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The Pirates are going to be challenged putting together a lineup for tonight's game vs. Angels. In last night's game three Bucs were plunked by Miami pitchers and had to leave the game - Freese (hand), Mercer (elbow), Cervelli (foot). Additionally McCutchen hurt his thumb on a swing and left the game. Polanco has already missed two games due to getting hit on top of foot in the series opener. It's unlikely none are hurt enough to go on the 15-day DL, but it's also possible none can start for a day or two.
I don't recall anything like this in decades of watching. A situation like this almost begs for some revision to the DL, like a "3-day DL" visit. Essentially, if none of these guys can swing a bat, the Bucs will have no bench tonight.
The Pirates are going to be challenged putting together a lineup for tonight's game vs. Angels. In last night's game three Bucs were plunked by Miami pitchers and had to leave the game - Freese (hand), Mercer (elbow), Cervelli (foot). Additionally McCutchen hurt his thumb on a swing and left the game. Polanco has already missed two games due to getting hit on top of foot in the series opener. It's unlikely none are hurt enough to go on the 15-day DL, but it's also possible none can start for a day or two.
I don't recall anything like this in decades of watching. A situation like this almost begs for some revision to the DL, like a "3-day DL" visit. Essentially, if none of these guys can swing a bat, the Bucs will have no bench tonight.
Joel Sherman wrote an article in the NY Post about a month ago about the league adding a 7 day DL for guys you mentioned and also for Salvador Perez. Guys that are hurt, but not hurt enough to lose them for 2 weeks. The minor leagues has a 7 day DL, why can't the majors have one too?? And Sherman makes a good point, teams like the Royals playing short handed with only 24 guys because Perez will be back in 7-10 days causes even more injuries in a day and age we are tying to AVOID injuries.
The draft is this coming Thursday-next Saturday, and it seems like after that ends is when the trade winds pick up, but I'll start it a week early. No matter if the Yankees are first in the division, first in the Wildcard, or 10 games back of both I think they need to trade BOTH Chapman & Miller by August 1, but Miller especially, since he still has I think 2 years left after this season, they'll get more back from him (either quantity or quality, and right now the Yankees need both) from Miller than Chapman who is a free agent after this season. And I've come to 3 teams that have the prospects to do a Miller trade, 2 of the teams really doesn't need him this year (but honestly, who doesn't need relief pitching that's a contender), but for 1 of them it's for next season, while for the other one it's strictly for this year.
Team 1: Dodgers.
Urias hasn't even reached 20 yet, and his 2 starts were in New York & Chicago against the Mets & Cubs, so tough to get results out of those 2 games. Dodgers already have Jansen for the 9th, and not sure how many other prospects they have, but they could center it around Urias, and really hard to say no to potential. Dodgers need more SP depth than relief help, however, the gap from the starters (not named Kershaw) to Jansen has been pretty terrible so far, and this could help them. Of course with the Giants in the division and the Mets, Nationals, Pirates, and Cardinals outside the division, they may not even make the playoffs anyways. I don't even think they've been in a playoff spot for the last month+ now anyways.
Team 2: Nationals.
Not for this year since they already have Papelbon.....however Papelbon won't be back next season, so he could go back into the closer's role for the next 2 years, and won't have to worry about finding one in the offseason. Since Miller's not a top priority for this team (OF depth is), could be cheaper in the offseason. Also, already have in-house candidates to fill in at closer in Blake Treinen or Felipe Rivero. Since the SP's have been pretty dominant this year (3 of the 5 starters have ERA's under 3) this would be a strictly bridge movement in the 8th to Papelbon in the 9th. An 8th-9th of Miller & Papelbon would be one of the better late inning bullpens in the playoffs (should the Nats get there). Trea Turner, one of the top prospects in baseball would be the centerpiece of the deal, and the Nationals have a bunch of pieces that could sweeting the pot including: OF Michael Taylor, MI Wilmer Difo, IF Danny Espinosa, SP Joe Ross, & RPs Treinen, Rivero & Sammy Solis. Have Turner and 2 of: Taylor/Ross/Treinen and 1 of: Rivero/Difo/Espinosa/Solis and that's a lot of quality talent heading back to the Bronx which is what they need, and in this proposed deal they get both quantity AND quality. All will be a big part of the team moving forward, and will be tough to replace them, but Turner can't even stay with the big league club (he's only up because Ryan Zimmerman and his wife Heather had a baby girl on Thursday), and I'd rather give us the best possible chance to win now then keep all of them, and keep losing anyways in the future. Maybe we lose to the Giants or Cubs anyways, at least we tried unlike in 2012 when we sat our hands when we KNEW Stras wasn't going to be available and did nothing to improve the SP depth, so instead of sending an erratic Gio out in game 5 and than Edwin Jackson in relief, we could've had Ryan Dempster starting that game who would have at least given a better effort than Gio. Rizzo's been known to make a surprising move or 2, but I don't think this is a one.
team 3: Rangers.
