2016 MLB thread. THE CUBS HAVE BROKEN THE CURSE! Chicago Cubs are your 2016 World Series champions

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Originally Posted by abovelegit1

I'd note that Harper's first 150 ABs > Trout's first 150

Harper's power should make up the difference in fielding ability and then some. I think he'll be better, but they're both generational talents.
Trout was borderline mediocre when he was called up as a 19 year old while Harper is shining. I'm biased towards Harper obviously but I think that he'll be better than Trout when it's all said and done. Factor in that Harper was a catcher up until last year he can only get better in the OF. Trout is a monster though. 
 
Won't be fun for me if he's not an Angel
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We got about what, 20 or so no hitters the last 2-3 years? 

Let em start juicin again guys. 
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Cain and the 'Perfect Game Crew'.

Spoiler [+]
Late last Friday afternoon, a Seattle Mariners executive knocked on the door of the umpires' dressing room. Inside, the four umpires from that night's crew -- Brian Runge, Ted Barrett, Marvin Hudson and Dale Scott -- were preparing for the game.

"It's the perfect game crew!" said Mariners president Chuck Armstrong, greeting the group.

It was Armstrong's way of acknowledging Runge's group had been the umpires when Phil Humber threw his perfect game earlier this season in Seattle, with Runge as the home plate umpire.

But what Armstrong did not know, at that moment, was that six Mariners' pitchers would combine for a no-hitter with Runge working behind home plate, again. Or that five days later, the Perfect Game Crew would be at work in San Francisco, when Matt Cain threw his against the Houston Astros. Barrett was behind the plate, and Runge was at third base last night.

There was one change in the Perfect Game Crew from last Friday, however. Marvin Hudson -- who was the home plate umpire the night that Armando Galarraga threw his would-be perfect game in 2010, when history was altered by Jim Joyce's missed call -- had the night off; Hudson was replaced by Mark Muchlinski, who was the umpire at first and made the final out call of Cain's perfecto.

Today, Barrett and Runge and the others presumably will receive authenticated baseballs, as they did from the no-hitters earlier this season. The umpires are witnesses to history and care about it in the way that players do. Talking on the phone a few days ago, Runge said that after the no-hitter in Seattle last Friday, the other members of the crew were excited for him, and Tim McClelland -- who had been the crew chief for Humber's perfect game -- had called to congratulate him.

"What a great experience," said Runge, of the umpiring Runges.

Ed Runge, his grandfather, was an American League umpire from 1954 to 1970, and after he passed away, Brian wore a No. 13 sweatband in honor of his grandpa. Paul Runge, Brian's father, umpired from 1973 to 1997, and a few years ago, Brian found his father's old ball-strike indicator and continues to carry it to this day. "I don't even use it," he said, explaining that the numbers on it are worn off and that it doesn't really turn anymore. "I just have it in my pocket."

There are nerves for umpires during a no-hitter, as there are for players, their anxiety building from inning to inning. For almost all of the Mariners' no-hitter last Friday, nobody said anything to Runge about what was happening, and nobody referenced the fact that Runge had been behind the plate during Humber's perfect game.

But as the bottom of the eighth inning ended, Los Angeles Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis -- a hard-core baseball fan with a deep knowledge of the sport -- turned to Runge. "Great job tonight," Ellis said. "Congratulations."

The words stuck with Runge, and undoubtedly, there were moments he will cherish from Wednesday's game when he had a perfect view of perfection.

By the way: Runge was the home plate umpire for Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter in San Francisco years ago.

Gregor Blanco had The Catch along the way.

[h4]Cain's heater[/h4]
Matt Cain's average fastball velocity by innings in his perfect game.
[table][tr][th=""]
Innings
[/th][th=""]
Velocity
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
1-3
[/td][td]
91.5
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
4-6
[/td][td]
91.3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
7-9
[/td][td]
92.0<<
[/td][/tr][tr][td]>> Includes 94.4 mph pitch, fastest of the season.[/td][/tr][/table]

Inside Cain's perfect game, from ESPN Stats and Info:

• Can relied heavily on his fastball against the Astros, recording 19 of the 27 outs with his heater. He recorded the other eight outs with his slider (five), changeup (two) and curveball (one).

• With two strikes, Cain mixed his up pitch selection, using each of his four pitches. Along with the 14 strikeouts, Cain got eight more outs in at-bats with a two-strike count. His pitch selection with two strikes: fastball (22), slider (12), curveball (nine), changeup (seven).

• Cain threw first pitch strikes to 19 of the 27 batters he faced (70.4 percent). With Cain ahead in the count, he was able to retire 19 of 27 batters including 11 of his 14 strikeouts. Cain had to retire only two hitters from behind in the count all game.

The Astros were on the wrong side of history, writes Zachary Levine. J.A. Happ had a miserable outing.

Cain will get his due now, writes Henry Schulman. Cain made it look easy. Here's an anatomy of the perfect game, from Andrew Baggarly.
[h3]The logic in Ethier's deal[/h3]
Last fall, the free agent market was flush with proven closers, from Francisco Rodriguez to Heath Bell to Francisco Cordero, Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon, Ryan Madson, Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch. And if you wanted to trade for a closer, well, you could have called the Oakland Athletics about Andrew Bailey, Houston about Mark Melancon or (as it turns out) the Toronto Blue Jays about Sergio Santos.

So it's instructive to remember that when the dust settled, the free agents who got the best deals were those who signed quickly -- Papelbon ($50 million), Bell ($27 million) and Nathan ($15 million). And the free agent left standing was the reliever who didn't grab the early money, Madson, who wound up taking the one-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds.

The outfield market for this fall is setting up parallel lines, with an enormous number of veterans with track records all about to hit free agency at the same time.

Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn, Melky Cabrera, Shane Victorino, Carlos Quentin, B.J. Upton, Nick Swisher, Torii Hunter and Angel Pagan are all headed into the marketplace at this offseason.

This is why it was a good thing for Andre Ethier to make his five-year, $85 million deal right now, because it figures that somebody is going to be left behind in the fall. It's the last guy standing who will lose out on options and negotiating leverage, in the way that Madson did.

Even Hamilton, arguably the best of the lot, may be affected in this way. In theory, he's the most dynamic of the group of outfielders, with the highest production ceiling and the most power at a time when power is coveted most. But with the Dodgers' signing of Ethier, it likely means they will spend their available dollars on something other than an outfielder in the offseason -- and this might eliminate one of the few possible landing spots for Hamilton.

The Texas Rangers want to keep Hamilton but at a price and risk level they're comfortable with, especially in light of his history of off-field issues and injuries. Keep in mind: Hamilton is 31 years old.

The Los Angeles Angels are already flush with outfielders, so they won't be an option for Hamilton. The New York Yankees have their own potential free agents to tend to in Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson; both could hit the market in 17 months. The Red Sox's payroll is already bloated by long-term deals, and they almost certainly will not be in the market for a $100-million-plus outfielder.

The New York Mets are much more inclined to financial baby steps right now than the kind of big strike that would be required to sign Hamilton. The Chicago Cubs just acquired two dynamic outfield talents, signing 19-year-old Jorge Soler and drafting high schooler Albert Almora, as they focus on a slow and steady rebuilding process -- and they're already saddled with the whopper contract of Alfonso Soriano.

The Braves' payroll, generally speaking, has been locked into its current range by the team's television contract. The Washington Nationals already have Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth and Michael Morse.

As the cliché goes, all it takes is one team. Prince Fielder's price tag for the Detroit Tigers soared after Victor Martinez got hurt.

But at a time when industry executives are increasingly attached to metrics and averse to risk, it does not appear that there will be a high volume of bidders for Hamilton -- especially when there will be such a wide range of alternatives at the same position.
[h3]Elsewhere[/h3]
• It's worth remembering the deep outfield class as we near the trade deadline, because it could help shape decisions. For example: The Minnesota Twins have indicated to others that they might be willing to talk about Josh Willingham if and when they decide to raise the white flag over their 2012 season.

Willingham's trade value may never be higher than it is right now, because he's having a good season at age 33 -- he's hitting .290 with a .405 on-base percentage -- and he's already under contract for the next two seasons at $7 million per year, a relatively modest price compared to what free agents will command in the offseason.

For the Pittsburgh Pirates, Willingham would make a lot of sense: He would augment their lineup now, when Pittsburgh is in the NL Central race, and he would not be budget-busting in 2013 or 2014.

• I did some official scoring years ago and always used this as a guideline on judging hit vs. error: If, at the end of the action, you were inclined to say "nice play" by a fielder, then it probably was a hit. The key word in the official scorers' guidelines is "ordinary" -- if it takes more than an ordinary effort, then it's a hit.

This what I thought when watching David Wright try to barehand the chopper hit by the speedy B.J. Upton in the first inning Wednesday night: If Wright had successfully grabbed the ball and thrown out Upton, I would've thought, Nice play. So when Wright didn't complete the play, I thought it was a hit for Upton -- and it was the only hit the Tampa Bay Rays got, as it turned out. The Mets are saying they'll appeal the scorer's decision.

From ESPN Stats and Info, how Dickey beat the Rays:

[h4]Amazin' Dickey[/h4]
Most consecutive scoreless innings pitched in Mets history.
[table][tr][th=""]
Season
[/th][th=""]
Pitcher>
[/th][th=""]
Innings
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
2012
[/td][td]
R.A. Dickey
[/td][td]
32 2/3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1973
[/td][td]
Jerry Koosman
[/td][td]
31 2/3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1985
[/td][td]
Dwight Gooden
[/td][td]
31
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
1971
[/td][td]
Tom Seaver
[/td][td]
31
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
2003-04
[/td][td]
Al Leiter
[/td][td]
29 1/3
[/td][/tr][/table]

A) Dickey threw 100 knuckleballs in 106 pitches (94.3 percent). That is Dickey's highest percentage since 2009.
B) Fifty-five of the 100 knuckleballs were above the belt, gaining 16 outs (six strikeouts), which is Dickey's highest since 2009.
C) The Rays missed 22 of the 63 knuckleballs they swung at (34.9 percent). The 22 missed knuckleballs is the most for Dickey since 2009.
D) Eleven of the 12 strikeouts were swinging.

From Elias Sports Bureau: R.A. Dickey threw a one-hitter while striking out 12. The only Mets pitchers to throw a one-hitter while striking out more than 12? Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver.

Chris Carpenter threw off a mound for the first time this summer.
[h3]By The Numbers[/h3]From ESPN Stats and Info
10: Starting pitchers with at least eight strikeouts on Wednesday.
257: Strikeouts by pitchers on Wednesday, tied for the third most in one day since the start of the 2000 season (15 games).
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Now that Kris Medlen is stretched out, the Atlanta Braves have to decide what to do with him, writes David O'Brien.

2. With the trade deadline looming, the Philadelphia Phillies must make decisions, writes Bob Brookover.

3. Eric Hosmer was back in the leadoff spot.

4. Ron Roenicke keeps shuffling.

5. A quick trade of Ryan Dempster is said to be possible. Theo Epstein chatted with Dempster before Wednesday's game.

6. The Reds are trying to decide when to promote Billy Hamilton.

7. Bobby Valentine muses about whether the trade speculation around Kevin Youkilis is affecting him.

8. Matt LaPorta was sent to the minors.

9. Terry Collins is an All-Star.

10. Franklin Gutierrez is back with the Mariners.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. Luke Scott is dealing with a stiff back.

2. Nelson Cruz was dealing with a fever.

3. Chase Utley feels like he's making progress.

4. Andy Dirks' availability is unclear.

5. There are fears for Kyle Drabek after he heard a popping sound in his elbow.

6. Ron Gardenhire had to pull his pitcher and wasn't happy about it.

7. Adam Dunn is dealing with a sprained ankle.

8. Yoenis Cespedes isn't 100 percent.
[h3]Wednesday's games[/h3]
1. Stephen Strasburg was dominant against the Jays.

From Elias: Strasburg became the first pitcher to record 100 strikeouts this season. The last pitcher from a Washington team to do that was Walter Johnson in 1919. It took Johnson 11 more games than Strasburg (24 to 13). The Big Train finished with 147 K's that year to lead MLB.

Strasburg may have wowed the baseball world with his blistering fastball, but it's his changeup that has been his best pitch this season. Four of his eight strikeouts against the Blue Jays Wednesday came with his changeup, giving him 29 K's with the changeup this year (fifth among right-handed pitchers).

2. The Miami Marlins have had a terrible homestand and some frustrations boiled over when Heath Bell shouted at Ozzie Guillen, writes Joe Capozzi.

3. The Braves were swept, as Carroll Rogers writes.

4. Matt Harrison was dominant, as Drew Davison writes.

5. The Phillies hung on.

6. Jhonny Peralta redeemed himself.

7. Lance Lynn was dominant for the St. Louis Cardinals.

8. Jake Arrieta was The Man for the Baltimore Orioles, writes Dan Connolly.

9. Felix Doubront pitched well again, writes Peter Abraham.

10. The Cleveland Indians were taken down by a former Indian.

11. The Yankees are rolling: That's six straight wins and counting.

12. Wade Miley was good; the D-backs' hitters, not so much.

13. The Angels dug deep to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. There's been nothing overrated about C.J. Wilson, writes Mark Whicker.

