#Yankees need Trevor Story

[optimistredsox]

25 Aug, LAD @ BOS, 7-4, loss

Blowing a three run lead sucks. Baserunning mistakes suck. A normally good pitcher in relief suddenly sucking sucks. I'm sure there are a few people out there, myself included that would have liked to take the four runs we scored in the ninth against Houston on Thursday and pop into the bottom of the ninth last night. We didn't need those extra four runs. We still would've won 13-1. But that is, quite obviously, not how baseball works. It would be pretty weird if it was how baseball worked. Do I want to lament Pivetta's poor outing? Not really. Do I want to dwell on Connor Wong not realising that Tristan Casas, great hitter that he is, is not fast on the bases? No. Does it annoy me that we had more hits and made fewer errors than the Dodgers and yet still lost? Yes. So let's look at the bright sides.

Kutter Crawford was good. He went five, gave up two runs on four hits and struck out seven.

Dugie hit another leadoff homer. Two in a row! That's pretty cool. He was 3-for-5 with that solo dinger being both his only run scored and only RBI.

Trevor Story had a two-run bomb in the second. He went two-for-four with that dinger being his 2 RBIs and one run scored.

Tristan Casas had a couple of hits and scored a run.

Raffy Devers also had a couple of hits and scored a run.

We lost, but so did a bunch of other folks so we didn't fall in the Wild Card standings.

The Yankees might've won last night but they're still four games under .500 and still suck.

We can get 'em tonight.

[twins2994]

Boston Red Sox-Minnesota Twins Series Preview

6.19.23-James Paxton LHP (2-1) 3.09 ERA Vs. Pablo Lopez RHP (3-3) 4.27 ERA

6.20.23-Kutter Crawford RHP (1-3) 4.20 ERA Vs. Bailey Ober RHP (4-3) 2.65 ERA

6.21.23-Garrett Whitlock RHP (4-2) 5.38 ERA Vs. Sonny Gray RHP (4-1) 2.37 ERA

6.22.23-TBA Vs. Joe Ryan RHP (7-4) 3.30 ERA

The Red Sox At A Glance- The Red Sox are riding high after winning the last four games of a homestand. They swept the Yankees over the weekend, including a doubleheader on Sunday. Boston is now (37-35) and sit 12.5 games behind Tampa Bay for first in the American League East. The Sox are a little beat up. Chris Sales has a stress reaction in his left scapula, Trevor Story is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and Tanner Houck suffered a facial fracture on Friday night. Masataka Yoshida is having a good first year in MLB. He is hitting .308 with seven homers and thirty-six RBI. Rafael Devers leads the team with seventeen homers and fifty-seven knocked in. The offense hasn’t been the problem for Boston. The Red Sox starting staff owns a 4.95 ERA, which ranks 25th in baseball. The Sox bullpen has a 3.93 ERA, which is in the middle of the pack. James Paxton has been their most consistent starter with a 3.09 ERA. Chris Martin has a 2.08 ERA, John Schreiber has struck out twenty-one over seventeen innings, and Brennan Bernadino has a 2.66 ERa. Kenley Jansen has locked down fifteen saves. 

The Twins At A Glance- The Twins had their most disappointing series of the year this past weekend. The Tigers had won one game in June and took three of four from the Twins. The Twins still sit at (36-36) and 2.5 games ahead of the Indians for first place somehow. Byron Buxton is 0-for-his-last-21, Joey Gallo is hitting .133 over his past fifteen games, and Max Kepler is hitting .130 over his last twenty games. The offense has been sputtering at times. They seem to either score ten runs or scrape together two or three. Donovan Solano has been the most consistent hitter with a .284 average. The Twins pitching staff allowed twenty-one runs to the Tigers and that includes the shutout on Saturday. Kenta Maeda should be back soon and Louie Varland appears to get send down to make room following his struggles. Jorge Lopez was put on the restricted list due to mental health reasons. Hopefully he can get his mind right as the team looks for more bullpen help. 

What To Watch For- The Red Sox took two of three games from the Twins at Fenway Park in April. The Twins took two of three from the Red Sox in the last series between the two clubs at Target Field in late-August. James Paxton is (3-1) with a 2.27 ERA in six starts against the Twins. Pablo Lopez has never faced the Red Sox. Bailey Ober has not allowed an earned run over eleven innings of work against the Sox. Kutter Crawford has given up nine runs over six innings against the Twins. Garrett Whitlock has a 3.86 ERA in his career against the Twins. Sonny Gray is (1-7) with a 6.29 ERA in eleven games against Boston. Joe Ryan is (2-1) with a 4.76 ERA in three starts against the Red Sox. The Twins need to get back on track against a decent Red Sox team this week. 

-Chris Kreibich-

[weeklydoseoffeelgoodtunes]

December 31, 2022 (127)

Top 30

1. Nicky Youre- Eyes On You

2. charlieonnafriday- Enough

3. ClockClock- Someone Else

4. Leah Kate- Hot All the Time

5. George Ezra- Dance All Over Me

6. Galantis, David Guetta, MNEK- Damn

7. White Reaper- Pages

8. almost monday- sun keeps on shining

9. jxdn- Sober

10. PNAU & Troye Sivan- You Know What I Need

11. Johnny Orlando- if he wanted to he would

12. Rauw Alejandro- DIME QUIÉN????

13. Tiësto & Tate McRae- 10:35

14. Dayseeker- Without Me

15. Harry Styles- Music For a Sushi Restaurant

16. Ava Max- Christmas Without You

17. Seven Kayne & Diablo- NO SÉ XQ

18. Myke Towers & Daddy Yankee- ULALA

19. half-alive- Nobody

20. Danna Paola- XT4S1S

21. Regard & Drop G- No Love For You

22. KAROL G- Cairo

23. Anuel AA & David Guetta- Vibra

24. Tove Lo- Grapefruit

25. Aidan Bissett- I Can’t Be Your Friend

26. Ayra Starr- Rush **DEBUT**

27. YUNGBLUD- Tissues

28. Julieta Venegas- En Tu Orilla

29. Clean Bandit & Elley Duhé- Don’t Leave Me Lonely **DEBUT**

30. Trevor Daniel- Karma **DEBUT**

Close Calls

1. Forester- All I Need

2. Samantha Sánchez- Noche Fría

3. Trevor Daniel- Story

4. Seeb & Alexander Stewart- Would You Lie

5. Yandel & Feid- Yandel 150

[glitterybouquetchaos]

Yankees: Infield Shakeup Is In Order And It's About More Than Trevor Story

Yankees: Infield Shakeup Is In Order And It’s About More Than Trevor Story

The Yankees will not thrive with Gleyber Torres playing shortstop. Tyler Wade is not the answer – Trevor Story is. Make the infield moves now. The Yankees knew they had a problem with Gleyber Torres at shortstop all winter. Still, they did nothing to compensate, including a chance to sign Andrelton Simmons, who went to the Twins, where he’s hitting a robust .450 with a league-leading on-base…

[zibanejad]

bestie are the yankees beyond saving at this point

bestie, I was just about to go play animal crossing to avoid thinking about this question.

Optimistically, I'd say ehhhh no? But they have a lot to think about this off-season. Personally I'd like to fire everyone not named Matt Blake, but realistically I think they should start by getting a new hitting coach. Coming into this season the big question was the pitching other than Cole, and the pitching turned out great! No one was ready for "the entire team besides Judge and Stanton has forgotten how to hit." The de-juiced ball didn't help, especially in the beginning of the season, and regression happens, but you'd think they'd be able to adjust. I just think a new face in the hitting department would be good, like Matt Blake did for pitching, but for hitting this time.

This offseason is going to be a weird one because the CBA expires in December, and I think the labor dispute is going to get nasty, like lockout or strike nasty, so it's hard to see what will happen. Pretending there are no labor disputes though, there's still lot of questions. If they would just spend over the luxury tax they could solve a lot of their own problems. It feels like they're creating their own problems by acting like the tax threshold is a hard cap when it isn't. They're resetting the tax this year, which means they may spend over it again like they did in 2019 when they signed Cole. I hate that they're so dead set on staying under the tax, it feels like they're passing up on players who could help them by doing that.