Probably the best fit for Miller as they have a need for him now, in the future AND have the prospects to get it done. Unlike the Dodgers, not sure what they have to offer outside of Profar & Gallo, but like Turner with the Nats Profar & Gallo can't even have a 25 man roster spot for the big league club, so have a package centered around one of them and than add a Jake Diekman, Delino Deshields Jr, Ian Desmond, Nomar Mazara, or Mitch Moreland and that's probably enough to get Miller. Like the Nats deal with Turner, the Yankees would get both quantity AND quality which is something they lack.
I'd probably have the Rangers the most likely to get him, Dodgers second, and the Nats least likely, but I think it's imperative Cashman move him this summer.
One hundred and thirty five million dollars worth of ballplayers with bleak futures:
1. Prince Fielder, Rangers. Batting .187 with no compensating power, Texas has benched Fielder for the last two games, replacing him at DH with Jurickson Profar who is batting .378. Fielder has four years left on his contract and is owed 100 million clams.
2. Though his contract runs through 2017 and he is still owed 35 million dollars, the Dodgers designated Carl Crawford for assignment. Crawford was batting .185 /.230 /.235 . Crawford posted a .781 OPS in his nine seasons with Tampa Bay. In his four years with LA it was .720. The Dodgers paid 96 million bucks for his services.
The Oriole's Manny Machado is clearly one of the best young players in the game, and he seems to be going all out to grab the title of the games biggest hothead.
You may recall a few years back, Machado responded to a brush back pitch in Oakland by throwing his bat at the A's thirdbaseman. He was suspended for that.
Yesterday he charged the mound against KC and punched the pitcher after being plunked in the side by what sure did not look like any sort of purpose pitch. He will be suspended again for this.
The Oriole's Manny Machado is clearly one of the best young players in the game, and he seems to be going all out to grab the title of the games biggest hothead.
You may recall a few years back, Machado responded to a brush back pitch in Oakland by throwing his bat at the A's thirdbaseman. He was suspended for that.
Yesterday he charged the mound against KC and punched the pitcher after being plunked in the side by what sure did not look like any sort of purpose pitch. He will be suspended again for this.
Did you see his previous at-bat? At least three very inside pitches, words exchanged with the pitcher on his way back to the dugout, then drilled by a 99 mph heater on the first pitch of his next at-bat.
Did you see his previous at-bat? At least three very inside pitches, words exchanged with the pitcher on his way back to the dugout, then drilled by a 99 mph heater on the first pitch of his next at-bat.
Okay, now I've seen video of the entire sequence. You are right, that was a purpose pitch that hit him. The two close pitches in the previous at bat were just close pitches. The reason that Machado was targeted was because he decided to mouth off to the pitcher after he flied out following the close pitches.
Machado is a hot head. He is overly sensitive to what he perceives as challenges. That whole bat throwing incident in Oakland had gotten started the night before. In that game Machado took exception to a tag applied on him by Josh Donaldson at third. In retaliation, Machado twice hit A's catcher Derek Norris in the head with the backswing of his bat. Once is an accident...twice?
So Machado went into the next game knowing that he had set himself up to be targeted. With that mindset, the first inside pitch thrown his way would be seen as "The war is on." And that is exactly what happened. A close pitch which did not hit him...and whosh, there goes the bat aimed at....surprise, Josh Donaldson at third.
The Oriole's Manny Machado is clearly one of the best young players in the game, and he seems to be going all out to grab the title of the games biggest hothead.
You may recall a few years back, Machado responded to a brush back pitch in Oakland by throwing his bat at the A's thirdbaseman. He was suspended for that.
Yesterday he charged the mound against KC and punched the pitcher after being plunked in the side by what sure did not look like any sort of purpose pitch. He will be suspended again for this.
Then you take a look at the opposing pitcher who was the instigator for this (Ventura) and you look at his history.
if it was any other Royals pitcher BUT Ventura, nothing probably happens. If it's any other Orioles player, Ventura probably plunks him. Whether any other Orioles player charges the mound or not is debatable, but what is not debatable is that Ventura is a punk.
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