[stevenash]

His 2016 season (which was good) wasn't worthy of the #1 spot in the draft. He's having an excellent season now.

I still went with Trout (less elite outfielders than elite 1B) but I just stated reasons behind selecting Goldschmidt.
(for instance the amount of stolen bases for a 1B......)

[Chi_archie]

Leadoff solo HR's don't win ball games. Ask Brian Dozier & the Twins. Cubs hit 3 HR's and scored 4 runs. Maddon is overthinking the game.

I don't know. You only Lead off once per game typically

and if he played the rest of the season at lead off. How many times do you think he'd hit a solo HR to start the Cubs half of the first?

[JAKEPEAVY21]

it's absolutely stupid to have Rizzo bat leadoff.

[Otters27]

Nationals look terrible right now. Lost 13-2 to the Braves

[stevenash]

I don't know. You only Lead off once per game typically

and if he played the rest of the season at lead off. How many times do you think he'd hit a solo HR to start the Cubs half of the first?

Ricky (my hammy) Henderson made a career out of hitting leadoff ding-dongs.

[stevenash]

Nationals look terrible right now. Lost 13-2 to the Braves

Another one and done October if they don't do something about that bullpen. Fast!

KC Royals playing very sound ball, bats are alive (finally)
If they can get their arms healthy I can see them making a division push.
Winners of four straight, they're only 4 games back as it is, they still play stellar defense, (Gordon, Cain, Perez, Escobar can't hit his weight, but boy he can pick it)
Moose has 18 big flies, bullpen isn't Herrera to Davis to Holland anymore, but still a top ten unit.
Central is mediocre, hell Tigers can steal it, if not the Royals, would love to see the Twinks win the division.

[yisman]

rizzo leading off makes about as much sense as schwarber leading off

[koz-man]

A bit of good news for the Baltimore Orioles from Thursday was Zach Britton's throwing session. "Britton's outing went well today," said Buck Showalter." Threw 22 pitches, live hitters. Everything went well. Good to hear. A little rusty early, but did well at the end.

A positive for today." Britton has been out for seven weeks with a forearm injury. No next step was discussed, but it's good to hear the rehab process is unfolding as expected. ESPN

[stevenash]

Reason #108 why not to lay -250 in baseball.

Chris Sale pitches his ass off (Sale and Boston was -250, on the road yet)
Sale has shutout deep into the eight inning, man on, end of the bench guy pinch hits an RBI single, a couple of overthrow relays allows the runner to score, long story short, Sale pitches a complete game 4 hitter, loses 1-0 (to Nick Pivetta who was BRILLIANT as well)
Long story short, you pitch a complete game 10K 4 hit game you win 99 times out of 100.

Guess what? This was the one in a hundred, buh bye 250 bucks, pay the book.
Reason #102 was the other night when Steven Stras couldn't get out of his own way as the Nats lost as of -235 favorite.

Today's fun fact #1
Jedd Gyorko's last 18 home runs, 16 of them have been solo shots.

[El Nino]

Twins lead the AL Central by 2 games with -24 run differential, a record of 14-20 at home, and the worst team ERA in the AL at almost 5.0 Absolutely defies statistics...

[EmpireMaker]