14. The San Diego Padres won with pitching and defense.

Evaluating MLB's best umpires.

Spoiler [+]
As we've seen time and again this year, umpires are increasingly under the microscope. With the variety of angles available to TV viewers, it's become more and more apparent when a call is wrong, and as Jerry Crasnick writes today, umpiring in baseball is a major issue right now.

While many of the most memorable umpire mistakes have come on force plays, tag plays and "boundary calls," the most common kind of blown call, by far, happens behind home plate several times a game. It's possible to watch a game and forget about the base umpires, as long as none of them makes a glaring error. But it's impossible to ignore the home plate umpire, who has to make a ruling on every pitch not fouled off or put in play.

That's why arguing balls and strikes leads to an automatic ejection -- there are simply too many of them to make arguing each one permissible. Moreover, the strike zone is such a core component of baseball that questioning its consistency calls into question the integrity of the game.

Grousing about umpires is as old as the game itself, but the advent of instant replay -- and more recently, ball-tracking technology -- has made those complaints more numerous and provided conclusive evidence of occasional umpire incompetence. That doesn't necessarily mean that we're ready to do away with umpires, even if Major League Baseball would allow it.

Even Mike Fast, a former Baseball Prospectus and current Houston Astros analyst who made his name by studying the data collected by Sportvision's PITCHf/x system, has acknowledged that some significant technical hurdles would have to be cleared before an automated system could make more accurate calls in real time than human umpires. However, that hasn't stopped, or even slowed, the steady stream of complaints about officiating coming from couches and clubhouses alike. The shots are fired at even some of the best umpires in the game.

Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine is the latest to make his feelings heard after the Sox were swept last weekend at Fenway Park by the Washington Nationals. The Nationals' starters have a collective 2.94 ERA this season, but nonetheless Valentine believed in this instance, they had some help behind home plate, saying, "I thought [the Nats' pitchers] pitched well. I thought they got pitches, in key situations, that weren't strikes."

Valentine went on to describe what he wants to see: "The game is simple. Throw it over the plate, call it a strike, don't throw it over the plate, call it a ball. Simple. That's all. It's all anybody asks."

Of course, it's not actually simple -- if it were, no umpire would rule incorrectly, and calls for robot umps would be few and far between. Calling balls and strikes is extremely difficult. Even Valentine is aware of this. A day after his initial complaints, he summarized the difficulties umpires face.

"I think they're very well trained, and I think they're very good at what they do," he said. "I think it's almost impossible to do what they do, so why do we ask them to do the impossible? … They're humans. We're asking humans to do a feat a human can't do."

But Valentine's acknowledgement of the difficulty of calling pitches doesn't make him any less eager to see them called correctly. And as much as he might want it, a significant change in the way balls and strikes are called still seems to be a ways away. So old-fashioned, flesh-and-blood umpires will have to do, and when we look closer, baseball has many high-quality ones.

In the PITCHf/x era (2007 to 2012), 81 umpires have been behind the plate for at least 5,000 pitches recorded by Sportvision's system. Among these experienced umps, 86.8 percent of pitches have been called correctly, using the rulebook definition of the strike zone's horizontal boundaries and a method for defining the top and bottom of the zone developed by Fast.

The range between the best and worst umps seems fairly small: Fewer than 5 percentage points separates the best from the worst. However, given the quantity of pitches a home plate umpire calls -- since 2010, an average of roughly 81 per team per game -- a difference in accuracy of even a few percentage points can make a major impact in a single contest, let alone a whole season. In a game featuring an average number of called pitches, the difference between the best and worst umpires would be about seven correct calls.

[h4]Baseball's top umps[/h4]
The MLB 10 umpires who have the highest percentage of correct ball-stike calls (minimum 5,000 pitches).
[table][tr][th=""]
Umpire
[/th][th=""]
Correct %
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Tim McClelland
[/td][td]
89.3
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
.J. Reyburn
[/td][td]
88.9
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Cory Blaser
[/td][td]
88.7
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Alan Porter
[/td][td]
88.6
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Mike Estabrook
[/td][td]
88.5
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Mike Everitt
[/td][td]
88.1
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Angel Campos
[/td][td]
88.1
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Gerry Davis
[/td][td]
88.0
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Todd Tichenor
[/td][td]
87.8
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Eric Cooper
[/td][td]
87.8
[/td][/tr][/table]

See the chart to the right. Those are the 10 umpires to rule on at least 5,000 pitches -- all of whom are still active -- with the highest percentage of pitches called correctly.

McClelland, the most accurate on the list, is also one of the most experienced -- he was the ump who called George Brett out in the so-called "Pine Tar Game" in 1983, McClelland's first full season. According to his MLB.com bio, the crew chief has worked at least one game at the major league level in 31 seasons, the third-highest total among active umpires.

At 6-foot-6, he has a different perspective on the zone than most umpires. He's also known for his deliberate pace behind the plate, which makes the broadcaster's job more difficult but might lead to more accurate calls. McClelland's consistency hasn't gone unrecognized: He has consistently finished at or near the top of player polls regarding baseball's best umpires.

Ironically, the three umpires who were behind the plate for the Nationals-Red Sox series -- Alan Porter, Dana DeMuth and Fieldin Culbreth -- have all been above-average at calling balls and strikes. The trio probably missed some important pitches in the series, but in those three games, 87.1 percent of pitches to Red Sox batters were called correctly -- an above-average success rate.

That would likely come as little consolation to Valentine, whose team still couldn't score.

Rumors.

Spoiler [+]
http://[h3]Impact of Cespedes injury[/h3]
10:33AM ET

[h5]Oakland Athletics [/h5]


Just four games into his return from the disabled list, Oakland outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was forced to leave Wednesday's contest against the Rockies after just two innings with a strained left hamstring.

Cespedes won't play in Thursday's series finale, but manager Bob Melvin said he'd consider using him as a designated hitter in Oakland "until we get him all the way healthy." With Cespedes at DH, the comeback of Manny Ramirez could be delayed further, says John Shea of the Chronicle.

The A's begin a nine-game homestand against NL clubs on Friday, giving Melvin the DH option. After a slow start, Ramirez has five hits in his last two games to raise his Triple-A average to .300. But Ramirez might be stuck in Sacramento for the time being unless Melvin is willing to use him in the outfield.

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Oakland Athletics, Yoenis Cespedes, Manny Ramirez

http://[h3]Tigers eyeing Quentin?[/h3]
10:07AM ET

[h5]Carlos Quentin | Padres [/h5]


Carlos Quentin returned from the disabled list two weeks ago and is hitting a sizzling .421 with five homers in 12 games. The hot streak is likely to help the San Diego Padres in more ways than one. Sure, it helps them compete and potentially win games. It also improves Quentin's trade value.

Jon Morisi tweets Thursday the Tigers have interest in dealing for Quentin, although his $7 million salary may be an impediment. The interest from Detroit is a mild surprise given the Tigers are expected to get back Victor Martinez later this summer. It also could indicate the Tigers are looking for a more immediate offensive boost.

ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney last week suggested a handful of potential landing spots, including the Cincinnati Reds, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. The Reds, Olney adds, haven't been able to solve left field and the Rays and Indians needs pop -- the Indians need more balance in the form of a right-handed hitter.

The Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins are three other clubs Olney mentions, and we'll add the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals to the list.

The Brewers are another club to keep an on eye in trade scenarios for outfielders and bats as they have a hole at first base. They could move Corey Hart to first permanently and add an outfield bat such as Quentin.

- Doug Mittler and Jason A. Churchill

Tags:
Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Carlos Quentin

http://[h3]Willingham a fit in Pittsburgh?[/h3]
9:48AM ET

[h5]Josh Willingham | Twins [/h5]


The Twins have not reached the point where they will sell off assets, but there would be a robust market for Josh Willingham if the Twins make the outfielder available, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported earlier this week.

Willingham was the subject of numerous trade rumors last July before finishing out the year in Oakland and signing a three-year, $21 million deal with the Twins.

The extra wild card team should lead to a big buyers' market, and the Twins will be tempted tp take advantage. One team that might be looking to add an outfielder is the Pittsburgh Pirates, whose batting average for their left fielders was a paltry .209 as of Monday.

Buster Olney has more on Willingham in Thursday's blog:

olney_buster_30.jpg
[h5]Buster Olney[/h5]
Willingham's value
"Willingham's trade value may never be higher than it is right now, because he's having a good season, at age 33 - he's hitting .290, with a .405 on-base percentage - and he's already under contract for the next two seasons, at $7 million per year, a relatively modest price compared to what free agents will command in the offseason. For the Pirates, Willingham would make a lot of sense: He would augment their lineup now, when Pittsburgh is in the NL Central race, and he would not be budget-busting in 2013 or 2014."

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Minnesota Twins, Josh Willingham, Pittsburgh Pirates
http://[h3]Medlen back to the bullpen?[/h3]
9:42AM ET

[h5]Kris Medlen | Braves [/h5]


The Atlanta Braves have yet to declare whether Kris Medlen, who was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett two weeks ago in hopes of stretching him out to be a starter, will return to the majors in the rotation or as a reliever.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez may have dropped a hint when he said it would be difficult to remove either Mike Minor or Randall Delgado from the starting rotation right now, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman.

Medlen allowed 15 hits and seven earned runs in 13 1/3 innings over three starts with Gwinnett. He could be more valuable in the bullpen, especially after the Braves blew four-run leads on Sunday and Tuesday.

Atlanta may be more comfortable sticking with Minor after the lefthander pitched seven strong innings against the Yankees on Tuesday.

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Randall Delgado, Mike Minor, Kris Medlen, Atlanta Braves

http://[h3]No ETA for Carpenter[/h3]
9:11AM ET

[h5]St. Louis Cardinals [/h5]


Chris Carpenter appears to be a long way away from pitching in a big league game, but the Cardinals ace made progress Wednesday, throwing off a mound for the first time since spring training.

Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch reports the session was similar to one he would do within two weeks of reporting to camp in February. Carpenter, who has been out all season after nerve irritation caused weakness in his right shoulder, will throw every other day for at least another week.

Given Carpenter's uncertain status, the Cardinals could easily be among the teams looking for starting pitching help as the trade deadline approaches.

- Doug Mittler

http://[h3]Comeback for Sheets?[/h3]
8:44AM ET

[h5]Ben Sheets | Athletics [/h5]


Remember Ben Sheets? The injury-plagued righthander who last pitched in the majors in 2010 may be planning a comeback.

Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com reports Sheets threw for scouts Wednesday in Monroe, Louisiana, with representatives from the Phillies, Braves, Yankees, and Angels in attendance.

The 33-yearold Sheets was 4-9 in 20 starts for the A's in 2010 before shutting it down for a second flexor tendon procedure in August.

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Ben Sheets

http://[h3]Dempster, Epstein meet[/h3]
8:10AM ET

[h5]Ryan Dempster | Cubs [/h5]


The Chicago Cubs, owners of the worst record in the majors (21-41), are clearly headed for sell-off mode this summer and the rumors regarding right-hander Ryan Dempster already are picking off steam.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the interested teams, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweeted Tuesday. The Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians could be among those joining the chase for Dempster's services.

Amid the speculation, Dempster had a long chat with Cubs president Theo Epstein in the stands at Wrigley Field before Wednesday's game with the Tigers. Dempster told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat they were talking about an upcoming fundraiser in which Epstein is involved, but they very well could be discussing Dempster's future.

The 35-year-old Dempster is in the final year of a four-year, $52 million deal and is in line to ask for a multi-year deal, a route that Epstein may be very reluctant to travel.

ESPN Insider's Jim Bowden has the Cubs on his list of deadline sellers and gives a possible destination for Dempster:

- Doug Mittler and Jason A. Churchill

bowden_jim_30.jpg
[h5]Jim Bowden[/h5]
Deadline Sellers
"Dempster will waive his no-trade rights and should be pitching for a contender. The Tigers could use another veteran arm."

Tags:
Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Ryan Dempster

http://[h3]Joba eyes return this year[/h3]
8:02AM ET

[h5]Joba Chamberlain | Yankees [/h5]


Joba Chamberlain, who suffered a freak ankle injury in March playing on a trampoline with his son, still has hopes of being a valued reliever for the New York Yankees in the second half of the season.

Chamberlain tells Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News he believes he is 2-3 weeks away from going on a minor league rehab assignment.

Chamberlain appeared ready to make it back to the majors in less than a year after last June's Tommy John surgery, but took a huge step back with the trampoline injury. If Chamberlain were to return, the Yankees would have no problem putting him into a seventh-inning role to set-up Rafael Soriano and David Robertson.

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees

http://[h3]What's up with the Tigers?[/h3]
7:45AM ET

[h5]Detroit Tigers [/h5]


The Detroit Tigers plan on making a roster move or two before Thursday's matinee against the Cubs, although manager Jim Leyland was evasive as to what they might be, reports Tom Gage.

An educated guess says the moves will involve a position player call-up after the Tigers learned Wednesday that outfielder Andy Dirks will not be able to come off the disabled list on Friday as originally hoped. Dirks continues to be bothered by Achilles tendinitis.

