all having great seasons. I think the lineup is missing one more true power piece, and while there's a lot of great defenders on this team not all of them are hitting well at the moment. But having Witt in full 'decade defining superstar' mode is extremely good for this team, and could be the element that makes them a competitor again after years of being a third-at-best team.

I really hope the very smart moves the Royals have made this year amount to something, because it's a really cool strategy, and a really good underdog team. 

Coming Tonight: Probably a 'Top 10 Deadline Deals' post. Expect Lorenzen to be somewhere on it.

Weekend at Second

 

The Mets had their brief moment of being a second place team this year. And then one series with the Braves later they were back to third. 

To be completely honest, the Mets should have done more with this moment. They went into a series with a team who just kept losing starting pitchers, and would lose another one during the series itself, boosting a lineup with so many hitters on fire and so many great pieces suddenly working. And then they go and get blanked by Spencer Schwellenbach, who picked this exact moment to shift into gear, and limp away from the series having lost ground. It's the kind of thing that can only happen to the Mets.

Still, the Mets are going into this series with Minnesota with an even stronger lineup. Not only newer additions like suddenly-hot-again Jose Iglesias, hitting .342 with 17 RBIs in 40 games as a Met, and Luis Torrens, who's hit 10 RBIs and 3 homers in 21 games as a Met, but also guys they just traded for. Jesse Winker's been plugged into this lineup, and hopefully what he displayed in Washington wasn't a mirage. You're also seeing a major improvement from Mark Vientos, who took years to come into his own, and was able to come from behind Brett Baty and capitalize on the open 3rd base position. Vientos has been hitting .285 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs, with an .882 OPS higher than anyone else in this lineup. 

The Mets' lineup has more really impressive pieces than you might be thinking. Like, you look at this team and you go 'well Alvarez is good...Martinez and Bader are good...Lindor and Nimmo are obviously good...Alonso's good, Vientos is good, Winker's good...shit that's basically the whole thing.

And somehow the rotation arrangement of Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, David Peterson and Tylor Megill is actually pretty damned good. I think all five of these guys have been given up on by fans at some point in the last few years, and they're all just on this year. Severino's 7-3 with 94 Ks, that's extremely good. Manaea's 6-4 with 101 Ks. Peterson's 5-1 with a 3.50 ERA. This was a rotation that was supposed to solely innings-eat, and they're all actually doing really well for themselves. Yes, it would have been nice if Kodai Senga had survived past that one start, but they somehow have the depth to leg it out. I wouldn't be shocked if they try to swing somebody, just for security's sake, but this is a lot to work with. 

The Mets are definitely playoff caliber this year, and have so much to work for that just didn't seem attainable in the early Cohen years. Something's clicked, and hopefully it leads them to a surprise triumph this year.

Coming Tomorrow- A strong starter who may have just seen his rotation go from good to amazing.

A Team Full of Yankee-Killers

 

The other night I was watching Yanks-Sox, and it was one of those where both teams kept batting back and forth and it could be anyone's game til the very last second. And the Yankees had a lead, and Clay Holmes was on the mound, and Masataka Yoshida got up. And my first reaction was 'oh no'.

You see, I caught a Yanks-Sox game earlier this month, and I thought it was gonna be simple. I thought the Yankees were clearly the better team, it should be simple enough. Though we led late, they just rallied back in the ninth, and made a game that looked over into one that went to extras. And it was thanks to people like Connor Wong, Ceddanne Rafaela and Masataka Yoshida, people who hit .200 against the rest of the league and .400 against the Yankees. It had been a while since the Sox had someone like this, and now they had too many. 

Yoshida was the one that tied the game in the ninth when it looked over, and the other night I saw him come up and hoped that Holmes NOW knew what he needed to do to shut him down. And thankfully this one worked out and the Yanks legged it out for the win. But the Sox officially scare me again. They're now at the point where they're really a match for this team, and I can't comfortably assume we can easily get over them anymore.

Ceddanne Rafaela is the epitome of this, because I don't think he really took off this year til last Yanks-Sox series. And now he's one of the best Red Sox players. He's got 12 homers, 55 RBIs and 15 steals, which doesn't sounds like a lot but it nails you when you least expect it. Rafaela, like a lot of this team, just gets on base an infuriating amount more than you might think. Wong, David Hamilton, Wilyer Abreu and Rob Refsynder are all like that. They just get on base. Refsnyder, after coming up as an extra part in New York, is now an all-too-rare .300-hitting bench guy. You don't get guys like that. It harkens back to the days of people like Frank Catalanotto, Julio Franco and David Dellucci just hitting .300 off the bench. 