After trading Derek Norris this past offseason, the part of the Padres’ rebuild that involved trading away veterans to shed salary and/or make room for younger players had come to an end. But that didn’t close the door on general manager A.J. Preller’s ability to wheel and deal during the 2017 season. By signing a quartet of free agent starting pitchers to help bridge the gap until the team’s younger pitchers were ready to contribute—Trevor Cahill, Jhoulys Chacin, Clayton Richard and Jered Weaver were each signed to one-year deals for a combined total of $8.25MM— they also added some potential trade chips to go along with any other players on the roster with less than three years of club control.
With three of the four veteran starters having established some trade value and several other players expected to draw strong interest, the only question is how long Preller waits before pulling the trigger on his first trade of 2017. Let’s break down who could become available…
Rentals
Clayton Richard, LHP (starter) | Salary: $1.75MM
Richard has had a career resurgence since joining the Padres last August, posting a 3.64 ERA over 141.2 innings. The 33-year-old was one out away from a complete game shutout on Tuesday before allowing a 2-run double on his 127th pitch of the game. It was the third time this season he’s flirted with that rare feat. He allowed one earned run in a complete game win against the D’backs on May 21st and pitched eight shutout innings against the Dodgers in his 2017 debut in April. He’s also completed at least six innings in nine of his 14 starts. A reliable lefty starter who can pitch deep into games can be very useful on a playoff contender.
Jhoulys Chacin, RHP (starter) | Salary: $1.75MM
Aside from three disastrous starts, which account for 23 earned runs over 10 innings, Chacin has been pretty good for the Padres. The 29-year-old hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in his other 10 starts and has completed at least six innings on eight different occasions. A reunion with the Rockies would make a lot of sense as their young pitching staff will need some help down the stretch.
Trevor Cahill, RHP (starter) | Salary: $1.75MM
A pair of disabled list stints due to back and shoulder injuries will likely keep Cahill’s trade value to a minimum, but he’s been impressive in a seven-start sample with a 3.27 ERA and 11.1 K/9 in 41.1 innings pitched. If he can return to health—he’s on track to be activated in the next few weeks—the 29-year-old should have at least 4 or 5 starts to showcase his talent to a contending team. He could also draw interest as a reliever based on his strong 2016 season out of the bullpen for the World Champion Cubs.
Erick Aybar, SS | Salary: $1.5MM
There’s not much of a market for shortstops and Aybar has been a disappointment, anyways, with a .215/.282/.328 slash line in 196 plate appearances. Nevertheless, he can be had for very little if a team is looking to add some veteran infield depth. At this rate, he’s more likely to be released than traded.
Craig Stammen, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $900K
Stammen’s ERA is a bit inflated (4.25) due to a three-appearance stretch in April when he allowed 10 earned runs in three innings. Aside from that, his numbers (36 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 9.0 K/9) look very similar to his those he posted as a very effective multi-inning reliever with the Washington Nationals from 2012-2014. The 33-year-old has pitched at least two innings in 10 of his 22 appearances and has held right-handed hitters to a .610 OPS.

Controlled Through 2019
Brad Hand, LHP (reliever) | Salary: $1.375MM (arbitration-eligible this winter)
While there was some early-season trade buzz surrounding Hand after a dominant first month, his more recent struggles—he has a 4.57 ERA over his last 18 appearances with two blown saves and four losses—have most likely scared off any suitors who would’ve been willing to strike early and meet what would’ve been a very high asking price. Still, the 27-year-old has emerged as one of the better lefty setup men in baseball over the past year. The Red Sox were able to flip two-and-a-half months of Andrew Miller for a Top 100 prospect (Eduardo Rodriguez) at the 2014 trade deadline. Hand isn’t Miller, but he’s under team control for two-and-a-half years so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Padres could net a fairly significant return.
Brandon Maurer, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $1.9MM in 2017, (arbitration-eligible this winter)
Maurer could be a tough sell with his 6.15 ERA, but he’s saved 12 of 14 games, throws a sinking fastball that reaches the upper 90s and is averaging 9.6 K/9. He was also very good after taking over as the Padres’ closer last July, converting 13 of 15 save chances while posting a 3.09 ERA. A team would have to be willing to pay the price for what Maurer has been aside from a handful of bad games—he has a 2.45 ERA if you throw out three awful appearances. Otherwise, the Padres will be happy to hold on to him until at least the upcoming offseason.
Yangervis Solarte, 2B/3B | Salary: $2.625MM in 2017, $4.125MM in 2018, $5.5MM club option for 2019, not eligible for free agency if declined (plus $750K buyout of $8MM club option for 2020)
The 29-year-old, who was rewarded with a two-year contract extension after a breakout season in 2016, has finally heated up after struggling through the first month-and-a-half of 2017. As a result—Solarte is slashing .333/.429/.474 over his last 21 games—trade interest could soon pick up for the switch-hitting infielder. His team-friendly contract, defensive versatility and ability to come through in the clutch—he has a .956 OPS with runners in scoring position—could make him a nice under-the-radar acquisition for a contending team.

