[JMobile]

Yeah, I loved them on the movie Major League. Hoping Pedro Cerrano makes an appearance with his warm bats this postseason. Kinda selling out to All State Insurance at the moment though.

Lol, best comical MLB movie

[Chi_archie]

love pedro in major league

[jrgum3]

Albert "Joey" Belle was quite a hitter there for a stretch..

Yeah he was a monster for sure. His career didn't last long but he did have some incredible numbers there for the Tribe.

[EmpireMaker]

The Mets issued an official statement on Starling Marte’s fractured right middle finger, saying that a recent CT scan “showed improved healing,” and that the center fielder “will continue baseball activities as tolerated.” This counts as good news, considering that Marte had to halt his first try at baseball activities last week, due to continued discomfort in his finger. Marte hasn’t played since his finger was hit by a Mitch Keller pitch on September 6.

It remains to be seen if Marte will be able to make it back before the end of the regular season, let alone by his stated target date of Friday, when New York begins a critical three-game series with the Braves that could decide the NL East. The Mets have continued to play well (a 12-6 record) since Marte was last in the lineup, but obviously having the All-Star center fielder back will boost the Mets’ chances of both capturing the division and potentially winning the World Series. There hasn’t yet been any indication that Marte could miss any postseason action, but he’ll have less time to heal if the Mets have to settle for a wild card, and don’t receive a first-round bye.
More from the National League…

• The Cardinals announced that Miles Mikolas and Jose Quintana will start on Tuesday and Wednesday in the team’s two-game series against the Brewers. A sweep would clinch the NL Central for St. Louis, who have a commanding 6.5-game lead over Milwaukee but naturally want to get the division fully settled before looking ahead to the playoffs. Since the Cardinals are a virtual lock to be the NL’s third seed, they’ll have to play in the wild card round, thus giving manager Oliver Marmol a lot to consider about how to best line up his postseason rotation. Basically, everything is still to be decided, Marmol told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other reporters, including the possibility that the Cards might opt with something close to a standard five-man rotation (assuming they advance past the wild card series, of course). The recent of struggles of Jordan Montgomery and Adam Wainwright — who is also battling a “dead arm” — have also added to the discussion, and St. Louis also has two remaining off-days in the regular season schedule.
• In other Cardinals updates, Marmol told MLB.com’s John Denton and other reporters that it may be possible for both Jordan Hicks and Tyler O’Neill to be activated from the injured list before the postseason. Hicks hasn’t pitched since September 14 due to neck spasms and fatigue in his right arm, but he is set to begin a throwing program on Tuesday. O’Neill will also begin a running program on Wednesday, as he trise to make it back from a hamstring strain that sent him to the 10-day IL on September 17.
• Oneil Cruz made two errors in the Pirates’ 8-3 loss to the Cubs today, giving the rookie shortstop 15 errors over 73 games this season at the position. It made for some unfortunate timing for Pirates GM Ben Cherington, who said in his pregame radio interview (hat tip to Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) that “I see no reason why [Cruz] can’t play shortstop at high level at the major-league level. I believe he can do it. Time will tell. And he’ll tell us.” Evaluators have long been skeptical about whether or not the 6’7″ Cruz will eventually need a position change, though for the rebuilding Pirates, there really isn’t any reason for the team to not give Cruz a long look at shortstop before deciding if a change is necessary. Cruz has also played in a handful of games in left field in the minors (and one game in left field in the bigs), which seems like it would be his eventual fallback position if he can’t stick at shortstop.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Yeah he was a monster for sure. His career didn't last long but he did have some incredible numbers there for the Tribe.

Without knowing anything about it, I'd say he probably was a juicer.

I do remember he had a short temper and bad attitude.

[Otters27]

Without knowing anything about it, I'd say he probably was a juicer.

I do remember he had a short temper and bad attitude.

Was Jim Thome a Juicer?

[Cross]

Everyone was juicing.

[Stallion]

A lot of guys were juicing during the Jim Thome Era.

[jrgum3]

A lot of guys were juicing during the Jim Thome Era.

Maybe so but many of those guys were fun to watch hit a baseball. Steroids or no steroids many of these guys were already great hitters to begin with.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Padres magic number is 6..will they blow it?

[Stallion]

Maybe so but many of those guys were fun to watch hit a baseball. Steroids or no steroids many of these guys were already great hitters to begin with.

