Cleveland Sports Forum

‘You can’t get mad at TrackMan’: A day under the watchful eye of the RoboUmp

Dan Connolly 7h ago 14
YORK, Pa. – The concept has fascinated for years: a robot umpire.

If the technology is there, why not get rid of the human version of the ball-and-strike arbiter with a computerized system that maintains a consistent strike zone from inning to inning and game to game?

Well, now the technology is here.

On Wednesday evening, in partnership with Major League Baseball, the independent Atlantic League rolled out the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) during its All-Star Game at PeoplesBank Park.

Throughout Wednesday’s game, a 3D-Doppler radar screen attached to the roof of the stadium directly behind home plate registered pitches and sent the information to a laptop computer integrated with TrackMan data. That strike-ball info was then transmitted from the computer in the press box to home-plate umpire Brian deBrauwere, who carried an iPhone with Bluetooth in his pocket and wore an Apple AirPod wireless headphone in his right ear.

After each pitch, he’d hear the ball or strike directive and then make the call on the field, with only a second or two lag in the execution.

For the most part, it worked. But there were some minor glitches – not surprising considering this was the first full implementation of the technology within an entire game.

There was a three-pitch period in which deBrauwere didn’t receive a signal from his phone to the earpiece. Then, in the middle of the game, the system lost connection for a half-inning, requiring deBrauwere to do what he’s done for a decade as a pro umpire. He went old school – like back to last week — and called balls and strikes until he had a break in between innings and the connection could be restored. That took roughly a minute. And it was imperceptible unless you were watching deBrauwere’s every move.

TrackMan data – used in the majors and MLB-affiliated minor-league teams to record information such as launch angle and exit velocity – already was established for a chunk of the Atlantic League All-Stars, since many have been in affiliated pro ball in the past five years. Therefore, their strike zones, based on attributes such as height and stance, were already created in the database. That allowed the system to adjust the chest-to-knees zone for each individual player.

Still, it wasn’t foolproof. One hitter was rung-up on a two-strike fastball that was clearly low, but apparently nicked the bottom of the zone as it headed to the dirt. Those kinds of alterations should get made as all eight Atlantic League parks use the system in the second half of the season.

But on the evening it made its pro debut with significant fanfare, the ABS was fairly seamless. To the point that one pitcher, Southern Maryland’s Daryl Thompson, didn’t realize it was being used until his catcher informed him after he pitched. The only clues, Thompson said sheepishly, were that he once got the ball thrown back to him before deBrauwere raised his hand to indicate a strike. And he also noticed the ump had an AirPod.

“It was crazy because I saw the earpiece in the umpire’s ear, but I didn’t think anything of it when I was out there,” Thompson said.

That’s the hope for this new technology, one that ultimately could be used in affiliated minor-league games and, perhaps, in the majors one day: that no one really notices.

On Wednesday, though, it was the story. A legitimate curiosity for media, players, fans and staff.

Here’s an inside look from a cross-section of those who experienced it.

The home-plate umpire
The 36-year-old deBrauwere, who made it as high as the Triple-A International League, said he was chosen to be the RoboUmp’s companion Wednesday because he lived in Hershey, Penn., about a 45-minute drive from York, and was available to make a dry-run with the equipment on Monday.

Those who know deBrauwere, however, say he was selected because of his unflappable demeanor. If things went temporarily wrong Wednesday under the glare of the national spotlight – media outlets at the ballpark included Central Pennsylvania newspapers and TV stations as well as The Athletic, The Washington Post, the Associated Press and sporttechie.com – deBrauwere wouldn’t flinch.

And he didn’t when he lost Bluetooth connection and umped a frame without using the technology. He said he was prepared to take over; it’s what any home-plate umpire would do with the automated system in place.

“I have to umpire every pitch of a game like it’s going to be missed by the system because I never know when that’s going to happen,” he said. “So, I try to do that and, then, when I didn’t get a readout, I tried to stay with whatever I thought was accurate and go from there.”

He said, in comparison to other umpires, he might be a little on the slow side in making his calls, so the slight delay didn’t bother him. There was some interpretation needed, though, when he was forced to call the half-inning himself. He wanted to mimic the system’s zone – which wasn’t much different from his besides being a little tighter on the corners and a little more liberal up and down.

“I was kind of trying to understand what the system has been calling and keep it as consistent to that as possible,” he said. “Because it wouldn’t really be fair to the hitters for the zone to completely change in the middle of the game and then change back. So that’s gonna be one of the challenges for us umpires in this league.”

All told, he said there were only a few pitches in the game that were different than what he would have called. And he felt like it went smoothly. He even kind of enjoyed it, though he admitted the attention was a little more than he initially expected.

“It was a little bit stressful to start just because I’ve gotten so used to doing something in a certain way. And I had to change that pretty significantly. But once I got comfortable with someone talking in my ear and kind of the timing of it all, I think I got into a little bit of a flow and relaxed a little,” he said. “But it was a little bit nerve-wracking. I didn’t want to screw anything up and make a mockery of it while (the media) was here.”

The veteran starting pitcher
York Revolution right-hander Mitch Atkins has had plenty of high-pressure moments in his 16-season pro career. He made 10 appearances in the majors from 2009-11 for the Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles.

In 2011, his big-league starting debut came against the defending AL-champion Texas Rangers in Arlington, and he allowed one run in six innings.

So, at age 33, throwing the first pitch to an automated system in an exhibition game in an independent league isn’t exactly butterfly-inducing.

But, hey, Atkins had a mission with the first pitch.

“I was just trying to throw a strike, really trying to throw it down the middle. A fastball down the middle is gonna be a strike with an umpire or a TrackMan,” Atkins said. “So, I wasn’t really nervous. I’m always a little anxious before games, but TrackMan doesn’t really affect me.”

His first pitch of the All-Star Game was, indeed, a waist-high fastball to Justin Pacchioli of Somerset. A no-doubter called a strike. And with that, Atkins was in the history books. Not something the easygoing Carolinian was too concerned about.

“I haven’t really thought about it in detail. I guess I’m still more in game mode and not really thinking about the future of TrackMan,” he said. “I think once this stuff catches on more I think it will sink in a little more as (me) being a pioneer of TrackMan. I can then tell my grandkids I was there at the start.”

Atkins said he threw one inside fastball he thought should have been a strike once it was framed well by his catcher, but it was called a ball. And then he threw a high fastball at the batter’s chest that never gets called a strike by a human umpire, but it got the nod from the ABS.

“The high pitches that it calls, I don’t necessarily think they are strikes, as a pitcher, visually,” he said. “Every pitch that I’ve thrown up there has always been a ball my whole career, from 6 years old until now, so it’s different to see them called strikes now.”

Ultimately, the system might benefit pitchers. But Atkins said he prefers the human element. And now he can’t blame the human element, he joked.

“If TrackMan is calling the same pitches all the time, then (arguing) will be done. You can’t get mad at TrackMan,” Atkins said. “Of course, I shouldn’t get mad at umpires, either.”

The pitch-framing catcher
One of the primary purposes of the Atlantic League is to provide opportunities for players who were on the cusp of the majors, but now are no longer considered prospects, or for players who organizations don’t want to stash in the affiliated minors. Occasionally, those guys can do enough in the Atlantic League to get another call from an affiliated team.

The others wait, and keep playing for a living, albeit barely a living – the salary tops out at $3,000 per month.

So, when you are James Skelton, a 33-year-old defensive-minded catcher who reached Triple A for Cincinnati and Washington but has now spent seven seasons in the Atlantic League, it might be easy to be bitter that the ABS is taking away one of your finest attributes: the ability to frame pitches.

But Skelton doesn’t fully see it that way. He sees the bigger picture.

“As a catcher, I don’t really like it too much, personally, because it takes away from my skill of receiving the ball. But if it is going to help the game at the big-league level, and they are looking to do this at the big leagues, well, that’s why we are all here for.”

Skelton said pitch-framing – the art of moving borderline pitches into the zone smoothly enough for umpires to call them strikes – might become a discarded art in the Atlantic League. For now, though, it is still needed in affiliated ball, which means Atlantic League catchers must keep working on that part of their games if they hope to move on.

He did that on Wednesday, shifting a few borderline pitches skillfully that ultimately were called balls by the ABS. deBrauwere, the umpire, said, he instinctively would have called them strikes based on Skelton’s craftmanship, but instead he relayed what the system ruled. The umpires won’t overrule called pitches, using their judgment only when the system isn’t working.

“Skelton is one of the best defensive catchers, so he makes everything look pretty good,” deBrauwere said. “There were pitches that the system called a ball that I thought for a second may have been a strike because Skelton is so good at making them look good, so that just goes to show how good he is at his job.”

Skelton said that if catchers aren’t worrying about pitch-framing, they can focus on other skills such as blocking balls in the dirt. It likely will result in a change in focus.

“I don’t really have to worry about the receiving part of the game anymore, as far as trying to get balls called strikes,” Skelton said. “So it’s gonna get me to, I think, concentrate more on blocking.”

The hitter (who got jobbed)
If Atkins goes down as the first pitcher to throw to the ABS, Lancaster’s Joey Terdoslavich will be remembered in history as the first hitter to get jobbed by the TrackMan data.

In the second inning Wednesday, he was rung up on a low-and-outside pitch that he thought was clearly a ball. The ump did, too. ABS didn’t, though, and it was strike three.

Instinctively, Terdoslavich glared at deBrauwere, who calmly pointed to his earpiece.

There was nothing else to do.

“You just go back to the dugout and get ready for our next at-bat, I guess,” Terdoslavich said. “That’s what I do with umpires. If they miss a call, I tell them. ‘Hey, I think you missed it’ and then it’s on to your next at-bat.”

It was a ball, deBrauwere said, but because it was tumbling out of the strike zone near the plate, he understands why it would be picked up by the radar as a strike.

“It’s a two-seamer that’s moving down, so not only is it just barely shaving the bottom of the strike zone, but it’s also received way down in the dirt,” deBrauwere said. “That’s a pitch that we’ve gotten used to calling a ball, but, having said that, I can see that that pitch probably shaved the bottom.”

Otherwise, the 30-year-old Terdoslavich, who spent parts of three seasons with the Atlanta Braves from 2013-15, said he actually thought the automated system was better than he anticipated.

“One blunder, if it was a blunder, which I think it probably was. That’s pretty good,” Terdoslavich said. “Nothing’s perfect. The umpires aren’t perfect. TrackMan is not going to be perfect, I don’t think. But if it’s really close, I can deal with it.”

So, does the ex-big leaguer think the system will fly in the majors? Not anytime soon.

“Personally, do I think it could work? Sure. Do I think we’ll ever see it (in MLB), at least in my time playing? Probably not,” he said. “But, like I said, if they asked me, I’m telling them I thought it worked pretty good, even though it screwed me on one pitch. I mean, I’ve been screwed by umpires before, you know?”

The league executive
Rick White can view the 2019 Atlantic League All-Star Game only one way: a rousing success.

A longtime businessman and former MLB Properties president who is in his fifth year running the Atlantic League, White was beaming throughout the long day.

He raved about how the York Revolution handled the festivities and the implementation of the ABS. He raved about the relative smoothness of the technology and deBrauwere’s calm under fire during the occasional hiccup.

White raved about the partnership with MLB – something he has been pushing for since he became league president – and how Morgan Sword, MLB’s senior vice president for league economics and operations, was on hand to see the debut of the system the day after the big-league All-Star Game.

White was thrilled with the turnout of media, the attention paid to the system and the belief that Wednesday will have a long-reaching effect on the sport. He said 42 baseballs were pulled from the game periodically and two will be sent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The others will be presented as mementos to the umpires, to members of the Atlantic League board and York Revolution staff as well as other dignitaries. White’s keeping one, too. A reminder of how well it all went.