Longer-Term Assets
Wil Myers, 1B (starter) | Salary: $4.5MM in 2017, $4.5MM in 2018, $5.5MM in 2019, $22.5MM in 2020, 2021 and 2022 (plus $1MM buyout of $20MM club option for 2023)
The Padres made it clear that Myers was a player they wanted to build around when they gave him a franchise-record $83MM contract extension in January. That doesn’t mean they’re not willing to listen if a team was interested in trading for the 26-year-old All-Star, who had 29 homers and 28 stolen bases in 2016. Teams probably won’t be willing to take on that big contract, however, until he’s proven that he can be an MVP-caliber player since he’ll be paid like one in a few years. Based on his current slump (.547 OPS, HR, 37 strikeouts in 97 plate appearances), I’m guessing that he’s not quite ready to make the jump from “very good” player to “great” player.

[Chi_archie]

Ricky (my hammy) Henderson made a career out of hitting leadoff ding-dongs.

Rizzo has already matched Ricky's mark of two straight lead off Hrs

[JAKEPEAVY21]

rizzo leading off makes about as much sense as schwarber leading off

desperate times call for desperate measures...Maddon is grasping for straws..

[Otters27]

Cubs just have to get to the playoffs and get hot at the right time.

[BigSpoon]

Twins lead the AL Central by 2 games with -24 run differential, a record of 14-20 at home, and the worst team ERA in the AL at almost 5.0 Absolutely defies statistics...

Only a matter of time before Cleveland catches them and runs away with the division.

[koz-man]

The Nationals signed veteran pitcher Edwin Jackson to a minor-league deal. Jackson had a 7.20 ERA with 11 hits allowed in 5 innings over 3 appearances with the Orioles.

Manager Dusty Baker was intrigued to add Jackson, who told people he wanted to play for Baker. Jackson previously pitched for Washington in 2012, going 10-11 with a 4.03 ERA.

[koz-man]

The #Astros are the best team in baseball, despite a ton of injuries, in particular to their starting pitchers. They currently have 6 players on the DL, and have used the disabled list 10 different times this season. They open up a 3 game AL battle tonight at home against the Red Sox.

[stevenash]

Poor Kevin Gausman, I'm neither a Gausman fan nor an Orioles fan, I'm watching this Cardinal and Orioles game because of fantasy reasons (I own Carpenter and Gyorko) anyway Gausman is having a brutal season throws two perfectly painted pitches for strikes, however umpire calls them balls, then he has to come in to the hitter, and gets crushed.

Gausman and Tillman are not taking O's to any promised land, neither is Wade Miley.
Asher the kid shows some promise, 5 ERA is disturbing though.
I see Zach Britton is coming back, maybe they should just start O'Day for three innings and Britton when he comes back for the next three.
Better than six innings of Gausman. (of course I am joking, but you get my point)

I see Biagini never made it to the second inning tonight.
He coughs up 7 runs on 8 hits and a walk in the first inning.
Blue Jays fans were trying to sell me in April on how Biagini will be the next big thing.
Could be, but the White Sox lit him up like a Christmas tree.

Speaking of the White Sox, were any of you jabronis listening to me when I posted this back on Monday.

Team to bet right now are the White Sox.

People, White Sox have been paying off nicely all week!
KC Royals too.

Can Ian Kennedy keep the Royals express on track.
Winners of five straight now.

Been betting KC and CHI-SOX all week.
I'm set up for the rest of the summer.
KC hasn't lost all week and White Sox are about to go 5 and 2 in their last 7.

KC has been the hottest team in AL Central since May 1
24 and 18.

I keep hearing on how Chavez and Angels are the best bet of the night.
I'm not buying it.

Just banged in 54 to win 50 on KC and Kennedy.