The deceptively strong contact game is one of many pieces that are just working for the Sox this year. Rafael Devers is still an exceptionally versatile all-around hitter. Tanner Houck, Cutter Crawford and Nick Pivetta are really strong starting options, and with James Paxton they may have become even stronger. Tyler O'Neill, once he gets hot, can deliver like 10 homers in a week or so. And Jarren Duran might be The Franchise going forward. After so many years of haziness and mishaps, finally there are answers for this Red Sox team, and the playoffs are definitely a possibility.

The Sox have to play the Yankees a couple more times this year, and I can only imagine what both teams will look like by that point. If the Yanks will make them regret the earlier matchups or not.

Coming Tonight: Another excellent contact hitter that clicked into place for the Mets this year.

How the Soto Returns are Doing

 

I want to preface this post by stating the facts. Juan Soto has been a huge help to the New York Yankees this year. He currently has a 6.5 WAR, 27 home runs, 74 RBIs, and leads the league in both runs and walks. He's having an incredible season, and I bet the Yankees are really glad they traded for him.

But across the country in San Diego, the Padres are competing, and it's thanks in part to a lot of the pieces they got in exchange for Soto. They already had a lot of great pieces, but the deals they made this past offseason, like getting Dylan Cease and re-signinng Jurickson Profar, or even swinging Luis Arraez a few months ago, have made them a stronger, more formidable team than everyone thought heading into 2024. So let's examine how some of the people they got in exchange for Soto are doing.

Michael King: Of all the Soto returns, this was the one that I thought would be the toughest to replace. Michael King was not only an adept starter in New York, but he was extremely flexible, and could also be an excellent longman. The Padres looked at King the same way they looked at Seth Lugo: a longman with legs that could be turned into a great starter. And so King essentially taking the place of Lugo and doing what he did last year only better shouldn't be too surprising. King in 2024 has been stellar, with a 9-6 record, a 3.26 ERA, and 144 strikeouts. He currently has the highest WAR in San Diego with 2.8, which...is pretty damning considering that Tatis and Machado are on this team. But he's been everything the Padres wanted, and he could be a big piece of forthcoming Padres rotations.

Kyle Higashioka: Clearly the Yankees thought the Wells/Trevino combo would work better, and it sort of has, but Higgy has been decent behind the plate in SD. So far, as a backup for Luis Campusano, Higashioka is hitting .227 with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs. He has a higher OPS than Campusano, and he's also better on defense than Campusano. Yes, Campusano's the younger option that they wanna smooth out, but Higgy's arguably been more effective as a backup here than he has been as a backup in New York for the last few years. He's not a huge piece, but he's been responsible for some subtle improvements to this team.

Randy Vazquez: Of the two Yankee pitching youngsters, he's seen the most time this year, and has started 14 games in the majors. The results have been mixed, with a 3-5 record, a 4.17 ERA and only 44 Ks. But he's still getting his reps in and coming into his own. It's just odd to me that he looked more formidable last year in New York than he does now. I guess put him next to Darvish, Cease, Waldron and King and he doesn't look that powerful.

Jhony Brito: Arguably the better of the two guys that started at the MLB level last year, Brito just hasn't gotten on well with this organization. So far he's been used solely as a reliever, and has a 4.25 ERA in 25 games. And so at the moment he's back in the minors. 

Drew Thorpe: As discussed he was immediately swapped to the White Sox for Dylan Cease. He WAS doing well, and then the Mariners kicked the shit out of him the other day, so he's been humbled a little.

The combined WAR of the guys that the Yankees gave to the Padres is 4.8. That's honestly not bad, and between King and Higgy they actually got some decent pieces. Soto, meanwhile, is one of the reasons the Yankees are still competent this year. So even if there was some net loss in the pitching category, they didn't give up anything too pricey, at least not at this point.

Coming Tomorrow- A guy that knows how to hit my team where it hurts. 

Astros Update: Oh, Spare Me Edition

 

The Houston Astros do not need starting pitching help. They do not. You have like 80 starters. Cut that shit out.