The big names this offseason are the shortstops, and should they get one? If you sign Seager or Story, (not c*rrea, never c*rrea) what do you do with DJ, Gleyber, and Gio? Are they going to keep Luke? I don't think Rizzo comes back because he's going to want a bag and I don't think they'll pay him like that. But if they trade Luke and don't bring back Rizzo, who is the first baseman? DJ? Do you want to lose DJ's defense at second? I think the original plan at the deadline was to get Trevor Story, move Gleyber to second, and put DJ at first, so they may try to do something similar this offseason But the biggest thing here is that one of (well preferably both, obvi) DJ or Gleyber has to start producing again.

A starting rotation behind Cole would be nice. We have Taillon, Sevy, and Monty still, which are all good options, but injuries happen and there needs to be a decent #2 behind Cole. I'm pretty confident in the bullpen, but more relievers are always good to have. (In my perfect world they sign Scherzer and bring back Tanaka, while punting German and Chapman into the sun)

BUT: THE ABSOLUTE MOST CRUCIAL THING THAT MUST BE DONE IS EXTENDING AARON JUDGE. BE IT THIS WINTER OR IN SPRING TRAINING, JUDGE CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO HIT FREE AGENCY. I DON'T CARE HOW OLD HE IS OR HOW MUCH HE WANTS, JUDGE IS THEIR BEST PLAYER AND IF THEY DON'T EXTEND HIM THEY ARE DONE.

Anyway, to sum up the fucking article I've accidentally written here: they need a new hitting coach/whole new hitting philosophy to hopefully get the offense functioning again, a reliable starter behind Cole, spend over the luxury tax, and extend Aaron Judge.

[thesportssoundoff]

Playoff Droughts And Who Can Break Theirs

Joey

Baseball season is approaching and in the interest of breaking up the monotony of what figures to be a LONG and painful spring training, I wanted to take a peek whimsically while looking backwards. There's no more enjoyable story than when a team that's been excluded from the postseason dance for quite some time gets their invite. Sometimes it's years of hard work and team building and other years its due to ownership just throwing money around and sometimes? It's just a fluke luck circumstance not to be repeated for quite some time. For the sake of doing something of a bit of a project, I decided to take a brief look at teams that have not made the playoffs in over five years. I chose five years arbitrarily I suppose because to me five years or more without a playoff run is a genuine drought whereas four or less just feels like a lull regardless of expectations. Yankees fans may consider three years without the playoffs to be a drought whereas that's if anything a lull or a break in tradition. Teams that have been out of it for five years or more are teams that are either mired in long term BAD baseball or embracing mediocrity at best and so five years just felt right. Also I wanted to do it since the invent of the two game wild card but then it would be literally just three teams and nobody wants that.

Of the eight teams who have missed the playoffs for five years straight or longer, who are most likely to break that streak and join the dance? Well...

1- Philadelphia Phillies Last Playoff Appearance: 2011

Last year's darling picks, the Phillies have been out of the playoffs since 2011. For fun facts, 2011 was also the first year of the Chromebook, snapchat and the release of Elder Scrolls: Skryim. If you read this space for MMA? 2011 was the year Jon Jones beat Shogun for the LHW title, the Strikeforce HW Grand Prix started and Alistair Overeem's UFC debut. It's been a while and to the credit of Philadelphia, they've tried a multitude of ways from riding out the final years of aging veterans to rehauling their farm system to spending and spending big. It's not for a lack of trying they haven't made it back to the playoffs! Last year they seemed armed to roll through a perceived weak NL East with big names and big money across the board. Of course little did we know the Nationals would be better without Bryce Harper and the Phillies wouldn't even crack the top two of the division. Out goes Gabe Kapler and in comes Joe Girardi who will be tasked with VETERAN MANAGING his way through this ultra talented and underachieving roster that has added the likes of Zach Wheeler, Didi Gregorious as well as Andrew McCutchen who was lost early into 2019 with a torn ACL. The Phillies boast an insane line up as if Didi and Cutch are healthy and productive then you've got a core of Jean Segura, JT Realmuto, Didi, McCutchen, Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper. The rotation is pretty damn spiffy (health permitting) with Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Zach Eflin and Jake Arrieta plus flostam as a fifth if need be. The Phillies are always going to be a team that has slumps magnified and streaks glorified (such is life with Bryce Harper) but I can't see them not cracking the playoffs in some form or fashion this year. If they don't make the playoffs, we may need to try and discuss if there's some kind of a curse out there on the Phanatic.

2- Cincinnati Reds Last Playoff Appearance: 2013

Gotta admit I had no idea the Reds had a playoff cameo back in 2013. Guess that's just one of those years lost to time. Fun facts of 2013? Grand Theft Auto 5 came out that year, Yahoo purchased this hell site and the UFC brought women into the organization for the first time ever. The Reds spoke openly about wanting to spend a bit in the offseason and so they did, flexing some financial muscle with deals for Mike Moustakas, Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos to help out a lineup featuring the likes of Joey Votto, Nick Senzel and Eugenio Suarez. If the Reds are going to make a serious run of things, it'll likely be on the arms of a rejuvenated Sonny Gray, mercurial Trevor Bauer and the league's best kept secret to casual fans Luis Castillo. There's obviously going to be concerns about a team that hits a lot of dingers but strikes out a bunch and a somewhat unheralded bullpen but the Reds have power, they've gotten better and they've got a cadre of arms to flex at any time. Also? The NL Central figures to be up in the air as the Cubs seem to coast with the core they have until the rebuild comes around, the Cardinals and Brewers underwent massive changes and the Pirates figure to be flat out bad. There's never been a more clear path for the Reds to make some October noise.

3- Los Angeles Angels Last Playoff Appearance: 2014

The year is 2014. In the real world,  Colorado legalizes the purchase of wacky tobacky, selfies became "a thing" in need of forever going away and the occulus rift creates a youtube grift genre. Sports wise? The MLB struggles through record rating woes, the Cowboys finally break through in the Jason Garrett tenure with a 12-4 record, the UFC is undergoing massive upheaval as stars retire or are suspended for PEDs, Bellator hosts its first PPV which in turn leads to the ousting of Bjorn Rebney for Scott Coker and LeBron James leaves Miami to go back where it all began in Cleveland. That's the last time the Angels saw a playoff game and it's been beaten to death at this point. "WHY DON'T THE ANGELS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS DURING MIKE TROUT'S PRIME?!" is tired and done to death but for those of you who feel the same way, 2020 marks the BEST chance for that to become a fad question (or perhaps just morph into "WHY CAN'T THE BEST PLAYER IN BASEBALL WIN THE WORLD SERIES ON HIS OWN?!") since the Angels are pretty damn loaded for bare. With the Astros about to endure a pretty weird season and the A's always lurking, the Angels will roll into the year with three bonafide superstars in Anthony Rendon, Shohei Otani and Mike Trout. The pieces around them aren't bad shakes either as Andrelton Simmons is a defensive whiz, David Fletcher is one of those solid under the radar types and the rotation isn't flashy but it should be competent with minor league depth to make moves if they see a big fish out there. The Angels would've been higher up had they gotten Ross Stripling and Joc Pedersen in a deal but since that fell off, I feel like 3rd behind the Reds and Phillies is a fine spot to put them in.

4- Chicago White Sox Last Playoff Appearance: 2008

2008 will probably best be known as the year of change headlined by the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. It was the year Fidel Castro stepped down in Cuba. China got the olympics in Beijing and people were TOTALLY cool about that with nary any controversy whatsoever. Beyond that? 2008 was the year I got into MMA and that was a special time, dudes. It was also the year where the White Sox saw their last real sustained succeed with its last postseason appearance. The White Sox feel like they've been in a rebuild since pretty much the end of the Ozzie Guillen tenure and despite multiple managers, multiple attempts to figure it out, rebuilds aplenty and some damn good talent coming through the organization, it's been a rough go of it for the majority of 2010 to 2019. Put it this way, the LAST time the White Sox made the playoffs, Chris Sale was a 22 year old rookie and Paul Konerko was still an active player. They've got a chance to kick off this next decade as a bit of a sleeper team in the Central. This team can hit and one can assume that another year of development for phenom talents like Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jiminez can only help. Tim Anderson for better or worse has a style and swagger that generates attention but it is fair to remember that for at least one half a season, he was a phenomenal player worthy of the acclaim. The White Sox have tried hard to secure elite free agents (Manny Machado and Zack Wheeler) but it's been a bust so at this point it's going to be up to them to draft, develop and trade for it. It would not surprise me if the White Sox are good enough in June and July to make a big deal to try and push them over the hump and chase for the second wild card.