[EmpireMaker]

Trade Bait :
1. David Robertson, RP, White Sox (LR: 1): Though he had one rough outing since we first gave him the top nod, Robertson has mostly continued to put up zeroes. On the year, Robertson has racked up 35 strikeouts while permitting only 23 baserunners in 24 1/3 innings. Given the Sox’ posture, it’s somewhat hard to see how he won’t be dealt so long as he remains healthy and effective as of the deadline.
2. Zack Cozart, SS, Reds (LR: 3): Though his theoretical value continues to rise with his performance — Cozart has already racked up about three wins above replacement, though he has been on a cold streak of late — the demand picture remains unclear.
3. Yonder Alonso, 1B, Athletics (LR: 4): It’s more of the same for Alonso, too. Since returning from a minor injury in mid-May, he owns a .396/.467/.736 slash over sixty plate appearances.
4 (tie). Jose Quintana, SP, White Sox (LR: 5): The middling results have continued for Quintana, whose 5.30 ERA and rising walk rate are increasingly concerning. If his value doesn’t rebound fully by the deadline, the White Sox could hold onto him and focus on moving other assets. Still, with several contenders seemingly in position to add controllable starters, it seems likely that one or more such arms will end up changing hands.
4 (tie). Sonny Gray, SP, Athletics (LR: 25): The roller coaster ride continues for Gray and the A’s, but it has been more good than bad. His fastball velocity and swinging-strike rate both sit at career-high levels, and ERA estimators feel he has been unlucky to allow 4.44 earned per nine thus far. With the A’s seemingly preparing for a sell-off, and pitchers like Quintana and Gerrit Cole struggling, things are trending toward a possible deal.
6. Pat Neshek, RP, Phillies (LR: 8): It’s hard to imagine Neshek not being traded. He’s pitching as well as he was in his breakout 2014 season and would represent a nice change of pace option in basically any bullpen in baseball.
7. Brad Hand, RP, Padres (LR: 9): San Diego suggested it was willing to move Hand at any time, perhaps believing that an early sale could maximize his value. Unfortunately, a deal has yet to come together and the southpaw has coughed up seven earned runs in his last 10 2/3 innings. That said, he has still managed to record 15 strikeouts against just three walks in that span, so his market should remain strong.
8 (tie). Jed Lowrie, INF, Athletics (LR: 18): Lowrie’s offensive output has only improved since we last checked in. Just as importantly, he’s still healthy. If those things continue, the versatile switch-hitter could be a very nice rental piece for the A’s, who have a replacement lined up in Franklin Barreto and are already beginning a youth movement.
8 (tie). Eduardo Nunez, INF, Giants (LR: NR): The versatile rental player is probably the most likely player to leave San Francisco this summer. He’s not maintaining last year’s power numbers, but is running wild (17 steals) and providing solid all-around production. He could fit with a lot of organizations.
8 (tie). Howie Kendrick, 2B/OF, Phillies (LR: INJ): Despite an approaching 34th birthday, and mid-season DL stint, Kendrick has turned in a resurgent .330/.393/.485 slash this year. His .411 BABIP will surely come back down to earth, though Kendrick has long sustained elevated batting averages on balls in play. His salary isn’t all that cheap, but the Phils will undoubtedly be willing to cover as much of it as is necessary to boost their return. And it doesn’t hurt that Kendrick can be trusted both in left and at second.
11. Todd Frazier (3B) & Melky Cabrera (OF), White Sox (LR: 19 (tie)): The South Siders have now slipped into last place in the AL Central, and these spendy veterans — both of whom will hit the open market at season’s end — are starting to hit. That’s a clear recipe for a trade, though cost savings are more likely than major prospect returns.
13. Marcell Ozuna, OF, Marlins (LR: 14): He’s still raking, and the Marlins are still losing. So why isn’t Ozuna streaking up the chart? With two years of control remaining, and the Marlins working on a franchise sale, it’s not clear how available he’ll be.
14. J.D. Martinez, OF, Tigers (LR: NR): It is perhaps even less clear that Martinez will be available — your guess on how the AL Central will look on July 31st is as good as mine — but he’d arguably be the top available rental piece if he is. Martinez has mashed since returning from the DL and as a bonus has improved his defensive metrics after an ugly 2016.
15. David Phelps, SP/RP, Marlins (LR: NR): Though the 30-year-old doesn’t have the same sparkly ERA he did last year, he’s still humming along with 9.8 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 through 32 innings and is averaging nearly 95 mph with his four-seamer. With just a $4.6MM salary and another year of control remaining, Phelps should deliver a good bit of value.
16. Ryan Madson, RP, Athletics (LR: 13): The aging veteran keeps performing at a quality rate as the A’s bring up the rear in the AL West, making it seem rather likely that the rest of his contract will be shipped out at the deadline.