The Tigers also will need to clear a roster spot for Doug Fister, who is scheduled to come off the disabled list and start Thursday.

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Andy Dirks, Detroit Tigers

http://[h3]Tulo's new ETA[/h3]
6:54AM ET

[h5]Troy Tulowitzki | Rockies [/h5]


Marco Scutaro and Chris Nelson will keep their current gigs as starting shortstop and starting second baseman for a little while longer as superstar Troy Tulowitzki has re-aggravated his left groin, reports the Denver Post.

Tulowitzki re-injured the leg during a rehab game in the minors and was originally expected to return to the Colorado Rockies very soon. If the aggravation is significant, he could be out until after the All-Star Break.

Rockies manager Jim Tracy said the initial information he received indicated the injury is minor.

The Rockies are not in contention and don't figure to be this season -- they sit nine games back in the wildcard and 14 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West -- so the impact here is relegated to fantasy baseball, and perhaps the MLB trade deadline.

The Rockies could have -- and still could, but now it may be less likely -- shopped Scutaro to one of the many clubs seeking upgrades, offensively or defensively, at shortstop, potentially including the Detroit Tigers.

- Jason A. Churchill

Tags:
Troy Tulowitzki, Marco Scutaro, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers

http://[h3]Free agent infield market shallow[/h3]
6:45AM ET

[h5]Free Agent Infielders [/h5]

[img]http://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/leagues/lrg/trans/mlb.gif[/img]
Recently, Rumor Central's Jason Catania wrote that the depth in free agent outfielders could impact the way clubs go about re-signing their own pending free agents, but the same cannot be said for the infielders.

With Brandon Phillips, Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar off the market -- they each signed extensions this spring -- the top middle infielders headed for free agency are the oft-injured Freddy Sanchez, Skip Schumaker, Ryan Theriot, Orlando Hudson and Jeff Keppinger. The struggling -- and injured -- Jason Bartlett is likely to be among that group.

Jhonny Peralta has a club option for 2013, as does Stephen Drew, but the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively, are likely to exercise those options to avoid a thin market for replacements.

Third baseman David Wright and Kevin Youkilis have team options attached, so they aren't likely to see the open market, and Chipper Jones is retiring. That leaves banged up veteran Scott Rolen and part-time players such as Ty Wigginton, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Maicer Izturis and Mark Teahen at the top of the hot corner market.

Mark Reynold has a club option, too, but it's for $11 million and his performance and injury history could convince the Orioles to buy out the slugger for $500,000.

The top first baseman are James Loney, Carlos Lee and Aubrey Huff if the Giants decline their option. Adam LaRoche may be earning his 2013 option with his bat this season, but could lead the first base crop if he hits the market.

Mike Napoli, if clubs consider him more of a first baseman than a catcher or DH, might be the most attractive of the entire infield class.

The market only thins after next season, too, so this could be a trend moving forward.
 
The White Sox’s Biggest Surprise.
Spoiler [+]
Surprising performances have fueled the Chicago White Sox’s rise to the top of the division. Adam Dunn — who looked finished last season — is off to one of the best starts of his career, Jake Peavy is healthy for the first time in years and AJ Pierzynski has already clubbed eleven home runs. And while those performances were unexpected, there’s another player on the White Sox whose play has been even more shocking. At age-28, Alejandro De Aza has blossomed into one of the better center fielders in the game.

De Aza’s breakout was supposed to happen five years ago. After a strong Spring Training with the Florida Marlins, De Aza was named the starter in center field. His rise to prominence was short-lived. De Aza injured his ankle about a week into his debut season. While the injury was initially believed to be just a sprain, it turned out De Aza had been playing with a stress fracture. De Aza didn’t return until August, but looked overmatched in his debut season, hitting just .229/.261/.313. The following season, De Aza injured his ankle in an exhibition game and missed the entire season. After receiving just 27 plate appearances with the Marlins in 2009, the White Sox claimed him off waivers.

After decent performances in Triple-A in both 2010 and 2011, De Aza finally had an opportunity to make an impact. With Alex Rios struggling mightily, the White Sox turned to De Aza in center. The results were encouraging, in just 171 plate appearances, De Aza hit .329/.400/.520. That performance was enough for the White Sox to enter the 2012 season with De Aza firmly supplanted as their center fielder.

De Aza has responded in a big way. His 2.3 WAR rates him as the tenth best outfielder in baseball this season, and the fifth best center fielder. His overall line of .305/.382/.428 is strong — and he’s showing solid power and patience — but it’s also propped up by a .374 BABIP. While that’s extremely high for most players, we’re not entirely sure what De Aza’s natural BABIP should be. In his limited career, De Aza’s BABIP is .360, far higher than what we would predict. But even if De Aza’s BABIP drops to a more manageable number, he’s still shown some skills that should make him a useful piece for the White Sox.

De Aza has been more selective at the plate this season, but he’s still making solid contact. All of De Aza’s Swing rates are down this season, but his Contact% has jumped to 81.4. Much of that improvement has come on balls in the zone, where De Aza is making contact with 92.2% of pitches. And it hasn’t been weak contact, either. De Aza’s line drive rate has jumped to 30.6% this season, good for fourth in all of baseball. That definitely explains his elevated BABIP. De Aza has also managed to keep the ball on the ground, which plays to his strengths as a hitter. His fly ball rate is just 26.7% this year. While that approach probably won’t lead to many more home runs, it allows De Aza to capitalize on his speed.

That’s the nice thing about De Aza, he’ll contribute in multiple areas. He’s been a strong baserunner thus far, accumulating a 2.7 BsR (or UBR). And he seems like a capable defensive center fielder, too. We don’t have a huge sample with De Aza, but UZR seems to think he’s at least passable out there.

The White Sox went “All In
 
I'm happy for Cain, he never got the recognition he deserved.

When the Giants won the WS, he didn't give up a single run throughout the entire postseason.
HIS ERA WAS 0 FOR AN ENTIRE POSTSEASON!
 
Epic Pitching Performances on the Same Night.
Spoiler [+]
Last night, Matt Cain and R.A. Dickey combined to allow one hit in 18 innings, striking out 26 guys in the process. It was two of the very best performances of the year, and they happened on the same night. So, that got me thinking – how often do we get two stellar performances on the same day?

To answer the question, we’ll turn back to Game Score (again, not perfect, but good enough for this exercise), and look for dates where two pitchers both posted a Game Score of 90 or higher. Because this is kind of labor intensive and the game is a bit different now than it used to be, I’m only going back 20 years, but that should still give us a pretty good idea of how rare it is for two pitchers to be that good on the same day.

Anyway, here is the breakdown.

9/8/93: Darryl Kile (93) and Jason Bere (91) – 17 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 22 K
9/21/93: Randy Johnson (91) + Todd Stottlemyre (90) – 18 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 21 K
7/15/94: Bret Saberhagen (93) and Andy Benes (91) – 18 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 25 K
9/17/95: Ismael Valdez (92) and Patt Rapp (91) – 18 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 16 K
9/4/99: Pedro Martinez (90) and Kevin Brown (90) – 17 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 23 K
9/29/00: Chan Ho Park (95) and Ron Villone (92) – 18 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 6 BB, 29 K
5/25/01: Hideo Nomo (99) and Kerry Wood (97) – 18 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 28 K
4/26/02: Shawn Estes (92) and Odalis Perez (91) – 18 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 14 K
8/17/03: Mike Mussina (90) and Curt Schilling (90) – 16 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 21 K
4/16/04: Roy Oswalt (91) and Randy Johnson (90) – 18 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 18 K
5/18/04: Randy Johnson (100) and Jason Schmidt (97) – 18 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 26 K
7/8/10: Roy Oswalt (91) and John Danks (90) – 18 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 15 K
6/13/12: Matt Cain (101) and R.A. Dickey (95) – 18 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 26 K

13 times in 20 years, two guys have put up 90+ game scores on the same night. But, in most instances, one or both guys just barely clears the hurdle – only the Johnson/Schmidt duo in 2004 and the Nomo/Wood pair in 2001 featured both pitchers with a game score of 95 or higher, as we saw last night. And, given that Dickey’s game score is only lower than Schmidt’s due to the unearned run he allowed, you could probably argue that last night’s tandem was the best pair of pitching performances we’ve seen on the same night in since 1993 (and possibly before that, if any of you want to do the work and go back further). Of course, Game Score doesn’t adjust for park/era/opponent, so perhaps the fact that we’re back in a lower run environment now does tilt the scales back towards Johnson/Schmidt, but again, we’re hair splitting here. The point is that we don’t get nights like that very often.

Speaking of Johnson, I hope you noticed he’s on this list three times. What a beast.

Also, some of the names on this list are fantastic – Pat Rapp! Ron Villone! Odalis Perez! This was worth doing just for those finds.

On most nights, we’d be talking about what Lance Lynn, Wade Miley, Felix Dubront, and Jake Arrieta, did last night. Last night was not most nights, however. Last night belonged to Matt Cain and R.A. Dickey.


R.A. Dickey and Cy Young Hopes.
Spoiler [+]
After yesterday’s 12-strikeout, no-walk complete game from R.A. Dickey, the league’s best knuckleballer moved into position with the MLB’s fourth-best xFIP, the MLB’s fourth-best ERA, and the 10th-best ERA-minus among historical knuckleballers.

Advanced stats can sometimes fail us with knuckleballers because they produce especially weak contact. In his most recent start, Dickey got 10 ground outs, 1 weak single that may get ruled an error, and 1 infield fly ball. So naturally, FIP and xFIP under-appreciate Dickey to a certain extent, but does that mean he should be in consideration for a Cy Young award?

Yes. Probably very much: Yes.

Well first of all: Matt Cain‘s perfect game last night certainly does not play in Dickey’s favor. Cain currently sports a better ERA and FIP than Dickey, plus he has one of the biggest badges a pitcher can earn in a single start, so if the San Francisco Giants pitcher can maintain his production and not totally Philip Humber before the end of the season, then he is probably the favorite.

There is also Zack Greinke, pitching like Zach Greinke is wont to pitch (1.98 FIP, 2.34 xFIP — both best in the NL). And Cliff Lee (2.67 xFIP) and Stephen Strasburg (2.42 xFIP) have been sharp NL pitchers too.

Dickey indeed can beat his peripheral stats, and even though he sports an excellent ERA right now, he still may have even more room to improve. Since 2008, Dickey has averaged an ERA 0.55 points lower than his xFIP, and since 2009, it has been a full 0.68 points lower:



As Dickey has improved, his gap between defensive-independent numbers and his ERA has expanded.

And it’s not like the Mets have had some line-drive-swallowing defense either. From 2009 through 2011, their pitching staff had a .296 BABIP — sixth worst in the NL. And so far in 2012, they have a .300 mark, good for 7th worst and near the middle of the NL.

Dickey now has 10 consecutive starts without allowing more than 4 runs — with four zero-earned-run starts (all at or under 2.02 xFIP) coming most recently. He is, as the kids say, on a fire.

But this is the summer, which is Springtime for Knuckleballs. When it gets cold, it gets hard to dig those fingernails into the seams and the knuckler gets straight and homered. Paul Swydan noted how astoundingly consistent Dickey has been over the course of the 2012 season — and how unusual that is for a knuckleballer. Not only is Dickey consistently getting low ER totals, he is also doing it the “right
 
Best pitcher to start one game.

Spoiler [+]
On the surface, the question seems like an easy one: If your team was playing in a championship game tomorrow, and you could have any starting pitcher, who would it be? Your choice is of any ace in the game, but for some it's not just about statistics, it's about comfort and mitigating risk.

The question was posed to 12 industry insiders, ranging from pro scout to general manager, and those 12 generated five different responses. (We also asked them who they think their choice will be in 2015, and those answers are below.)

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[h3]1. Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers (seven votes)[/h3]
Verlander was the runaway winner, but some might be surprised to see him get just more than half the votes. "He just walks to the mound like he owns it," said an American League scouting official. "You're talking about 95-100 mph to both sides of the plate, a hellacious curveball and a plus change."

A National League scout agreed, while focusing on the thought of just one game. "He's capable of no-hitting anyone at any time, in any place," said the talent evaluator. "Every time you see him you wonder if you're going to see something special."

A National League front office member also focused on the one-game aspect but took a different angle. "Verlander has been the most consistent when it comes to maintaining plus-plus stuff deep into games, which for me is really what you ask for when looking for the best player to start one game," the front office member said.

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[h3]T2. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers (two votes)[/h3]
One of the two young guns to receive votes, Kershaw is just 24 years old and is already on his fourth straight year of putting up ace-level numbers in the big leagues.

"Verlander has more pitches and better stuff, and really he and Kershaw are the only two considerations for me," said a National League official. "I just think Kershaw is the most likely to dominate in a start tomorrow."

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[h3]T2. Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals (two votes)[/h3]
Despite being just 23 years old with less than 170 innings under his belt, Strasburg got a couple of nods.

"His stuff is just so much better than anyone else's stuff," said an American League official.