5- San Diego Padres Last Playoff Appearance: 2006

The Padres last made the playoffs in the year of the Nintendo Wii. Floyd Mayweather hadn't even come up with his Money Mayweather gimmick yet! Lost to baseball obscurity, the Padres had at the very least an interesting team out west. The likes of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, arguably the worst defensive outfield in the history of the universe and freakishly good young arms like Chris Paddack and Joey Luchessi at least made them fun to watch. They weren't "good" but this is a team that was still struggling to balance expensive veterans with clout (Machado, Eric Hosmer, Will Meyers) with really good young talent trying to figure things out. The Padres figure to be better with a full season of Tatis Jr, more production from guys like Hosmer and Machado plus improvements in the outfield with Tommy Pham and Trent Grisham (hold your jokes, Nats fans) figure to give this team a chance. There's a pretty good bullpen (Emilio Pagan is a sneaky nice pick up) and plenty of talent in their 26 man roster. The NL West has so much legit top talent with the D-Backs and Dodgers figuring to be really good that it's hard to make an argument for the Padres to be a playoff contender but they figure to try and trying is truly half the battle.

6- Miami Marlins Last Playoff Appearance: 2003

It's kind of a bummer that we didn't get our decennial Marlins "The fuck?" World Series win but they made up for it by giving us Jeffrey Loria and David Samson fucking things up for most of the decade leading to Derek FUCKING Jeter opting to get into the management game much to the chagrin of most folks on all sides. The Marlins are in the midst of rebuilding....again. Don't expect them to compete but they've got some good talent to at least want to see play. Brian Anderson, Caleb Smith, Jorge Alfaro and a bundle of veteran signings that will at the very least make the Marlins a fun trade partner in July will keep this team relevant. Wouldn't surprise me if the Marlins flirt with a 20 win swing from where they were last year.

7- Seattle Mariners Last Playoff Appearance: 2001

My god man. The Mariners were SO close in 2018, winning 89 games and finishing a few spots out of a Wild Card spot. As if they decided that this core couldn't do it, the Mariners went to work tearing their team apart and were rewarded with a pretty blegh squad that was once again picked apart at the deadline. To their credit they have some spiffy talent worth watching, namely the infield duo of JP Crawford and Shed Long. They’ve also got some fun young arms who might take the next step. Just don't expect them to win many games.

8- Detroit Tigers Last Playoff Appearance: 2014

The Tigers are aways away from being contenders. They're not trying to be contenders. They're in the midst of what could best be described as a multiple year rebuild after riding out the end days of the core from the start of the 2010's. They will be bad but god bless 'em for embracing it.

[newsfact]

Ranking the Yankees’ 8 best options at shortstop in 2022, from Carlos Correa to Andrelton Simmons

In the opinion of the Yankees’ decision makers, Gleyber Torres is “best served” as a second baseman from now on. And that means finding a new shortstop is an “area of need.”

Brian Cashman, the Yankees’ long-time general manager, said “we have to address it.”

MORE: Why did the Yankees keep Aaron Boone as manager?

So there you go. The Yankees are in the market for a shortstop for the 2022 season. Lucky for them, the crop of free-agent shortstops is deep this year, both with quality and quantity. Question is, will the Yankees go fishing at the top of the market? Contracts up there won’t be cheap, and there’s another thing to consider. 

Take a look at the organization’s farm system. By MLB.com’s ranking, three of the Yankees’ top seven prospects are shortstops — Anthony Volpe (No. 1), Oswald Perez (No. 3) and Trey Sweeney (No. 7). Baseball America has Volpe as the No. 22 prospect in all of baseball and Perez at No. 58. Not too shabby. MLB.com’s ETA for both prospects is 2023. 

Question is, how much do they believe in the youngsters? Enough to miss a chance at one of the best established shortstops available on the free-agent market? If they sign one of the big names, they could always move the prospects in a deal, or maybe transition the prospects to different positions. All this is to say, the Yankees have options for the future.

Let’s take a look at the most likely candidates to play short at Yankee Stadium in 2022. 

1. Carlos Correa

Offseason status: Free agent

Why he fits: Correa is seen as a villain, sure. That’s probably never going to change, at least in the eyes of some fans after that Astros sign-stealing scandal. But he’s one hell of a ballplayer and he just turned 27 years old in September. He’s an above-average defensive shortstop and an outstanding hitter, with a knack for stepping up in the biggest moments. It’s easy to see Yankees fans embrace him as their villain after a big month or two.

Here’s the thing, though: He’s going to land a massive, massive contract this offseason. Are the Yankees going to be the team that outbids everyone else? They already have massive deals with Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton, and at some point soon they’ll have to deal with Aaron Judge’s status. Even if they deemed Correa to be the best option to help the team win in 2022, is giving him the contract it would take to land him the best long-term move for the franchise? That’s what they’ll have to figure out.  

2. Corey Seager

Offseason status: Free agent

Why he fits: Same thing with Correa, except without the whole villain thing (unless you’re a Giants fan who hates all Dodgers, of course). Is giving a shortstop a massive long-term contract the right move for the franchise? Seager has the postseason pedigree — remember his NLCS and World Series MVPs last year? — and it’s easy to see his home run totals jumping up with that left-handed swing of his depositing pitch after pitch into the short porch in right field. He’s only a few months older than Correa — he turned 27 last April — and though he’s had issues staying healthy, he’s been super productive when on the field. 

MORE: Five questions the Yankees face this offseason

3. Trevor Story

Offseason status: Free agent

Why he fits: Story’s free-agent value has no doubt been helped by strong post-Colorado seasons by former Rockies hitting stars D.J. LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado. His final Rockies season wasn’t an ideal way to go into the free-agent market, but he still had 24 homers and 20 stolen bases — 13 and 10, respectively, on the road. Most of his power is to left field, but his overall spray chart is pretty spread out. No doubt he’d pick up more than the occasional home run over that short right-field fence. Oh, and from 2018 to 2021, he’s fourth among MLB shortstops in DRS, with 44, so he fits that “defensive shortstop” element, too. 

4. Marcus Semien

Offseason status: Free agent

Why he fits: Yes, Semien is a few years older than Correa, Seager or Story — he’s 31 — but it’s not like he’s at the end of his prime and looking for a short-term contract. He’ll still land something at least four years in length, which would make him anything but a placeholder for the Yankees’ shortstop prospects. Semien was amazing for the Blue Jays in 2021, popping 45 homers and stealing 15 bases while playing second base for Toronto. The added bonus of signing Semien would be taking him away from the Jays, who are seen as the likely favorites to sign him this offseason. 

5. Javier Báez

Offseason status: Free agent

Why he fits: We saw the best and worst of Javy Báez in his short time with the Mets after New York’s other club dealt for him in late July. There was the whole “thumbs down” thing, but in his last 33 games with the Mets, he hit .333 with a .970 OPS, seven home runs, 17 RBIs and five stolen bases. He’s not the best defensive shortstop out there, but he’s still well above-average with the glove. The question with Báez is the same as the question with Correa, Seager and Story: Do the Yankees want to commit the type of years and money it would take to land him when they have so many elite shortstop prospects in the pipeline. 

6. José Iglesias

Offseason status: Free agent

Why he fits: Few players boosted their free-agent value in September more than Iglesias, who joined the Red Sox after the playoff roster deadline but made a huge impact anyway. In 23 games, he batted .356 with a .406 on-base percentage. And that was after Iglesias — always an outstanding defensive shortstop — batted .373 in 39 games for Baltimore in 2020. He’s not going to command a long, lucrative deal, but he’s likely earned a starting job somewhere in 2021. If stellar defense and a short-term solution is the Yankees’ priority, they could do much worse than Iglesias, who will turn 32 this offseason. 