And this isn’t the end of the experimentation. The Atlantic League, in cooperation with MLB, will be implementing more rule changes in the second half, including counting two-strike bunts as fouls (rather than strike three), and allowing batters to “steal first,” or attempt to get to first base on any pitch not caught in the air on any count (and not just on a dropped third strike).

Some of these have no chance of getting beyond the experimental stage. Others might. For the Atlantic League, it’s all about being part of the process.

“Baseball is evolving. We are delighted to be a part of that evolution. We’re grateful Major League Baseball selected us to do these tests,” White said. “We understand and I believe our guests and our on-field personnel understand, it’s not going to be without a speed-bump here or there. But, overall, if you expect that, we came away doing pretty well.”

The fan/dad/ex-big-league player and manager
Not everyone loves the proposed changes to baseball.

Not everyone thinks that the game needs to get faster or more exciting or be free of umpiring mistakes. Some baseball fans want the sport and its rules to remain more in tune with its history.

Like the guy in the second row near the visitors’ dugout Wednesday in York. Slicked-back dark hair, tanned, good-looking, mid-60s. He was there to see his son play in the All-Star Game.

He was also watching the automated strike calls. He was unimpressed.

“I don’t like it. I want the human element,” the guy said. “I heard one fan say, ‘Well, you can’t argue with anyone now.’ I think once you instituted replay for the home run call, I think you opened Pandora’s Box on a lot of stuff, all this replay stuff. Some people like it. And, if you are a traditionalist and you like the old way of playing, you’re not gonna like it.”

This fan knows a thing or two about baseball. He was a first-round pick of the New York Mets. He was an All-Star, a World Series champion. He managed the Orioles for two seasons. He’s now a special assistant with the New York Yankees.

Yeah, Lee Mazzilli knows plenty about baseball. He intently watched the robot-umpire experience. He observed how his son, L.J., an infielder with the Long Island Ducks, handled it. And he felt like Terdoslavich had a real beef on that low strike near the dirt.

“It’s got its flaws. It’s gotta be tweaked. We’ll see how it goes,” Mazzilli said. “But I don’t think it’s gonna happen in the big leagues. I don’t think it’s getting by the players’ union.”

Mazzilli wasn’t much of an arguer when he was an Orioles’ manager. He was ejected twice during his tenure. Defending your case loudly on a miscall doesn’t happen much anymore because of instant replay. So that’s not what bothers him.

No, what Mazzilli doesn’t like about ABS is what a lot of fans and players will grouse about, too. It just seems like another step away from yesterday’s game.

“If I had a vote on it, I’d say no,” Mazzilli said. “Why can’t we just play baseball like we used to play when we were kids? We just played. Why not? It was fun.”

The Atlantic League is also trying something else new the second half of this season.

On any passed ball on any count, you can try to run to 1st base. Not just on strike 3, any count.

If a ball gets past the catcher you can take off for 1st base on any count. If you make it, it is counted as a stolen base. You stole 1st base.

I hate that.

But I do like the electronic strike zone, because I have just seen too many crappy umpires the last couple years.

that idea is nuts. It has nothing to do with the baseball has been played professionally or in little league or in "sandlots" as they used to call them since Abner Doubleday invented the game.

Just another hack at ruining a good game. Human errors are part of the game and players must adjust.

So....the Angels, in their first home game since Tyler Skaggs' death have his mother throw out the first pitch - all wear his number jersey then:

1. Throw a no hitter
2. Score 7 runs in the first inning
3. End up with 13 runs
4. Tyler Skaggs' birthday is 7/13
5. As Mike Trout says, "You can't make this stuff up"


You can’t make this stuff up’: Angels combine for no-hitter as they honor Tyler Skaggs

By Fabian Ardaya 4h ago 13

ANAHEIM, Calif. — There they came, one by one. They wore their friend’s name and number on their back through tears, and again through cheers. What started as a suggestion from hitting coach Jeremy Reed turned into a moment the Angels will never forget.

First it was Justin Upton. Then it was Mike Trout. Soon, it was all of the Angels who peeled off their jerseys — the ones with Tyler Skaggs’ name and No. 45 on the back — and put it in the place where he felt most at home, on the mound at Angel Stadium. One by one, they laid out their jerseys, filling up the mound with red as they stood in shock, in awe at what had just occurred. Hansel Robles was last, taking a painting of their fallen friend made by a fan and placing it right on the pitching rubber.

“To be out there where he loved to pitch from, where he dominated and threw that curveball, that came from the sky, so just to honor him one more time meant a lot to me,” Trout said. “It was just a great, great moment for our team to stand around the mound and honor him again.”

Friday was a night to honor Tyler Skaggs: a husband, a friend, a son and a teammate gone suddenly and far too young when he was found unresponsive in his Southlake, Texas hotel room on July 1. It wound up being the night No. 45 threw a no-hitter.

“We feel like it’s partly Skaggsy’s no-hitter,” Angels manager Brad Ausmus said.

The actions of Friday night were too much to choreograph. The moment seemed surreal, even as it was happening. Immediately following that last out, as Luis Rengifo settled on the baseball that had plunked off his chest and fired it to first baseman Justin Bour, the Angels came together in a huddle. Even they couldn’t process what had happened.

It was just the 11th no-hitter in Angels history. Skaggs wore No. 11 at Santa Monica High. The Angels scored seven runs in the first inning and finished with 13 in a 13-0 romp over the Mariners. Skaggs’ birthday was 7/13. The second combined no-hitter in Angels history was the first combined no-no thrown in California since July 13, 1991 — the day Tyler Skaggs was born.

“You can’t make this stuff up,” Mike Trout said.

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The Angels threw a no-hitter for Tyler Skaggs.

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Debbie Skaggs was always her son’s pitching coach. She always will be.

So it was fitting that as she climbed onto the same mound that her son, Tyler, did 38 times in his big league career, she stopped and wrote her son’s initials on the mound. Then, she looked in at her son’s best friend, Andrew Heaney, and fired a strike. Her mechanics were perfect. After all, she had chided her son’s mechanics for so long, often by text before he was even pulled from the game and returned to the clubhouse.

As Debbie came off the mound, she stopped just in front of the grass, burying her head in her hands, slightly leaning forward, then bringing her hands together in prayer as she looked towards the sky.

Rob Friedman
@PitchingNinja
Debbie Skaggs, First Pitch.


From there, Taylor Cole tossed a pair of perfect innings. Brad Ausmus turned to bench coach Josh Paul and joked that he’d taken out the hot hand, pulling Cole — designated as the opener — with a no-hitter.

Félix Peña took over in the third inning, finishing the final seven frames of a night that will go down in Angels history. Each time he took that mound with Skaggs’ No. 45 and initials carved into it, he thought of his teammate, his fallen brother. Often after poor outings, Skaggs would be the first to approach Peña, to tell him to stay out of his own head, to focus on the task at hand. Skaggs believed in having nasty stuff and riding it, and that’s something he implored on his teammates.

So as he was putting the finishing touches on his no-hitter, Peña couldn’t help but think of those words.

“Every time I was on the mound I tried to remember his words,” Peña said in Spanish. “He gave me like every time he said to me, ‘Focus, focus, no matter what happens. Focus every at-bat, every pitch.”

It was that focus Skaggs derived from his mother. Moments before the first pitch, Debbie Skaggs could hardly fight the tears. No one could blame her. Wearing her son’s red Angels jersey, she entered the dugout and found a crowd matching her. She hugged Heaney. She embraced Trout. She stood and spoke with Angels owners Arte and Carole Moreno, with president John Carpino, with Ausmus.

Carli Skaggs, Tyler’s wife of less than a year and his Santa Monica High sweetheart, sat on the bench as her husband often would with her left arm wrapped around a framed Skaggs jersey. Garret, Skaggs’ stepbrother, wore his high school jersey, which read “Vikings” on the front and had Skaggs’ No. 11 on the back. Skaggs’ stepfather, Dan, stood by, offering his own sorrow for what had occurred while looking to console others.

The moment was silent, but the image was loud. There stood 25-plus men, each battling different stages of grief, staring at the photos and videos of a friend, a colleague, a brother taken far too soon. They wore his name and number on their jerseys, wiping away their tears for him. For 45 seconds — matching Skaggs’ number — they stood, heads bowed. Carli stood behind home plate, head resting on Debbie’s shoulder.

Then, Debbie Skaggs toed the rubber and fired a firm strike to Heaney.
Debbie Skaggs and Andrew Heaney (Fabian Ardaya / The Athletic)

“If you know anything about her, you can understand why Tyler was how he was,” Heaney said of Debbie. “Extremely self-confident, strong-willed, hard-working. She is definitely the epitome of that. If anybody had any questions of where Skaggs got his ability to throw off the mound, it was pretty filthy tonight. She put it right down the middle.”

Skaggs would’ve been 28 years old on Saturday. It’s been 12 days for the Angels to process this pain, while the reasons for his passing remain unclear. “The reason he died isn’t what hurts. The fact that he died is what hurts,” Ausmus said.

The last game he pitched came in this very ballpark just two days before his death, an outing in which he flashed that ability to be great, to take that next step.

Skaggs had a tradition after wins where he raced from the standard postgame high-fives near the mound, down through the Angels’ dugout and up the steps towards the clubhouse, chanting his typical rallying cry.

“We’re nasty!” Ausmus joked they should print off T-shirts.

Those words are now pasted to the wall in the Angels’ home clubhouse, along with Skaggs’ photo, an idea put into place by Carpino.

Across the room, Skaggs’ locker remained untouched. It will for the remainder of the season, home and road — “It’s the natural thing to do,” Angels general manager Billy Eppler said — with his jersey hanging above his black and red glove (and a piece of Dubble Bubble in front of it), his New Balance cleats fresh and cleaned to go back out on the mound.

It’s tough to walk past that locker and not think of him. It’s tough to, in a brief moment alone or a second where your mind fades, not immediately break down upon thinking of him. The emotions have come in waves.

“It’s emotionally draining you,” Trout said.

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Tyler Skaggs’ locker will remain set up for the rest of the season.

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Eppler always carries with him a depth chart that lays out where the Angels stand in the present and in the future. It’s typically something he checks frequently but hasn’t brought himself to open since Skaggs’ passing. It remains unchanged. That way, he will always remain part of the Angels, in the present and the future. You move on, but you don’t forget.

Friday marked the first game at this ballpark the Angels played without Skaggs, though his presence loomed large. Out in front of the ballpark and on the concrete mound in front of the main gate was a memorial to Skaggs, with messages conveying the love fans had for their local left-hander. It was just 10 years ago fans left tributes in the same spot for Nick Adenhart, another promising Angels hurler gone too soon. The messages were loving, the feeling haunting. In some ways, it’s as if the reality of Skaggs’ absence does not yet feel real. It won’t, at least not for a while.

“RIP 45,” read one tribute, written in black permanent marker on a red Angels cap.

“Forever a CA Angel,” read another.

Fans left birthday balloons. Hats. Helmets. In poster board in the middle, one read:

“God called you up to the big leagues. LTBU! Rest in Peace Tyler Skaggs.”

“If you put on the A and the halo, there’s a respect that comes from that within the community,” Eppler said. “People care about this team, about our players, so I’m not surprised by their reaction and their appreciation for Tyler.”

The Angels have been searching for positives in one of the most challenging moments of their lives. They found one on Friday.