A scouting executive agreed, adding, "He's evolving from a pure flame guy to a pure pitcher that has an assortment of weapons."

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[h3]T4. CC Sabathia, New York Yankees (one vote)[/h3]
Sabathia is generally considered an ace despite that fact he's had an ERA of less than 3.00 just once in his career and struck out more than 200 batters just three times.

"He's just the man," said an assistant general manager. "I know it doesn't match up objectively or on the foundation of any evidence. But I think about what he did in Milwaukee and I think about him ripping off win after win with the Yankees, and for me this is a question about trust, and I trust that guy."

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[h3]T4. Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels (one vote)[/h3]
Last year's runner-up in the Cy Young voting, Weaver has improved his rate stats this year, and one American League executive decided to turn away from the strikeout machines and go for the efficiency.

"I was just thinking about power guys, and I still might rather have power," he explained. "But Verlander is in a bit of a funk right now, so I'll take the guy I know is going to consistently throw strikes."

Thinking about the future

Let's mix things up at bit. Let's change the time frame of this question to three years down the road. Your team is guaranteed a Game 7 in the 2015 World Series. You can pick any starting pitcher for the game, but you have to choose him today. While one pitcher pulled away with the most votes, options nonetheless went from a handful to a plethora.

"There's so much pitching right now," said an assistant GM. "There are so many kids that are mechanically sound, and with strength and conditioning and the way teams are protecting their arms, everything is going towards an era of pitching. It's hard to be a hitter right now." Still, the questions left another executive thinking about young hitters. "Can I take [Bryce] Harper and [Mike] Trout and then not care about what pitcher I get?" he joked.

1. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (six votes)
While Strasburg ran away with the voting, he could have dominated had there not been concern about his injury history. "I'm sticking with Strasburg here, but while my gut says Strasburg, my brain says he might be hurt," said one scouting director. But for others, his injury issues were safely in the rearview mirror.

"2015?" asked a National League scout. "He's four years removed from Tommy John surgery and has four Cy Young awards on his mantle." A scouting official who selected Verlander for the game tomorrow, selected Strasburg while noting similarities between the two. "He's what Verlander was three years ago," he said. "He's going to be that monster that shuts you down on any given day."

2. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (three votes)
Kershaw finished second in both polls, a testament to both his youth and talent. "What is he now? 24?" asked a National League official. "We're talking about a left-hander with dynamite stuff. It could be scary to think about what he looks like in three years."

T3. Dylan Bundy, Baltimore Orioles (one vote)
The biggest surprise of the poll was a vote for a pitcher in A-ball, but both Bundy's stuff and minor league numbers have been the talk of the first half of the season. "We can agree that he's up next year, and maybe as soon as he clears the service time for super-two status," explained an assistant GM. "In 2015, we're talking about a 22-year-old with two-and-a-half years of service time, and he could be pretty damn good."

T3. Gio Gonzalez, Nationals (one vote)
With a walk rate that continues to drop and a strikeout rate that continues to increase, Gonzalez is an under-the-radar pitcher who is slowly but surely working his way to ace status. "I'm taking a 26-year-old who is elite now and has gotten better every year," said an American League scout.

T3. Matt Moore, Tampa Bay Rays (one vote)
Entering the year as the top prospect in baseball, Moore has begun to dominate more in his first full big league season, and he's still years from his prime. "He has the upside everything is looking for, and he'd just be coming into the prime of his career at that point," said an assistant GM. "I'll admit Trevor Bauer came to mind, but I just can't go there yet."

T3. Justin Verlander (one vote)
The winner of the right now vote, one American League official was quick to note that there's no reason to think Verlander shouldn't be in play three years from now. "He'll be 32, it's not like he'll be old," he said.

Why Chapman needs to start.

Spoiler [+]
On Sunday night, we got to see one of the rarest events in baseball this season, Aroldis Chapman allowing two runs during a game. But when you have a bad game and your ERA balloons by half a run and yet is still less than 1.00, it's a sign that you're having a more than halfway decent year.

Chapman entered the season a bit of an enigma, a player with a triple-digit fastball but an up-and-down relationship with the strike zone. The Cuban Missile's targeting system had some flaws, and the Cincinnati Reds were smart to start Chapman in the bullpen this season. After all, Chapman is still just 24, and being very raw, it made a good deal of sense to allow him to work out his flaws and increase his role as he improved. That time has come, and I don't mean racking up saves -- it's time for the Reds to try Chapman as a starter.

Calls for Chapman to start are nothing new given his dominance so far this year. If major league baseball were a video game, Chapman has looked like a guy who really needed to increase the difficulty level. ZiPS projects Chapman to finish the season with a 2.36 ERA, but I think even the computer is having trouble coming to terms with just how extreme Chapman's improvement has been.

Chapman has been helped by the return of his quasi-splitter, a hybrid pitch that seems to be part fastball, part cutter, part splitter, part spell seen in a game of Dungeons & Dragons. Even PitchF/X has had trouble characterizing that filthy pitch, generally classifying it as a lively fastball or a ridiculously quick changeup.

The effect on Chapman's stats has been astounding, and there's little reason to think that it's a fluke. Walk rate is one of the least volatile stats for pitchers, and even in just 26 games, there's next to no chance that a drop from 7.4 BB/9 to 2.9 BB/9 isn't extremely significant. For all pitchers with 30 innings this season, batters are making contact with Chapman pitches on only 61 percent of swings. The next best has been Nate Jones at 71 percent. The distance between Chapman and Jones is greater than the distance between Jones and 89th place (Jared Hughes at 80.8 percent).

If you have an excellent starter and an excellent reliever, all things being equal, you want the starter. The reliever pitches in higher-leverage situations, but the starter pitches a lot more. That's definitely too simple, but in the situation the Reds are in, moving Chapman to the rotation makes even more sense than usual.

To start, Cincy's bullpen is very deep and performing extremely well, even with the nasty surprise of Ryan Madson missing the season and Bill Bray also being on the shelf. Even if you wipe out all of Chapman's stats this season, the bullpen's ERA of 3.03 has still been more than solid. Eight pitchers have appeared in relief for the Reds this season, and the second-worst strikeout rate among them is J.J. Hoover's 8.6 K/9.

With such a deep bullpen, the Reds can afford to lose an arm for a good cause. Jose Arredondo and Alfredo Simon have combined for 57 strikeouts and a 1.94 ERA in 51 innings this season, but with a combined leverage index of 0.77, the Reds haven't gotten maximum value out of that performance. Simply put, the Reds don't have enough high-leverage innings for all their high-performing relievers.

The rotation, on the other hand, has been less enthralling. Johnny Cueto has contributed as usual, and Mat Latos should be better going forward, but there's nobody else in the rotation that Cincinnati fans should be super-excited about seeing start games in October.

At this point in the season, there aren't many ways that a team can easily add a win or two. You can make a big trade, but that comes with the downside of losing a prospect. Moving Chapman to the rotation doesn't cost that, and, realistically, the Reds don't have the same farm depth that they had before the Latos trade.

A game or two doesn't sound like a major boost, but for a team in Cincinnati's position, it can very easily make the difference between Cincinnati playing baseball in October and watching baseball in October.

[h4]Cincinnati's projections[/h4]
Projecting the Reds' rest-of-season and final records, along with division and playoff odds for those records.
[table][tr][th=""]RoS[/th][th=""]Final[/th][th=""]Div. %[/th][th=""]Poff %[/th][/tr][tr][td]43-60[/td][td]75-87[/td][td]0.1[/td][td]0.1[/td][/tr][tr][td]44-59[/td][td]76-86[/td][td]0.1[/td][td]0.1[/td][/tr][tr][td]45-58[/td][td]77-85[/td][td]0.3[/td][td]0.3[/td][/tr][tr][td]46-57[/td][td]78-84[/td][td]0.6[/td][td]0.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]47-56[/td][td]79-83[/td][td]1.4[/td][td]1.4[/td][/tr][tr][td]48-55[/td][td]80-82[/td][td]2.2[/td][td]2.3[/td][/tr][tr][td]49-54[/td][td]81-81[/td][td]5.1[/td][td]5.4[/td][/tr][tr][td]50-53[/td][td]82-80[/td][td]9.5[/td][td]10.7[/td][/tr][tr][td]51-52[/td][td]83-79[/td][td]15.2[/td][td]17.9[/td][/tr][tr][td]52-51[/td][td]84-78[/td][td]22.9[/td][td]28.2[/td][/tr][tr][td]53-50[/td][td]85-77[/td][td]29.9[/td][td]39.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]54-49[/td][td]86-76[/td][td]40.2[/td][td]54.5[/td][/tr][tr][td]55-48[/td][td]87-75[/td][td]47.1[/td][td]66.1[/td][/tr][tr][td]56-47[/td][td]88-74[/td][td]55.5[/td][td]77.2[/td][/tr][tr][td]57-46[/td][td]89-73[/td][td]63.4[/td][td]85.8[/td][/tr][tr][td]58-45[/td][td]90-72[/td][td]70.6[/td][td]91.6[/td][/tr][tr][td]59-44[/td][td]91-71[/td][td]77.0[/td][td]95.1[/td][/tr][tr][td]60-43[/td][td]92-70[/td][td]83.4[/td][td]97.8[/td][/tr][tr][td]61-42[/td][td]93-69[/td][td]88.4[/td][td]99.3[/td][/tr][tr][td]62-41[/td][td]94-68[/td][td]92.0[/td][td]99.8[/td][/tr][tr][td]63-40[/td][td]95-67[/td][td]94.7[/td][td]99.9[/td][/tr][/table]

Just how crucial could two wins be for the Reds? To answer this, I simulated the rest of the season using the ZiPS projection system (see chart). But rather than asking the typical "Who will win the division?" question, I instead tabulated Cincy's odds of winning the division and making the playoffs at all final win totals from 75 to 95.

As one can see from the chart, there's a drastic difference between how useful a marginal win is at different levels of team quality. Adding two wins to a 75-win team in the NL Central this year barely moves the needle, and when it comes to making the playoffs, two extra wins are unlikely to provide much value to a 90-win team.

The Reds, as of Tuesday, are on an 87-88-win pace based on their actual record and an 85-win pace based on their Pythagorean record, strongly suggesting that the Reds are smack dab at the point where adding a win is the most crucial. Going from 86 to 88 wins actually improves their playoff chances for a coin flip to better than 75 percent.

One thing that separates successful franchises from laggards is the ability to take calculated risks to make the most of opportunities as they arise. The Texas Rangers would not have the same record of recent success if they hadn't risked making their best lefty reliever (C.J. Wilson) into a starter or taken a chance on a 30-year-old starter with a 6.71 ERA in the majors (Colby Lewis). The Atlanta Braves could have been satisfied to let 38-year-old John Smoltz finish his career as a closer, but his return to starting full time after six years proved to be the margin in the division back in 2005.

Fortune favors the bold, and it's time for the Reds to be bold. In Chapman, they have a pitcher with phenomenal potential and there will never be a better time to unleash his talent than now.
 
Originally Posted by JumpmanFromDaBay

A's release Man Ram
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I can see him being picked up an AL team after the all-star break. He'll probably end up back in Cleveland 
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Originally Posted by cubanref

Originally Posted by JumpmanFromDaBay

A's release Man Ram
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I can see him being picked up an AL team after the all-star break. He'll probably end up back in Cleveland 
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Why would any team pick him up now. He was having trouble hitting AAA Pitching. Oakland is usually the last stop for an aged hitter
 
^ I haven't even been playing the season much TBH, I've been caught up with RTTS
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.

Should Braun receive NL MVP votes?

Spoiler [+]
CHICAGO -- Baseball writers who have votes for each of the major awards are told to submit their ballot the day after the end of the regular season, so there are roughly 14 weeks left to decide.

But surely these numbers for a particular player, if he stays healthy, warrant consideration:

He's tied for first place in his league in home runs with 19.

He's third in his league in OPS at 1.034.

He's fourth in his league in RBIs with 47.

He's eighth in batting average at .322.

He's got 11 stolen bases, with a legitimate shot at 30.

According to Fangraphs.com, only two players have a better WAR.

Yes, Ryan Braun is having another strong season, even better numbers than at this time last year when he was on his way to winning the NL MVP Award.

Two months after writers cast their ballots last year, it was reported that Braun had tested positive for a banned substance -- and an arbitrator ruled in his favor on an appeal, a result that Major League Baseball disputed vehemently, to the point that it fired the arbitrator.

Braun has gone about his business of being one of the game's best hitters, and soon he will unwittingly provide an interesting challenge to recent precedent established by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in their handling of players suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs.

The BBWAA has effectively served as the PED bouncers at the gates of the Baseball Hall of Fame, roundly rejecting the candidacy of admitted users such as Mark McGwire, as well as Rafael Palmeiro, who tested positive. Jeff Bagwell posted career numbers overwhelmingly worthy of the Hall of Fame, but it has become evident that mere suspicion that he used performance-enhancing drugs -- and that's all there is, at this point, with no hard evidence -- has been a major factor in his modest vote totals.