MORE: MLB postseason bracket, schedule, TV channels

7. Paul DeJong

Offseason status: Cardinals infielder

Why he fits: DeJong probably wouldn’t be a Top Five Option, but he is available and seems like a classic “change of scenery” candidate. Think of him as a potential stop-gap until the prospects arrive, with solid upside potential. Let’s start with this: DeJong is an above-average defensive shortstop, which is part of the reason the Cardinals kept playing him even when his bat went ice-cold in 2021. Since 2018, he’s sixth among shortstops with at least 3,000 innings at the position in DRS, with 36, and fourth in UZR/150, at 7.9. DeJong spent most of his time with the Cardinals batting third (152 games) or fifth (130 games), but that wouldn’t be the case with the Yankees. In that lineup, when everyone’s healthy, DeJong bats eighth or ninth, and his kind of pop — 30 homers in 2019, when he was an All-Star — would be nice to have down there.

Also, remember the “change of scenery” thing? The Cardinals wouldn’t demand a ton in return, and his contract is team-friendly; he’s owed a total of $15 million through 2023, with club options for 2024 and 2025. If he regains his power stroke and finds a bit more consistency, great. If all he brings is a defensive upgrade with occasional pop and gives way to one of the kids in 2023, that’d be fine, too. 

8. Andrelton Simmons

Offseason status: Free agent

Why he fits: Check the replies to any Yankees reporter who tweeted Cashman’s mention of “defensive shortstop” and you’ll see panicked Yankees fans saying, “Oh, no, not Simmons!” He’s 32 and his defensive numbers were solid, though far from elite as he’s been his whole career. Has he lost a step? If front offices feel that he really has, it could be tough for him to find a job this offseason, at least early this offseason. Simmons has never been much of an offensive threat — his career-best OPS+ is 108 — but he hit an all-time career low in 2021, batting just .223 with 15 extra-base hits (12 doubles, three homers) in 451 PAs, to go with a 57 OPS+. He feels like a candidate for a non-roster invitation to spring training at this point. 

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[optimistredsox]

11 Aug, DET @ BOS, 2-5, win

I don't know what I was expecting from Chris Sale's first game back from the IL but suffice it to say that whatever unknown expectations those were, he exceeded them. Hair-splitters will lament that the one hit he gave up was a dinger and that he only lasted four and two thirds, but as far as I'm concerned, those hair-splitters can kind of go fuck themselves. Do they have no joy in their lives? As Sale comebacks go, that one has to be pretty close to the top. So rather than um-ing and ah-ing about short starts and Sox pitchers limiting hits but somehow limiting them to dingers, I am going to focus on the bright sides.

Did I mention Chris Sale was good on his first outing back in what seems like a million years? He went four and two-thirds, struck out seven and didn't walk anyone. He gave up one hit. And he absolutely dominated. Lots of swings and misses.

Barraclough, in his debut for the Sox, was strong for an inning and a third, walking one and striking out three. He got the W.

Murphy was also very good for the last three innings of the game, striking out four and walking two but allowing no hits. Rest of the bullpen got a rest and we won.

Tristan Casas hit a dinger, a 3-run dinger in the fourth which was all the runs the Sox would need but we scored some more of them just in case.

Trevor Story went 2-for-4, stole a base and scored a run. He's getting back into the groove after being waylaid with injury.

Pablo Reyes also had a couple of hits and scored a run.

Adam Duvall walked three times. Like, good eye, Adam.

We won!

We've won three in a row!

A bunch of teams lost so we're only three out of the wild card!

The Yankees are still in last place!

[twins2994]

Twins Finalize Non-Roster Invitees

The Minnesota Twins finalized their non-roster invitees for Spring Training this afternoon. They have invited Charlie Barnes, Sam Clay, Daniel Coulombe, Blaine Hardy, Caleb Thielbar, Jhoulys Chacin, Edwar Colina, Ryan Garton, Griffin Jax, Jake Reed, Juan Graterol, Ryan Jeffers, Ben Rortvedt, Tomas Telis, Royce Lewis, Jack Reinheimer, Wilfredo Tovar, Alex Kiriloff, Trevor Larnach, and Brent Rooker. 

Charlie Barnes was a fourth round draft pick out of Clemson in 2017. He posted good numbers at Pensacola last year going (3-4) with a 3.60 ERA in fourteen games. He struggled at Rochester with a 6.75 ERA in four games to close out the season. 

Sam Clay was a fourth round pick out of Georgia Tech in 2014. He had a good year at Pensacola with a 2.70 ERA in 46 2/3 innings. He reached Rochester and posted a 4.76 ERA in fourteen games for the Red Wings. 

Daniel Coulombe has bounced around with the Dodgers and A’s. He pitched in 27 games and had a 4.56 ERA for the A’s in 2018. He spent last season at AAA with the Yankees and Brewers. He had a 4.71 ERA in 31 games. 

Blaine Hardy spent six seasons with the Tigers and looked good-and-bad at times. He had a 4.47 ERA in 39 games for Detroit in 2019 season. He had a pair of good starts against the Twins in 2018. he threw five innings and allowed two runs on May 21st and threw six innings and allowed two runs on June 12th. 

Caleb Thielbar spent three seasons in a Twins uniform. He had a great rookie season in 2013 with a 1.76 ERA in 46 innings. He was a solid reliever in 2014, but fell off when he allowed three runs in five innings in 2015. He spent 2016 and 2017 with the St. Paul Saints and was one of their best relievers. He was with the Braves and Tigers last year at AAA and had a 3.22 ERA.

Jhoulys Chacin has had some good years and some bad years. He had three solid seasons with the Rockies in 2010 (nine wins), 2011 (eleven wins), and 2013 (fourteen wins). Chacin fell off the map a bit in 2015 and 2016, but came back with a strong 2017 season with the Padres. He went (13-10) with a 3.89 ERA in 32 games. The Brewers picked him up for 2018 and he went (15-8) with a 3.50 ERA. He had a terrible 2019 season, where his ERA rose to 6.01 with the Brewers and Red Sox. He has a chance to crack the Opening Day roster with Rich Hill not returning until June and Michael Pineda being suspending for 40 games or so. 

Edwar Colina had a solid 2019 season in the Twins system. He started at Fort Myers and had a 2.34 ERA in ten games for the Miracle. He continued his success at Pensacola with a 2.03 ERA in seven games. He made two appearances at Rochester and allowed nine runs in 4 2/3 innings. 

Ryan Garton has bounced around with the Rays and Mariners. He had a 5.26 ERA in two seasons with the Rays and had a 1.54 ERA in 11 2/3 innings for the Mariners in 2017. He returned last year and allowed four runs in three innings of work for the Mariners. 

Griffin Jax is an interesting story. He was a pitcher at Air Force and posted a 2.05 ERA in 105 1/3 innings in his senior year. He had a good year in Pensacola with a 2.67 ERA in 111 1/3 innings for the Blue Wahoos. He made three starts for Rochester and had a 5.63 ERA. 

Jake Reed has seemingly been in the Twins farm system forever. He was a fifth round pick in 2014 and still hasn’t made his big league debut. He had a great 2018 season, where he posted a 1.89 ERA in 47 2/3 innings. Last year, he was roughed up a bit and his ERA ballooned to 5.76 as he made the transition to starter. This camp will be an important one for him. 

Juan Graterol has bounced around a bit with the Angels, Twins and Reds. The Twins called him up late in the 2018 season because they needed a backup catcher for the last weekend series of the year. He hit .249 for the Louisville Bats last year. 

Ryan Jeffers is rising through the Twins minor league system rather quickly. He hit .256 with ten homers and forty RBI’s at Fort Myers last year before getting promoted to Pensacola, where he hit .298 in 24 games. He will likely start the year at AA. 

Ben Rortvedt is a left-handed hitting catcher. He hit .238 at Pensacola and Fort Myers in 2019. He doesn’t have a ton of power, but is a great defensive catcher. 

