Latest news with #Ken Rosenthal
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Is Eugenio Suárez the bat to watch at the trade deadline? Plus: Acuña's incredible throw
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. Does your team need Eugenio Suárez? Is he even available? Plus: The A's might be dealing pitchers, the Reds remind us that learning is supposed to be fun, and holy moly, did you see the throw? I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup! With the All-Star break officially behind us, and the trade deadline just 10 days away (here's our deadline big board for a catch-up), let's look at a player who I think could be the most impactful bat available: Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suárez. First things first: Will the Diamondbacks even sell? At 50-50, they're just 4 1/2 games out of a playoff spot. But as Ken tells us here — with so many Arizona players set to hit free agency this year — their deadline strategy should be about more than just this year. Advertisement If they do intend to sell, Suárez has gotten hot at exactly the right time: Not only does he have a .929 OPS, but he hit two home runs each Saturday and Sunday to bring his NL-leading total to 35. Being a third baseman also adds to the allure — here are four playoff hopefuls whose fWAR contributions from third base rank in the bottom half of the league: Cubs: minus-0.5 (T-27th out of 30 teams) Brewers/Mariners: 0.6 (T-22nd) Mets: 1.0 (19th) Additionally, the Yankees just jettisoned DJ LeMahieu and moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second base. They're definitely in the market. And add in teams who have faced recent injuries — Alec Bohm (ribs) in Philadelphia, Isaac Paredes (hamstring) in Houston and Max Muncy (bone bruise)with the Dodgers. Suárez, 34, isn't a defensive whiz — his DRS of minus-5 ranks 15th out of 17 qualified players. But that sort of offensive production covers up a multitude of defensive sins. This feels like the sort of perfect storm to muster up a bidding war that could help set the Diamondbacks up for years to come. More trade deadline coverage: It's a lot! We have stories on the Mets, Guardians, Blue Jays, Giants, Mets again, Phillies, Twins and Cardinals, and Jed Hoyer praising Craig Breslow's 'conviction.' Miller on the move? A year ago, Athletics closer Mason Miller was untouchable. To this point, the A's messaging this season — we're not talking about him — is pretty much the same. But according to sources briefed on the team's plans, that stance is subject to change. The way the A's see it, only a few teams are bold enough to propose an offer for Miller worthy of consideration. General manager David Forst might engage those teams as the deadline nears. But for now, he appears willing to let them grow more desperate. Advertisement Which teams might tempt the A's? The Philadelphia Phillies, who reached an agreement yesterday with free-agent reliever David Robertson, probably would be No. 1 on the list. The Los Angeles Dodgers, with free agents Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates performing below expectations, almost certainly would be in the mix. So would the New York Yankees, who face the losses of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to free agency. The San Diego Padres just sent three relievers to the All-Star Game, but general manager A.J. Preller can never be ruled out on top talent. Nor, for that matter, can Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. Still, the A's asking price for Miller would figure to be exorbitant. Miller, 26, is earning $765,000 this season, just $5,000 above the league minimum, then is under club control for four additional seasons through salary arbitration. His expected 2.84 ERA is well below his actual 4.04 mark, thanks in part to a 40.1 percent strikeout rate that was in the top 1 percent of the league. Sears, Springs, Severino all in play: At a time when the supply of controllable starting pitching is decidedly scarce, the Athletics are listening not just on right-hander Luis Severino but also lefties JP Sears and Jeffrey Springs. Before the Cleveland Guardians knocked him around Sunday, Springs, 32, had a 2.94 ERA since June 1 and 3.93 mark overall. He is earning $10.5 million this season and guaranteed another $10.5 million next season. His deal also includes a $15 million club option for 2027. Sears, 29, might not crack a contender's playoff rotation, but some teams might consider him a viable back-end starter for the rest of the regular season. His 84 starts since 2023 are tied for fifth in the majors. And his ERA at Sutter Health Park this season (5.61) is nearly a run higher than it is on the road (4.78). Advertisement For the A's, the idea of trading Sears would