To be clear, nobody has pushed the writers down this path. McGwire, Palmeiro and Bagwell have not been banned or had their names removed from the ballot, as was the case with Pete Rose. Major League Baseball and the Hall of Fame have set no roadblocks in place to prevent suspected or acknowledged PED users from being honored in Cooperstown. Hell, McGwire is the hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, respected for his work and in excellent standing as an MLB employee.

But an enormous voting block of writers -- probably about 45 percent -- have apparently decided that with their Hall of Fame votes, they will effectively render lifetime bans on players such as Bagwell, who they suspect of using. Even more are voting against players who admit or were busted; McGwire and Palmeiro, who clearly have Hall of Fame résumés in their playing careers, have never polled more than 25 percent. (Full disclosure: I have voted for McGwire, Palmeiro and Bagwell each year they have been on the ballot, because any drug use came in the context of a time when the institution of baseball effectively condoned the use of PEDs with inaction.)

Given the BBWAA's vigilant stance against PED users -- even suspected users -- what, then, will the writers do with Braun when voting for the MVP?

Keep in mind that the MVP Award is the property of the Baseball Writers' Association. The writers serve the Hall of Fame at its request, but the MVP, the Cy Young Award and the Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year awards all belong to the writers.

If the writers continue to hold their strong precedent against users based on mere suspicion, then there is no way they could vote for Braun for the Hall of Fame in his career. He tested positive, and many writers opined that he got off on a technicality.

Would it make sense, then, if the same voting body would give its own annual award to someone with a positive drug test in his history?

Casting a top-10 MVP vote for Braun in 2012 and then voting against him for the Hall of Fame based on suspicion of use would require a suspension of logic. Voting in that way would simply not be credible. The writers can't have it both ways and expect anybody to take them seriously.

Right now, Joey Votto is probably the logical front-runner for the NL MVP, with Braun, Carlos Gonzalez, David Wright and others chasing him. But if there's going to be a shift in the way the BBWAA handles the issue of drug suspicion in the Hall of Fame, we'll get an early read on it in the fall, when we'll see how many writers pen Braun's name on their ballots, whether it's for first place or 10th or someplace in between.

If I had one of the 32 votes for National League MVP (I don't) and Braun's production made him the best candidate, I'd cast a ballot for him. He went through a system negotiated by Major League Baseball and the players' union, and under that system, he was cleared of any wrongdoing.

For the readers: Would Braun's positive test in 2011 affect your 2012 MVP ballot?

Braun is doing fine, writes Patrick Reusse. A teammate has learned not to turn his back when Braun is at the plate.

[h4]Raking down low[/h4]
How Ryan Braun has fared against low pitches since the start of 2009.
[table][tr][th=""]
Stat
[/th][th=""]
2009-10
[/th][th=""]
2011-12
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
BA
[/td][td]
.255
[/td][td]
.324
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Slug pct.
[/td][td]
.418
[/td][td]
.535
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
AB/HR
[/td][td]
28
[/td][td]
19
[/td][/tr][/table]

Braun hit two homers Saturday. Both of his home runs came on low pitches, an area of the plate he's covered much better in 2011 and 2012 than he did in 2009 and 2010. He has hit almost 70 points higher on at-bats ending in low pitches and shown more power (see chart).

Braun also has a .378 batting average, five homers and 11 RBIs during his current 11-game hit streak and has homered in three straight games.
[h3]Elsewhere[/h3]
Tim Lincecum was roughed up again, and the San Francisco Giants seem to be nearing a crossroads with the pitcher -- who has an incredible track record but now is losing just about every start.

• Brandon Beachy, the pitcher with the best ERA in the majors, walked off the mound with a sore elbow. In that story, David O'Brien writes the Atlanta Braves have Kris Medlen ready to step into the rotation for Beachy, if necessary.

Carl Crawford is working out and is very close to beginning his minor league rehabilitation assignment, Jacoby Ellsbury is making progress and could be back in the lineup in less than a month, and Adrian Gonzalez feels like he's one swing away from putting himself back together at the plate. So anybody who is ready to bury the Boston Red Sox now is out of their mind; they've got some really good players who are going to be augmented by more good players coming back from the disabled list.

But it doesn't take long to ascertain that the Red Sox are a splintered group, with a lot of players and staff unhappy for a lot of different reasons. If they do come back and make the playoffs, it's not going to be because of a united clubhouse. It's toxic -- but that doesn't mean they can't win.

The Red Sox won on Saturday with a lot of help from Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Josh Beckett landed on the disabled list.

Separately: Dan Shaughnessy picked up some bad vibrations from Wrigley Field.

• The New York Yankees are blistering hot now: Their win Saturday was their eighth consecutive victory.

• The Toronto Blue Jays placed another starting pitcher on the disabled list Saturday; that's three in four days, Brendan Kennedy writes. But Toronto did battle and pull out a win with Ricky Romero starting.

It remains to be seen how this burst of injuries will impact the Toronto decisions in the last 45 days before the trade deadline. Has the Blue Jays' pitching been so compromised that GM Alex Anthopoulos might back off the pursuit of a starter, because it'd be like betting on a losing horse? Or will the front office feel strongly enough about the rest of the team that it would pay a premium for someone like Matt Garza?

If the Blue Jays stand pat for now, then before the trade deadline, Toronto could have some marketable pieces in its bullpen and second baseman Kelly Johnson, among others.

Carlos Quentin keeps getting hit by pitches in between home runs.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. The standings may dictate that the Colorado Rockies become sellers at some point, but rival officials say that Colorado doesn't present blockbuster material. "Pieces," is the way one evaluator described the sell-off that the Rockies could have, with the likes of reliever Rafael Betancourt and part-timer Jason Giambi.

2. Ryan Dempster is being paid $13.5 million this season, which means that any team that traded for him now would owe him about $8 million. But what the Chicago Cubs need desperately is prospects, and so sources say they're essentially willing to buy them -- by paying down as much of Dempster's salary for the rest of the year to pry good young players away from an interested team, such as the Red Sox or Los Angeles Dodgers.

3. The Texas Rangers didn't call up Martin Perez because he's had some consistency issues.

4. Tom Powers thinks the Minnesota Twins should gut their roster. We'll have more on the Twins tomorrow.

5. Manny Acta didn't want to talk about free agent Manny Ramirez.

6. Trade questions loom for the Cleveland Indians, writes Paul Hoynes. Alfonso Soriano would make some sense for the Indians, with the Cubs paying a huge portion of Soriano's deal; the Indians wouldn't have to give up that much in talent, and if Soriano struggled in the future, they could simply cut ties. Carlos Quentin could be a fit, too, but the Padres' asking price for him might be a little more than that for Soriano.

7. Oliver Perez was summoned to the big leagues.

8. Within this Susan Slusser notebook, there is word that Ryan Cook is going to get every save chance possible.

9. The San Diego Padres signed their second-round pick.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. Nick Markakis could be cleared to start taking batting practice later this week, as mentioned within this Eduardo Encina notebook.

2. Evan Longoria is ever closer to his return, writes Roger Mooney.

3. Freddie Freeman is still dealing with soreness in his index finger.

4. A specialist had no answers for John Danks. Not good.

5. Josh Hamilton was released from the hospital.

6. Jason Bay landed on the disabled list.

7. Carlos Ruiz says he's ready to go.
[h3]By The Numbers[/h3]
From ESPN Stats and Information

1: Number of wins for the Rockies in interleague play this season (10 losses).
2: One-hit shutouts Saturday, the first time that's happened since April 26, 2002 (Shawn Estes and Odalis Perez).
3: No-hit bids of at least five innings Saturday, most of any day this season.
8: Walk-off losses for the Phillies, most in MLB.
10: Runs for the Cardinals on Saturday after they scored only 14 runs in their previous seven games combined.
19: Sliders seen by Bryce Harper Saturday, three more than any hitter has seen in a game this season.
34: Straight pinch-hit at-bats without a hit for Jonny Gomes. That streak was snapped with his go-ahead pinch-hit home run Saturday.
[h3]Saturday's games[/h3]
1. The Baltimore Orioles just keep hanging in there: Jason Hammel threw a one-hitter at the Braves.

From ESPN Stats and Info, how Hammel shut down the Braves:

A. Hammel got six outs with his slider, including three strikeouts and two ground outs. Sixteen of Hammel's 22 sliders (73 percent) were down in the zone or below it, better than his 56 percent season average.
B. Hammel kept the ball away from the Braves' left-handed hitters. More than 75 percent of his pitches to lefties were away, better than his 55 percent season average.
C. Twenty-one of his 27 outs, including the final 17, came in at-bats that lasted four pitches or fewer.

Hammel is the first Orioles pitcher with a one-hit shutout since Mike Mussina in 2000.

2. The Rockies had some growing pains on display.

3. Doug Fister showed again why he is so valuable for the Detroit Tigers, writes John Lowe.

4. Justin Ruggiano continues to show why he was a useful pickup for the Miami Marlins -- this time in the 15th inning.

5. Alfonso Soriano was booed on Saturday, and he felt that was unfair. Jeff Samardzija pitched OK but lost, Dave van Dyck writes.

6. The Chicago White Sox bullpen did excellent work, Mark Gonzales writes.

7. The Rangers won the Silver Boot. Justin Grimm, one of the pitchers the Rangers will now have to rely on, stepped up and threw well in his debut.

8. Jon Niese made a bad pitch.

9. The Pittsburgh Pirates exploded, writes Bill Brink.

10. The Washington Nationals were beaten late, and Harper went 0-for-7 with five strikeouts and didn't want to talk.

11. The Philadelphia Phillies continue to struggle, and they blew a lead in Toronto. From Matt Gelb's story:
  • This is life for the 2012 Phillies. They lost, 6-5, to the Blue Jays and there were so many at fault. Cliff Lee allowed five runs on 12 hits and remains winless this season. The defense made more mistakes, most notably one by Jimmy Rollins. The bullpen wilted.
  • "I've seen that quite a bit," a perturbed Charlie Manuel said. "We don't get it done. We're not in the moment. We can't play in the moment. We make mistakes. In about every phase of the game, we make mistakes."
12. Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina put the Cardinals on their shoulders.

13. The Kansas City Royals rallied but lost.

14. The Twins were hurt by the long ball again.

15. Jay Bruce pushed the Reds' winning streak to five games.

16. The Indians gave up too many homers for their struggling lineup to overcome.

17. Jesus Montero and his teammates did damage against Lincecum.

18. You can't stop the Oakland Athletics, you can only hope to contain them. That's five straight wins and counting.

19. A Dodgers rally fell short.

20. Ervin Santana had a strong outing.

Decision on Hamels looms for Phillies.

Spoiler [+]
Now it's Carlos Ruiz who is hurt for the Phillies, joining Roy Halladay and Chase Utley and Ryan Howard and seemingly the rest of the ballplayers in the eastern half of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

After their loss Friday, the Phillies are now nine games out of first place in the National League East, and after losing just 60 games in the 2011 season, they have 35 losses already, and 31 victories. The Phillies had the easiest schedule in April, and now they are facing a brutal slate of games in July and August, including a West Coast trip right after the All-Star break and a bunch of games against the best teams in the NL Central.

Some rival executives have come to believe that unless the Phillies run off a string of victories over the next 46 days, they will seriously consider offers for left-hander Cole Hamels. Philadelphia has not made any progress in contract talks with Hamels, who is now about 20 starts from free agency.

But as the Phillies approach those crossroads and seriously weigh the question of whether to keep the left-hander, the decision will be extremely difficult. One can imagine general manager Ruben Amaro sitting down in his office with a yellow legal pad, drawing a line down the middle and filling out two columns -- the pros and cons.

Why the Phillies should keep Hamels: There are Phillies who can testify firsthand, from their experience of running down the Mets in 2007, that overcoming a huge deficit in a short period of time is possible. Utley will be back soon, in all likelihood, and Howard could follow shortly thereafter, and as the Nationals prepare to shut down Stephen Strasburg later in the summer, a two-week burst of success could draw the Phillies right back into the wild-card race, at the very least.

That cannot happen, though, unless the Phillies keep Hamels; if he and Cliff Lee and Vance Worley spearhead a comeback, and Halladay makes it back, Philadelphia could be dangerous again. A trade of Hamels would effectively end the competitive part of their season.

Keep in mind that the Phillies' fan base is now accustomed to winning, given the recent run of division titles. The fans support the team well and fill the ballpark -- from the cheapest seats to the most expensive -- and some won't take kindly to a white flag being waved by the front office with a third of the season left.

Hamels would undoubtedly be the best pitcher available on the market if the Phillies dangled him, with more consistency than Matt Garza (who is being talked about a lot more in recent days, executives say) and better pure stuff than Ryan Dempster and less risk than Wandy Rodriguez. But it's possible that the Phillies won't get a game-changing prospect for Hamels, as the Mets did last summer, when they swapped Carlos Beltran for Zack Wheeler, who has been described by one evaluator as a "right-handed Matt Moore."

Remember, this is the first year in which a team that acquires a prospective free agent during the season won't be eligible for draft-pick compensation; according to an AL executive, a player had to be traded by Opening Day for that to happen. In the past, teams could trade for a free agent-to-be knowing they probably wouldn't sign him, while feeling comfortable that at the end of the year they would be in line for draft-pick compensation. That's what the Brewers did when they traded for CC Sabathia.