I mean, if you want to be crass, if you want to be pedantic, you could go 'well actually they're still without Justin Verlander for a little longer and they only have three or four guys officially tied down'-okay listen. Your fifth man is Jake Bloss. Jake Bloss is not only an organizational stud who smoked through the minors in a year, he's also a proven heavyweight with an 0.00 ERA in one appearance in Triple-A. That he currently has a 7 ERA is mainly due to the fact that he's a 23-year-old facing the best of the best. Spencer Arrighetti got lit up his first few starts, he mellowed out, he's doing a lot better now. Perhaps that'll happen to Bloss, who's fundamentally a better pitcher than Arrighetti. Considering that eventually people like Javier, McCullers, Urquidy, France and Garcia will come back, perhaps it's better to just let him get MLB experience this year and gear him up to potentially deal him for a big piece in the offseason. Or maybe keep him considering that some guys are gone next year anyway.

But apparently the Astros are on the hunt for starters. They've checked in about Jack Flaherty, they've checked in about Yusei Kikuchi, they do not...need to. You have ELEVEN STARTERS on the roster. ELEVEN OF THEM. YOU DO NOT NEED TWELVE. You are fine. You need to wait for people to get healthy, conserve what you do have, and if somebody does get hurt, nobody will fault you if you do a bullpen game. There is NO POINT in getting another starter just for the sake of having five strong options. The Diamondbacks made it to a World Series last year with only three starters they actually liked, and that was enough. The Astros have five starters. They will likely get Verlander back soon. That does not warrant the need for Jack Flaherty. If they do it at this point, it's solely because they want to annoy everyone in the general vicinity, including and especially me.

This is the last contracted season in Houston for Alex Bregman, and can I just say it's about damned time. No one has summed up this era of Astros infuriation quite like Bregman, in that he showed up right as the team got good, legged it out for the whole era and never once did anything remotely likable. His rookie season he was already arguing with fans on Twitter and calling them names. That was his best foot forward. Now it's not always an indication of character, Bryce Harper started at 'that's a clown question' and blossomed into a saint among men. Bregman doubled down. Like Altuve, he's never been completely terrible at the plate. Never 2010s levels, but always good enough to still be in the conversation, like a gnat.  Anyway, he's hitting .257 with 50 RBIs and 13 homers. I'd really like for him to play somewhere else next year but we all know the Astros are gonna roll out some 'retire as an Astro' contract just to make it more about themselves.

The Astros, who are 5 games over .500, are 1st in the AL West solely because their opponents are a Mariners team with no hitting and a Rangers team where most of the pitching is injured. I genuinely feel like if those two variables were different the Astros wouldn't be in first. They've gotten so lucky, and they've been given so many damn clean breaks by the MLB. If they make another ALCS despite every other great story that's elapsed this year, I'll go mental.

Coming Tonight: A happier post, hopefully. Well, it does concern an ex-Yankee, but this one I'm alright with.

All Bark, No Bat

 

Obviously a lot has been said about both the Mariners, and their incredible rotation being done in by an anemic lineup. But the Pirates don't get discussed as much in that category, solely because people tend to forget that they're actually a contender this year in the first place.

The Pirates, even with Bryan Reynolds away on a personal issue, still pack a pretty mighty punch. People like Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Nick Gonzales have kept this team fighting, and a surprise comeback year from Joey Bart has aided the team's bench depth. But more importantly, this team has a very powerful rotation, one that works even with Jared Jones and Bailey Falter injured. Paul Skenes, Marco Gonzales, Mitch Keller, Martin Perez and Luis Ortiz are all in good shape right now, and keeping the Pirates from digging into less than savory options [though honestly Quinn Priester's pretty good as well]. Look, a team where Paul Skenes losing a game seems like a rare occasion, and still comes during a start where he otherwise looked great, is definitely an improvement on the usual. 

I think Ortiz has been the biggest surprise, because he was a long-man for most of the season, picking up the bulk of the mid-game work as people like Priester and Carmen Mlodzinski would start for 3 or 4. Then the appearances got better, they gave him the starting position and he kept at it. Ortiz has more innings than Paul Skenes, and a 2.75 ERA as well, and just hasn't given up many earned runs at all. It is likely that Ortiz will likely get yanked back to the bullpen on the return of Jones [though it may be Perez honestly], but his improved play has made the Pirates so much more confident going forward.