Tomas Telis had a solid year at Rochester in 2019. He hit .330 with eight homers and forty-six RBI’s and was an International League All-Star. He is a switch hitter and should see some time with the Red Wings this year. 

Royce Lewis receives his third invite to spring training. The twenty-year old and former first overall pick hit .236 with twelve homers and forty-nine RBI’s at Fort Myers and Pensacola last year. He was in the Futures Game and showed a big personality. 

Jack Reinhemer has bounced around the minor leagues with the Mariners, Diamondbacks, Mets, and Orioles. He hit .246 with four homers and thirty-one RBI’s at Norfolk for the Orioles AAA team in 2019. 

Wilfredo Tovar is back with the Twins. He started his minor league career with the Mets then the Twins signed him in 2016. He hit .249 that year and has been the Cardinals and Angels since then. He was with the Salt Lake Bees, where he hit .321 with 57 RBI’s in 2019. 

Alex Kiriloff continues to mash in the Minors for the Twins. He hit .283 with nine homers and forty-three RBI’s at Pensacola last year. The lefty spent time at both corner outfield spots and first base in 2019. He was the first round pick in 2016. 

Trevor Larnach rose to AA last year after hitting .316 in 84 games for the Fort Myers Miracle. He reached Pensacola and hit .295 in 43 games for the Blue Wahoos. He should be at AA again to start the 2020 season. 

Brent Rooker had a good 2019 season with the Red Wings. he hit .282 with fourteen homers and 47 RBI’s. He missed some time with a left wrist strain and only played in 65 games last year. He should be good to go and make his MLB debut at some point in 2020. 

Overall, the Twins are trying out some left-handed pitchers in Daniel Coulombe, Caleb Thielbar, Blaine Hardy, and Charlie Barnes. I think Jhoulys Chacin has a good chance to make the Opening Day Roster with Rich Hill out til June and Michael Pineda’s suspension. Roster spots for position players are going to be hard to come by this spring. It will be good to see Alex Kiriloff, Trevor Larnach, and Brent Rooker this spring.

-Chris Kreibich-

[weeklydoseoffeelgoodtunes]

December 24, 2022 (126)

Top 30

1. charlieonnafriday- Enough

2. Leah Kate- Hot All the Time

3. ClockClock- Someone Else

4. Nicky Youre- Eyes On You

5. George Ezra- Dance All Over Me

6. Rauw Alejandro- DIME QUIÉN????

7. White Reaper- Pages

8. Harry Styles- Music For a Sushi Restaurant

9. jxdn- Sober

10. Galantis, David Guetta, MNEK- Damn

11. Dayseeker- Without Me

12. almost monday- sun keeps on shining

13. Johnny Orlando- if he wanted to he would

14. PNAU & Troye Sivan- You Know What I Need

15. Tiësto & Tate McRae- 10:35

16. KAROL G- Cairo

17. Tove Lo- Grapefruit

18. Myke Towers & Daddy Yankee- ULALA

19. YUNGBLUD- Tissues

20. Julieta Venegas- En Tu Orilla

21. Danna Paola- XT4S1S

22. Anuel AA & David Guetta- Vibra

23. half-alive- Nobody

24. Ava Max- Christmas Without You **DEBUT**

25. Lewis Capaldi- Forget Me

26. Seven Kayne & Diablo- NO SÉ XQ **DEBUT**

27. Aidan Bissett- I Can’t Be Your Friend

28. Regard & Drop G- No Love For You **DEBUT**

29. OneRepublic- I Ain’t Worried

30. Aidan Bissett- Tripping Over Air

Close Calls

1. Samantha Sánchez- Noche Fría

2. Trevor Daniel- Story

3. Ayra Starr- Rush

4. Juanes- Amores Prohibidos

5. Cheat Codes & Matt Stell- When You Know

[glitterybouquetchaos]

Yankees Can Be Set For 2022 With These Three Key Moves

Yankees Can Be Set For 2022 With These Three Key Moves

The Yankees, without a total teardown of the team, can make three position-player moves to solidify the lineup. Consider these suggestions. The Yankees, despite calls for a total teardown of the team, are not that far away from a lineup that is improved and ready to compete in AL East. Following are three areas of weakness that need the attention of Brian Cashman this offseason, along with…

[tkmedia]

Inside the Clubhouse: What’s fueling the surges for the Blue Jays and Cardinals?

This week, Inside the Clubhouse checks in on the Brewers’ rotation, the Blue Jays’ playoff push, the injury-decimated Padres and more.The Milwaukee Brewers’ rotation, featuring Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta, is arguably the best and most talented in baseball.Why, then, did the Brewers check in on Max Scherzer before the trade deadline, only to be informed that the right-hander preferred a trade to the west coast?The answer starts with this: Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns checks in on every player. He made an offer for Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story. He asked the Chicago Cubs about reliever Craig Kimbrel, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. He talked to the Minnesota Twins about third baseman Josh Donaldson.To hear one Brewers official describe it, Scherzer was a unique opportunity at acquiring one of the best pitchers of this generation. There were few in the industry who expected Scherzer to become available, but when the Nationals waved the white flag and made every player not named Juan Soto available, contending teams shifted their focus to Scherzer.That meant that the Brewers, even with Woodruff, Burnes and Peralta, tried to get involved. Other contending teams already view them as a postseason matchup nightmare considering their ability to start an ace caliber pitcher on any given night. Just imagine adding Scherzer to that group. One American League official referred to that possibility as “fucking nuts.”Scherzer, of course, was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. But there are some inside the Brewers organization who feel they have a World Series caliber roster, with reliever Josh Hader calling it “best squad I’ve been on.” Their pursuits of Scherzer and Story would seem to indicate Stearns agrees.

The Blue Jays have the players to make a push

A rival American League executive recently argued that no team has had a better year in player acquisition than the Toronto Blue Jays.He might not be wrong. They added Marcus Semien, George Springer and Robbie Ray in free agency while acquiring Jose Berrios, Trevor Rogers, Adam Cimber, Brad Hand and Corey Dickerson at the trade deadline. Yet the Blue Jays entered Sunday in fourth place and 8.5 games back in the AL Central, with their +122 run differential ranking third in the AL.Semien, 30, bet on himself this past winter by signing a one-year deal and by slashing .272/.339/.525 through 117 games, has positioned himself to receive a significant contract even in a historically deep free-agent infield class. Springer, 31, has been among the best players in baseball after missing the beginning of the season with oblique and quad strains. And Ray, who was the first major-league free agent to sign, has a 2.88 ERA through 23 starts and looks like one of the best bargains of the offseason.The Blue Jays, who returned to the Rogers Centre on July 30, are in position to potentially gain ground quickly in the AL East. They are 9-2 since returning to Toronto, outscoring opponents 58-32, and have the second-most home games remaining on their schedule. It includes seven games against the Yankees, with four coming in New York, and 10 games against the Baltimore Orioles, who have the worst record in the AL (38-77).The Blue Jays are 3.5 games back of the second AL wild-card position and, with two top-5 MVP candidates and improved starting pitching in the second half, have the ability to close that gap quickly. To do so, however, they need to be better in one-run games, going 8-13 in such games, and improve their late-inning offense.

Injuries are taking their toll on the Padres

The San Diego Padres’ starting rotation, once deemed the deepest and most talented in franchise history, has been decimated. They failed to address it before the trade deadline. Then Yu Darvish went on the IL and their most glaring hole turned into a dire situation.The Padres have begun exploring outside options, with free-agent right-hander Jake Arrieta being in the mix, as first reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune. Another possibility is right-hander Aaron Sanchez, who was recently released by the San Francisco Giants.At this point, the Padres almost have to bring in an outside option. Chris Paddack remains sidelined with an oblique strain. Ryan Weathers’ ERA has soared from 2.73 to 4.72 in his last three starts. Top pitching prospect MacKenzie Gore hasn’t pitched in a minor league game in weeks.But really, how much would Arrieta help? He was released by the Chicago Cubs after posting a 6.88 ERA in 20 starts. In his last start against the Brewers, he faced 11 hitters and allowed eight hits in the first inning. He might be best served throwing batting practice at this stage of his career, let alone pitching in a pennant race for a contending team.Sanchez, 29, provides more upside than Arrieta, posting a 3.06 ERA in 35.1 innings this season. But he landed on the IL with right biceps tendinitis and a blister issue that kept him out nearly three months. He made two appearances before being DFA’d by the Giants, so he is healthy, but his extensive injury history could scare off the Padres or any other team searching for dependable arms in the rotation.The Padres’ decision not to acquire a starting pitcher looked questionable on July 30. Now, two weeks later, it somehow looks even worse and is threatening to derail a season that began with World Series aspirations.