17. Jaime Garcia, SP, Braves (LR: NR): The 30-year-old southpaw just missed the first iteration of this list and has turned in some impressive results since. He does have an impressive track record, and his excellent groundball rates help to offset his marginal strikeout rate, but it’d be a surprise if he can maintain his current 3.16 ERA.
18. A.J. Ramos, RP, Marlins (LR: 11): Six straight clean appearances have Ramos looking better, but his 13 walks and 3.92 ERA through 20 2/3 innings on the year have hardly boosted his trade stock.
19. Tony Watson & Juan Nicasio, RP, Pirates (LR: 7, NR): Watson tumbled out of the closer role and down this list. The 32-year-old still looks like a potential target for teams interested in late-inning lefties, given his longer record of success, though his skyrocketing susceptibility to the long ball since the start of 2016 is cause for concern. Before his own hiccups tonight, Nicasio had been off to an outstanding start. It’s anyone’s guess how the Bucs will handle the deadline, but if they were willing to deal Mark Melancon last year, they’ll likely be willing to deal these two pitchers in 2017.
21. Lorenzo Cain (OF), Mike Moustakas (3B) & Eric Hosmer (1B), Royals (LR: 2; 15, 15): Cain is on a sudden hot streak in the power department while Moose and Hoz have turned it on since our first listing. But the group is falling. This is still quite a nice group of chips, but I’m sliding all the KC players down the list for the same reason: the Royals are on the move of late and the AL Central remains tightly packed, making a “hold” scenario seem increasingly plausible.
24. Lucas Duda (1B) & Jay Bruce (OF), Mets: The Mets are in a really funny spot. Unlike some underperforming central-division teams, New York is looking up at a huge divisional gap. And there’s just as much space in the NL wild card hunt. At the same time, the injury picture could begin to look much better and the club may have a hard time explaining even a limited sell-off to fans.
26. Drew Storen, RP, Reds (LR: 30): He’s less than thirty years old, doesn’t cost much, and has been mostly effective despite diminished velocity. Storen isn’t a late-inning option anymore for a first-division team, but could deepen a lot of pens.
27. Sean Doolittle, RP, Athletics; Addison Reed, RP, Mets; Justin Wilson, RP, Tigers; Kelvin Herrera, RP, Royals (LR: INJ, NR, NR, 6): Availability is the overriding question for these high-octane relievers. Doolittle is cheap and controllable, plus his trade value is questionable given his frequent health issues. The others will only be available if their teams fail to make it back into the postseason picture, though there’s a real possibility of that occurring in all cases.
31. Jason Vargas, SP, Royals (LR: 10): As predicted, his earned run average has risen since the first time we did this list … skyrocketing from 2.03 to 2.10. Well then. As with the other KC pieces, the ranking reflects the changing dynamics in the standings.
32. Edinson Volquez, SP, Marlins (LR: NR): The 33-year-old has mostly been solid despite an unsightly walk rate (4.8 per nine) and, yes, he did just throw a no-hitter. His best qualities — durability and velocity — could hold appeal to a contender that desires rotation depth and can envision some creative postseason usage (perhaps piggybacking Volquez with another suboptimal starter). He’s earning a total of $22MM this year and next.
33. Clayton Richard, SP, Padres (LR: NR): The veteran costs nothing and is pitching like a solid back-end starter, so there’s some real function here for the right organization. It’s tough to imagine a huge return for the 33-year-old, but the fact that he’s a lefty with multi-inning ability does also make him a rather useful postseason roster piece.
34. Jeff Samardzija, SP, Giants (LR: NR): Look behind the 4.31 ERA — before tonight’s shellacking at Coors Field — and there are some eye-popping numbers. Entering today’s action Shark was carrying 10.5 K/9 against just 1.3 BB/9. Scouts have always loved him, and he’s showing why in 2017 even if the results still haven’t always been there. The 32-year-old is owed $18MM annually through 2020, which is hardly an all-time bargain but does seem like less than he’d likely command if he re-entered the market after the year. It’s worth bearing in mind that Samardzija can block deals to all but eight (currently unknown) teams, though, and it’s not entirely clear the Giants will be looking to move him with the club looking forward to several possible rotation openings next year.
35. Johnny Cueto, SP, Giants (LR: NR): Somewhat like his rotation-mate, the 31-year-old is lagging in the ERA department(4.57) but is in normal levels in most areas. That said, his velo is down a smidge and he’s suffering from a rising home-run rate (1.66 per nine with 18.4% HR/FB) and diving groundball rate (39.6%). If those normalize, he’ll look much like the top-line hurler he usually is. Still, his trade situation — and value — is greatly complicated by the opt-out clause in his contract. If he pitches well and stays healthy through the end of the year, Cueto will almost surely leave via free agency. If not, he could hang a $87MM obligation on another organization.