“Three hours earlier — don’t know about anybody else, but I had tears in my eyes,” Heaney said. “You’re sort of reliving your bad memories, bad thoughts. Just for tonight and maybe moving forward, you kind of change your mindset from when you think about him, you’re thinking about the loss of a friend, of a teammate, whatever it may be. But moving forward, hopefully it can be a little bit more of when you think of him, you think of his jersey, you think of his name, it brings back positive memories.”

Few batters swing at the first pitch less than Mike Trout. He’s done it just 3.1 percent of the time in his career — since his debut in 2011, only nine players have done it less (and only four of them are still active). It’s just something he doesn’t do.

But he stood in the batter’s box Friday against Mike Leake, with Skaggs’ No. 45 on his back, and took a first-pitch fastball center-cut at 89.8 mph and rifled it to the rocks. In un-Troutian fashion, he sat and watched this ball travel — fittingly, the ball came off his bat at 111 mph and landed a serendipitous 454 feet. He took 28 seconds to round the bases, longer than he ever has, milking every second of the home run in his friend’s jersey.

“He crushed that one,” Ausmus said.

When he touched home plate, he looked up at Arte Moreno’s suite, where the Skaggs family sat for Friday’s game. He looked up, caught their gaze, then pointed as he jogged back to the dugout, Skaggs’ name on his back.

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Mike Trout went yard in Tyler Skaggs’ jersey.

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It has been in these moments that Trout has continued to shine. Earlier this week, he and Tommy La Stella wore Skaggs’ number at the All-Star Game. In the moments following Skaggs’ sudden passing, it was Trout who joined Heaney and several Angels veterans to serve as the voice of the clubhouse. Last Tuesday in Texas, it was Trout who spoke first postgame, fighting through tears the entire time.

“His shoulders are broad because he carries a lot,” Eppler said of Trout. “And this kid — this young man — has just continued to be there for everybody. That’s probably the best way to frame it. I’ve seen it go on for a while now here. He’s put one more thing (on the list). He’s an MVP and he’s a shoulder to cry on or cry with, he’s a best friend, he’s a husband, he’s a son, he’s a teammate. Just adds another thing to his resumé.”

It’s a burden and a weight Trout has had to bear, and one he does willingly. But that does not make it easier. In the hours following Skaggs’ passing, Trout organized a group of Angels and reached out to Eppler. The Angels would be returning to Anaheim after the All-Star break and they wanted to begin the process of honoring him. They set out to wear Skaggs’ name and number in their return to Angel Stadium. It was only right that Skaggs’ family be there, too. They were all unified, sharing in the grief of something unimaginable.

“We were kind of in a spot where everybody was in shock,” Trout said. “It was a really tough spot for all of us.

“We’re really close … to go up there and show their family respect, Carli and Debbie and Skaggs’ whole family, it meant a lot to me ’cause I know it meant a lot to Tyler.”

The photos remain on his phone, and aren’t going away. No way he could remove them.

Mark Gubicza and Tyler Skaggs’ tradition began in a Kansas City coffee shop in 2016. Skaggs had asked Gubicza, the Angels’ color commentator for Fox Sports West and a former two-time All-Star hurler himself, to meet him there before the game in search of advice. That late-July night would mark Skaggs’ first start since coming back from Tommy John surgery that had knocked him out for the better part of 20 months.

Skaggs, known for his quiet confidence, was unsure. He was nervous. In many ways, this was going to be one of the biggest starts of his career. Gubicza assuaged Skaggs’ concerns, giving him some advice and, above all else, told him to let it rip.

Skaggs, then 25, threw seven innings of shutout, three-hit ball that night. A tradition was born. Before Skaggs’ next start, at home against Boston, Gubicza kept the superstition going. He texted Skaggs a photo of his Starbucks coffee atop his scorebook. Skaggs replied with a photo of his own coffee.

“You know about baseball players, especially pitchers, being superstitious, so every time on the road we had to meet at any coffee shop there was, whether it was a Starbucks or a Coffee Bean or the hotel coffee bar,” Gubicza said Friday inside the Angels’ dugout. “Back and forth, we’d do it for every game from that point forward, all the way through. Even to the last game he pitched in.”

He still has the photo from that last game.


(Courtesy of Mark Gubicza)
Skaggs threw 4 2/3 innings of two-run ball that night against Oakland, continuing a run where he finally felt he’d figured things out. He had developed his changeup into a weapon against left-handed hitters. His trademark curveball became an effective weapon both inside and below the zone. His fastball, touching the mid-90s, became a swing-and-miss option of its own.

He had finally gained the trust of Ausmus to let him go deep into games, and expressed frustration whenever he didn’t. As he spoke with Gubicza throughout spring training and this season, Skaggs felt close. He was.

“Everyone was always telling him, ‘You have great shit, great stuff. When are you going to get to that next level?’” Gubicza said.

“I think that motivated him. He was tired of hearing that stuff. He knew he had great stuff, and he told me, ‘I’m at that next level now.’ He was. Think about it. He was on his way … He had all these things that gave him the chance to be that good. It’s hard to think that he’s not going to be able to do that anymore. It really pisses, chaps me off and gets me upset. He was just way too young.”

The news of Skaggs’ death crippled Gubicza. He viewed Skaggs almost like a son. As he stood at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, he hardly made it through that evening’s broadcast, a brief tribute to Skaggs following the cancellation of that day’s game against the Rangers.

Secretly, he hoped the Angels and Rangers would cancel Tuesday night’s game, too. He knew the relief would be great on the players, who otherwise would be left to sit in their hotel rooms, thoughts of their lost teammate consuming them. But Gubicza didn’t want the distraction.

He got through the pregame fine, with the occasional thought popping into his head. By game time, he was a wreck. He held it together throughout the broadcast but often had to hold onto the “cough” button in the visiting television booth as the words escaped him.

“I was literally crying my eyes out,” Gubicza said.

He pulled himself together for the rest of the broadcast. He went down the media elevator to the bowels of the ballpark, walking in the direction of the team buses. As he walked past the Angels’ visiting clubhouse, he stopped.

He couldn’t hold it in anymore. He cried. His play-by-play partner, Victor Rojas, held him in an embrace. Things haven’t gotten much easier since.

Gubicza contained his emotions for much of the next week. Going home for the All-Star break helped, gave him a chance to grieve. But as he sat in his car driving to the ballpark Friday, Starbucks in hand, he found himself weeping. He called Tyler’s mother, Debbie, and offered her his thoughts and expressed his gratitude for her son.

“I was just thinking, ‘You’re incredibly strong,’” Gubicza said. “I don’t know how she’s doing this. She thanked me for all the stuff I did for her son and keeping his legacy and memory going. I’ll be doing that for the rest of my life. There’s no doubt. The relationship that we had, it’ll always be there.”

Rojas and Gubicza have a tradition following each Angels victory, with Rojas saying “Light that baby up,” a reference to the halo around The Big A outside of the ballpark that is lit up after each win, home or road. Now, Gubicza hopes to start his own tradition, a tribute to his pal, Tyler Skaggs.

“We’re nasty.”

“You know I’ll get that in there,” Gubicza said.

Ausmus chose to make the short walk to the ballpark on Friday morning instead of driving or riding his motorized scooter.

He wanted to take it in, from the banner that hung from The George — an apartment complex inside the Angel Stadium parking lots — to the tribute on the concrete mound outside the ballpark. He stopped, embracing the swells of support from the Angels fans that had accumulated over the last 12 days. As he worked out, he noticed Skaggs’ image on the center field wall, where it will remain for the rest of the season. He saw Skaggs’ locker, saw the new “We’re Nasty” signage.

He absorbed it all.

“It kind of touched me to see that there,” Ausmus said.

Skaggs will remain a huge part of this ballpark, that clubhouse, that team. As Ausmus said, “It’s kind of unreal at times that he is no longer here.”

There is no real set course of action for how to lead, how to grieve in times like this. In many ways he’s been figuring it out as he goes, as the Angels all have.

“I’m just being myself, reacting the way I would react if I was sitting at home,” Ausmus said. “I’ve said it before, you can take the manager’s cap off, I’m just wearing an Angels cap. It’s been emotional. It’s been hard.”

Skaggs was integral to the Angels and their clubhouse. It was his energy that filled them following victories, his music that echoed throughout the clubhouse.

It was Skaggs who offered barbs to Shohei Ohtani about his lack of a driver’s license, who mocked wrestling voices with Cam Bedrosian, who chanted “hotty toddy” at Zack Cozart (a tribute to Cozart’s time at Ole Miss) from across the room.

“Every time I hear hotty toddy I’ll be thinking about Tyler,” Cozart said. “Forty-five will always be in my mind to be honest. I think that’s with all the guys here, that’s how it’s going to be. We’ll always be thinking about him.”

It was Skaggs who, as Trout said, always had that smirk. Be it to sarcastically cut you and break you down from a moment of unease, or simply a smile aimed at lifting your spirits, Skaggs carried that with him.

The Angels have attempted to match this energy, to rally forward and together. In some ways, an already-close unit has become even closer.

But few could have imagined the magic of Friday night. Wearing their friend’s name on their backs and carrying his memory in their hearts, the Angels played as pristine a game as one could possibly imagine. They honored his pitching with a brilliant performance of their own. They crushed baseballs. They remembered him.

These days aren’t easy. They aren’t supposed to be. That wasn’t lost on anyone in the ballpark.

“I got one thing to say and I said it three years ago and I’m going to be done with it,” said Mariners second baseman Dee Gordon, who hit a leadoff home run in the Marlins’ first game after losing José Fernández in 2016. “If you don’t believe in God, you might want to start. I said it three years ago when I hit the homer for José. They had a no-hitter today. Y’all better start. That’s all I got.”

The no-hitter bid faced little challenge, save for one. Leading off the sixth inning, Mac Williamson smacked a bullet on the ground to the third-base side. Matt Thaiss — who just started playing third base earlier this season after converting from catcher and then again from first base — dove to his left, stopping the baseball before getting up and making the throw to first base in time to get Williamson.

The gravity of the moment took a while to set in for Thaiss. Soon, he felt something similar to what everyone else felt as Peña put the finishing touches on their collaborative masterpiece of a remembrance.

“No matter what your beliefs are, what you believe in, there was someone helping out tonight,” Thaiss said.

It’s tough to map out nights like Friday. Above all else, it’s been difficult to think about baseball, period. Friday night will be a highlight for a team trying to move forward from tragedy. The thoughts will still linger, though they’ll think of happier ones. His jersey and name will be remembered for Friday’s no-hitter just like it will for that smirk, that laugh, his music or the love and support he gave his teammates.

“I’m speechless,” Trout said. “This is the best way possible to honor him. It was pretty crazy … Obviously, we’re going to remember him always.

“We want to remember Tyler in a positive way. Every time you think of him, obviously it’s tough to tell yourself that he passed, but tonight, when you think of Tyler you think of the day we wore his jersey to honor him, honor his family, honor Carli, and Peña and Cole threw a no-hitter. It’s just positive thoughts. It’s been a crazy long week or however long it’s been. But the group of guys, we’re hanging tough. We’re staying strong, staying together and that’s what makes this team great.”

Baseball is, at times, an afterthought in moments like this. But the thing about baseball — it’ll surprise you.

“Baseball teaches you that,” Ausmus said. “You think you know the game, then it reminds you that you don’t know anything about it.”

“I got one thing to say and I said it three years ago and I’m going to be done with it,” said Mariners second baseman Dee Gordon, who hit a leadoff home run in the Marlins’ first game after losing José Fernández in 2016.

“If you don’t believe in God, you might want to start. I said it three years ago when I hit the homer for José. They had a no-hitter today. Y’all better start. That’s all I got.”