The St. Louis Cardinals are coming on strong

Don’t look now, but here come the St. Louis Cardinals.The Cardinals have won six straight games, featuring sweeps against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals, and now 4.5 games behind the slumping Padres for the second NL wild-card position. And both Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt are heating up, combining to hit 15 for 46 (.326) with three home runs and 15 RBI in the last week.But it has been the Cardinals’ pitching, headlined by Adam Wainwright and J.A. Happ, that has fueled their recent surge. Cardinals pitchers have a 1.65 ERA in their last 31.2 innings (excluding Wade LeBlanc’s injury-shortened outing) and recently had Jack Flaherty return from a 73-day absence, picking up where he left off in a dominant six-inning appearance against the Royals.Now, the Cardinals enter what is arguably their most important series of the season, a three-game matchup against the Brewers. At this point, with the Cardinals trailing these Brewers by 10 games in the NL Central, it’s doubtful they will catch them with 45 games left in the season. But now only one team, the Cincinnati Reds, sits between the Cardinals and the Padres for the second wild-card spot.“This is why I’m here,” Arenado said. ��We’re in it. We have a chance.”FanGraphs listed those chances at just 1.3 percent on Aug. 10. Now, less than a week later, those odds have increased to 5.8 percent. Cardinals officials promised that they had a late-season surge in them. It appears that moment has finally arrived.

Around the Horn

- The New York Mets are now 4-21 in their last 25 games against the Dodgers. To make matters even worse, they have 10 consecutive games coming up against these Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, who have the best record (76-42) in baseball. - Travis Shaw is healthy after being claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox and could get immediate playing time against the Yankees. While he slashed .191/.279/.337, good for a 68 wRC+, he hit .273 with two homers and eight RBI during an 11-game rehab stint with Triple-A Nashville. Read the full article

[your-dietician]

MLB Trade Rumors and News: Schwarber, Avila hit the 10-day IL

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/mlb/mlb-trade-rumors-and-news-schwarber-avila-hit-the-10-day-il/

MLB Trade Rumors and News: Schwarber, Avila hit the 10-day IL

The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we’re running here at MLBDD that rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be shared? Hit us up at @mlbdailydish on Twitter or @MLBDailyDish on Instagram.

The Nationals are having a rough past couple of days, as both Kyle Schwarber and Alex Avila have been placed on the 10-day IL per a team announcement. Schwarber, who thankfully won’t need surgery, will sit after suffering a right calf strain running to first last Friday. The timetable for his return has yet to be set, and the first-time All-Star will almost absolutely miss the game. Gerardo Parra will play left field in his absence. Avila will miss time because of bilateral calf strains.

The Brewers have acquired Kevin Kramer from the Pirates. In return for the utilityman, Pittsburgh will receive left-hander Nathan Kirby. Kramer has seen 43 MLB games, with .387 OPS over 90 plate appearances. Kirby, 27, has seen his very short career ravaged by injuries. However, while in Double-A Biloxi, he’s recorded a 1.93 ERA with a 23.17% strikeout rate.

The Yankees added some speed to their roster on Thursday as they traded for Tim Locastro from the Diamondbacks in exchange for a pitching prospect. Sure, Locastro isn’t exactly a household name and he isn’t having a banner year at the plate, but the guy can RUN and he is more than willing to lean into a pitch to get on base, so the Yankees have that going for them.

Dellin Betances just can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to injury. The Mets signed Betances in free agency after the 2019 season in the hopes that he could put his injury issues behind him and return to his previously dominant form. Instead, he has pitched a total of 12.2 innings in a Mets uniform and now has to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.

Mariners lefty Héctor Santiago is the first pitcher to be disciplined as part of MLB’s foreign substance crackdown after being ejected Sunday, when umpires believed they found a foreign substance on his glove. Santiago admitted to having rosin on his glove, and while it wasn’t a highly-publicized element of the new policy, pitchers are now strictly prohibited from having rosin on their person, even though they are allowed to obtain it from the bag on the mound. MLB confiscated Santiago’s glove but never examined it, and now they’ve hit him with a 10-game suspension and undisclosed fine.

MLB is investigating Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer after a woman was granted a temporary domestic violence restraining order against him in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Bauer’s attorney claims the actions took place as part of a consensual sexual relationship.

The Blue Jays are determined to reach the playoffs for a second straight season, and they boosted their roster on Tuesday morning by acquiring sidearming reliever Adam Cimber and currently injured outfielder Corey Dickerson from the Marlins in exchange for veteran utility player Joe Panik and relief prospect Andrew McInvale.

Indians outfielder Josh Naylor is likely out for the season after suffering a dislocated right ankle in a collision with second baseman Ernie Clement. If this is it for Naylor this year, he’ll finish with rather unremarkable numbers: a .253/.301/.399 slash line and seven homers in 69 games.

Braves starter Mike Soroka has re-ruptured his Achilles and will not pitch again in 2021. After making three starts in 2020, he tore his Achilles. He hadn’t pitched since then. Soroka looked like he’d be the Braves’ ace for years to come after going 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and .236 OBA in 2019, but now his future is extremely uncertain.

The Athletics have reunited with veteran starter Homer Bailey on a minor league contract. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas. The 35-year old was ravaged by injuries in 2020. The last time Bailey played with Oakland, he hurled 4.30 ERA over 13 starts and 73 1/3 innings. Here’s hoping for a comeback.

It is always nice to start the day with some good news, and Cubs fans woke up to fuzzy feelings all around last week as Chicago used four pitchers including starter Zach Davies and closer Craig Kimbrel to no-hit the Dodgers. Kimbrel looked like the Kimbrel of old, and let’s not understate how difficult it is to shut down that Dodgers offense. Really impressive.

The Rays promoted top prospect Wander Franco, and he immediately made his presence known in his debut, hitting a game-tying homer for his first major league hit while also collecting a double and a walk. At Triple-A Durham, the 20-year-old was slashing .323/.376/.601 with seven home runs in 173 plate appearances.

The Mets’ rotation sustained a pair of blows last week, as the team announced that lefty Joey Lucchesi will undergo Tommy John surgery, then right-hander Marcus Stroman exited his start early with left hip soreness. While they have a comfortable lead in the NL East, the Mets continue to be dealt an incredible amount of adversity, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can stay afloat.

The Blue Jays have signed veteran reliever John Axford, reports Jamie Campbell of Sportsnet. The 38-year-old hasn’t seen a major league mound since 2018 and had been working as an analyst on the Jays’ pre and postgame shows before being asked to pitch for them again. The bulk of his career came with the Brewers, as he played in Milwaukee from 2009-13, but now the Ontario native will embark on his third stint with Toronto.

The Tigers have released Wilson Ramos, per a club announcement. The 33-year old signed a $2M deal with Detroit at the beginning of this year, and he looked like he was really giving the Tigers the most value for their buck after going yard six times in his first nine games. Unfortunately that took a turn in early May, when a back injury completely derailed the 12-year major league veteran. Should he be able to heal quickly enough for a late season renaissance, he could make a great extra backstop for a team in contention. Posting a 105 wRC+ for the Mets in 2019, he’s still got some gas left in the tank for whatever team is willing to take the risk.

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is going to be out for an extended period after suffering a quad injury trying to beat out a double play.

Rays ace Tyler Glasnow’s season is in jeopardy after he suffered a partially torn UCL and flexor strain in his right arm. He’ll initially try to rehab the injuries rather than immediately opting for Tommy John surgery. In an interesting crossover with the biggest story being discussed around baseball right now, Glasnow said MLB’s crackdown on foreign substances contributed to his injury, as he stopped using a mixture of sunscreen and rosin, and as a result he began gripping the baseball so hard that he injured his elbow.