Hell, even the bullpen gives this team less reasons to be worried than any team in a while. Bednar and Holderman are great as usual, but people like Mlodzinski, Kyle Nicolas and somehow Aroldis Chapman have given this unit a lot of stability and promise. I think they'd be good with one or two more immovable bullpen pieces, and they could definitely swing one.

However, they probably should prioritize hitting, considering that they currently have a .232 average as a team. There's too many guys like Alika Williams, Michael Taylor, Yasmani Grandal and Jack Suwinski that just won't get anything done consistently at the plate. And for every guy that is making it work, there's two or three more that aren't. Rowdy Tellez was just getting the hang of things, and now he's a possible injury scratch. They need a few more sure hits in this lineup, and I know they're out there. I honestly think they're a good fit for Tommy Pham, even if he's probably gonna end up somewhere starrier. 

The Pirates could very well compete, and could be one of the surprise stories of the year. They just need to get their lineup completely calibrated. You don't wanna waste a rare great pitching season from the Pirates this decade.

Coming Tomorrow- A third baseman I've been sick of for, like, his entire career I think. 

It Pays to Stay Flexible

 Carlos Correa, Jose Miranda and Royce Lewis all had amazing runs for the Twins at different points this season, and all three of them [until very recently two cases] were on the IL. Meaning the infield needed to look completely different for several weeks this year. And yet, because this deficit happened A.) during a relatively uneventful stretch for the Twins, and B.) with the All-Star break right in the middle, the Twins didn't really lose much ground. 

So now Lewis and Miranda are back and they're playing comparable teams with 4.5 games separating them and the Guardians. Things are about to get good.

The relieving thing about the Twins losing Correa is that they still had Willi Castro to play either middle infield position. Castro is mostly known for his contact bat, but his utility flexibility has made him a very trustworthy piece in Minneapolis. Castro leads the Twins in hits with 94, and in stolen bases with 10. He's also just an extremely valuable hitter due to just how frequently he can put the ball in play. Even if the Twins still have a lot of power guys, the contact mentality is prevailing, and people like Castro, Correa, Miranda, and arguably even Santana and Buxton, are good enough at just smacking balls away. Castro and Lewis can hold a strong enough infield line til Correa gets back, though hopefully it's not another 10 or 20 games til Lewis gets hurt again.

It's very cool how much this Twins team has come into its own despite losing some big pieces. Ryan-Lopez-Ober-WoodsRichardson is an extremely strong rotation schematic. I'm so happy Simeon Woods-Richardson is finally performing consistently at an MLB level. Ryan is the crowdpleaser but Ober's had some nice starts. I firmly believe the Twins have a plan for that fifth spot. They will trade for somebody, and it'll be someone you're not expecting them to get.

The Guardians may be a favorite for the division, but the Twins are not going to make it easy for them, as they usually tend not to. The Twins have looked so ferocious in points this season, and for a solid point from mid-June to early July they were one of the best teams in baseball. It can happen again. Now that we know Buxton's staying around it very well might be soon.

Coming Tonight- Yeah, Paul Skenes is nice and all but even the guys in his rotation who aren't Paul Skenes can kick your ass.

This is 40

 

This week, there's been an alarming development that, while it may not immediately lead to anything, or it may be solely hogwash, could lead to something intriguing happening. You see, both the Dodgers and the Yankees have been seriously considering, erm...signing 44-year-old Rich Hill.

And what makes this funny is that injuries have been forcing both teams, to this point, to go younger and younger. The Yankees might bring Jasson Dominguez back up soon, he's only 21. The Dodgers have been thumbing through minor league pitching options. Desperately trying to find people too young to break down upon impact. And one of their remedies for roster bulking is...signing a 44-year-old ageless wonder who's made himself available for teams and seems to still have stuff left.

It's wild to me that Hill would immediately make himself available to the Yankees, of all teams. Not only was Hill's Yankee tenure one of his most forgettable ones, but it's widely reported that Hill is a Boston sports fan. Like, 'caught the ire of cops outside Gillette stadium' Boston sports fan. So while he's grateful that someone would want to sign him, it's weird that he's gearing himself directly towards the Yankees. But, again, they're aiming to get far in, they need an innings eater, it would make sense.