Yes, baseball isn't as good as it was during the steroid Era.

[Cross]

Need baseball to finish so we can get hot stove going again.

[EmpireMaker]

Red Sox infielder Trevor Story has only played 94 games this season due to various injuries and doesn’t have much time left to add to that total. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports that the earliest Story could come back from the IL is the club’s final series against the Rays, which begins October 3.
Story’s health won’t impact the 2022 season at this point as the club is eliminated from postseason contention, but it will be significant for the 2023 club. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts can opt out of his contract this offseason and is widely expected to do so. Boston will then have to decide on what their middle infield plan is for next year. Extension talks in the spring reportedly didn’t make any progress and Rob Bradford of WEEI relays word from Bogaerts that talks haven’t picked back up as of yet.
The club could theoretically move Story back to shortstop, where he played for years while with the Rockies, and then give second base to Christian Arroyo, Enrique Hernandez, Yu Chang or someone else. However, that plan will come with some uncertainty. Story dealt with shoulder issues in 2021, making 11 throwing errors that year. Some in the industry felt he was better suited to second base, which is where the Sox have had him this year. He seems to have taken well to the position change, racking up five Defensive Runs Saved and 10 Outs Above Average despite barely playing half a season. If the club decides that Story has found a good home at the keystone, they would then have to figure out who’s taking over at short.
Some other tidbits from the AL Beast…

• The Yankees could activate DJ LeMahieu from the IL tomorrow, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “We’re about at that point of, let’s go give this thing a go,” manager Aaron Boone tells Hoch. LeMahieu has been out of action for more than three weeks due to a toe injury, which put a halt to another fine season at the plate for the 34-year-old. He’s hit .262/.358/.381 for a wRC+ of 117 while providing quality defense at first, second and third base. All told, he’s produced three wins above replacement in the eyes of FanGraphs, making this the eighth straight season of him getting to 1.9 fWAR or higher. The Yankees have already clinched a spot in the playoffs and are virtually guaranteed to finish atop the AL East and earn a bye past the first round. If LeMahieu is indeed able to rejoin the team tomorrow, he will have a week to get some at-bats and get back into game shape before the regular season concludes.
• Rays outfielder Roman Quinn has joined the Triple-A Durham Bulls to begin a rehab assignment, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Quinn played well in 21 games for the Rays, hitting .262/.340/.305 for a wRC+ of 121 before landing on the IL due to a knee contusion. He hasn’t hit for much in the majority of his time in the big leagues but has always been useful due to his speed and defense. The Rays are likely headed for the postseason as they currently hold the second AL Wild Card spot and could potentially find Quinn’s skillset to be useful off the bench.
• The Blue Jays fired Charlie Montoyo from his manager role earlier this year and gave John Schneider the position on an interim basis. The Jays have generally fared well since the move, going 41-25 since he was pushed up to the top job in the dugout. That might be enough for the club to simply remove the “interim” tag for next season, though a final decision is not being made public just yet. “He’s certainly a long-term fit,” general manager Ross Atkins tells Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, though also indicating they will make a formal decision at a later date. Matheson opines that Schneider will be sticking around, though it seems official proclamations will have to wait.

[jrgum3]

Need baseball to finish so we can get hot stove going again.

Yeah this year we will have plenty of hot stove discussion since the start of next season will happen on time. I can't wait to see what teams do this offseason because there are some big name free agents available for next year.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Yeah this year we will have plenty of hot stove discussion since the start of next season will happen on time. I can't wait to see what teams do this offseason because there are some big name free agents available for next year.

Rodon likely walks, who are you hoping to sign this offseason?

[Otters27]

Mets and Braves and Brewers and Phillies are the main races in the closing days. Tough loss for Brewers last night

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Mets and Braves and Brewers and Phillies are the main races in the closing days. Tough loss for Brewers last night

Looks like my Padres will make the dance and actually playing some decent ball the past few weeks.

Machado MVP chatter heating up recently, I feel like he is truly the most valuable player to any team this season forget the stats. His leadership has been a nice surprise.

I was not a fan of his when the Padres signed him due to his dirty reputation but he has been a great leader and teammate and consummate professional.

[Stallion]

Do the Yankees and Cards rest players after clinching last night??

[JMobile]

Looks like my Padres will make the dance and actually playing some decent ball the past few weeks.