So there is no value recoup on Hamels for a team that trades for him, and that figures to have an impact on what some teams will offer the Phillies.

Lastly, while there is reason for the Phillies to believe that Hamels is going to leave in the fall as a free agent for a whopper contract -- their best chance to sign him was probably last fall, and that window of opportunity was missed -- trading him may effectively slam the door on his return to the Phillies.

Why the Phillies should trade Hamels: Amaro and the Philadelphia front office will take an honest assessment of the team, and right now, they don't look close to being a team that can win a division, let alone make a dent in October. Their staff ERA is 3.94, which ranks 14th in the majors, and manager Charlie Manuel has spoken about how the team just hasn't played with the same level of confidence; they are the hunted these days, rather than the hunters. The Phillies really have no idea what they'll get out of Utley or Howard or Halladay; they cannot speak with confidence that any of those players can get back to being difference-makers this summer. An honest appraisal is that the outlook for the rest of this season is bleak.

The Phillies have traded for high-end talent in recent years in an effort to augment the team's chances to win in October, making deals for Lee and Halladay and Hunter Pence and others, and now the credit-card bill has come due. Rival executives say the Phillies' farm system is very thin, and while Amaro may not get an A-plus prospect for Hamels -- someone like a Dylan Bundy of the Orioles -- he would get badly needed young talent in return.

And if the Phillies were going to sign Hamels, they would have done it by now, because they are fully aware that his price is only increasing. An $80 million offer last fall probably wasn't good enough, and Hamels' market price shot up to at least $112.5 million after Matt Cain signed, and when multiple teams are bidding on him in the fall, he'll be in position to get a Johan Santana or Lee type of deal.

The Phillies, already pushed against the luxury-tax ceiling by other contracts, are boxed in. If they know internally they aren't going to sign Hamels, it frees them up to decide to take draft-pick compensation for him in the fall -- or for players closer to the big leagues in a deal this summer.

Philadelphia fans will continue to support the Phillies so long as they win, and trading Hamels for prospects would arguably put them closer to winning in 2013.

It won't be an easy decision for Amaro.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
Antonio Bastardo was not available to pitch Friday, because of a self-inflicted wound.

• It was deja vu all over again for the Jays, who saw a pitcher go down in the first inning, again: This time it was Drew Hutchison, and his injury occurred just hours after the Jays announced that Kyle Drabek has a ligament tear in his elbow and that Brandon Morrow will miss 4-to-6 weeks.

• The Marlins seem to have fixed what had ailed Logan Morrison, getting his head in a better position -- before, he had seemed to be too far forward -- but for Miami, there is concern about the condition of Emilio Bonifacio, who will try to come back this summer from a thumb problem. If Bonifacio struggles to do that, the Marlins will be looking for someone who can play center field regularly, and that's why they would be among the first in line if and when the Twins ever decided to market Denard Span.

The Marlins had to play without Hanley Ramirez Friday, after he suffered a freak injury.

• If the Red Sox are waffling about whether to take a run at Ryan Dempster, he must have opened their eyes with his strong outing Friday. Again: It remains to be seen whether the Cubs and Red Sox powers that be can move past the Theo Epstein compensation debacle to make a deal.

From Dave van Dyck's story:

  • ... [A]pparently Dempster will waive his no-trade rights if it means going to a contender.

    "(Trade talks are) starting to pick up," Epstein said. "There is a little bit of chatter. Most of the phone calls are preliminary in nature, kind of feeling out calls. 'Hey, what are you looking for? What are you trying to do? Who might be available?' That kind of thing."
And by the way: Boston is now without Josh Beckett, whose troublesome right shoulder might be a problem again. Franklin Morales will take his spot in the rotation.

Trevor Plouffe hit a couple of more homers Friday, but the Twins lost. Morneau was out because of a sore arm.

Plouffe has been hammering the ball, as these notes from ESPN Stats & Info show: Plouffe has five home runs in his last four games, seven in his last seven games and 10 in his last 14 games; he had only 14 career home runs in his previous 123 games.

Five of his home runs in this 14-game stretch have come against off-speed pitches (three changeups, two curveballs); he had only four homers on off-speed pitches in his career prior to this stretch. During this 14-game stretch, Plouffe has pulled 14 fly balls to left field; 10 have left the yard. Only one of his 24 career home runs has been to the opposite field.

On the season, Plouffe is slugging 1.263 when he pulls the ball to left field, which ranks third in the majors. Plouffe's isolated power (extra bases per at-bat) of .335 also ranks third in the majors this season behind Adam Dunn and Josh Hamilton.

Last five instances of players hitting 10+ home runs in 14 or fewer games
2012 -- Trevor Plouffe, Twins
2012 -- Josh Hamilton, Rangers
2011 -- Adrian Beltre, Rangers
2011 -- Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
2010 -- Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
Source: Elias Sports Bureau

How unlikely is this hot streak of Plouffe's? On the morning of May 28, Plouffe was hitting .156, which ranked 298th out of 303 hitters with 75-plus PAs. He's hitting .375 since with 10 home runs in 14 games.

• The Indians signed two more picks, as the wave of signings continue, under the new rules. Players are starting their professional careers quickly, and it can't be anything but good for their development.

In response to an email question, Mike Arbuckle -- the Royals' senior advisor to the general manager for scouting and player development -- wrote about the rapid signings: "It is significant, because the two months they get this summer can get a player to the major leagues as much as a season earlier.

"This obviously has huge impact on overall earnings due to earlier arbitration, free agency, etc.

"An interesting note: Players signing now will end up with as many... at-bats [or] innings as last year's picks who sat until Aug. 15, even though they were drafted a full year later."

Wrote Mark Newman, senior vice president for the Yankees' baseball operations: "It's good to get draftees earlier. For them, it's one less year to the major leagues. High school kids do not have to spend as much time in rookie league. College players who are high draft [picks] can get more easily get to AA in Year Two."

Newman added one lament, about the new system: "Of course we miss the chance to use the lower rounds more aggressively."

The Nats' unsigned No. 1 pick visited the park.

The Padres signed their No. 1 pick. An evaluator mentioned to me that he has a breaking ball like that of Clayton Kershaw.

Manny Ramirez asked for his release, and got it. Not sure how this could possibly help him, because he'll now be looking for exactly the kind of opportunity he had with the Athletics, who were completely open to the idea of promoting Ramirez once he showed some more extra-base pop in his at-bats in the minors. They had penciled him in for a May 30 promotion, but he just didn't hit well enough, effectively playing himself out of a spot, and now Ramirez's best hope is to sign a minor league deal and hit his way back to the big leagues.

• A talent evaluator's report after seeing Mike Trout in the Futures Game a couple of years ago: "He's Mickey Mantle."

• And the hits just keep on coming for the Rockies: Troy Tulowitzki is going to be checked for a sports hernia.

• The Rangers announced that Josh Hamilton was hospitalized with an intestinal issue.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. John Danks is going to see a doctor.

2. Andy Dirks' rehab hit a sticking point.

3. Drew Stubbs landed on the disabled list.

4. Henry Rodriguez could begin his injury rehab soon.

5. Jason Bay might be dealing with yet another concussion, as Tim Rohan writes.

6. Nolan Reimold's MRI revealed more questions.

7. Wilton Lopez is headed to the disabled list.

8. Evan Longoria might be less than a week away from returning to the big leagues.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Gerrit Cole was promoted to Double-A.

2. Ned Yost prefers more pitching help.

3. Robinson Cano was out of the starting lineup, as Pete Caldera writes.

4. Dustin Ackley was dropped to the No. 7 spot in the Seattle lineup.

By The Numbers
from ESPN Stats & Info

2: Phil Hughes was a two-pitch (fastball, curveball) pitcher Friday, just the second pitcher this season not named R.A. Dickey to throw 100-plus pitches in a start using only two pitch types.

4: Consecutive games with a home run for Plouffe; he has 10 home runs in his last 14 games.

20: Curveballs thrown by Matt Moore on Friday, 17 more than he threw against the Marlins in his last start.

300: Career stolen bases for Carlos Beltran, who became the first switch-hitter to reach 300 homers and 300 stolen bases Friday.
[h3]Friday's games[/h3]
1. You can't stop the Royals, you can only hope to contain them: That's four straight wins and counting, and K.C. is now within five games of first place.

2. The Tigers had a really, really, really bad inning.

3. Brandon Phillips is on a serious roll.

4. The Brewers got some good bullpen work.

5. Justin Masterson was The Man for the Indians.

6. Chris Sale lost a four-run lead, and was hard on himself afterward. Even Sale needs help, writes Mark Gonzales.

7. The Nats' winning streak came to an end.

8. The Pirates' losing streak has reached four.

9. The Yankees are on a serious roll; that's seven straight wins and counting.

10. Brian Matusz battled but lost, as Eduardo Encina writes.

11. Clayton Kershaw did not throw well, but the Dodgers won, anyway. This is their season, in a nutshell.

12. The Angels were shut down.

13. Trevor Cahill handled the Angels.

14. The Rockies powered up, as Patrick Saunders writes.

15. Ryan Vogelsong never loses.

16. Carlos Zambrano was hit around, again.

17. Andrelton Simmons continues to be a difference-maker for the Braves, and on Friday, he mashed a home run.

18. Yu Darvish bounced back.

19. Moore continues to look more and more like the rookie who dominated last September, writes Joe Smith.

Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees generated his 1,924th career RBI (ties Jimmie Foxx for sixth-most since RBIs became official stat in 1920).

Most career RBIs (from Elias Sports Bureau):
Hank Aaron -- 2,297
Barry Bonds -- 1,996
Lou Gehrig -- 1,996
Babe Ruth -- 1,988 (since 1920)
Stan Musial -- 1,951
Alex Rodriguez -- 1,924
Jimmie Foxx -- 1,924

Defensive impact on no-hitters.

Spoiler [+]
On Wednesday, June 13, Matt Cain nearly lost his perfect game against the Houston Astros. Leading off the top of the seventh inning, Astros centerfielder Jordan Schafer crushed a 3-2 fastball deep into the right-center-field gap. A hit at that speed in that location is just never caught. The crowd had been roaring its support of Cain when the count went full, but now they let out an discernible "aww." Cain's bid for perfection was over.

Except that right fielder Gregor Blanco raced back, went into a dive as he approached the warning track and -- oh, yes -- came up with the catch. Cain, of course, then went on to seal his place in baseball history, completing the 22nd perfect game, but no other moment from the game was as awesome and memorable as Blanco's catch.

At Baseball Info Solutions (BIS), the plus/minus system calculates the historical odds of each ball in play being converted into an out based on hit trajectory, velocity and location. Schafer's drive into the gap is a base hit 96.8 percent of the time, and usually for extra bases. Perfect game bids are rare enough, but for one to be spiked with that kind of glovework is really special.

The plus/minus system assigns the defense a "plus" credit for converting balls in play into an out, and a "minus" for failing to do so. Blanco's play, for example, earned a "plus" of 0.968 "plays above average," because that drive would go for a hit 96.8 percent of the time.

BIS' video scouts also record good fielding plays (GFPs) when they occur. You can think of GFPs as anti-errors, or to borrow the "Baseball Tonight" lingo, web gems.

Adding up the plus/minus value of every ball in play and looking at the GFPs in each of the five 2012 no-hitters this season gives us the opportunity to compare the defensive contributions required to seal the bid for history.
[h3]1. Johan Santana versus the St. Louis Cardinals (June 1)[/h3]+2.34 plays made above average
The first no-hitter in Mets history was highlighted by plenty of sparkling outfield defense. Santana is a strong fly ball pitcher, and his no-hitter featured just three grounders compared to 16 flies.

Mike Baxter's catch of Yadier Molina's fly ball in the seventh, which landed Baxter on the DL after he banged awkwardly into the outfield wall, was the night's defensive highlight. The entire outfield was an asset; in 10 plays, they totaled 1.7 hits taken away that an average outfield defense would have allowed. To Mets fans, that's a big difference.
[h3]2. Matt Cain versus the Houston Astros (June 13)[/h3]+2.1 plays made above average
Cain struck out 14 batters, tying Sandy Koufax's perfect game record, so the number of balls in play allowed is considerably lower than the other four games. In addition to Blanco's catch, give much credit to the infield defense behind Cain, which totaled a plus/minus of +1.13 plays. That includes two nice plays toward the end of the game: Brandon Crawford making a ranging play to his left (to end the eighth) look easy, and Joaquin Arias' ending the game on a tricky grounder to third.
[h3]3. Philip Humber versus the Seattle Mariners (April 21)[/h3]+1.64 plays made above average
The first perfect game in 2012 was low on difficult defensive plays. Four popups and eight fly balls were allowed, and just one of those plays was rated with a plus/minus value of over 0.1. That play was Kyle Seager's liner to left in the eighth inning. White Sox manager Robin Ventura had just put Brent Lillibridge in left field as a defensive replacement. His timing proved perfect, as Lillibridge made the play look easy.
[h3]4. Jered Weaver versus the Minnesota Twins (May 2)[/h3]+1.54 plays made above average
Weaver's no-hitter featured the weakest-induced contact of these five games. Just two of the 19 balls the Twins put into play had a greater than 20 percent historical chance to fall in for hits, fewer than any other 2012 no-hitter or perfect game. Weaver induced five popups and eight lazy fly balls, while helping himself out by handling a comeback off the bat of Joe Mauer.
[h3]5. Kevin Millwood, Charlie Furbush, Stephen Pryor, Lucas Luetge, Brandon League and Tom Wilhelmsen versus the Los Angeles Dodgers (June
glasses.gif
[/h3]+0.79 plays made above average
Seattle's defensive numbers are hurt by Furbush's throwing error in the seventh, which was the only negative play among these five games. Seattle did, however, record six good fielding plays, more than the other four no-hitter defenses combined. Kyle Seager's barehanded play on Dee Gordon's bunt attempt in the fourth and Jesus Montero's teetering catch of Tony Gwynn Jr.'s foul popup in the third were standout plays.