Hill, upon his return, would become, again, the oldest player in the major leagues, and the seventh 40+ year old employed by a major league team [I am counting Max Scherzer, even if he does turn 40 tomorrow]. And the wild part is that five of the seven are pitchers- Hill, Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Jesse Chavez...and Charlie Morton. 

Morton is one of those cases of a player whose career truly begins after thirty. He was fine for the Pirates during the early 2010s, but the Astros' pitching coaches really unlocked something in him in 2017, and since then he's been 89-47 with 1351 Ks and a 3.57 ERA. Barely any missed time, barely any true down years, 2 World Series' in 3 appearances, and they're still letting him pitch at 40. Not only that, but Morton's still a pretty reliable guy for the Braves, he's got a 3.83 ERA and 101 Ks. This year he'll likely notch his 2000th strikeout, which, will not exactly making him a Hall of Famer, definitely cements his status as one of the best pitchers of this current era. Putting him in the same sentence as Scherzer and Verlander in terms of career longevity and consistent quality is not the worst idea, even if Morton doesn't have the 20s runs that either of those two have. 

And so even if it's likely that some of these 40 year olds will likely retire at the end of the season [Jesse Chavez seems to be doing this, and Gurriel, Votto and Hill certainly could], it's very cool that we have this many playing at the same time, and playing well. Morton, Verlander and Scherzer are still very much viable and trustworthy options, even in their forties. And it's nice that in the era of overthrowing we can still have guys like that.

Coming Tomorrow- I assumed that the AL was only bringing one utility man with them for the All Star Game, and then this guy wound up coming as well, and doing well in the ASG.

Deeper Wells

 

The Yankees don't make sense this year. We took 5 from Houston and we can't even take 1 from the Mets?  What's even going on??

I mean, Luis Severino made waves before the Yanks-Mets games in the Bronx saying 'well they really only have 2 guys that are any good right now', and all the Yankee fans stood up and went 'THAT'S NOT TRUE' and then the series happens and not even those two guys show up. In Game 1, Judge was walked 4 times and then struck out in a clutch position in the ninth. Soto was similarly held down in those two games. The second game, where the Mets kept striking repeatedly without the Yankees having anything to contend with, was painful. You got the sense that every so often the lineup COULD wake up, like the Rays game where Austin Wells, Gleyber Torres and Oswaldo Cabrera made 'em suffer, but most of the time they didn't want to.

And so right now you're hearing, once again, the cries of 'fire Boone' and 'fire Cashman', because they couldn't build a team that could withstand slumps or injuries, and while it may not be quite as bad as it was in 2023, it's concerning. This team isn't...completely terrible, but you get the sense that they could be much better. Gerrit Cole has been fine since he was activated. Not awful, but for someone who won a Cy Young last year he's been decidedly mid. He's stuck out 38, and given up 39 hits. Similarly disappointing is D.J. LeMahieu, who's hitting .179 since his return. It's genuinely upsetting that a team, that employs D.J. LeMahieu, Anthony Rizzo, Jon Berti, J.D. Davis and Gleyber Torres is apparently looking for infield help. And Ben Rice has been helpful, but he's stopped hitting since his come-up and is now back under .200. This sort of thing, everybody going cold at once, is the kind of thing that really should have been avoided.

The thing that hopefully will be remembered about this down period is that at least Austin Wells was able to come into his own during it. Wells is decent enough at the plate, with 7 homers and 22 RBIs, but his defensive catching abilities have pushed him ahead of Jose Trevino. He's also one of those guys that can come through in the clutch when you least expect it, like a better version of Kyle Higashioka. The hope is that, like Anthony Volpe, he'll come into his own consistently at some point, but for now he's been very useful.

This Yankees team has come upon flashes of great moments. Occasional great starts by Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodon. Trent Grisham periodically doing something incredible. Judge hitting a homer. Those games you trivia for where the team comes alive and punishes an opposing pitcher. But the problem with this July stretch is that they've been too infrequent. And now comes the point in the coping, as the Red Sox and Phillies line up, where we start believing that if we make a trade deadline move, which Cashman will either A.) not do despite reports of the contrary or B.) do in a way that makes us regret it in a year's time, that'll save the team. It's a nice pipe dream, but it probably won't.

Coming Tonight: He's over 40 and a team can still count on him. Who'd have thought?

You Left at the Right Time

 I love that what Joe Musgrove and Dylan Cease both have in common is that the season they leave the city that gave them the most success in exchange for a ride on a competitive team, they throw a no-hitter in their first season there. Both are responsible for the first two no-hitters in Padres history, and both have very similar career trajectories. 