36. Joakim Soria, RP, Royals (LR: 12): Though he has yet to give up a home run this year,and has 35 strikeouts in his first 27 innings, the veteran righty owns a 3.67 ERA after a few rough outings.
37. Andrew McCutchen (OF) & Gerrit Cole (SP), Pirates (LR: 24, NR): Since his OPS cratered at .630 in mid-May, Cutch has driven his season’s batting line all the way back up to .255/.331/.456. That’s still more consistent with his down 2016 season than his outstanding prior results, but it’s a clear uptick. As for the staff ace, it’s hard to see Cole being dealt for anything other than a haul, though it’s equally difficult to imagine a contender paying top dollar if he isn’t pitching his best — which, so far, he has not. Generally, though, while the Pirates have clawed back toward competitiveness in an underwhelming NL Central, that doesn’t mean the Bucs won’t consider a deal.
39. Yangervis Solarte, INF, Padres (LR: NR): He’s playing better of late after an ugly start. The affordable contract and some versatility increase the appeal here. Then again, given that the Padres only just extended him, perhaps the club will prefer to keep him around unless there’s a really worthwhile offer.
40. Bud Norris, RP, Angels (LR: NR): Relievers are the easiest and most obvious pieces to move at the deadline. Norris has never been better since moving into the closer’s role, creating a circumstance where the Halos might be able to add something to a still-shallow farm system without drastically altering their MLB roster — particularly given the presence of some viable alternative closers in the organization.
41. Jarrod Dyson, OF, Mariners (LR: NR): Dyson is a speed demon whose value is greatest in a late-season/postseason scenario, when teams don’t need utility infielders and middle relievers so much as they do players who can impact the game in the field and on the bases in high-leverage situations. As with Norris, then, he’s among the more likely players to be dealt from the rosters of the three teams currently hovering around .500 in the AL West. None of those clubs is likely to catch the Astros, but all could compete for the wild card; for now, at least, only Norris and Dyson are likely and valuable enough trade pieces to make it into the top fifty.
42. Matt Kemp & Nick Markakis, OF, Braves (LR: 27 (tie)): Neither figures to have immense appeal — Kemp is dinged up and remains a defensive question mark, while Markakis is just a league-average hitter — and the Braves may just hold pat.
44. Daniel Nava, OF, Phillies (LR: NR): Nava carries an intriguing .310/.422/.464 batting line with lots of walks (14.6% BB rate) and few strikeouts (17.6% K rate) through 102 plate appearances. While the upside is limited, he could hold some interest as a bench bat and it’s pretty easy to imagine him changing hands.
45. Brandon Phillips, 2B, Braves (LR: NR): If you assume that his .342 BABIP will come back to earth, Phillips looks like much the same player — slightly below-average hitter but otherwise a solid veteran — he has been in recent years. The soon-to-be-36-year-old could hold appeal as a platoon or bench piece with the right team. With Jace Peterson and Ozzie Albies waiting at Triple-A, the Braves may end up preferring to move on from Phillips, whose salary is being paid almost entirely by the Reds.
46. Kurt Suzuki, C, Braves (LR: NR): While Tyler Flowers is the one with the eye-opening stat line, that seems to make it more likely that Atlanta will hold onto him and pick up his 2018 option. The respected but limited Suzuki could be an easy option if a contender needs to fill a gap behind the dish.
47. Derek Holland, SP, White Sox (LR: 29): Holland has allowed just one earned run in three of his last five starts. In the other two, though, he was tagged for a total of 14.
48. Alex Cobb, SP, Rays (LR: 22): Tampa Bay is still firmly in contention, and the team has now lost a key rotation piece in Matt Andriese. Even if those facts remain the same in late July, there’s a chance Cobb will be marketed.
49. Raisel Iglesias, RP, Reds (LR: NR): There’s no particular reason for the Reds to push to trade Iglesias, but surely they have at least thought about what they’d need to part with a high-quality player who is also a reliever with added injury risk.
50. Hunter Strickland, RP, Giants (LR: NR): The high-powered, hot-tempered righty hasn’t exactly been at his best, with nearly double last year’s walk rate even as his ERA sits at an excellent 2.08, but his power arsenal would surely hold appeal. And if he has worn out his welcome a bit through the Bryce Harper beaning incident, then perhaps the Giants will see fit to move him.
Falling Out
Anthony Swarzak, RP, White Sox (LR: 17): Since his fantastic first month and a half, Swarzak has come back to earth in terms of peripherals and results.
Ian Kennedy, SP, Royals (LR: 21): Beyond the general Royals assessment noted above, a few rough outings reduce the likelihood that Kennedy will opt out of his deal — or hold sufficient appeal to contenders to move the remainder of that contract. (At the exact moment this post is going up, though, he’s through five perfect innings in his current start.)