Rumors.

Spoiler [+]
http://[h3]A few days off for Swisher[/h3]
8:38AM ET

[h5]Nick Swisher | Yankees [/h5]


Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher was out of Sunday's lineup in Washington after suffering a deep bruise in his upper left thigh in a home-plate collision on Saturday, an injury he calls "the worst charley horse ever."

Swisher said he did not think the injury would land him on the disabled list, but manager Joe Girardi seemed to be preparing to not have Swisher in his lineup for a couple of days at least, reports Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com.

Andruw Jones, the part-time left fielder, started in right field Sunday and could be there again Monday night against Atlanta southpaw Mike Minor.

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Nick Swisher, New York Yankees

http://[h3]Bard on the trading block?[/h3]
8:14AM ET

[h5]Daniel Bard | Red Sox [/h5]


Daniel Bard's conversion from reliever to starter went badly (5.24 ERA), and the Red Sox finally decided to send the righthander to Triple-A Pawtucket in order to get himself straightened out.

Bard may be finding his groove, throwing four scoreless innings in his last two appearances, walking one and striking out six, including two frames Sunday at Buffalo.

Given that Bard is likely to return as a reliever, %u201D<a href=/articles.boston.com/2012-06-17/sports/32270984_1_bryce-harper-mike-trout-ben-cherington/5%u201D">http://articles.boston.co...t-ben-cherington/5%u201D" target=new>Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hears teams wouldn't be shocked if the Red Sox try to deal the righthander. Bard's trade value as a reliever could be far greater than as a starter, at least for this season.

Cafardo asks if Cubs president Theo Epstein, a big fan of Bard, might entertain a deal involving Matt Garza.

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Daniel Bard, Boston Red Sox

http://[h3]Accounting for V-Mart[/h3]
7:59AM ET

[h5]Victor Martinez | Tigers [/h5]


The Detroit Tigers are interested in adding another bat. The seriousness of their pursuit could hinge, to some degree, on the health of Victor Martinez, writes Jon Morosi.

Martinez has missed all of this season while recovering from left knee surgery and there is some hope he could return as a DH by September. "The possibility (of Martinez returning) exists in a strong enough fashion that you have to give it some thought, but I don't really know where that stands - and I don't know that we will know until July," GM Dave Dombrowski told Morosi Sunday.

Detroit has been mentioned as one of the teams that could be interested in Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin.

One wild card in the mix is rookie outfielder Quintin Berry, who is hitting .333 in his first 23 games. The Tigers might be less likely to deal if they feel Berry can handle the heat of a pennant race.

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Quintin Berry, Carlos Quentin, Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers

http://[h3]Rockies shopping Guthrie[/h3]
7:28AM ET

[h5]Jeremy Guthrie | Rockies [/h5]


We mentioned last week that the hitter's haven that is Coors Field may have claimed another victim in Jeremy Guthrie.

Guthrie is 1-3 with a 9.53 ERA in five home starts since being acquired from the Orioles, including a setback to Oakland in which he tipped his tip to booing Denver fans when departing. Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post wrote that Guthrie may already be a "lost cause," adding that Coors Field "can do irreversible psychological damage to a pitcher."

Could the Rockies be looking for a change of scenery for the righthander? ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney tweeted Sunday night the Rockies have made it known they are willing to trade Guthrie right now.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com reports the Blue Jays and Rockies have discussed a deal for Guthrie, but nothing is imminent. One scenario would have Jays assuming a significant portion of Guthrie?s remaining salary ? just under $5 million ? in exchange for a lesser prospect, possibly Double A first baseman Mike McDade.

Guthrie is 3-6 with a 7.02 ERA in 11 starts.

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Jeremy Guthrie

http://[h3]Sox to target pitching?[/h3]
7:06AM ET

[h5]Chicago White Sox [/h5]


Under first-year skipper Robin Ventura the Chicago White Sox are playing better baseball. In fact, the club leads the American League Central entering play Sunday. There are some problems on the roster, however, including the lingering issues with the left shoulder of southpaw John Danks.

Philip Humber has been struggling something fierce since tossing a perfect game in May and while Jose Quintana owns a 1.98 ERA, he's not missing bats nor inducing ground balls, strongly suggesting his results are unsustainable.

Add to that the fact that Gavin Floyd has not pitched well and the South Siders have a starting pitching problem behind Jake Peavy and Chris Sale.

Unless Danks figures to return sooner than later, the White Sox could check the trade market for starting pitching help Targets could include the usual suspects such as Cubs right-handers Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza, Astros lefty Wandy Rodriguez and Brewers righty Zack Greinke.

- Jason A. Churchill

Tags:
John Danks, Cliff Floyd, Jose Quintana, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs

http://[h3]Manny done?[/h3]
7:03AM ET

[h5]Oakland Athletics [/h5]


http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/2974/manny-ramirezManny Ramirez's career as an Oakland A is over before it even began after the 40-year-old former slugger asked for and was granted his release Friday.

Ramirez hit .302 with 14 RBIs in 17 games with Triple-A Sacramento after serving a 50-game suspension for violating MLB's drug policy, but the A's felt there was not enough pop in his back to warrant a promotion. While Ramirez has indicated he would like to continue his career, Nick Cafardo says the options may be slim.

The Blue Jays, who could use another bat, recently gave Vladimir Guerrero a chance before releasing him. So far there are no indications they would do the same with Ramirez.

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Oakland Athletics, Yoenis Cespedes, Manny Ramirez

http://[h3]Longoria back this week?[/h3]
6:46AM ET

[h5]Evan Longoria | Rays [/h5]


Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, on the shelf since the end of April, could be back as soon as this week.

Roger Mooney reports Longoria could return as early as Wednesday, depending how his left hamstring holds up playing games for the first time since partially tearing it on April 30.

The Rays have used five different starting third basemen in the absence of Longoria, including Sean Rodriguez, the regular shortstop.

- Doug Mittler

Tags:
Tampa Bay Rays, Evan Longoria

June 17, 2012

http://[h3]Trading Brian Roberts[/h3]
8:20AM ET

[h5]Brian Roberts | Orioles [/h5]


There are several factors that suggests the Baltimore Orioles will not trade second baseman Brian Roberts. Among them include the fact that the 34-year-old has a full no-trade clause, is owed $13 million guaranteed in 2013 after earning a total of $10 million this season, and has just come off the disabled list. Another factor is that the club is just a game and a half out of first place entering Sunday's games and could actually assist the club in staying in the race.

There are, however, a few reason why dealing Roberts makes sense for both the team and the player.

Roberts could be dealt to a contending team -- assuming the Orioles fade over the next six weeks -- perhaps allotting him a postseason appearance the first time in is career. In addition, the O's can use all the young talent they can gather and any decent offer, especially pitching, would have to be considered.

Roberts will have to stay healthy and perform to have any value, however, and there is always the chance he'd rather just finish out his contract with the Orioles and would turn down any trade scenario brought to him by the team.

The idea is something to keep an eye on, though, as the O's move forward with younger players and Roberts is running out of time to see October baseball. If he's open to a deal, has enough value to warrant being shopped, the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers,and the Philadelphia Phillies could be among the interested clubs.

- Jason A. Churchill

Tags:
Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Robert Andino, Brian Roberts

June 17, 2012

http://[h3]Did Wallace earn another shot?[/h3]
8:06AM ET

[h5]Brett Wallace | Astros [/h5]


After struggling in each of his stints in the big leagues in prior seasons, former first-round draft pick Brett Wallace had a strong 11-game run with the Houston Astros this month before being sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City after Saturday's game.

Veteran Carlos Lee is back, so Wallace gad to go, but Lee could be moved via trade this summer, opening up a roster spot for Wallace. who went 12-for-36 with two homers and three doubles, though he did strike out 14 times.

Wallace is likely to see the big again at least when rosters expand in September or shortly thereafter, but the Astros have nothing to lose by giving him a longer look after dumping Lee before the deadline.

- Jason A. Churchill

Tags:
Houston Astros, Carlos Lee, Brett Wallace

June 17, 2012

http://[h3]M's OF rotation[/h3]
7:57AM ET

[h5]Seattle Mariners [/h5]


Franklin Gutierrez was activated from the disabled list earlier this week, but isn't yet ready to play everyday in the field. Until he is, Casper Wells, recalled when Mike Carp was sent to the DL with more shoulder woes, will get some time in left field. The right-handed hitter came through Saturday with a single and a first-inning long ball off Tim Lincecum, and could get another start Sunday as a result.

Gutierrez did not start Saturday, but pinch hit for the designated hitter and went 1-for-2. To keep Wells in the lineup for a second straight day, skipper Eric Wedge could give the left-handed hitting Michael Saunders a day off versus Giants southpaw Madison Bumgarner and go with both Wells and Gutierrez.

Of course, sitting Ichiro should be an option, too; he's batting .219 since being moved to the leadoff spot with no walks and is hitting but .259 for the season.

- Jason A. Churchill

Tags:
Casper Wells, Franklin Gutierrez, Ichiro Suzuki, Michael Saunders, Mike Carp, Seattle Mariners

June 17, 2012

http://[h3]The Brewers at the deadline[/h3]
7:48AM ET

[h5]Milwaukee Brewers [/h5]


[h5]If the Brewers sell off ...[/h5]
The Milwaukee Brewers have stumbled through the first two and a half months of the 2012 season, but they aren't out of it in National Central -- at least not yet. The next four or five weeks could dictate exactly the approach Gm Doug Melvin will take.

Deadline Strategy
If the Brewers can fully recover from a potentially-damaging series sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals, Melvin is likely to look to improve his roster. They have won two straight since, but still sit 7 1/2 games back in the division with three teams ahead of them. Another tough stretch before the All-Star break and the Brew Crew may have to flip the switch to sell mode.

Money
Owner Mark Attanasio isn't flush with the kind of available cash of the ownership groups in the Bronx, Boston, Arlington, Anaheim, Los Angeles or Philadelphia, so Melvin will have restrictions, but it's difficult to believe they'd pass on the right player, even though any major salary addition will push them over the $100 million mark in terms of player salaries for 2012.

Bait
If the Brewers end up buying, the club's farm system lack the depth to help them land more than one impact talent. Right-handers Wily Peralta and Tyler Thornburg are solid, intriguing pitching prospects and both are within a year or so of the big leagues, but neither is elite and each could end up as relievers.

The most valuable members of the 25-man roster aren't viable trade commodities if the Brewers are trying to get better, though Taylor Green could be a valuable second or third piece in a major trade.

Targets
If they indeed go for broke, Melvin is likely to seek an upgrade at first base or in the outfield and play Corey Hart at whichever of the two spots he's unable to improve. Josh Willingham could be a great fit for the Brewers and Carlos Quentin, despite his defensive shortcomings, could be a big boost to the lineup.

The Brewers' bullpen could use similar assistance, with Rafael Betancourt, Huston Street, Brandon League, Grant Balfour and Matt Capps potentially on the radar.

Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster could be a nice addition to the rotation, but he has the right to refuse any deal and is thought to be open to going to a true contender. Milwaukee has to get busy to fit that bill.

As sellers, the Brewers may have to seriously consider moving Greinke unless there is progress in talks for a contract extension. The former Cy Young winner and fellow right-hander Marcum will hit the open market after the season without new deals.

Wolf and Rodriguez may not have much value due to salary and lack of performance, but a few good outings prior to the deadline could change things, and there's plenty of time for that.

- Jason A. Churchill

Tags:
Ryan Dempster, Taylor Green, Matt Capps, Huston Street, Brandon League, Grant Balfour, Randy Wolf, Francisco Rodriguez, Shaun Marcum, Zack Greinke, Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers

June 17, 2012

http://[h3]Lincecum to the bullpen?[/h3]
7:10AM ET

[h5]Tim Lincecum | Giants [/h5]


There has been speculation the Giants migh rest Lincecum, and manager Bruce Bochy even hinted at the possibility earlier this week in a radio interview. Barry Zito skipped a scheduled start when he struggled in 2008, and Matt Cain made two appearances out of the bullpen in 2006, so the plan is not as radical as it sounds.