Machado MVP chatter heating up recently, I feel like he is truly the most valuable player to any team this season forget the stats. His leadership has been a nice surprise.

I was not a fan of his when the Padres signed him due to his dirty reputation but he has been a great leader and teammate and consummate professional.

Machado sure is playing like an MVP. Freeman also putting up numbers.

[jrgum3]

Rodon likely walks, who are you hoping to sign this offseason?

I doubt it happens but I'd like to see the Giants go after Judge. They'd have to break the bank but they need to make a splash in free agency like they did in the offseason of 92 when they went out and got Barry Bonds. I hope they get him but if they don't I hope they add some power to their lineup depending on who's available.

[EmpireMaker]

The Angels are selecting the contract of top catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe to the big leagues and designating outfielder Magneuris Sierra for assignment in a corresponding move, per MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (Twitter link). O’Hoppe will start behind the plate for the Halos today in his MLB debut.
O’Hoppe, 22, was acquired in the swap that sent center fielder Brandon Marsh to the Phillies prior to the trade deadline. The former 23rd-round find immediately became the Angels’ top-ranked prospect, thanks to a meteoric rise through the minors in 2021-22. O’Hoppe opened the season with the Phillies’ Double-A affiliate and hit .275/.392/.496 with 15 homers through 316 plate appearances in that pitcher-friendly environment, but he’s been even better with the Halos’ Double-A club: .306/.473/.673 and 11 homers in 131 plate appearances. Currently, O’Hoppe is ranked as baseball’s No. 50 prospect at FanGraphs, No. 66 at MLB.com and No. 77 at Baseball America.
Strikeouts were an issue for O’Hoppe early in his minor league career, but he’s curbed those tendencies quite well, going from a 27.7% strikeout rate in 2019 to just a 16.6% clip in Double-A this season. That improved discipline is also made apparent by a huge 15.7% walk rate. He’s walked nearly as often this season (70 times) as he’s punched out (74). The improved approach has perhaps helped O’Hoppe tap into more power, as this year’s 26 long balls and .261 isolated power (slugging percentage minus batting average) are career-highs by a wide margin. In fact, this year’s 26 homers are more than O’Hoppe had tallied in his combined professional career heading into the season (24).
Defensively, the aforementioned scouting reports tout O’Hoppe’s receiving skills, ability to block pitches in the dirt, accurate arm and quick release, calling him a potential everyday option behind the plate. With just a week of games left, it’ll be a brief cup of coffee for O’Hoppe. But the Angels would’ve needed to add him to the 40-man roster over the winter in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft anyhow, so they’ll now take the final few games of the season to take a look at a promising prospect they hope can be a foundational piece in the coming years.
O’Hoppe’s acquisition and quick rise to the Majors comes just six months into a three-year, $17.5MM extension signed by Max Stassi. The extension looked sensible enough for both parties back in March, as Stassi had long been a top-tier defender who looked to have had a late-blooming breakout at the plate when he hit .250/.333/.452 with the Angels in 2020-21. The 2022 season has been a nightmare for Stassi, though, as he’s slumped to a .182/.268/.298 output in 365 trips to the plate and seen his typically sky-high defensive marks dip to about league average.
The Angels still have Stassi signed at $7MM in each of the next two seasons, and a $500K buyout on a 2025 club option brings the total commitment to him to $14.5MM beyond the current campaign. That’ll make him a pricey backup if O’Hoppe indeed emerges as the starter, though it’s important to note that O’Hoppe still has just six career games in Triple-A — all coming late last season. It’s possible O’Hoppe will begin next season in Triple-A Salt Lake, while the Angels subsequently hope for a Stassi rebound that would give them a pair of quality options. However, it’s just as feasible that O’Hoppe unseats Stassi as the starter, and the Angels eventually look to get out from underneath the remainder of Stassi’s contract.
As for the present-day corresponding move, Sierra’s DFA comes on the heels of a .165/.200/.242 showing in 96 trips to the plate. Once a prospect of note himself, Sierra is among the game’s fastest players but has never produced enough with the bat to capitalize on his prodigious wheels. In 636 career plate appearances between the Cardinals, Marlins and Angels, he’s a .228/.273/.272 hitter. He’ll be placed on outright waivers or release waivers within the next couple of days and can become a minor league free agent at season’s end either way.