Twins watch:

Eddie Rosario (ankle) could return to the Twins' active roster on Tuesday.

Rosario went through a full range of drills (running, hitting, outfield work) before Sunday's series finale against the Indians, and if he responds well, he should be ready for Tuesday's series opener against the Mets. The 27-year-old outfielder has been sidelined since June 28 with a left ankle sprain.

He's sitting on an .841 OPS with 20 home runs, 60 RBI, three stolen bases, and 51 runs scored through 75 games played.

Rosenthal: Twelve burning questions for the MLB trade deadline


By Ken Rosenthal 34m ago 13
It was hardly a shock that teams run by Dave Dombrowski and Billy Beane made the first two significant trades of July.

The Red Sox’s acquisition of right-hander Andrew Cashner from the Orioles on Saturday was vintage Dombrowski, aggressive and early, to the point.

The Athletics’ acquisition of right-hander Homer Bailey from the Royals on Sunday was typical Beane, a preliminary strike from an exec who always adds when his team stands a chance of reaching the postseason.

Neither deal was even close to a blockbuster. Cashner might not crack the playoff roster if the Red Sox qualify and their other starting pitchers are healthy. Bailey, though impressive of late with a 3.49 ERA in his last seven starts, is not exactly headed to Cooperstown.

Still, Dombrowski and Beane acted while many of their counterparts in need of starting pitching held off, at least for the moment. The trade deadline – the new, single deadline – is two weeks from Wednesday. All of those execs terrified of trading their Precious Prospects™ are officially on the clock.

With that, here are a dozen burning questions for the deadline – and frankly, I could have doubled or even tripled the number.

1. What will the Giants get for Madison Bumgarner?

Or, to put it another way, what do Bumgarner’s suitors really think of him?

Farhan Zaidi, the team’s first-year of president of baseball operations, has spoken of “looking at more guys at the upper levels,” indicating the Giants prefer prospects close the majors not just for Bumgarner, but also for available relievers such as Will Smith, Tony Watson and Sam Dyson.

Outfielder Willie Calhoun, the Rangers’ principal return from the Dodgers for right-hander Yu Darvish two years ago, was just such a player – and the comparison is relevant, for Darvish, like Bumgarner, was a two-month rental. But Zaidi is not about to lock into one path.

The Giants also have discussed acquiring players at roughly the same level as their top prospects at High A – catcher Joey Bart, outfielder Heliot Ramos, etc. – and developing a core similar to what the Blue Jays did with third baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr., infielder/outfielder Cavan Biggio and infielder Bo Bichette.

Of course, that core still would be a few years away from the majors, and it’s far from clear whether the Giants are willing to wait that long.

2. Will the Indians trade Trevor Bauer?

Just as Bumgarner is similar to the 2017 Darvish, Bauer is comparable to the 2014 David Price in both service time and salary.

Bauer is earning $13 million in his next-to-last year of arbitration. Price earned $14 million in his next-to-last year, and teams were spooked by the prospect of an additional season at almost $20 million, just as they might be spooked by the same payday for Bauer.

Rays executives were frustrated by their return for Price in a three-team deal with the Tigers and Mariners – pitcher Drew Smyly, infielder Nick Franklin and infielder Willy Adames, who was then just 18. Five years later, only Adames remains with the club, and it is still not clear what kind of player he will be.

Bauer, like seemingly every other pitcher in the sport, is allowing an increased rate of home runs this season. But his park- and league-adjusted ERA actually is better than Price’s was with the Rays in ‘14.

Rival clubs say the Indians set high values on players and rarely relent. But no matter where the Indians stand in the AL Central, the team’s most logical move will be to send Bauer to a club that wants control of him for two pennant races, and get major-league ready help – say, a starting pitcher and an outfielder – in return.

With Corey Kluber and possibly Carlos Carrasco returning, the Indians still would be in position to make a run for at least a wild card.

3. What will the Cubs do?

Before getting too comfy, Cubs players might want to study Theo Epstein’s deadline history. The four-team extravaganza that shipped out Nomar Garciaparra and brought Doug Mientkiewicz and Orlando Cabrera to Boston in 2004. The three-team doozy that yielded a Manny Ramirez-for-Jason Bay exchange in 2008. And of course, the Eloy Jiménez/Dylan Cease-for-José Quintana All-Star break shocker in 2017.

The Cubs, coming off a weekend sweep of the Pirates, lead the NL Central by 2 1/2 games. But judging from his recent public comments, Epstein seems restless – with his players, with manager Joe Maddon, with practically everything Cubs. The question is, who would Epstein and his longtime associate Jed Hoyer trade if they genuinely wanted to shake up the team?

Kyle Schwarber is perhaps the most obvious candidate, but the return probably would not be great for a below-average defensive left fielder who is batting .229 with a .790 OPS. Rival execs fantasize about Kris Bryant becoming available, and it eventually could happen – Bryant will be a free agent after 2021, and might or might not have already turned down a $200 million extension, depending upon which reports you believe.

Still, Bryant ranks eighth in the majors in fWAR, and is almost the equivalent of two or three players with his ability to handle multiple positions. It’s virtually impossible to imagine the Cubs being better without him, no matter who they might acquire in return.

We know Epstein and Hoyer are not afraid to swing big. Maybe they will stun us again. Or maybe, after signing free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, they will simply work around the edges, seeking more modest upgrades.

4. What will the Tigers decide on Matthew Boyd?

Here’s one executive’s view: “I don’t think they will trade him, just based on their history. They played the same game with (Michael) Fulmer. He was always ‘available,’ but the price was so high that they could never make a deal. I see the same happening with Boyd.”

OK, but keeping Fulmer didn’t work out so hot, did it?

Fulmer’s 2017 season ended when he underwent ulnar nerve transposition surgery in his right elbow. His 2018 season ended when he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. And his 2019 season never began due to Tommy John surgery.

Boyd, 28, has never been on the disabled list, and he is under club control for three more seasons after this one. His strikeout percentage is the fourth highest in the majors behind Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer and Chris Sale, his walk percentage is the 11th lowest. He recently allowed 12 homers in a span of six starts – baseball, 2019 – but otherwise has been excellent.

It’s possible Boyd will have just as much trade value in the offseason – his remaining three years of arbitration will be far more affordable than what the top free agents (Cole, Bumgarner, Stephen Strasburg if he opts out) will command. The Tigers, then, should rightly aim high in their quest to add position-player prospects to their developing core of young pitching. But after getting burned with Fulmer, they should be acutely aware of the danger of waiting too long.


Matthew Boyd (Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)
5. Which starting pitchers will the Astros and Yankees acquire?

Both AL contenders figure to compete for the same group of starters with at least one additional year of control remaining – Bauer, Boyd, the Blue Jays’ Marcus Stroman and any others who might become available. Bauer to the Astros would produce baseball’s answer to a reality show, given the pitcher’s strained relationship with Cole dating back to their days at UCLA. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The Astros’ situation is growing ominous. Cole, Justin Verlander, Wade Miley and Brad Peacock have combined for a 3.36 ERA in 74 starts. The team’s other four starters have combined for a 6.88 ERA in 20 starts, averaged fewer than five innings per outing. And now the latest twist: Peacock on Monday will visit with team doctors in Houston after experiencing a setback in his recovery from a shoulder injury.

A longer-term asset such as Boyd should be particularly attractive to the Astros considering that both Cole and Miley are free agents after this season. Such a deal is not out of the question: The Astros and Tigers combined to complete the more complex Verlander trade in August 2017, and the Astros’ farm system remains strong. But if Peacock is out for an extended period, the Astros might need to add two starters, as well as a reliever. Gulp.

The Yankees, as detailed by the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, prefer a starter with high-end stuff and durability. Bauer best fits the profile, along with the Mets’ Zack Wheeler and Diamondbacks’ Robbie Ray. Stroman also would be intriguing, considering his Long Island roots and penchant for the spotlight. Of course, the Blue Jays might not be inclined to trade with the Yankees again after landing only infielder/outfielder Brandon Drury and outfielder Billy McKinney last season for the left-handed rental, J.A. Happ.

6. Will the “Toronto Alex” surface in Atlanta for the Braves?

You remember the Toronto version of Alex Anthopoulos, the whirling dervish who traded for R.A. Dickey, Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki and David Price between December 2012 and July 2015. The Toronto Alex morphed into the Atlanta Alex in his first deadline with the Braves last season, making four trades (Kevin Gausman, Adam DuVall, Brad Brach, Jonny Venters) but none that qualified as spectacular.

Anthopoulos’ restraint was understandable – he did not want to trade prospects before gaining a better understanding of who they were (take note, Brodie Van Wagenen). But think back to Toronto Alex’s acquisitions; only Price was a rental, and he posted a 2.30 ERA in 11 starts, helping the Jays win their first division title since 1993.

The prospects Anthopoulos traded?

Only Noah Syndergaard came back to haunt the Jays, considering Dickey was a league-average pitcher in his four years with Toronto. But even Syndergaard remains something of a tease, more a combination of talent and potential than performance and durability.

So, might it be time for Anthopoulos to revive Toronto Alex in an effort to lock down the NL East and pose a more serious threat to the Dodgers for the National League title? Perhaps, given the opportunity at hand and the depth of the Braves’ farm system. Bumgarner, a native of Hickory, N.C., still looks like an ideal fit, even though he almost certainly would not make the same impact as a rental that Price did for the Jays in ‘15. And remember, Anthopoulos historically has preferred players with greater control.

7. Will Brodie pull a Preller?

The Mets’ buildup in Brodie Van Wagenen’s first offseason was not quite as dramatic as the Padres’ wild series of moves during A.J. Preller’s debut in 2014-15. But Preller conceded his mistake when the Padres’ acquisitions of Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, the Upton brothers, James Shields and Craig Kimbrel produced a 74-88 disaster. He declined to re-sign Justin Upton as a free agent, then traded Kimbrel, Shields, Melvin Upton and Kemp by the 2016 deadline.

Van Wagenen has all but admitted he will trade his players on expiring contracts – right-hander Zack Wheeler, third baseman Todd Frazier, lefty Jason Vargas. But with the Mets headed for their ninth losing season in their last 11 years, the only untouchables should be their All-Stars – right-hander Jacob deGrom, first baseman Pete Alonso and infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil. Oh, and another thing: The Mets should get over their Yankee-phobia and consider trading Wheeler or Syndergaard cross-town. The teams have not completed a trade involving major leaguers since Mike Stanton went to the Yankees for Felix Heredia in December 2004.

Syndergaard’s value is down due to his 4.55 ERA, but some smart team will think it can fix him, especially when he comes with two additional years of control. The real prize, though, might be closer Edwin Díaz, who was the centerpiece of Van Wagenen’s biggest trade, the one that also brought second baseman Robinson Canó from the Mariners. Díaz’s value also is not what it once was, but rival clubs believe that his stuff is still good and that he would benefit from a better defense behind him.

The Mets are full of holes. Trading Wheeler, Frazier and Vargas should be only the start.

8. How much will the Twins, Athletics and Rays push?

These three AL contenders are bottom-half payroll teams, while the Red Sox, Yankees and Astros all are in the top 10. By definition, then, the Twins, A’s and Rays are underdogs, but all figure to be aggressive at the deadline.

The Twins made a statement by winning the first two games in Cleveland over the weekend and nearly storming back in the third, extending their lead over the Indians to 6 1/2 games with the series victory. Their principal need is a late-inning reliever to pair with Taylor Rogers, but they also are in the market for a controllable starter, with Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi, Michael Pineda all free agents at the end of the season. A big move or two by Derek Falvey and Thad Levine, and the Twins will stand a decent chance of winning their first postseason series since 2002.