be to turn back the service clock by acquiring pitchers whose timelines lined up better with their young position players. Sears is under control through arbitration for three more seasons and eligible for free agency after 2028. Then there is Severino, 31, the most vocal objector to Sutter Health Park. His underlying metrics will scare off some clubs, as will his $25 million salary in 2026 and $22 million player option for '27. If a team acquires him, it surely will point to his 3.10 road ERA, compared to his 6.68 home ERA, as justification for the move. More notes here. When I was a kid, my dad used to play a game with us. In retrospect, it was definitely a baseball drill, but he game-ified it. If his mitt was directly in front of his face when he caught a throw: two points. If it was in front of any other part of his torso: one point. Anywhere else: no points. My brothers and I played this for hours, and wouldn't you know it — our accuracy improved. Baseball teams do these types of drills a lot in spring training, but you don't hear about it that much in the regular season. But Rosecrans has a fun story about the Reds doing just that … and how it immediately paid off. First off, the team showed up a day early in New York to start the second half, allowing it to get a workout day in (this is newsworthy on its own, I think). On that workout day (Thursday), the Reds played a game, similar to a home run derby, but the points were assigned for hitting the ball to the opposite field. Two points for a single, three for a double and five for a home run. Not only did Austin Hays win the competition, but the next night, he hit two opposite-field home runs in a win over the Mets. Cincinnati took two of three over the weekend and is 2 1/2 out of the last NL wild-card spot. More Reds: Could Noelvi Marte's most helpful role be as an outfielder? We're going to find out … It has been quite some time since I've seen a throw that immediately felt like an all-timer. But watch this one from Ronald Acuña Jr. to end the third inning of Friday night's game against the Yankees. UNBELIEVABLE 🤯 RONALD ACUÑA JR. WITH THE CANNON 💪 — MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2025 From another angle… David O'Brien has more here, with quotes from Acuña, along with Braves manager Brian Snitker and pitcher Spencer Strider, who was on the mound when it happened. Because the throw got to third base in the air, it got me wondering: What's the longest recorded throw in the Statcast area? That was an easy answer: It was Ramón Laureáno's 321-foot throw in 2019 to double off Eric Young Jr. (This one was probably longer, but didn't get counted because it was thrown too far). Advertisement But the search also led me to a name I didn't recognize, and I can't rob you of this arcane bit of information: The world record for longest baseball throw apparently belongs to a man named Glen Gorbous, who played just 117 big-league games for the Reds and Phillies in the 1950s. Gorbous' throw didn't happen in a game — it was an exhibition at a minor-league game — but 445 feet, 10 inches is pretty remarkable. More on baseball rabbit holes: This is also a good place to tell you that today is the 20th anniversary of the Baseball-Reference Bullpen, which is a treasure trove for rabbit-trail chasers like myself. David O'Brien has more here, with quotes from Acuña, along with Braves manager Brian Snitker and pitcher Spencer Strider, who was on the mound when it happened. Because the throw got to third base in the air, it got me wondering: What's the longest recorded throw in the Statcast area? That was an easy answer: It was Ramón Laureáno's 321-foot throw in 2019 to double off Eric Young Jr. (This one was probably longer, but didn't get counted because it was thrown too far). But the search also led me to a name I didn't recognize, and I can't rob you of this arcane bit of information: The world record for longest baseball throw apparently belongs to a man named Glen Gorbous, who played just 117 big-league games for the Reds and Phillies in the 1950s. Gorbous' throw didn't happen in a game — it was an exhibition at a minor-league game — but 445 feet, 10 inches is pretty remarkable. More on baseball rabbit holes: This is also a good place to tell you that today is the 20th anniversary of the Baseball-Reference Bullpen, which is a treasure trove for rabbit-trail chasers like myself.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal offers honest take on Padres' trade deadline plans