A lot has been made in recent weeks about the proliferation of foreign substances used primarily (but certainly not exclusively) by pitchers to get better grip on balls to have better command as well as to generate greater spin. It has been clear that MLB was going to crack down on the practice and now it looks like it has landed on its chosen punishment, as it was announced that players found to be using such substances will receive a 10-game paid suspension.

It is fair to say that the 2021 season has been a particularly weird one. Teams that we all thought would be good haven’t been and teams that were thought to be afterthoughts have been anything but. Our own Andersen Pickard broke down the five most surprising teams from the 2021 season so far.

It’s the most glorious time of the year: here’s your 2021 MLB Draft primer for notable players, draft order, and more.

The Twins are dragging their feet for extension talks with Jose Berrios, SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson reports. Berrios has one last year of arbitration eligibility before he’s free to sow his wild oats and hit the market in the 2022-23 offseason. And as of now, the Twins have done little to nothing to stop him. Could that be because the NL Central 4th place team is looking to use him as a lucrative trade chip come this year’s deadline? The 27-year old could bring a significant return for Minnesota, but is it enough to risk for them losing him? He’s having another strong season this year, with a 3.49 ERA and a 26% strikeout rate. Either way, as the trade deadline gets closer, we’ll see what moves the Twins are thinking of making.

After going 5-24 in the month of May, the Arizona Diamondbacks are reeling and are already buried in an NL West where even a good season would not guarantee a playoff berth. In order to try to stop the bleeding and try to get back to some level of decency, Arizona fired hitting coaches Eric Hinske and Darnell Coles. Sadly, given the breadth of that roster’s issues, it seems like that they will still end up as one of the league’s worst teams.

Outfielder Jarred Kelenic, widely regarded as one of baseball’s top prospects and the potential savior of the Mariners organization, was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma after getting into an 0-for-39 slump. Kelenic, who played just 28 games in the upper minors (21 at Double-A in 2019 and seven at Triple-A this year) before reaching the majors, has an .096 batting average and .378 OPS in 23 major league games.

The Mets had been hopeful to get Noah Syndergaard back in their rotation soonish to try and hold off their division rivals in what has been a surprisingly bad National League East. Unfortunately, they will have to wait a good bit longer, as Syndergaard’s rehab hit a setback, and elbow inflammation will keep him out until at least August.

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[ruckystarnes]

Things Never Stay Hidden

Author: RuckyStarnes

Summary:   hidden relationships never seem to stay hidden

Warnings: swearing, slight foreplay

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x reader

Words: 1,976

I yawned as I walked into the kitchen and made my way to the coffee pot. Pulling a coffee mug out from the cupboard, I groaned when I noticed the coffee pot was empty.

“Damn it,” I huffed. “FRIDAY, who had the last cup?” “Mr. Barton did, Miss,” the AI responded as I filled up the reservoir with water and scooped out the coffee into the filter. “Of course he did,” I muttered starting the coffee then walking to the pantry to get a bagel. “Well, don’t you look like you had a long night,” a voice from behind me said. “Shut it, Sam,” I muttered, pushing past him to put my bagel in the toaster, then got the cream cheese from the refrigerator. “Who was the lucky guy?” he smirked as he got a glass of water. I shrugged. “Trevor? Hugo? Enrique? I don’t know.” But in truth, I knew damn well who it was. The same guy every night kept me up in the most pleasurable way and woke me the same way every morning. Kicker was, no one knew. They only assumed that I was with some guy I picked up at the bar. “Do you even get their names?” Sam chuckled, taking a sip of his water. The toaster popped up my bagel and I removed it to put the spread on. I just shrugged again causing Sam to laugh loudly. “What’s so funny, Wilson?” I turned my head to see Steve walk in obviously done with his morning run. He walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed the orange juice. “Nice hair, Y/NN,” he smirked at me. “Y/N had another tryst last night,” Sam answered, nodding at me as I poured myself a cup of coffee. “Is that a bad thing?” I asked, glaring at the men before taking a sip. Both men shook their head. “Good. Even if you thought it was I would tell you to go to hell.” We fell in silence as I ate my bagel by the counter, Sam was busy making eggs and bacon, and Steve read the newspaper like the grandpa he was. Neither one of them made anymore comments of what I did last night, granted I had it coming with my Guns ‘N Roses hair, baggy shirt and boyshort underwear. But I have no shame in it. He was great in bed, after all. As I finished my coffee, Tony strolled in, and seeing me, smiled widely. “Looking good, sex kitten,” he cooed, ruffling up my already messy hair. “I always look good,” I said, winking at him and nudging him with my hip. “And, no, I’m not giving details.” It was a routine. Tony always wanted to know the dirty details of my “one night stands”, but I never gave any. “One of these days,” Tony smirked, “I will get the down low on all these guys you bring back and thank them for this lovely image we get of you every morning.” Pouring myself another cup of coffee, I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing. I walked over to Steve, sitting down next to him, and stole the sports section of the paper. Steve narrowed his eyes at me, but I stuck out my tongue and started to read the stats of last night’s game. “You know,” Steve started, “you wouldn’t have to read the paper for the stats if you watched the game instead.” “But sex is just so much more fun,” I whined, seeing his cheeks turn pink. “Cap doesn’t know that yet,” Tony chimed in, which made Sam snicker. “Tony, only I can tease Steve about his nonexistent sex life,” I chided as I rested my head on Steve’s shoulder, taking a sip of coffee. “You know, no one needs to be in my business of my nonexistent sex life,” muttered Steve. Sam shook his head and smiled. “It’s not going away anytime soon. And Y/N, you missed a great game last night,” he said. Oh, it was worth missing, I thought to myself. “According to the paper, I didn’t miss much. Yankees are still the same as ever,” I responded, glancing over the article quickly, and I agreed silently that it was a great game. “Oh look who’s finally awake,” Steve teased the mystery person. I didn’t have to looked up because I knew who it was. “Shut it, punk,” Bucky said gruffly. That voice sent a shiver down my spine, and I took a sip of coffee trying to conceal my reaction. “So, does this mean winter is coming?” Tony smirked over his cup at Bucky, who ignored him. A smile played on my lips as I raised my cup up again. “Winter came this morning,” I muttered quietly in my cup, my eyes still on the paper. I didn’t count on the two super soldiers to have impeccable hearing. “What?” Steve asked, his head turning to look at me. I saw Bucky’s back tense under his white t-shirt, as he was still fixing himself a cup of coffee. “What?” I retorted, trying to say it as innocently as possible, while hoping my blush want noticeable. “Did you say something?” Tony asked, his eyes fixed on me. Bucky turned to look at me, his brown eyes fixed on me sent a wave of warm through my body as I shifted in my seat. “It wasn’t important,” I said getting up from my spot to put my cup in the sink. “It thought I heard you say–” Steve started, but I interrupted him. “It might rain this morning,” I rushed out. I turned on my heel and walked out of the kitchen before they could question more. I really didn’t want to explain that story.