The Rays’ upcoming four-game series in New York might influence their direction – they currently are six games behind the Yankees. They finished second for Kimbrel, and if anything their need to add veteran relievers has become more acute in the five weeks since they lost the free-agent closer to the Cubs. Another starter also would help, considering the team is monitoring the workloads of Charlie Morton, Blake Snell, Yonni Chirinos and Brendan McKay, and still awaiting the return of Tyler Glasnow. Also: A right-handed bat; the Rays were in on Edwin Encarnación before the Mariners sent him to the Yankees.

The Athletics, like the Rays, are six games out in their division but in current possession of a wild-card spot. A San Francisco radio station asked me a fascinating question last week: Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith for Jorge Mateo or Franklin Barreto, who says no? Considering both Bumgarner and Smith are rentals, I had to think about it – and I still don’t have an answer.

The A’s, like many teams, are not terribly impressed by Bumgarner’s 2019 performance. Mateo and Barreto might be their middle infield of the future with shortstop Marcus Semien eligible for free agency after ’20. But imagine what it would be like to see Bumgarner and Smith in the green and gold.

9. Will the Reds actually buy?

I’m hesitant to criticize the Reds for trying – their aggressive offseason was downright refreshing, considering the number of clubs that seem to be playing for 2035. Still, I’m not sure president of baseball operations Dick Williams should be declaring the team a buyer when the team is in last place in the NL Central and tied with the Giants overall.

True, the Reds’ rotation ranks third in the NL with a 3.74 ERA. True, the team’s plus-33 run differential ranks second in the Central only to the Cubs’ plus-67. But the offense is underperforming, even after a predictable eruption in Colorado, and the bullpen is slipping. Heaven knows Reds owner Bob Castellini can get excited with the best of them, but this is a team that should be in a creative buy-sell mode, and not doing anything close to doubling down.

10. What will the Brewers and Cardinals do?

The Brewers sure do not look like buyers – they’ve lost 17 of their past 26 games, all against clubs with records currently below .500. Their rotation ranks 19th in the majors with a 4.71 ERA. Their once-vaunted bullpen has allowed – gasp – 28 runs in the past five games. Owner Mark Attanasio is not the type to sell, but the Brewers should at least consider reshuffling, starting with a trade of All-Star catcher Yasmani Grandal, a potential free agent.

The enigmatic Cardinals face greater urgency as they try to avoid missing the postseason for the fourth straight year, a streak that would be their longest since 1988 to ’95. The team’s recent trade record has been spotty, but the Cardinals have pieces they can move – one rival executive says they are open to dealing an outfielder such as Tyler O’Neill or Lane Thomas and even closer Carlos Martinez, who is pitching well but earning $11.5 million per season through 2021.

Trading Martinez would seemingly be counter-productive with closer Jordan Hicks out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but the idea might be to reconfigure the roster and acquire one or more relievers in the process. All options should be in play for a team that has been largely a disappointment, but the bottom line remains the same: If Paul Goldschmidt and Matt Carpenter don’t start hitting, the season will be a lost cause.

11. What will be the impact of the single deadline?

Some observers predicted a flurry of early trades, with teams seeking to jump the market – hasn’t happened. Some forecast an increased number of deals, with teams trying to improve their depth – probably will happen, though not even the most savvy execs are clairvoyant enough to predict which of their players will get injured.

The best guess is that things will continue pretty much as they were before. The real difference will come in August, when needs arise and teams no longer will be capable of filling holes with waiver deals.

The day baseball announced the switch to one deadline, I spoke with an executive who all but flipped out, fearing a wave of injuries in August that might cripple his team’s chances. Such a scenario indeed might take place. And that’s when the true impact of the new deadline will be known

12. Will there be a shocker?

Seriously, the sport needs a good, old-fashioned, earth-shaking, landscape-changing blockbuster. Something along the lines of the four-team Nomar trade in 2004. The Adrián González/Carl Crawford/Josh Beckett extravaganza in August 2012. Even the Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes swap for Yoenis Céspedes in ’14 (yup, the Red Sox were involved in all three deals).

The best chance for such a trade would appear to rest with the Mets, or possibly a team with multiple pieces – the Giants with Bumgarner and Smith, the Jays with Stroman and Ken Giles, maybe the Diamondbacks with Zack Greinke and Ray/Archie Bradley/Greg Holland. But those clubs probably would prefer to separate their assets and maximize their returns. Heaven forbid they get a little nuts.

Wait, I just wrote approximately 3,000 words without mentioning the one GM who is capable of a massive demolition, even though he is just about out of pieces to move.

Jerry Dipoto, come on down!

This is mostly not about the Tribe, so posting it here. However Espino IS listed at 15.

Initial FYPD/INTL Rankings after MLB Draft

1. Andrew Vaughn, 1B, California
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 3 - Chicago White Sox
You could honestly make a case for any of these top-3 as the #1 guy this year. A lot will likely go with Adley Rutschman, but personally, I give the slightest of edges to Andrew Vaughn. His combination of a plus hit tool and double-plus raw power give him the potential to be one of the top offensive first basemen in baseball down the road.

https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1135735526164762624

Vaughn finished his collegiate career at California slashing .377/.495/.695/1.190 with 34 doubles, 50 home runs, and more walks (116) than strikeouts (72) in 156 games. His 43.1% extra-base hit rate in 2019 and 38.5% for his career top Rutschman's 35.6% and 31.3% respectively. It's splitting hairs, as both have the skills to hit for a high average and plenty of power, but if I had the 1.1 in a FYPD, I'd take Vaughn.

2. Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon State
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 1 - Baltimore Orioles
This whole "Don't value catchers highly in dynasty/FYDP" stigma needs to be squashed. Especially so when the catcher is one of the best pure hitters and one of the top power bats in this year's draft class. Rutschman dominated during his final collegiate season at Oregon State, slashing .427/.584/.772/1.356 with 16 home runs and a 69/36 BB/K ratio in 52 games. Rutschman went 1st overall to Baltimore and is a locked in top-3 pick for FYPD drafts due to his ability to hit for a high batting average and plenty of power. He's likely to slot in just behind Joey Bart in my prospect rankings. And you all know how highly I value Bart. yeah, Rutschman is THAT good.

3. Bobby Witt Jr, SS, Colleyville Heritage HS (TX)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 2 - Kansas City Royals
If you want to grab the highest upside in your FYPD, Witt fits the bill. His combination of power and speed is something Vaughn and Rutschman cannot match, mainly because Vaughn and Rutschman don't run. However, Witt doesn't possess the type of hit tool that Vaughn and Rutschman have. So, along with that highest ceiling, Witt also has the lower floor of this top three.

https://twitter.com/BenBadler/status/11 ... 0102465538

4. Riley Greene, OF, Haggerty HS (FL)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 5 - Detroit Tigers
This is the best pure prep hitter in the 2019 draft. Greene might not have the power/speed upside that Witt possesses, but the hit tool is easily plus and this is a downright beautiful left-handed swing. There's some above-average to plus raw power here, but he'll need to add some loft to his swing to fully capitalize on that raw power. Minimal speed, but you have to love the batting average upside and 20+ homer pop.

5. Hunter Bishop, OF, Arizona State
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 10 - San Francisco Giants
This might higher than you'll see Bishop elsewhere but I love the power and speed blend that he brings to the table. After a lackluster first two collegiate seasons, Bishop added strength and loft to his swing and really took off this spring, hitting .356 with 22 homers and 11 steals in 51 games. There are still some improvements to be made to his hit tool, but the power/speed blend is so enticing.

6. J.J. Bleday, OF, Vanderbilt
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 4 - Miami Marlins
Like Bishop, J.J. Bleday broke out the power bat during his final collegiate season at Vanderbilt, mashing 25 home runs to go along with a .346 average and as many walks as strikeouts. With an above-average to plus hit tool and plus raw power, Bleday has the potential to hit for both a high average and 25+ home runs. He immediately becomes one of the top two position prospects on Miami's system along with Victor Victor Mesa.

7. Jasson Dominguez, OF, Dominican Republic
Signed: New York Yankees
This might initially seem high for a 16-year-old international player that is several years away from the Majors. But if you watch video of Jasson Dominguez for longer than two seconds, you'll understand why he's top-10 here. Plus tools as far as the eye can see and a projectable frame. With his combination of hit, power, and speed, there's no international player I'd rather have this year than Dominguez. And frankly, it's not that close either.

https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/ ... 5634224129

8. C.J. Abrams, SS, Blessed Trinity HS (GA)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 6 - San Diego Padres
If speed is what gets your motor running, let me introduce you to C.J. Abrams. The Georgia prep shortstop possesses double-plus speed and above-average to plus contact skills. He's a below average defender at shortstop at present, so a move to second base might be in his future, but the offensive upside is certainly there. Abrams could be this year's Xavier Edwards and has more power upside than Edwards does which is mighty enticing.

9. Kameron Misner, OF, Missouri
Drafted: CBA, Pick 35 - Miami Marlins
This was one of my favorite picks of the first day of the draft. When talking about the top power/speed threats in the 2019 class, Kameron Misner is firmly in that conversation. He's able to generate easy plus raw power from his big 6'4 frame and a quick swing that generates natural loft. Add in his plus speed and you have a potential 20/20 threat or better down the road. Misner has really improved as an overall hitter too, even if his drop in batting average from 2018-2019 doesn't indicate so. With a clean swing and sound mechanics, Misner should be able to hit for a decent average to go along with his intriguing power/speed profile.

10. Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Tech
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 8 - Texas Rangers
There's a theme in the 2019 draft class. Sprinkled throughout the first two rounds are AVG/HR threats with below-average speed. Josh Jung fits that mold quite well. He didn't hit for a ton of power at Texas Tech but has displayed an above-average hit tool with plus raw power. There's a ton of bat speed as well so once he starts hitting the ball in the air more consistently, additional power should come.

11. Corbin Carroll, OF, Lakeside HS (WA)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 16 - Arizona Diamondbacks
After taking Alek Thomas last year, the Diamondbacks added another speedy outfielder with a plus hit tool this year with their first pick, taking prep bat Corbin Carroll 16th overall. Carroll is an electrifying athlete with elite speed, plus contact skills, and an advanced approach at the plate. He might never get past the 10-15 HR range, but the rest of the profile is enticing.

13. Brett Baty, 3B, Lake Travis HS (TX)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 12 - New York Mets
This is a sneaky good pick for the New York Mets. Baty kind of reminds me of last year's #12 overall pick, Jordan Groshans. Both are infielders from the Texas prep ranks with above-average hit tools and above-average to plus raw power. His defense at the hot corner is suspect, though, he has a strong throwing arm, which might force a move off the position, but Baty's contact skills and raw power would profile just fine at any position. I'd even say he has more raw power than Groshans has shown and has a swing that produces natural loft. It wouldn't be surprising at all is Baty ended up as one of the top-5 or so hitters from this draft class.

13. Erick Pena, OF, Dominican Republic
Signed: Kansas City Royals
Outside of Jasson Dominguez, there's no international prospect I'd want more on my dynasty teams than Erick Pena. With a quick left-handed seing, Pena is able to make consistent hard contact with easy plus raw power. The tools are here to hit for both average and power while adding in double-digit steal totals as well.

14. Kody Hoese, 3B, Tulane
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 25 - Los Angeles Dodgers
Mark my words, Kody Hoese is going to be one of the sneaky-good picks of this year's first round. He added strength and loft this season and ow possess easy plus raw power to go along with above-average contact skiils and a sound plate approach. He's able to generate plenty of bat speed with a clean swing and quick wrists. There's not much speed projection here, but Hoese should be able to hit for both average and power moving forward.