[jrgum3]

Mets and Braves and Brewers and Phillies are the main races in the closing days. Tough loss for Brewers last night

I think the Brewers can overtake the Phillies who haven't been playing good ball down the stretch. Padres make it like I've thought all along so it really comes down to that last spot which is completely up for grabs and might come down to the last day.

[Otters27]

Brewers win a must win last night. Matt bush tried to blow it

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Machado sure is playing like an MVP. Freeman also putting up numbers.

Dodgers would still be really good without Freeman.

Without Machado, the Padres are probably a sub .500 ballclub..

I doubt it happens but I'd like to see the Giants go after Judge. They'd have to break the bank but they need to make a splash in free agency like they did in the offseason of 92 when they went out and got Barry Bonds. I hope they get him but if they don't I hope they add some power to their lineup depending on who's available.

Are you willing to give him a 10+ year contract(likely what he will demand) and huge money for a guy that is over 30 years of age?

[JMobile]

Jake, do you think the Padres bullpen will survive in the WC game?

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Jake, do you think the Padres bullpen will survive in the WC game?

The bullpen is the least of their problems.

[jrgum3]

Are you willing to give him a 10+ year contract(likely what he will demand) and huge money for a guy that is over 30 years of age?

Yes imo I think you do whatever it takes to get a guy like Judge. He's an impact player and the Giants need someone like that to compete with the Dodgers and Padres so I would do it. I know that long term deals rarely work out and really hamstring you down the line in the future but I think the Giants and their fanbase demand that they win now. By getting Judge they would be legit World Series contenders next year and that's all that matters.

[Cross]

When is Tatis coming back?

[jrgum3]

Cubbies doing a pretty good job of playing spoiler down the stretch. The Phillies are in a tailspin right now but luckily for them the Brewers couldn't take advantage today. Still though that race for the last Wild Card has created the drama that MLB was looking for when they expanded the playoffs.

[EmpireMaker]

The Mets will promote catching prospect Francisco Álvarez in advance of the team’s pivotal weekend series against the Braves, reports Daniel Álvarez Montes of El ExtraBase (Twitter link). The 20-year-old is one of the sport’s best minor league talents, checking in sixth on Baseball America’s most recent Top 100 prospects list.
It’ll be the first major league call for Álvarez, who entered the professional ranks as an amateur signee out of Venezuela. One of the better prospects in the 2018-19 international signing period, the 5’10” backstop has only raised his stock in pro ball. He hit very well in rookie ball during his first minor league season, but he lost a year of game action with the cancelation of the minors in 2020. Álvarez opened the ’21 campaign in Low-A but quickly proved himself far too advanced for the level, and he spent most of the year in High-A.
Álvarez hit .247/.351/.538 with 22 home runs in 84 games at that level, astonishing production for a 19-year-0ld catcher. It vaulted him near the top of prospect lists entering this season, with Álvarez cracking the preseason top 15 at Baseball America, The Athletic, ESPN and FanGraphs. He opened the year at Double-A Binghamton and connected on another 18 round-trippers in 67 games. His overall .277/.368/.553 line across 296 plate appearances earned him a bump to Triple-A Syracuse in early July.