[Otters27]

Watched Aaron Judge bat today. Id be scared to pitch to that guy.

[koz-man]

The Nationals and Mets are a noncompetitive fight right now. The Nationals won Friday's round easily, on the strength of 10 strikeouts (for the 5th straight start) from Max Scherzer and home runs from Anthony Rendon, Matt Wieters and Michael Taylor. Scherzer was without his best slider, but still made the Mets look meek with a dominant fastball.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

The Nationals and Mets are a noncompetitive fight right now. The Nationals won Friday's round easily, on the strength of 10 strikeouts (for the 5th straight start) from Max Scherzer and home runs from Anthony Rendon, Matt Wieters and Michael Taylor. Scherzer was without his best slider, but still made the Mets look meek with a dominant fastball.

most everything has gone wrong for the Mets this year...

[mr. leisure]

4 (tie). Sonny Gray, SP, Athletics (LR: 25): The roller coaster ride continues for Gray and the A’s, but it has been more good than bad. His fastball velocity and swinging-strike rate both sit at career-high levels, and ERA estimators feel he has been unlucky to allow 4.44 earned per nine thus far. With the A’s seemingly preparing for a sell-off, and pitchers like Quintana and Gerrit Cole struggling, things are trending toward a possible deal

If I needed a pitcher I would trade for Sonny Gray .

[Cross]

I like Rizzo batting leadoff.

1. It is fun and he is digging it.
2. He gets more at bats.
3. He sees so many pitches and makes the pitcher work hard.
4. Leadoff dingers are never a bat thing.

[Chi_archie]

Can't believe Rizzo was inches away from making it 3 games in a row last night

[stevenash]

Watched Aaron Judge bat today. Id be scared to pitch to that guy.

I'd be scared to be sitting in the bleachers watching him hit.