And it's even more interesting that Cease was in camp with the White Sox earlier this season, and the Padres pulled the trigger on him relatively late into preseason. Unlike Musgrove, who found out he was going to San Diego at a normal time in 2021. So Cease got accustomed to San Diego, came into his own, and in his last three starts has struck out 25 and given up TWO hits. That's pretty damn incredible. 

Equally incredible is his no-hitter today, which could have been halted after 7 had Cease himself not reassured the pitching coaches that he had enough to finish it off. And sure enough, he did, and the Nats couldn't muster much, even in the waning moments of the games. It's very ironic that the last guy to get silenced by Cease was C.J. Abrams, a former Padre himself. It goes back to what I said earlier in the season about how wild the Nats-Padres matchups are now, cause both lost Soto and are battling with the prospects they got for him. 

Still, awesome to see Cease finish the job, and happy for the Padres to put another milestone on the board. I sincerely hope Cease's arm holds up after that.

Twelve Injured Dodgers [And Counting]

 Nothing could be more on the nose than me prepping a custom for a post about how flea-bitten the Dodgers are this season of a guy that lands on the IL right as I'm writing the post. That is...infuriatingly hilarious. 

Miguel Rojas, who was already a pretty strong fill-in for Mookie Betts with his best season since leaving Miami, has landed on the IL, right at the moment where Tyler Glasnow, who was unsurprisingly finding success in LA, is activated. Right now, the Dodgers' injured list is basically a list of 12 players the Dodgers could really use right now. Ranging from crucial lineup pieces like Mookie Betts and Max Muncy, bullpen assets like Brusdar Graterol and Ryan Brasier, and starting pieces like Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Emmett Sheehan, Michael Grove, Walker Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. As good as they are right now, imagine how much better they would be if none of those guys got hurt.

And it's showing at this point in the season. River Ryan and Justin Wrobleski, both of whom should in all likelihood be still coming to prominence in Oklahoma City at the moment, are in the MLB rotation doing their best. Ryan did well enough in a premier start, but this is not where he thought he'd be at this point. Nobody thought that all this pressure would be put upon someone like Justin Wrobleski in July. Hell, Kyle Hurt, who did pretty well for himself on a call-up, now needs surgery and will be out for a year, so that's another young option done. And that's not even bringing up Bobby Miller, who's been terrible this year with an 8 ERA, and is actually one of the few people allowed to go back to OKC with the rotation in this state. The good news is that Glasnow just got activated, so even with James Paxton released, which...I don't agree with, he was 8-2 for god's sakes, you will at least have Glasnow, Gavin Stone and Landon Knack, all of whom know what they're doing and are trusted.

But like...the Dodgers' rotation should not be down to a trade piece and two rookies to lead off. All the money this team spent on Yamamoto and he gets hurt immediately. Kershaw will be back tonight, but in what state?? Hell, one of the best pitchers on the team is rehabbing from Tommy John at the moment. Forget the fact that he's hitting .314 with 30 homers and is likely on his way to an MVP. In an ideal world he'd be pitching as well, as would a lot of people.

And thus the Dodgers' mega team has deflated significantly in the last month. They're still comfortably in first, comfortably over .500, but the mystique is gone. Now you can probably beat these guys, even if Ohtani shows up. The Phillies and Tigers had no trouble. They've been strong since the ASG break, but who knows what the next thing to fall off will be. 

If enough guys get healthy at the right time, this may not be much of an issue, but if it is the Dodgers will never hear the end of it. They had the team, and couldn't keep it healthy. And it'll be hard to solve that problem in the coming years.

Coming Tonight: Somehow, in a bleak period for the Yankees, this guy started hitting.

Dead SEA

 

The Astros catching up in the standings at the exact moment that Julio Rodriguez and J.P. Crawford hit the IL just confirms the fact that somewhere, some deity absolutely despises the Seattle Mariners.

Clearly, this week is a clean slate week for the Mariners. With Rodriguez and Crawford out for a while and Ty France surprisingly DFA'd, the lineup needs to be completely restructured. Now the heart of the team needs to be people like Cal Raleigh, Luke Raley and Josh Rojas, who, while good, aren't especially central figures to me. You're also seeing a ton of placeholders trying their best to wind up above replacement level. Tyler Locklear is back at 1st, and the hope is that he eventually starts hitting over .206. Leo Rivas is getting infield reps, and is looking like an eventual step up from Jorge Polanco. Jonatan Clase is getting OF reps in Julio's absence, but he's still not looking MLB ready, similar to Ryan Bliss.