The minors’ top level has given Álvarez his toughest challenge to date, but he’s still generally held his own. Over 199 plate appearances there, he carries a .234/.382/.443 slash with another nine homers. He’s striking out at a career-worst 26.1% clip, contributing to the mediocre batting average, but the rest of his profile has remained strong. Álvarez has walked in a stellar 17.1% of his trips to the plate there, and he’s collected six doubles in addition to the longballs.
Between the two upper levels, Álvarez owns a .260/.374/.511 line with 27 homers and 22 doubles over 495 plate appearances this season. That excellent showing has been enough to convince the Mets front office he can hold his own against big league arms, even at his age. Installing him into a pennant race and directly in advance of the Mets’ biggest regular season series of the year is a strong show of faith, but Álvarez has performed well at every rung on the ladder thus far.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the club is likely to break him as a right-handed option at designated hitter. The Mets acquired Darin Ruf from the Giants at the trade deadline in hopes he could fill that role, but that acquisition hasn’t yet panned out. Ruf has a putrid .152/.216/.197 line in 29 games as a Met. He hit a serviceable .216/.328/.373 in 314 plate appearances before the trade, but his struggles since landing in Queens have led to some questions about how manager Buck Showalter will use the DH role. Fellow deadline acquisition Daniel Vogelbach has excelled since coming over from the Pirates and will continue to pick up the playing time against right-handed pitching. Álvarez gives Showalter an alternative to the struggling Ruf for at-bats against left-handers.
It doesn’t seem likely he’ll step directly in as the primary catcher, however. The Mets have veteran James McCann as the starter, with Tomás Nido backing him up. McCann is hitting only .190/.256/.264 in 180 plate appearances, his second straight down year offensively. The veteran has rated as a slightly above-average defender, and he’s drawn strong reviews for his work with the pitching staff. Sending Álvarez behind the plate for the final few games of the season is more than the front office and coaching staff appears to be comfortable with, particularly given McCann’s longstanding familiarity with the staff.
Scouting reports on Álvarez have long suggested he’s more of a bat-first catcher. That’s largely a testament to his offensive potential, but evaluators have expressed some concern about his defense. BA’s scouting report notes that he’s had some inconsistency as a pitch framer and ball blocker. The outlet also suggests that Álvarez’s plus raw arm strength can play down because of some flaws in his throwing mechanics.
There’s general optimism that Álvarez can eventually iron out those concerns and become at least a competent defender. That’s more of a long-term question, though. The immediate pressing issue for the Mets is whether he can make an impact offensively. New York enters the weekend set holding a one-game advantage over Atlanta. New York would also hold the tiebreaker over the Braves if they can take even one of the three contests, so they’d head into next week at the top of the division unless they get swept. Securing their first NL East title since 2015 would come with a corresponding first-round bye, making these final six contests crucial.
Álvarez’s promotion for such important regular season games raises the possibility he’ll also crack the postseason roster. Only players on a team’s 40-man roster by September 1 are automatically eligible to partake in the playoffs. However, players in an organization but not on the 40-man by September 1 can be added to a playoff roster in place of someone on the injured list via petition to the commissioner’s office. That situation is fairly common every postseason, so the Mets shouldn’t have much issue getting Álvarez onto the playoff roster if they desire.
New York will have to add him to their 40-man roster before tomorrow evening’s game. Their roster is currently full, so they’ll need to make a corresponding transaction. He’d have been added to the 40-man after the season anyhow to keep him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft, so there’s little harm in bringing him up a few weeks early. Álvarez will collect his first few days of major league service but won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2028 season at the earliest. His fastest path to arbitration-eligibility is after the 2025 campaign, and it’s certainly possible he’ll spend more time in the minors polishing up his defense and at least delaying his free agency trajectory.
In the meantime, Mets fans will get their first glimpse at a player they hope to be a key piece of the franchise’s future. McCann is under contract for two more seasons, due $12.15MM annually through 2024. It stands to reason Álvarez will have an opportunity to supplant him on the depth chart at some point next year. For now, he’ll get his feet in the majors as a bat-first option for the stretch run — with some postseason action perhaps on the horizon.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Yes imo I think you do whatever it takes to get a guy like Judge. He's an impact player and the Giants need someone like that to compete with the Dodgers and Padres so I would do it. I know that long term deals rarely work out and really hamstring you down the line in the future but I think the Giants and their fanbase demand that they win now. By getting Judge they would be legit World Series contenders next year and that's all that matters.

Giants need a heck of a lot more than Judge to be "legit" WS contenders...just my .02

[Cross]

No way Yankees don’t keep Judge.

[jrgum3]

[/B]Giants need a heck of a lot more than Judge to be "legit" WS contenders...just my .02

One guy like Judge can change an entire teams fortunes. Besides if you look at the Giants right now they are playing pretty good ball down the stretch with the guys they have if they can keep some of them around and add a couple of impact free agents I see no reason why they can't at least make the playoffs. Once you make the playoffs anything can happen as they've shown in the past.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

One guy like Judge can change an entire teams fortunes. Besides if you look at the Giants right now they are playing pretty good ball down the stretch with the guys they have if they can keep some of them around and add a couple of impact free agents I see no reason why they can't at least make the playoffs. Once you make the playoffs anything can happen as they've shown in the past.

Rodon is likely gone if you sign Judge, now the starting staff is weaker.

Judge would certainly help but I'm not sure he would make you jump ahead of Milw, stl, sd and a few other teams. He has had trouble staying on the field in his career as well.

[Chi_archie]

No way Yankees don’t keep Judge.

we shall see