15. Daniel Espino, RHP, Georgia Premier Academy (GA)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 24 - Cleveland Indians
Like I mentioned above, upside arms aren't as plentiful as they were in last year's draft. However, if you want to put your money on one high-upside arm, I'd recommend Daniel Espino. With a electric mid to upper-90's fastball and two plus breaking pitches, Espino has plenty of upside in his arm. He'll just need to improve his changeup and overall command to capitalize on that potential.

https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/statu ... 2559101952

16. Robert Puason, SS, Dominican Republic
Signed: Oakland Athletics
With the Robert Puason signing, the Oakland Athletics nabbed the top infield prospect in this year's J2 crop. Puason is a solid defender at shortstop with plus speed and above-average contact skills at the plate. There's some sneaky good raw power here as well. If you want to take him as the 2nd INTL guy behind Dominguez due to his shortstop eligibility, I wouldn't argue it.

17. Jackson Rutledge, RHP, San Jacinto Junior College (TX)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 17 - Washington Nationals
If you're going off pure stuff, Jackson Rutledge is one of the top arms in this draft class. He throws in the mid to high-90s with armside run on his fastball and has shown two plus breaking pitches with his slider being the best of the bunch. The changeup and command are behind and need to be developed if he wants to reach his lofty ceiling, but there's plenty of upside to dream on here.

https://twitter.com/prepbaseball/status ... 1020224512

18. Greg Jones, SS, UNC Wilmington
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 22 - Tampa Bay Rays
If anyone can challenge or exceed Abrams on the speed scale, it's Greg Jones. The lightning-quick shortstop swiped 40 bases in his final collegiate season at UNC Wilmington while showing an improved hit tool and approach. There are still some questions surrounding his long-term projections at the plate, but if he can continue to improve as a hitter, there's substantial upside here.

19. Bryson Stott, SS, UNLV
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 14 - Philadelphia Phillies
Bryson Stott is a hitter through and through. He has shown a plus hit tool and sound plate approach throughout his collegiate career at UNLV, hitting above .350 with a XBH% above 40% in each of his last two seasons. The power is likely capped in the teens, but with his quick swing, clean mechanics, all-fields approach, and feel for hitting, Stott should hit for a high average to go along with his above-average to plus speed that could translate to 20-25+ SB.

20. Mike Toglia, 1B, UCLA
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 23 - Colorado Rockies
Every time I look at my rankings, I feel like I slide Toglia up a spot or two. Call me crazy, but I tend to get a tad giddy at the thought of a hitter with plus-plus raw power playing his home games in Coors Field. He just needs to work on making more consistent contact and keeping his strikeouts in check to capitalize on his mammoth power potential.

21. Bayron Lora, OF, Dominican Republic
Signed: Texas Rangers
If we're talking strictly power potential, Lora has a strong case to at the top of the list. With a strong 6'3 frame, Lora already has plus raw power with the potential for more as he continues to develop. If he can continue to show at least an average hit tool, the upside is here for Lora to be a middle of the order bat.

22. Nick Lodolo, LHP, TCU
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 7 - Cincinnati Reds
Remember when I mentioned that there was a bunch of "safe, high-floor arms" in this draft? Well, Nick Lodolo is prime example of that. Lodolo really increased his draft stock with a strong final collegiate season at TCU, posting a 2.18 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 1.9 BB/9, and 11.2 K/9. A big 6'6 southpaw, Lodolo features three above-average to plus pitches with plus command of his entire arsenal. Might not have the upside of a top-of-the-rotation starter, but arguably has the highest floor of any pitcher in this draft with the upside of a rock-solid mid-rotation starter.

23. Brennan Malone, RHP, IMG Academy (FL)
Drafted: Round 1C, Pick 33 - Arizona Diamondbacks
There are three or four big upside pitchers in this year's draft and Brennan Malone is one of them. A prep arm from IMG academy in Florida, Malone has one of the best fastball/breaking ball combinations in the draft. He'll sit in the low to mid-90's consistently on his fastball with plenty of life and gets sharp two-plant tilt on his slider. Both the changeup and curveball are behind. If he can turn that changeup into a third weapon and continue to refine his command, there's huge upside here.

24. Matthew Allan, RHP, Seminole HS (FL)
Drafted: Round 3, Pick 89 - New York Mets
The fact that Allan wasn't drafted in the first two rounds might signal some signability concerns, but I feel a little better now that he went in the third round. Maybe it's this growing cautious approach with high school arms. Who knows. Allan uses a three pitch mix with a low to mid-90's fastball, plus curve, and a changeup that has flashed above-average to plus. With those three potential plus pitches and solid command, Allan has the upside of a #2 starter. Lets hope the Mets offer him enough to sign and not go to the University of Florida.

25. Keoni Cavaco, 3B/SS, Eastlake HS (CA)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 13 - Minnesota Twins
This ranking could very well end up being 5-10 spots too low before long. Cavaco brings an enticing power/speed blend to the table, although, there are some questions around how much average he'll ultimately hit for. If he can make strides in that area, he has the skills to end up as a top-10 player from this draft class.

26. Alek Manoah, RHP, West Virginia
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 11 - Toronto Blue Jays
With one of the best farm systems in all of baseball, the Blue Jays could afford to go with an upside pick in the first round this year and that's exactly what they did with the selection of Alek Manoah. Manoah attacks hitters with a plus fastball/slider combination, but has struggled with consistently commanding his arsenal and developing his changeup, though, the changeup has flashed above-average at times. There's solid upside here, but the floor isn't quite as high as others.

27. Matthew Wallner, OF, Southern Mississippi
Drafted: CBA, Pick 39 - Minnesota Twins
28. Will Wilson, SS, NC State
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 15 - Los Angeles Angels
29. Michael Busch, 1B/OF/2B, North Carolina
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 31 - Los Angeles Dodgers
30. Quinn Priester, RHP, Cary-Grove HS (IL)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 18 - Pittsburgh Pirates
31. Tyler Callihan, 3B, Providence HS (FL)
Drafted: Round 3, Pick 85 - Cincinnati Reds
32. George Kirby, RHP, Elon
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 20 - Seattle Mariners
33. Shea Langeliers, C, Baylor
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 9 - Atlanta Braves
Shea Langeliers was by far the hardest guy for me to rank. He was taken much higher than this ranking due to his outstanding defensive skills, but he's not quite as advanced on the offensive side of the ball. With that being said, he's not a zero offensively by any means and has been improving at the plate. If you want safe, Langeliers is your guy. The defensive skills will carry him to the Majors as long as he shows adequacy at the plate, which I believe he will.

34. Sammy Siani, OF, Penn Charter HS (PA)
Drafted: CBA, Pick 37 - Pittsburgh Pirates
35. Reece Hinds, 3B, IMG Academy (FL)
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 49 - Cincinnati Reds
36. Braden Shewmake, SS, Texas A&M
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 21 - Atlanta Braves
37. Logan Davidson, SS, Clemson
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 29 - Oakland Athletics
38. Zack Thompson, LHP, Kentucky
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 19 - St. Louis Cardinals
39. Gunnar Henderson, SS, Morgan Academy (AL)
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 42 - Baltimore
40. J.J. Goss, RHP, Cypress Ranch HS (TX)
Drafted: CBA, Pick 36 - Tampa Bay Rays
42. Logan Wyatt, 1B, Lousiville
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 51 - San Francisco Giants
43. Brady McConnell, SS, Florida
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 44 - Kansas City Royals
44. Chase Strumpf, 2B, UCLA
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 64 - Chicago Cubs
45. Anthony Volpe, SS, Delbarton HS (NJ)
Drafted: Round 1, Pick 30 - New York Yankees
46. Trejyn Fletcher, OF, Deering HS (ME)
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 58 - St. Louis Cardinals
47. Josh Wolf, RHP, St. Thomas HS (TX)
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 53 - New York Mets
48. Matthew Lugo, SS, Beltran Academy (Puerto Rico)
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 69 - Boston Red Sox
49. Kyren Paris, SS, Freedom HS (CA)
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 55 - Los Angeles Angels
50. Seth Johnson, RHP, Campbell
Drafted: CBA, Pick 40 - Tampa Bay Rays
Photo/Video Credit: John Peterson/Icon Sportswire, Rob Friedman/Pitching Ninja, Chicago White Sox, Ben Badler, MLB Pipeline, Prep Baseball Report.

Eric Cross is the lead MLB/Fantasy Baseball writer and MiLB prospect analyst for FantraxHQ and has been with the site since March 2017. In the past, he wrote for FantasyPros and FanSided. He is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) and a contributor in the best-selling Fantasy Baseball Black Book. For more from Eric, check out his author page and follow him on Twitter @EricCross04.

That is a bit misleading because one might look at that list and say, what the hell, the Indians only have 1 draftee in the NYPL on the top 50 list from this years draft?

But the Indians start a lot of their draftees in Arizona. Like Hankins and Delgado, guys who were drafted last year that played in AZL last year but are on this years Scrappers team. And guys like Yordys Valdes and Will Brennan who were drafted this year but starting in AZL. Some, like Brennan, are college guys too. The Indians will start them low but promote them quickly when ready.

So don't read too much into that.

Thanks for sharing that!

Same idea here. Bobby Bradley listed at #6. And surprisingly lists Bo Naylor at #10, thinking he will be moved...

Duquette: The Top 10 first base prospects in baseball


By Jim Duquette Jul 17, 2019 28

It’s difficult to find everyday first basemen with high upside in the minor leagues these days — most of the good athletes who will eventually play first base are currently at other positions on the field. But the current crop of players on my list have the power to be impactful hitters and the athleticism to be at least solid-average defenders, while also possessing the versatility to play other positions. Each of the following players will eventually settle at first base as their primary position, with the understanding that they may end up there in the future, if not necessarily when they first arrive in the major leagues.

A quick glossary:

The scouting scale is 20-80, with 50 being a major-league average grade and 80 being elite.

There are two grades here. First is the present grade, for the skill as it would play in the major leagues right now. The second is the future grade — what each skill is expected to be in the future, when at its peak.

HIT = hitting skill; POWER = includes XBH and HR; FIELD = fielding skill; ARM = includes strength and accuracy; SPEED = base running and stealing abilities.

Ages are as of July 1, 2019.

1. Evan White, Seattle Mariners
Age: 23 Height: 6’3” Weight: 205
Bats: R Throws: L
HIT: 40/60 POWER: 40/60 FIELD: 60/70 ARM: 50/50 SPEED: 50/50 OVERALL: 40/60

2018 stats (AAA/A+):
Slash: .300/.371/.453 2B: 29 HR: 11 RBI: 66 SB: 4

The Mariners’ former first-rounder (17th overall in 2017) has shown an advanced strike zone knowledge with a line-drive approach in his first few professional seasons. After a solid 2018 minor-league season, White held his own in the Arizona Fall League and carried that momentum into 2019. In Double A, White’s hitting has taken another step forward after making a couple of minor adjustments to his swing, including lowering his hands to keep the bat in the strike zone a little longer. Consequently, White’s power has improved — he’s currently sporting a .482 slugging percentage and has already equaled his home run total from last year. All of the accolades aside, White’s defense is even better than the offense. It’s likely he will be a future Gold Glover, with plus hands and an average arm as well. He has shown to be athletic enough to play the outfield if needed as well.