[yisman]

Scherzer was ridiculously lucky last night not to have gotten battered


two diving catches from his OFs in key spots plus I think he got bailed out by four double plays

[EmpireMaker]

The AL West rival Astros and Athletics are mutually interested in making a trade that would involve Oakland right-hander Sonny Gray, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The last-place A’s have been closely monitoring the Astros’ system, per Cafardo, during a period in which Houston’s four best starters (Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers, Charlie Morton and Collin McHugh) are on the disabled list. Gray, who would likely slot in third in a healthy Astros rotation, is only running a 4.44 ERA through 52 2/3 innings, but his secondary stats are encouraging and he’s under control via arbitration through 2019. As such, he’d warrant a strong return for the A’s.
More rumblings from Cafardo as the trade deadline approaches:

• If the Marlins place right fielder Giancarlo Stanton on the trade block in the coming months, the NL East rival Phillies would be a sensible landing spot, opines Cafardo. The cellar-dwelling Phillies are a big-market team with the money and the prospects to swing a deal for Stanton (who’s due nearly $300MM over the final 10 years of his contract), observes Cafardo. Stanton has a full no-trade clause, though, so there’s no guarantee he’d approve a deal to Philadelphia or anywhere else. Further complicating matters, Cafardo has heard that the Phillies would “need” to acquire fellow Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich in a deal involving Stanton. Even though Yelich is under control for reasonable prices through the 2022 campaign, he could end up on the block.
• Given that they’re five games back in their division and 10.5 out of a wild-card spot, the Cardinals don’t look like surefire buyers at the moment. Nevertheless, a pair of right-handed-hitting right fielders – the Tigers’ J.D. Martinez and the White Sox’s Avisail Garcia – have been frequently linked to the Redbirds this year, relays Cafardo. Martinez, a free agent-to-be who’s on an $11.75MM salary, is hitting a torrid .310/.398/.681 with 11 home runs in 133 plate appearances for the scuffling Tigers. Garcia, who’s much cheaper than Martinez ($3MM) and under control through 2019, is in the midst of a career year (.337/.378/.549 with 10 HRs in 262 PAs) for the soon-to-sell White Sox.
• The Red Sox have “limited” interest in signing free agent third baseman Jhonny Peralta to a minor league contract, reports Cafardo. Peralta has been available since St. Louis released him Tuesday, which came after more than a year of subpar production from the once-steady veteran. Peralta would give the Red Sox yet another flawed hot corner option, though he is familiar with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who was the general manager in Detroit during Peralta’s run there from 2010-13.
• Phillies left fielder Howie Kendrick will intrigue both the Red Sox and Yankees if he’s able to play third, writes Cafardo. Kendrick has a bit of experience there (18 games), but the 33-year-old primarily lined up at second base before switching to the outfield. Regardless of whether a move to third is on the horizon, the righty-swinging Kendrick has emerged as a likely trade chip for rebuilding Philadelphia, suggests Cafardo (and as MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk and Jeff Todd have recently noted). Kendrick isn’t cheap ($10MM), but the impending free agent has helped his stock with a .324/.383/.467 line in 115 PAs.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

I like Rizzo batting leadoff.

1. It is fun and he is digging it.
2. He gets more at bats.
3. He sees so many pitches and makes the pitcher work hard.
4. Leadoff dingers are never a bat thing.

of course you like it because you blindly accept anything the Cubs do..having a power hitter with no speed batting leadoff is a dumb move and robs him of RBI opportunities.. solo homers are nice but I prefer 3 run shots..

[Otters27]

Cubs need to find a true leadoff hitter

[Chi_archie]

Cubs need to find a true leadoff hitter

\

I heard Rickey Henderson was mulling coming back

[Cross]

He will get plenty of RBI opportunities, just not in the first inning.

[koz-man]

Kris Bryant gets his second day off of the weekend as he's been struggling at the plate lately having struck out in his last five at-bats. Tommy La Stella will play third base while Joe Maddon inserts catcher Willson Contreras into the 3 hole for the first time this season.

Anthony Rizzo leads off again. He's been on-base to start a game in 4 straight. Javy Baez starts at SS.

[mr. leisure]

Tanaka now has a 6.34 ERA on the season though, which ranks 80th among the 82 pitchers with enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. Only Bronson Arroyo (7.01 ERA) and Kevin Gausman (6.60 ERA) have been worse.

[Cross]

Rizzo with leadoff double, now 5-5 at getting on base in leadoff role w 2 HRs, double, single, and a walk. Peavy rethinking his stance as we speak, lol.