The one highlight of this team's hitting in the last month has been Victor Robles, a man who refused to hit for the Nationals for four straight years. Robles, since coming over, has been hitting .375 with 18 hits and 7 stolen bases. Some respectable contact energy on a team that just cannot get things going at the plate, even with Mitches Garver and Haniger trying their best to hit for power. The Astros clearly have no trouble hitting, so if you're gonna stand there and go 'you try and take 1st' and then get nothing done, you're gonna look silly. The Angels swept these guys this week, and that's a team that arguably has more lineup holes than they do. 

Yes, it's great that the pitching staff is still pretty overpowering, but it really needs to be more than that. Gilbert, Kirby, Castillo, Miller and Woo are gonna walk away with seasons to be proud of, but they're still seasons that don't mean much more than dominant pitching, because the lineup didn't show up for most of the season. Woo is back from the IL, and he's still in decent shape, even if his ERA has ballooned to 2.54. The other four are still doing exactly what they've been doing since the start of the season, and while it's good stuff it's just a pity that the wins don't mean much. Andres Muñoz has 16 saves and a 1.35 ERA, which is pretty great, but he's only needed if the offense can match what they allow, and that's a tall order when the heart of the lineup is either hurt or ineffective. 

Look, the Rangers are catching back up, the Astros have first again. Unless this team puts something together they'll fall right out of the narrative, just like last year. And nobody wants that, especially after everything this team was supposed to be. I sincerely hope they can change things up, because this is just depressing.

Coming Tomorrow- Though the Mariners could have it worse. Only 3 or 4 major pieces are injured. This guy has to start in place of an MVP candidate, and he's not the only one making up hours.

The Tanking Plan Backfires

 

There's a show I watch called Mock the Week that does an ending quick fire improv round, like Scenes from a Hat from Whose Line, and there was a 'lines you wouldn't hear in a sci-fi film' suggestion, and a comedian goes up and says something to the effect of 'we've fired our lasers directly at the giant space beast coming towards us, but all it's done is improved its eyesight'.

I thought about that when looking at this Brewers team to this point. They gave up their best pitcher, lost their other best pitcher to an injury, lost their manager for a rival, were projected to finish fourth in the division, and yet they're leading with even more great pieces than they ended an already-strong 2023 with. The plan was to rebuild and cool off and instead they're a first place team with a pretty decent shot at the postseason. Kind of incredible, honestly. I bet Craig Counsell's really astonished.

The single best thing this Brewers team has going for it is you can see the next iteration of it doing a lot of work. Last year the concerning detail was Wiemer and Turang not hitting, and now Turang's one of the best players on the team. All these second years and young players are contributing so much. Blake Perkins is having an awesome season, not only as a defensive outfielder, but as a decent contact guy with some power perks. Garrett Mitchell's beginning to get back to where he was before the injuries, he's hit .243 in 13 games. Sal Frelick is still a fan favorite, with a .269 average and the occasional amazing defensive moment. Jackson Chourio's gotten over his slow start and now has 10 homers and 40 RBIs. Even Tobias Myers has become a strong third to Peralta and Rea, with a 6-4 record and a 3.14 ERA. 

The other great thing about this Brewers team is that they've become a very good 'is someone not playing well for your team? Send him to us' club. Aaron Civale famously got sent over from Tampa, and I think he's a bit better suited for the Brewers, despite the fact that he's winless in 3 games [the bones are there]. The Brewers also seem to have fixed Bryse Wilson after struggles in Pittsburgh, made Jared Koenig into a substantial arm after being lit up in Oakland, and somehow gotten an explosive start out of Eric Haase, who's hitting .429 as a Brewer. This didn't seem to work for Dallas Keuchel, but it's worked for all of these guys, and I bet they're thankful.

This Brewers team is 5 games ahead of the competition and looking to have a really easy week. I'd love for them to actually make a dent in the playoff race this year, even if the Phillies and Dodgers will be tough to beat. They have enough to make a run I think, especially if it continues at this pace.