2. Andrew Vaughn, Chicago White Sox
Age: 21 Height: 6’0” Weight: 214
Bats: R Throws: R
HIT: 40/60 POWER: 40/60 FIELD: 40/50 ARM: 40/50 SPEED: 30/30 OVERALL: 40/60

2018 stats (College):
Slash: .374/.539/.704 2B: 14 HR: 15 RBI: 50 SB: 2

After not garnering much attention out of high school, Vaughn dominated at the University of California-Berkeley, hitting over .400 and smashing more than 20 homers on his way to winning the Golden Spikes Award as a sophomore — then doubling down and repeating the offensive production as a junior. The White Sox paid attention, drafting him third overall in 2019, and Vaughn is off to a fast start in his professional career. His overall hitting approach has served him well, showing excellent strike-zone discipline and the ability to hit to all fields with extra-base power. His remarkable strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last two seasons at Cal — one strikeout for almost every two walks — will serve him well in the lower minors. And so far, Vaughn has picked up where he left off, barreling the baseball with consistent hard contact. In his first 14 games in minor-league ball, Vaughn has an OPS over 1.100, making it likely that he will fly through the lower ranks. Expect him to be knocking on the door in Chicago within the next two seasons, and possibly drawing comparisons to Paul Konerko and José Abreu very soon.

3. Nate Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 24 Height: 6’4” Weight: 245
Bats: L Throws: R
HIT: 40/60 POWER: 50/60 FIELD: 40/50 ARM: 50/50 SPEED: 30/30 OVERALL: 40/50

2018 stats (A+/AA/AAA):
Slash: .330/.416/.568 2B: 32 HR: 27 RBI: 102 SB: 1

The Rays drafted both Josh (1st round) and older brother Nate Lowe (13th round) in the 2016 draft. Nate had a huge 2018 season, advancing to Double A and being selected to the Futures Game last July, showing huge power and discipline at the plate. Lowe’s success in his second full season is a testament to his development as a hitter. After a slower start to his major-league career in 2019, Lowe has continued to impress manager Kevin Cash, who recently told me that they will continue to rely on his overall abilities both on offense and at first base, where he is likely to play for the majority of his major-league career. Lowe has been splitting time with Ji-Man Choi and getting at-bats against primarily right-handed pitching. He’ll need to show improvement against lefties to see everyday at-bats in the future.

4. Ryan Mountcastle, Baltimore Orioles
Age: 22 Height: 6’3” Weight: 195
Bats: R Throws: R
HIT: 40/60 POWER: 40/60 FIELD: 40/50 ARM: 40/40 SPEED: 50/50 OVERALL: 40/60

2018 stats (AA):
Slash:.297/.341/.464 2B: 19 HR: 13 RBI: 59 SB: 2

Mountcastle has really enhanced his stock over the past two seasons, putting up big numbers in 2017 as a 20-year-old. He was eventually exposed to Double A and Arizona Fall League pitching that season, while also making a position change from shortstop to third base. The Orioles had Mountcastle repeat Double A in 2018, and Mountcastle produced an .806 OPS after starting the season on the IL with a fracture in his right hand. Now primarily playing first base, with some left field and third base included, Mountcastle continues to show bat speed, balance and the ability to use the whole field. It will be his bat that will get him to the majors, likely sometime in 2020, and it looks like his best position will be first — but his versatility will help him in the early part of his big-league career.

5. Triston Casas, Boston Red Sox
Age: 19 Height: 6’4” Weight: 235
Bats: l Throws: R
HIT: 40/50 POWER: 40/70 FIELD: 40/50 ARM: 60/60 SPEED: 30/30 OVERALL: 40/60

2019 stats (A):
Slash: .261/.347/.512 2B: 18 HR: 16 RBI: 66 SB: 2

Casas, the Red Sox’s 2018 first-rounder from American Heritage High School in Florida, was one of the best power-hitting prospects in the draft. He has an excellent feel for hitting and light-tower raw power. Unfortunately, he was only able to play in two games as a pro in 2018 before he tore a ligament in his right thumb. In his first full minor-league season, Casas has more than held his own in low-A ball, showing above-average power and improving his plate discipline, even though he is on a pace to strike out more than 140 times at his current rate. The Red Sox have been taking advantage of Casas’ athleticism by periodically playing him at third base, but the majority of his season — and his likely position in the future — will be at first base. He moves around the bag well for a big man, has soft hands, and should continue to get better over time as he sees more reps there. It may take an extra year for him to arrive in Boston while he learns the strike zone at the upper levels, but when he does, look for Casas to make a major impact.

6. Bobby Bradley, Cleveland Indians
Age: 23 Height: 6’1” Weight: 225
Bats: L Throws: R
HIT: 40/40 POWER: 50/60 FIELD: 40/50 ARM: 50/50 SPEED: 30/30 OVERALL: 40/50

2018 stats (AA/AAA):
Slash: .224/.308/.466 2B: 26 HR: 27 RBI: 83 SB: 1

Bradley has shown continuous and prodigious power in the minors, hitting an impressive 138 homers in six seasons, including hitting more than 20 homers in five straight seasons. There were some concerns about his high strikeout rate, but he was able to cut it by almost 25 percent in 2018 and continued that trend this season.Additionally, he raised his OPS 216 points from 2018 to 2019, sporting close to 1.000 OPS in Triple A this July before being promoted to Cleveland before the All-Star break. Bradley has struggled on both offense and defense to date, but President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti told me recently that the organization will have plenty of patience as they give Bradley time to improve. He hit his first major-league homer as the second half started before being sent back down to Columbus on Tuesday. Look for him to improve enough on defense to be playable at the position in the majors in the near future.

7. Brent Rooker, Minnesota Twins
Age: 24 Height: 6’3” Weight: 215
Bats: R Throws: R
HIT: 40/50 POWER: 40/60 FIELD: 40/50 ARM: 50/50 SPEED: 50/50 OVERALL: 40/50

2018 stats (AA):
Slash: .254/.333/.465 2B: 32 HR: 22 RBI: 79 SB: 6

Rooker was drafted in back-to-back drafts by the Twins, first in the 38th round in the 2016 draft. When he did not sign, Minnesota doubled down and drafted him in the first round (35th overall) the following year. After making some adjustments in college to shorten his swing and use the lower half better, Rooker’s power numbers have soared in his early professional career. His .465 slugging percentage with 22 homers in 2018 was impressive enough, but Rooker has doubled down in 2019, sporting a .398 on-base percentage and .535 slugging percentage in Triple A over the first 65 games. Rooker has shown some swing-and-miss at the plate over the last two seasons, but this year’s walk total is encouraging. He continues to increase his versatility by capably playing left field, but most evaluators think his best position as an everyday regular will be at first base.

8. Matt Thaiss, Los Angeles Angels
Age: 24 Height: 6’0” Weight: 215
Bats: L Throws: R
HIT: 40/60 POWER: 50/50 FIELD: 50/50 ARM: 50/50 SPEED: 30/30 OVERALL: 40/50

2018 stats (AAA/AA):
Slash: .280/.335/.467 2B: 34 HR: 16 RBI: 76 SB: 8

Thaiss, the Angels’ first selection in the 2016 draft, was considered by the team to be one of the most advanced bats in college baseball. He has continued that advanced approach and has shown a terrific command of the strike zone while moving up through the Angels’ system. Last year, Thaiss showed the ability to hit for power — both to the pull side and to the opposite field — and also added an impressive 34 doubles to his resume between Double A and Triple A. He’s also shown the ability to make solid contact and not strike out: This year he had an almost 1:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio before being promoted to Anaheim. His defense is still a work in progress, but the bat is legitimate, and while he has concentrated his efforts at first base, he may have trouble getting reps there in 2019 and 2020, depending on the rotation at first base and DH with Albert Pujols and Shohei Ohtani. He has recently played at third and on July 12 made a terrific diving play to help keep the team’s combined no-hitter intact. Look for him to be used in a few different roles in 2019 until he settles in at first base in the future.

9. Nick Pratto, Kansas City Royals
Age: 20 Height: 6’1″ Weight: 195
Bats: L Throws: L
HIT: 40/60 POWER: 40/60 FIELD: 60/60 ARM: 60/60 SPEED: 40/40 OVERALL: 40/60

2018 stats (A):
Slash: .280/.343/.443 2B: 33 HR: 14 RBI: 62 SB: 22

I have had high expectations for Pratto ever since I saw him play a big role in Team USA’s gold-medal-winning program, and I believe he can be an everyday major-league regular. Since entering pro ball in 2018, Pratto has hit the ground running. He had an impressive first full season for the Royals in low-A, putting up a gaudy .912 OPS in the second half. While some scouts were surprised by his 150 strikeouts in 485 at-bats, it is not unusual for a young player to have a little more swing-and-miss in his early career. Pratto has shown additional baseball acumen and runs the bases instinctively and his overall athleticism and plus arm may allow him to play other positions at the upper levels. Despite his first-half struggles in High A this season, Pratto remains one of the youngest hitters in the league, and his arrival in Kansas City will come fairly quickly once he makes the necessary adjustments.

10. Bo Naylor, Cleveland Indians
Age: 19 Height: 6’0” Weight: 195
Bats: L Throws: R
HIT: 40/50 POWER: 40/60 FIELD: 50/50 ARM: 60/60 SPEED: 40/40 OVERALL: 40/50

2018 stats (Rookie):
Slash: .274/.381/.402 2B: 3 HR: 2 RBI: 17 SB: 5

The younger brother of Padres first-base prospect Josh Naylor, Bo has a similar offensive profile but has more versatility when it comes to playing other positions. Cleveland is currently focusing on Bo’s catching skills, which are a work in progress. A scout recently told me he has seen the 19-year-old make big strides in his receiving abilities, but he will still need a lot of work to regularly play in the majors. His bat will play down the road, however, and his raw power, showcased in the amateur home run derby in Miami in 2017, impressed me (and everyone who witnessed the barrage of home runs). For now, the Indians will give Naylor every chance to stick behind the plate, where his bat offers a lot of upside. But, as is the case with most potential catchers, the defensive work necessary to become a capable major-leaguer tends to take away from the bat, and I believe in due time, Naylor will need to move to a corner infield position to better use his bat to his advantage. Look for him to play first and third in the majors for Cleveland.

Cleveland is currently focusing on Bo’s catching skills, which are a work in progress. A scout recently told me he has seen the 19-year-old make big strides in his receiving abilities, but he will still need a lot of work to regularly play in the majors. His bat will play down the road, however, and his raw power, showcased in the amateur home run derby in Miami in 2017, impressed me (and everyone who witnessed the barrage of home runs). For now, the Indians will give Naylor every chance to stick behind the plate, where his bat offers a lot of upside. But, as is the case with most potential catchers, the defensive work necessary to become a capable major-leaguer tends to take away from the bat, and I believe in due time, Naylor will need to move to a corner infield position to better use his bat to his advantage. Look for him to play first and third in the majors for Cleveland.

BA projected him as a 3B in their predraft analysis in 2018

Jim Bowden’s Trade Deadline Diary: Thoughts on decisions facing the Rangers, Giants, Mariners and Dodgers


By Jim Bowden Jul 18, 2019 91

There are now just 13 days left until the “hard” July 31 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. The wild-card races in both leagues are heating up, and teams that are not clear buyers or sellers, but somewhere in the middle, now have to decide on a strategy. It’s amazing to think that 14 of the 15 National League teams are at least within five games of a wild-card berth, with the Marlins currently the only team on the outside looking in. Things are less of a free-for-all in the American League, with eight teams within five games of postseason play.