The San Diego Padres are 4.5 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West, and with the MLB trade deadline approaching, they have an opportunity to shore up any weaknesses and push for the division title. Last year, the Padres had the Dodgers on the brink of elimination in the Division Series, having a 2-1 series lead at one point. Los Angeles was able to overcome the deficit and eliminate San Diego. Ahead of the deadline, the question the Padres front office needs to tell themselves is how in they want to go this season. San Diego are rebuilding their farm system, so their trade chips are probably limited. Still, despite not having the trade capital, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal has no pulse on what the Padres plan to do, but he expects San Diego to do something leading up to the deadline. "The other team that we have to watch, because A.J. Preller is so creative and aggressive always, is San Diego," Rosenthal said Friday on "Foul Territory." "And I don't know that they're going to go crazy, and their system is not what it once was, and we don't know how much payroll flexibility they have, but they have a clear need in left field. "They could certainly use another reliever because, as good as their bullpen is with three All-Stars — and [Jeremiah] Estrada could have been an All-Star — those guys are all up near the lead in appearances. "And then a starting pitcher, as well, would be something that would behoove them — a controllable starter, ideally, with [Dylan] Cease and [Michael] King both eligible for free agency. I can't predict and will not predict what A.J. Preller might do, but do I expect him to be busy? Oh, yeah. Oh. That's what he does." If San Diego are within striking distance of the Dodgers, it will be interesting to see what the Padres are willing to give up in a trade or have they set a limit to ensure that they don't hurt their farm system. More Padres News: Padres-White Sox trade proposal plugs two holes on roster in one deal Former Padres All-Star pitcher officially announces retirement after 13 seasons
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
A 594-foot homer in Japan? Not so fast. Plus: Baseball Card of the Week returns
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. Fact-checking is important, no matter how fun the lie would be. Plus: Notes from Ken on the Dodgers and Luis Robert, we spotlight a couple stories on lesser-known subjects, and it's the grand return of the Baseball Card of the Week! I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup! I am sorry to do this, but I'm about to wreck your fun. With no MLB games happening over the last few days, I think we collectively got a little antsy. So when the posts began circulating Wednesday night claiming that former Rockies corner infielder Elehuris Montero had hit a 594-foot home run off Trevor Bauer in Japan, it really took off. The claim and video were reposted and shared widely across social media. Take a look. 【6回裏】＼＼＼欲しかった一発／／／#モンテロ がレフトへ特大ホームラン💥久々の打線爆発で気持ちいい✨ #carp #カープ –✅7/17(木) 『カープ県LIVE』開催！–#緒方孝市 元監督とカープファン限定スペースで生中継観戦🎏詳しくは — 【公式】カープ県@7/28(月)21時〜生配信 (@sptvcarp) July 16, 2025 And hey, I get it: I think we're all a little on edge these days, wondering when karma is going to catch up. It really increases the temptation to believe things that feed our sense of schadenfreude — and nobody invites schadenfreude quite like a former big-leaguer with Bauer's history telling the world that there are only 'like 20 hitters on the planet that are true competition' for him — then being sent to the minor leagues in Japan while he goes 4-7 with a 4.06 ERA. Advertisement But … come on. 594 feet?! Surely not, right? That would be — and some of the posts explicitly made this claim — the longest recorded home run in history, edging out a 582-foot blast hit by Joey Meyer as a minor leaguer in 1987. That record-holder happened in the altitude of Denver, Colo. (Side note: Denver is also where Montero hit the longest home run of his big-league career — it went 449 feet.) This stadium in Hiroshima is basically at sea level. This story was quickly falling apart. One problem: There's no publicly listed home run distance tracker for NPB games. So I did the next-best thing: I e-mailed Montero's team, the Hiroshima Carp! Here's their response: 'As far as we have checked the local news paper company's information, recent Montero's homer again(st) Bauer says 120 meters (that is about 393 feet). We believe the information you found on online posts are wrong.' People were mad at me for posting this (I think they were joking. Probably.) So if — as one reply suggested — 'it still went 594 feet in our hearts,' you're certainly free to feel however you like. But in Hiroshima, it only went about 393 feet. From my latest notes column: Dodgers seeking pitching: So much for the Los Angeles Dodgers building enough depth to make their team deadline-proof. After investing a combined $107 million in free-agent relievers Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates, the Dodgers are expected to pursue bullpen help, according to sources briefed on the team's plans. Part of the Dodgers' motivation stems from Scott's struggles — he has allowed eight homers with a 4.09 ERA, compared to three homers with a 1.75 ERA last season for Miami and San Diego. Part of it also stems from injuries. While some of the Dodgers' injured relievers are projected to return, the production they will provide is not certain. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman hates overpaying at the deadline, and constructed his 2025 roster with the express purpose of avoiding such a fate. Looks like he'll be shopping again, anyway. What will be with the LVP: In his recent midseason awards column, The Athletic's Jayson Stark named Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert his Least Valuable Player. Advertisement 'He has one job — to get himself traded,' Stark quoted a friend as saying. 'And he's failing!' The problem for the White Sox is they might face little choice but to move Robert anyway. There seems virtually no chance of the team exercising Robert's $20 million option for 2026. A trade would be the only way for the team to get something back, however meager. Robert's .190 batting average is the second lowest among qualifiers after Michael Conforto's .184. He has struck out nearly twice as many times (93) as he has hits (51). His offense is so bad, his bWAR is at replacement level and his fWAR is just slightly above, even though he has stolen 22 bases in 28 attempts and rates above-average in center. Perhaps a team such as the San Diego Padres would take Robert if the White Sox included a portion of his remaining salary, something the team has indicated a willingness to do. But even then, the White Sox could not count on getting much of a return. Robert's value keeps sinking, and time is running out. Some of my favorite sports stories are ones that go extremely in-depth on a subject I don't know much about. We have two of them for you today: In his last full MLB season — 2016, with the Brewers, Carter led the NL in home runs, with 41. That offseason, he was non-tendered. Blum spoke to Carter about that, and much more, as the real-life 'Crash Davis' passed the milestone. Both stories are worth your time even if — no, particularly if — you're unfamiliar with Carter or Kemp. Can I admit something? I meant to start doing this every Friday when the regular season began, and I just … forgot. Didn't even think about it. But one of our editors dropped me a message this week and said people miss it. Oh, right! I was going to do that. So we're bringing it back for the second half. This week's card features a callback to our first story today: Before this week's viral moment, Elehuris Montero's biggest claim to fame was probably being part of the trade from the Cardinals to the Rockies for this guy. So why this card, instead of any of my other Arenado cards? Eh, I just think it's cool he's blowing a bubble in the middle of a play. It has been a while since I put my hand over my mouth while reading a story. Today's from Larry Holder — about an FBI bust of a memorabilia counterfeiter, and how Fanatics aided the investigation — did the job. It feels fated at this point, but Richard Deitsch asks the question: How much longer until the World Series is exclusively broadcast via streaming? Advertisement Dan Brown got the backstory on the viral photo of Henry Aaron's widow watching the All-Star Game tribute to the home run king. Here's a wild question: How much longer does Aaron Judge need to stay healthy and productive to become the greatest Yankee of all time? What a year of ups and downs for Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte. The latest: His home was burglarized while he was playing in the All-Star Game. Dr. David Altchek, Mets medical director and one of the game's pre-eminent elbow surgeons, died yesterday at 68 years old. Jim Bowden suggests the trade deadline should be moved back to Aug. 15. I gotta admit: He makes some compelling points. Our bold predictions for the second half include two different teams reuniting with Eugenio Suárez. Meanwhile, we have an All-30 with one defining stat for each team. Keith Law's division-by-division draft class review wraps today with the AL Central and AL East. On the pods: On 'Rates & Barrels,' Stephen Nesbitt joined DVR to preview second-half bounce-back candidates and the highs and lows of the All-Star break. Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Nesbitt's story that asked if MLB should expand the All-Star Game swing-off to the regular season. 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters. (Photo of Bauer in 2019: Kareem Elgazzar / The Enquirer / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