Coming Tonight: A closer for a team that's desperately trying to jumpstart the lineup.

The Guardians' Worrying Detail

 

So obviously the Guardians are in a pretty good position at the moment. Still in 1st in the AL Central by 4 games, still getting excellent seasons out of Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor, still responsible for one of the best bullpens in the biz, and now have a #1 pick to look forward to, Travis Bazzana, once he's given a respectful development period. However, there are issues beginning to mount. For one, they won their first game back from the break then promptly fell off. A friend of mine was at that Friday game, the win, and then after the three losses he went 'am I just gonna have to go to all their games to make sure they keep winning?'. Next they have a crucial divisional series against the Tigers, followed by an even more crucial series against the Phillies. They cannot slip now, because the Twins will be more than happy to slide right into the divisional lead.

Now, there are two big things in regards to this Guardians team that worry me. One is a current issue, the other isn't an issue yet but could be down the road. The first issue is a simple one- the starting pitching. There's nothing overwhelmingly great happening here. Tanner Bibee, to his credit, is having a good season, he's 8-4 with a 3.58 ERA and 126 Ks, but for the ace of a first place, surging Guardians team it's a weaker affair than one might think. I go back to the 2016 team, who ruled the AL with a rotation of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Danny Salazar and Josh Tomlin, and even the 2019 iteration, which got great years out of Bauer, Carrasco, Shane Bieber and Mike Clevinger. As recently as last year, the Guardians could come at you with a powerful youth rotation of Bibee, Gavin Williams, Triston McKenzie, Logan Allen and Xzavion Curry. And now it just seems like everything's all over the place.

Some of the Guardians' most useful starters this year have been Ben Lively, a control artist who's 8-6 with a 3.57 ERA, Carrasco, who's clearly lost his juice but has made 18 starts and has struck out 74, and Logan Allen, who went 8-4 with a 5 ERA before being sent back to the minors. Gavin Williams and Xzavion Curry are up now, and have been decent in their past few appearances, but this is a very injury-depleted rotation, and it's hard for this team to deliver a consistent rotation year-to-year if everyone's gonna wear out their arms like this. The current model could work, but there's really no unification, it's really just 'well this is what we have'. It honestly wouldn't shock me if they go for a rental in a week or so.

The other issue, though, is a bit more concerning. This season, the Guardians have called up a ton of big-time prospect hitters, all of whom have the future of the franchise upon their shoulders mightily. We've seen the likes of Johnathan Rodriguez, Jose Tena, Kyle Manzardo, Angel Martinez, Jhonkensy Noel and Tyler Schneemann. This in addition to organizational prospects Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio and Bo Naylor, who've been up in the majors most of the season. And if all of these players have something in common, it's that they haven't especially factored into this season much at all for the Guardians. All of those players have a combined 0.7 WAR. Comparatively, Kwan and Ramirez together have a 6.3 WAR. 

And while there are good seasons amidst that pack, like Rocchio being excellent defensively and Martinez off to a nice start at the plate, a lot of these guys just haven't gotten anything going. And it's the kind of thing where the Guardians would activate somebody and go 'THIS IS IT, CODE RED, THIS GUY'S GONNA BE HUGE', and then he'd get there and hit .129. Like, Kyle Manzardo they were going 'OH HE'S GONNA BE OUR NEW POWER GUY', he hit no homers in 30 games. Cracked 13 of 'em in Columbus, couldn't get one in Cleveland. The Mariners did this as well, they'd bring up Jonatan Clase or Ryan Bliss going 'OH NO, POUR ONE OUT FOR BASEBALL MANUFACTURERS' and then a month later they have to awkwardly go 'also uh...Ryan Bliss has been uh...returned to Tacoma..'.

The Guardians have such a great team that it's not worrying at the moment that none of their future pieces have been inheriting the team as well as Kwan or Gimenez have. You can see some promising pieces, like Angel Martinez, who's hitting .262 in 17 games, and Jhonkensy Noel, who has 4 homers in 17 games, or even Schneemann, who's been a nice fellow utility guy to David Fry. It's just taken until now for anything that optimistic to come from this area.

I don't want to go from a team this good to just drumming around waiting for Bazzana after people start leaving. They need to build, and hopefully these are the guys that can help them do that.

Coming Tomorrow- Ironically, a fun, contact-friendly outfielder from a team whose rookies HAVE shown up.