Lincecum struggled against the Seattle Mariners Saturday, serving up two first-inning long balls to a lineup scuffling mightily at pitcher-friendly Safeco Field. Henry Schulman writes after Lincecum gave up five earned runs that if the Giants are going to pull Lincecum to rest him for a bit, the time to do so is now.

Schulman's reasoning includes the tough schedule that lies ahead as well as the club's off-day on Thursday that would allow the rest of the rotation to pitch on regular rest should Lincecum sit out a round.

Another idea might be to let Lincecum rest for a turn and then have him come in out of the bullpen until the All-Star break. He could then rest some more and perhaps come back stronger out of the gate in the second half.

- Doug Mittler and Jason A. Churchill

Tags:
Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

June 17, 2012

http://[h3]Youkilis' value a question[/h3]
7:03AM ET

[h5]Kevin Youkilis | Red Sox [/h5]


[h5]Any interest in Youkilis?[/h5]Piggybacking on the suggestion that the Boston Red Sox should trade Kevin Youkilis by ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes and the fact that the club has no plans to move rookie Will Middlebrooks, either in trade or in terms of his position on the field, it's worth discussing further the potential fits should the club shop the veteran third baseman.
Any discussion about Youkilis, 33, starts with the fact that he's owed a prorated amount of his $12 million for the rest of 2012 with a club option at $13 million for next season ($1 million buyout), which certainly will play a role in how much interest the clubs listed to the right may ultimately have. It would also help if he started to perform better for the next 4-6 weeks.

One club not listed is the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Red Sox, < ahref="" target=new>tweets Jack Magruder, requested outfielder Gerardo Parra in exchange for Youkilis and declined the proposal.

With the exception of the Tigers, who may prefer to save their bullets for pitching or middle infield help, each of the teams noted has a hole at either third base or first base (or both) that Youkilis could help fill.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote last month, however, that Youkilis' season-long struggles are starting to make pro scouts question just how much the former All-Star could help their team.

ESPN Rumor Central's Chris Sprow explained why it makes sense for the Red Sox to seriously consider moving Youkilis.

- Jason A. Churchill and Jason Catania
 
Boston Red Sox deep in dissension.

Spoiler [+]
CHICAGO -- Anybody who has had a 30th birthday has been witness to troubled marriages. The frustration and exasperation of those involved is deeply felt, and because of the requirements of the union, there is little respite. They have to deal with each other every day.

And because everything that is said and done is viewed through the prism of that frustration and exasperation, the whole situation is refueled constantly. Stuff that really shouldn't be a big deal becomes a big deal, because of what happened before.

Which brings us to the 2012 Boston Red Sox.

The unhappiness that exists among the Boston players and staff is multi-layered and deep. Calls and texts and complaints about daily events and exchanges are being sprayed all over the baseball landscape, as some involved share their frustration with friends and family and agents. Some are already talking about looking for work elsewhere down the road.

There is frustration about how individual situations have been handled, about communication. For those aware of the problems, there is bad body language on display during games, as the anger manifests.

"Did you see that?" an official texted during the weekend here, after some particularly egregious posturing.

Nobody's really gone on the record -- yet -- but it's clear that if the Red Sox are going to win this year, it'll have to be in spite of the bad feelings. This team isn't going to turn into Happy Town anytime soon. There are too many irreconcilable differences in place.

But undoubtedly, the Red Sox can win; if you're looking for a parallel, think about the 1977-78 Yankees. Reggie hated Billy and Thurman hated Reggie and George sided with Reggie until he sided with Billy, until George fired Billy after what Billy said about George and Reggie.

Boston is now four games out of the Wild Card, and as manager Bobby Valentine noted before Sunday's game, there is a board in the clubhouse in Fenway that lists all the injured players, and in each case, there have been no setbacks. Cody Ross could be activated Tuesday, and Carl Crawford might be back in early July, and Jacoby Ellsbury isn't far behind. Andrew Bailey's rehabilitation is going well and he'll pitch this season, and it may be that Daniel Bard will go back to being one of the most dominant set-up men in the game. The Red Sox are looking for a starting pitcher, and if they landed someone like Ryan Dempster, that could stabilize the situation.

But if they don't win -- if the Red Sox don't make the playoffs -- there will be a time when all of the exasperation and frustration is going to spill out spectacularly. Most divorces get ugly.

The Red Sox won ugly on Sunday, as Scott Lauber writes. Ryan Kalish had a great return to the big leagues.

Franklin Morales had a strong outing in his return.

Bobby Valentine is no longer in the comfort of the booth.
[h3]Twins desperately searching for arms[/h3]
Terry Ryan, general manager of the Minnesota Twins, explained over the phone the other day that his organization really isn't that picky -- they'll take any pitcher who gets hitters out, whether he relies on a fastball or slider or changeup or something else. There was talk in the industry after the Twins took so many hard throwers in the draft that they are focusing on collecting power pitchers, and Ryan didn't agree with that perception.

But Ryan did freely acknowledge that as that the Twins made their choices, they were cognizant of pitchers falling to them. "We don't have enough pitching," Ryan said. "We need pitching, and we need it bad."

Adding pitching is a priority for Minnesota, and executives with other teams have quietly wondered if Ryan will look to flip some major-league assets for young pitching -- most notably center fielder Denard Span, who is under contract through 2014 with an option for 2015, and Josh Willingham, who is in the first year of a three-year, $21 million deal.

Keeping with the way he has always handled such things, Ryan declined to address questions about his plans to buy or sell.

The Twins' pitching was excellent in extra innings Sunday. Joe Mauer is nicked up.
[h3]Elsewhere[/h3]
• This is baseball: At the time that the Colorado Rockies traded for Jeremy Guthrie, acquiring him in return for Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom, the industry consensus was that the Rockies had gotten the better part of the deal, easily. Now Hammel is having a strong season while Guthrie has a 6.91 ERA, and Colorado has made it known to other teams that the right-hander is available immediately. He could have some value, because his ERA in Colorado is 9.53 while his road ERA is 4.23.

The Toronto Blue Jays lost three starters in four days, and given Guthrie's solid history in the AL East, it'd make sense for Toronto to take a run at him. Toronto swept the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, hanging in the AL East race. And meanwhile, all of Toronto's injured pitchers are going to see specialists.

Guthrie lost Sunday, and Carlos Gonzalez got hurt, writes Patrick Saunders.

[h4]Yankees' pitching[/h4]
How New York's starting pitching has done in 2012.
[table][tr][th=""]
Stat
[/th][th=""]
April-May
[/th][th=""]
June
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
W-L
[/td][td]
22-20
[/td][td]
11-1
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
ERA
[/td][td]
4.82
[/td][td]
1.97
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
HR per 9 IP
[/td][td]
1.63
[/td][td]
0.60
[/td][/tr][tr][td]ERA has improved each month (5.80 to 4.15 to 1.97)[/td][/tr][/table]

• The Yankees' winning streak has reached nine, and again they shut down a good team. A month ago there were a lot of questions about the New York rotation, and now with injuries and poor performance plaguing rotations elsewhere, the Yankees' starting five looks rock solid.

This was Nova's 12th straight road win, tying Jack Chesbro for fourth-most in Yankees history. Russ Ford (13), Monte Pearson (15) and Allie Reynolds (15) have more.

From Elias Sports Bureau: This is the first time in Yankees' history that they have won nine consecutive games against teams with a winning record.

Stephen Drew could be back sooner rather than later, writes Nick Piecoro.

• The Chicago Cubs continue to lose.

The reality is that more members of the coaching staff might be with the Cubs in three years than players on the current 25-man roster.

Dempster could be dealt sometime in the next 10-to-14 days, Matt Garza could move in the last couple weeks of July. Trading Alfonso Soriano is going to be problematic not only because of the money owed to him -- about $45 million in the next 2 1/2 years -- but he can veto any trade and indicated, in conversation on Sunday, that he will pick and choose his options and won't go where he doesn't want to go. To this point, Soriano said, the Cubs have not brought him any trade scenarios to consider.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. Jon Jay is making progress in his injury rehabilitation.

2. Chris Getz got hurt.

3. Josh Hamilton is ready to rejoin the Rangers' lineup, as Drew Davison writes.

4. With Brandon Beachy headed for an MRI tube, Jair Jurrjens will be recalled to pitch on Friday, writes Carroll Rogers.

5. Nick Swisher is aching.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. The Washington Nationals cut pitcher Brad Lidge. Meanwhile, Drew Storen is making progress.

2. The Tigers' Jacob Turner is getting the call to start Thursday.

3. The Pittsburgh Pirates are finding the trade market to be non-existent, writes Bill Brink.

4. The Tampa Bay Rays are going to call up a hitter.

5. Bud Norris has a sprained knee.

6. The addition of Cliff Lee to the trade market would really spice up things, writes Joel Sherman.

7. Tim Lincecum is staying in the San Francisco rotation.

8. Scott Rolen is expected back in the big leagues today.

9. The Milwaukee Brewers need to trade pitcher Zack Greinke, writes Michael Hunt. The Brewers could become sellers.
[h3]By The Numbers[/h3]
From ESPN Stats and Info

0: Wins for the NL East on Sunday as it combined to go 0-5.
5: Walks for Alex Gordon, as he is the only player in franchise history to walk five times in a game, and he's done it twice.
9: Winning streak for the Yankees, longest since 2009.
15: Innings played in two games Sunday (Brewers-Twins and Royals-Cardinals).
[h3]Sunday's games[/h3]
1. The Detroit Tigers rolled, with a lot of help from their starter.

From ESPN Stats and Info, how Max Scherzer dominated the Rockies:

A) Scherzer dialed up his fastball to put hitters away. His fastball averaged 93.1 mph before two strikes and 95.9 with two strikes, his largest differential (2.8 mph) in any start since 2009.
B) Rockies hitters were 2-for-6 in at-bats ending with a Scherzer fastball before two strikes and 1-for-11 with two strikes, including eight strikeouts. Scherzer's eight fastball strikeouts are tied for the second most in his career.
C) Scherzer threw 54 of his 72 fastballs (75 percent) for strikes, his highest percentage in a start since last June. Twenty-one of those strikes were looking, his most in a start since last July.
D) In addition to his eight fastball strikeouts, Scherzer recorded three strikeouts on his slider, matching as many as he had in his previous four starts combined.
E) Scherzer went to a season-low two three-ball counts. He would retire both hitters, making it just the third time this season he didn't issue a walk. His 12 strikeouts are the most he's ever had in a start with no walks.

2. The Nationals were swept, and Ryan Zimmerman's slump has deepened.

3. Justin Smoak and the Seattle Mariners got to frolic. Seattle's acting closer acted like a closer, as Larry Stone writes.

4. The St. Louis Cardinals played some bad baseball for a long time, writes Bernie Miklasz.

5. Yuniesky Betancourt was The Man for the Kansas City Royals.

6. The Phillies may love Charlie Manuel, but Sam Donnellon notes that they're not responding to his speeches: Philadelphia was swept by the Jays.

7. Pedro Alvarez clubbed two homers again, and the Pirates won again.

8. Wei-Yin Chen shut down the Atlanta Braves, picking up his seventh victory. Dan Duquette -- who made the trade for Hammel -- also deserves credit for this signing.

9. Alex Cobb was brilliant, as Joe Smith writes.

10. The Houston Astros got a taste of what divisional play will be, and it wasn't pretty, writes Zachary Levine.

11. The Texas Rangers broke out with a big inning.

12. The Braves wasted their homestand and are in trouble, writes Mark Bradley.

13. The Miami Marlins were shut out again. Eduardo Perez remains positive, as always.

14. The New York Mets were swept, writes Andrew Keh.

15. Dee Gordon couldn't be stopped.

16. Garrett Richards was outstanding.

17. Johnny Cueto pitched well and the Cincinnati Reds just keep on winning.

18. Asdrubal Cabrera made three errors.


Interleague Play Is Not Over, But Results Conclusive (AKA The AL has been better than the NL for a decade
laugh.gif
).
Spoiler [+]
We have one more week left of interleague play in the 2012 season, but to be honest, we don’t need to wait for the rest of the games to play out to realize that the American League is once again putting their dominance on full display. The AL and NL have squared off in 168 of the 252 scheduled games so far, and the whippersnappers in the American League have pounded their senior circuit brethren. The current totals: 96 wins for the AL, 72 for the NL, good for a .571 winning percentage. It isn’t just a few close games going the AL’s way either, as they’ve outscored the NL 776 to 659.

With 84 games left in interleague action, the National League would have to win 54 of them to avoid a ninth consecutive losing record against the American League. Even if the NL manages a split in the remaining games, the AL would finish with 138 wins, matching their best interleague mark since 2009, and the third best mark either league has managed since interleague play began. It’s not quite as bad as it was in 2006, when the AL went 154-98, but it’s clear that the American League is still the superior league.

A popular theory for their continuing dominance is the strength of the American League East, and particularly, the presence of the Yankees and Red Sox. Having the highest revenue team in the sport gives the AL an advantage, and the competition between Boston and New York has established a standard in that division Tampa Bay, Toronto, and Baltimore have to strive for as well. The AL East is perhaps the best example in sports of the “rising tide lifts all boats
 
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