The sun started to peek through the sheer curtains and I nuzzled into Bucky’s chest, my fingers lazily traced circles on his skin, a smile on my lips. I knew he would have to be leaving soon to get back to his room before anyone realized he was here in mine. It was the fourth time this week that he found his way in my bed, and we won’t count the times I found my way into his. It’s not that we didn’t want the team to know, we just like having one thing a secret. Granted secrets do have a way of coming out eventually, but for the time being, we will wait. I liked having him to myself, and not sharing details with anyone. I heard my phone buzz and groaned as I rolled off of Bucky, taking the sheet with me, but two arms pulled me back into that strong chest. “Mmm, it can wait, doll,” he mumbled into my hair, his breath and whiskers tickled the skin of my neck and ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “But if it’s Tony, or Steve,” I whispered, my fingers carding through his tangled brown hair. “OR worse yet…Nat.” He groaned in frustration, rolled me onto my back and was straddling my hips. His metal arm reached out and grabbed my phone, looking at it. He smirked, and tossed it to the floor. “It’s just Wilson,” he rolled his eyes. “Not important.” It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Seriously, when are you two going to stop this little feud you’re having,” I huffed. “When he gives back my Steve,” Bucky smirked. That made me giggle, but it quickly turned into a moan as Bucky’s lips grazed over my jaw to my ear, where he bit down on the sweet spot just below. I dug my fingers into his back, my hips bucking up. It was not hard to want this man. Just as his flesh fingers started to travel lower between us, there was a knock at my door. I froze, but Bucky continued to move his fingers lower making me bite my lip, trying not to moan out loud. “Who is it?” I called out in forced calm, glaring at Bucky, trying to push him away, but failing. “Y/N, did you forget about our run?” Sam answered. I pushed at Bucky again and mouthed a no, causing him to groan quietly as he rolled off of me. I grabbed the duvet off the bed, wrapped it around my body and walked to the door. Opening it a crack, I saw Sam in his shorts and muscle shirt with a smile on his face. “I guess you got your exercise in already, hey Bon Jovi?” He smirked at me. “I like to think I resemble more of White Snake,” I quipped back making him laugh. “You know, I don’t care which 80’s rock band you look like,” he replied. Bucky snorted from the bedroom and I tensed up, hoping that Sam didn’t hear him. But luck wasn’t on my side. “Oh? Mystery man didn’t leave yet?” Sam mused, his eyes shining with mischief. “None of your business, Sam,” I said shutting the door, but Sam’s foot stopped it. “Sam, remove your foot,” I warned, but it fell on deaf ears as he pushed the door open wide, stepping into my living space. “But I think I deserve to know who is taking up my running time with my buddy,” he smirked, making his way to my bedroom. “Sam, please,” I begged, grabbing his hand, but he kept going, pushing the door open.. My eyes widen as I saw Bucky sitting against the headboard, above the covers, completely naked with a smile on his face. “Morning Wilson,” Bucky smirked, sending Sam a suggestive wink. Any other time I would have laughed, but in that moment I was mortified but the image of my best friend seeing the guy he had a “feud” with in my bed. “So this is what you’ve been doing on your nights?” Sam said slowly, his hand blocking parts of Bucky from his view. “Yup,” Bucky answered for me,  "and pretty much every night. Sometimes a few times in one night.“ I could walk over there and slapped that smug look off his face, but I was rooted to the ground. "That,” Sam started, his gaze shifted to me, “I didn’t need to know.” I looked at Sam with an apologetic look. “Well, you were one of many who wanted to know,” I said softly. “You and Barnes. For how long?” Sam asked me. “About seven months,” I murmured, my eyes looking up at the ceiling. “Seven long and glorious months,” Bucky chuckled, still sitting in all his glory, arms crossed in front of his perfect chest. “Bucky, you’re not helping,” I muttered. “And go put some clothes on.” I jerked my head towards the bathroom. He got the message and got up, saluting Sam before he went. “There are some things I wish I could unsee,” Sam muttered, shaking his head. “Sam, please, for the love of all that’s holy, don’t tell anyone,” I begged. “Oh, I’m not telling anyone,” Sam smirked. “They’ll find out soon enough.” I looked at him, puzzled. This only made him laugh. “Y/N. Everyone is already up and waiting to see who is coming out of your room. Hell, I think Tony’s making breakfast waiting for him for him.” “Oh fuck me,” I groaned. “I was trying to do that before Wilson interrupted us!” Bucky called from the bathroom. “Shut it, Barnes!” I shouted back. I slapped my hand to my mouth, realizing anyone could have heard that, which, to my dismay, someone did. “Y/N is banging Barnes!?” Tony exclaimed from the hallway outside my door. “I knew it!” Steve yelled. “Ah, shit,” I moaned, falling on the bed face down. Sam chuckled and patted my calf. “Well, we all know who makes Winter come now.”

“Fuck off, Sam,” I growled as I made my way to the bathroom.

[twins2994]

Minnesota Twins-Boston Red Sox Series Preview

4.15.22- Joe Ryan RHP (0-1) 4.50 ERA Vs. Nick Pivetta RHP (0-1) 6.35 ERA

4.16.22-Sonny Gray RHP (0-0) 3.86 ERA Vs. Tanner Houck RHP (0-0) 8.10 ERA

4.17.22-Bailey Ober RHP (1-0) 7.20 ERA Vs. Michael Wacha RHP (0-0) 2.08 ERA

4.18.22-Dylan Bundy RHP (1-0) 0.00 ERA Vs. Rich Hill LHP (0-0) 6.23 ERA

The Twins At A Glance- The Twins got a much needed off day after the Dodgers beat up on them this week. They went (2-4) on the first homestand of the year and head to Boston for a four-games series. The team made a roster move before the series as they designated Dereck Rodriguez for assignment and called up Kyle Garlick. Garlick was added to the 40-man roster and will likely platoon in left field with Trevor Larnach. Luis Arraez has been the most consistent hitter with a .313 average in five games. Miguel Sano is 0-for-19 with nine strikeouts, but he will continue to get at-bats with the injury to Alex Kirilloff. Luis Arraez might be the back-up first basemen at this point. The offense scored just two runs in the Dodgers series. The pitching has been good for the Twins for the most part. They staff has a 3.83 ERA in six games, but the seven runs in both games against the Dodgers wasn’t pretty. Jhoan Duran will likely get used in later innings after the blown save by Tyler Duffey on Saturday. You’ll see Duran in the ninth with Tyler Duffey and Emilio Pagan in the eighth. Caleb Thielbar will get the high leverage roles against lefties with Danny Coulombe getting the earlier role against lefties. 

The Red Sox At A Glance- The Red Sox started the year in the Bronx and lost two of three games to the Yankees. The Sox then took two out of three from the Tigers in Detroit this week. Rafael Devers is off to a good start in a contract season. He is hitting .346 with a homer and five RBI’s on the year. Xander Bogaerts is also a free agent after this season. He is hitting .263 through five games. Trevor Story is 3-for-13 with his new team after signing a deal in the middle of Spring Training. Boston has scored twenty-six runs in six games this year. The starting pitching hasn’t been the best in the first trip around the rotation for the Sox with a 5.20 ERA. The Boston bullpen has a 2.84 ERA so far this year. Hansel Robles has thrown 3 1/3 scoreless innings with a save. Jake Diekman has the other save as Matt Barnes works his way back. I don’t remember seeing him pitch much or at all in Spring Training. 

What To Watch For- The Red Sox went (5-2) last year against the Twins. They took three out of four games at Target Field in April then won two out of three games at Fenway Park. Nick Pivetta has a 7.00 ERA in two career starts against the Twins. Jorge Polanco has two career homers off Pivetta. Sonny Gray is (1-6) with a 6.64 ERA in nine games versus the Red Sox. Tanner Houck gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings in his lone career start against the Twins last year. Bailey Ober threw five shutout innings last season against the Sox. Michael Wacha is (2-1) with a 5.71 ERA in three games versus Minnesota. Dylan Bundy is (3-9) with a 5.58 ERA in twenty games against Boston. Xander Bogaerts has three homers off Bundy and Rafael Devers has two. Rich Hill has a 9.53 ERA in eight games against the Twins. The Twins have only played the Red Sox once on Boston Marathon Monday. It was back in 1976 and Boston won 2-0 at Fenway Park. Fergie Jenkins shut down the Twins. Tony Oliva played second base with Rod Carew at first. Disco Dan Ford was in right field. This should be a fun four-game series as the Sox open up at home against the Twins this weekend. 

-Chris Kreibich-

[glitterybouquetchaos]

Are The Yankees Really In Pursuit Of Trevor Story - If Not They Should Be

Are The Yankees Really In Pursuit Of Trevor Story – If Not They Should Be

The Yankees’ shortstop position remains tenuous given the “potential” of developing Gleyber Torres. But why not take the bird in the bush…? Yankees fans will recall the euphoria when Brian Cashman landed Gleyber Torres from the Chicago Cubs, who were all wrapped up in a “gotta have it now” mode designed to win a World Championship for the first time since dinosaurs roamed the earth. They needed…