*When the Texas Rangers came out of the All-Star break, manager Chris Woodward held a meeting with his team telling them they had to play well during this next stretch if they wanted the front office to buy — and if they didn’t play well, that the team would probably be sellers at the deadline. Well, the Rangers haven’t played very good baseball, and they now seem motivated to move one of their best starting pitchers in Mike Minor; reliever Shawn Kelley; infielder Asdrúbal Cabrera; and the leading candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, Hunter Pence. The Rangers have Minor under a club-friendly deal with control through 2020, with an annual salary just under $10 million per season, and he is having a banner year, with a 2.73 ERA and 5.9 WAR. He could even end up being the best starting pitcher traded at the deadline. The Rangers aren’t going to lose focus on their rebuilding program, and with so many starters like Trevor Bauer and Madison Bumgarner in situations where they might not actually get traded by the deadline, the return for Minor increases by the day.

*The San Francisco Giants, meanwhile, suddenly find themselves in the midst of the National League wild-card race, leaving them with the reality that they might end up buying, selling, holding or some combination.

The Giants churned their roster like crazy early in the season trying to find a mix that would click, because they never viewed this year as a mail-in season. The organization is clearly in transition, so they are mindful of the future, but the present matters to them and they place a lot of value in the playing meaningful games down the stretch. The Giants are having intense trade conversations with several teams, but will continue to read and react to things – how they’re playing and most importantly what the market is yielding over the next couple of weeks.

If the Giants do trade any of their four best trade assets — which at this point are probably Madison Bumgarner, Will Smith, Tony Watson and Sam Dyson — they’ll do so only because the return was so significant, and their future so much brighter, that they felt they had to make the deals. In other words, don’t expect the Giants to just be sellers as everyone (including us at The Athletic) had been assuming.

*The Seattle Mariners have had real discussions regarding outfielder Domingo Santana and southpaw Roenis Elías. However, they’re also motivated to trade both Mike Leake and Dee Gordon and are willing to pay down their contracts significantly if they can get the right return.

*The Dodgers have only one glaring need to fill if they want to win their first World Series since 1988, and that’s a Plan B back-up for closer Kenley Jansen. The Pirates’ Felipe Vázquez (who Pittsburgh doesn’t want to deal), the Padres’ Kirby Yates (who San Diego will only swap if they win the deal by a landslide) and the Giants’ Will Smith are clearly their best trade targets. A deal of this magnitude would be costly in terms of prospects, but the time is now for the Dodgers to go for it and put all their chips in to try to get a parade in La La Land.

Rosenthal: State of the starting pitching market; a critical stage for the Red Sox; Zack Greinke’s trade appeal; more notes


By Ken Rosenthal Jul 22, 2019 34

The Yankees’ top evaluator, vice president of baseball operations Tim Naehring, attended left-hander Mike Minor’s two most recent starts for the Rangers, according to major-league sources. But while Minor is on the Yankees’ list of potential acquisitions, the chances of his heading to New York do not appear especially good.

Naehring and other Yankees scouts are assessing all of the available starting pitchers — Naehring, for example, previously checked out Indians righty Trevor Bauer in a start at Cincinnati. Minor, 31, also has the Yankees on his 10-team no-trade list, sources say, though it’s unclear whether he included them for leverage or because he does not want to play in New York (the rest of his no-trade list is not known).

For what it’s worth, Minor did not fare particularly well in the two starts witnessed by Naehring, both of which came against the Astros. In 12 combined innings, he allowed eight earned runs, including five homers. For the season, he ranks fifth in the American League with 129 innings and second with a 2.86 ERA.

Like Bauer and Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman, Minor is under club control for one more season after this one — he is signed for $9.5 million in 2020. Among other available starters, Mets righty Noah Syndergaard is under control for two additional years, Tigers lefty Matthew Boyd for three.

For a variety of reasons, rival execs are growing increasingly skeptical that Bauer and Boyd will be moved, and no one seems to have any idea what the Mets will do with Syndergaard, who is drawing interest from the Astros and others but pitching at a diminished value compared with previous seasons due to his 4.36 ERA.

The Indians are just three games behind the Twins in the AL Central, and their chances of winning the division likely would be better with Bauer than with the players they receive in return. The Tigers, meanwhile, are pricing Boyd as a No. 1 starter when in reality — with his 4.13 ERA and 12th-highest home-run rate in the majors — he is pitching more like a No. 3.

The evolving Bumgarner equation
Left-hander Madison Bumgarner has a 1.55 ERA in his last 29 innings, and the Giants’ surge figures to only raise the bar for what the team would want in return for their World Series legend.

The Giants know their view of Bumgarner might exceed the industry’s. If they remain in contention over the next week, they would need to weigh the value of keeping him for a wild-card pursuit and securing draft-pick compensation in 2020 against the value of what they would receive in a trade.

One executive suggests the Giants could stay intact and then make both Bumgarner and closer Will Smith qualifying offers — the worst that could happen is that Smith would accept and they would overpay him for one season while retaining him as a potential trade asset.

Another way to thread the competitive needle would be to trade Smith and elevate Sam Dyson to the closer’s role. That way, the Giants could maximize Smith’s value while remaining in the race — particularly if they acquired a young, major-league-ready reliever in return.

Red Sox at a critical stage
A Red Sox official says, “I don’t understand how the narrative is the bullpen,” quickly mentioning the shortcomings of the rotation, which ranks seventh in the AL with a 4.79 ERA. The team’s rotation ERA was lower by more than a full run per nine innings in 2018, ranking fourth in the AL.

The Sox’s stunning series loss to the Orioles over the weekend included a four-inning, six-run start by David Price on Friday and a five-inning, six-run start by Rick Porcello on Saturday (the Red Sox won the latter game). By comparison, Andrew Cashner’s six-inning, four-run start Sunday was a revelation.

Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski recently added Cashner to the rotation, and the team activated Nathan Eovaldi on Saturday to join its bullpen. Considering the Sox have luxury-tax concerns, a depleted farm system and a maddeningly inconsistent major-league roster, an impact addition for the bullpen would appear unlikely.

Manager Alex Cora acknowledged to reporters Monday that the team actually could go the other way.

The Sox would have interesting pieces to sell — Porcello is a free agent after this season, J.D. Martinez can opt out, and Jackie Bradley Jr. is free after 2020. Dombrowski made such a pivot with the Tigers in ’15, trading potential free agents Yoenis Céspedes, David Price and Joakim Soria at the deadline. Those Tigers, though, were not coming off a World Series title, with the potential, at least, to win another.

The next seven games for the Sox will be critical — they visit the Rays for three, then host the Yankees for four.

Worth the money
As The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan writes, the Diamondbacks can emerge as buyers if they rebound from losing to three of four to the Brewers by dominating the Orioles and Marlins, two of the worst teams in baseball, over the next seven games.

On the other hand, Arizona has shown for 100 games that it essentially is a .500 team. For that reason, the Diamondbacks should be open to moving right-hander Zack Greinke and lefty Robbie Ray regardless of what happens before the deadline — Greinke because of the approximately $81.5 million remaining on his contract, Ray because the team might get more for him than he is actually worth in a thin market for starting pitching.

Fans and executives recoil at the money owed Greinke — about $11.5 million more this season, plus $35 million in each of the final two years of his deal, including $3 million installments of his signing bonus. But Greinke, 35, actually is outperforming his salary this season, just as he did in 2017, the second year of his six-year, $206.5 million deal with the Diamondbacks.

According to FanGraphs’ “dollars” metric — WAR converted to a dollar scale, based upon what a player would earn in free agency — Greinke was worth $18.2 million in 2016, $37.9 million in ’17 and $23.4 million in ’18. At his current pace, he would be worth $43.2 million this season, which to this point is the best of his four in Arizona.

The Diamondbacks still might include cash in any Greinke trade, to sweeten the return and make his salary easier to accommodate for the acquiring club. But based upon his performance, his contract should not be as big an obstacle as teams might portray. His 15-team no-trade list, however, presents another potential complication.

Should the Twins have jumped sooner?
The Twins’ recent bullpen struggles are not especially surprising; The Athletic’s Marc Carig, citing a lack of depth in the team’s relief corps, wrote in late May that the Twins should sign free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel.

Kimbrel agreed with the Cubs at three years, $43 million after he no longer was attached to a draft pick. The Twins, according to The Athletic’s Dan Hayes, offered only two years. Maybe their decision will prove wise, but Kimbrel should not have been the Twins’ only option; other relievers presumably were available in trade.

The Giants’ Sam Dyson, Tigers’ Joe Jiménez, Royals’ Jake Diekman and Blue Jays’ Daniel Hudson are among those who hit the market early, according to sources. The Twins tried to pursue certain names, including some of those listed above, but teams were reluctant to engage at a realistic level or even engage at all, sources said.

Perhaps none of the available relievers would have validated the premium the sellers required, but the prices likely will remain steep, particularly for the top names. Meanwhile, the Twins’ 11 1/2-game lead over the Indians on June 3 is down to three games.

Is a tame deadline looming?
One longtime executive predicts a relatively quiet deadline, citing two interesting reasons: The lack of financial pressure on clubs to dump contracts, and the lack of pressure on general managers to save their jobs.

As the exec points out, no current head of baseball operations appears in danger of getting fired. Rather than make trades — and invite scrutiny — some executives prefer to play it safe.

Another exec believes the current postseason format also is a deterrent to deals, saying teams with little chance of winning a division title are disinclined to make a major push for a wild card.

That is not true for every club — teams with long postseason droughts might see greater value in returning to the playoffs. But in the NL, the Phillies and Diamondbacks are among the teams not in love with the idea of going all-in to qualify for a one-game playoff and then, if fortunate enough to advance, a Division Series matchup with the mighty Dodgers.

Baseball loves the drama of one-game knockouts, so it’s doubtful the wild-card setup will change anytime soon. But even if the format is acting as a disincentive for only a few clubs, the sport should at least consider alternatives.

Around the Horn
Information from major-league sources:

• The surging Indians could act as buyers and sellers, or even strictly as buyers. They have been exploring the additions of players under multi-year control at nearly all positions, including relievers.

Orioles right-hander Mychal Givens would fit that description — he has two years of arbitration remaining after this one. The Indians, Braves and Dodgers are among the teams said to be interested in him.

• For the Padres, a team in search of an ace, trading for two additional seasons of Syndergaard would make more sense than acquiring one extra year of Bauer. The Pads currently are tied for last in the NL West, and FanGraphs rates their playoff odds at 4.3 percent.

The team’s fade from contention seemingly makes it less urgent for general manager A.J. Preller to act at all. Syndergaard and Bauer might still be available this offseason, along with the Indians’ Corey Kluber. The free-agent market beyond Gerrit Cole is expected to include Bumgarner, Dallas Keuchel and Zack Wheeler, among others.

The bigger immediate question: Will the Pads trade closer Kirby Yates and outfielder Franmil Reyes, both of whom are generating interest from rival clubs?

• One problem for the Athletics in the trade market is that their farm system is fairly top-heavy, and the market is thin on marquee talent. Thus, the A’s are not about to give up any of their top three youngsters — lefties A.J Puk and Jesus Luzardo and catcher Sean Murphy — for any of the players known to be available.

The team might be willing to part with someone like Double-A right-hander Daulton Jefferies, its No. 14 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, but only in a bigger deal, not for a reliever. Triple-A third baseman Sheldon Neuse, blocked in the majors by Matt Chapman, is another player the A’s would discuss. Neuse came from the Nationals with Luzardo and reliever Blake Treinen in the trade for lefty Sean Doolittle and righty Ryan Madson in July 2017.

(Top photo of Greinke: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

• The surging Indians could act as buyers and sellers, or even strictly as buyers. They have been exploring the additions of players under multi-year control at nearly all positions, including relievers.

Orioles right-hander Mychal Givens would fit that description — he has two years of arbitration remaining after this one. The Indians, Braves and Dodgers are among the teams said to be interested in him.