Latest news with #NLChampionshipSeries
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Mets Reportedly Have These Two Outfielders On Trade Radar
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The New York Mets have been among the more aggressive teams in recent years, and as the trade deadline approaches, New York sounds like it's in on just about everything in an attempt to take the next step. The Mets entered the day in a dead heat with the Philadelphia Phillies atop the National League East. One year removed from going to the NL Championship Series, the Mets are trying to add again, even after owner Steve Cohen splashed the pot in the offeason by signing Juan Soto. And even with Soto patrolling the Citi Field outfield, it sounds like New York is working to add another impact player to the outfield before Thursday's deadline. ESPN's Jesse Rogers believes the Mets are keeping close tabs of two outfielders currently on bad teams. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 24: Luis Robert Jr. #88 of the Chicago White Sox swings the bat in the fifth inning during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Rate Field on June 24, 2025... CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 24: Luis Robert Jr. #88 of the Chicago White Sox swings the bat in the fifth inning during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Rate Field on June 24, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by) More The Mets are "keeping an eye on" both Baltimore's Cedric Mullins and White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr., Rogers wrote for trade tracker. Reading between the lines, it sounds like Robert might be the priority, but a recent groin injury has complicated the situation some. "Before getting hurt, he was easily having the best month of any over the past two seasons, hitting .351 with a .442 OBP in July," Rogers wrote. "The White Sox have been waiting for an increase in prospect capital to move forward on a deal. It's possible they finally get it this week, but they could always pick up the option in his contract this offseason and do this all over again next year. Robert's production this month has teams intrigued." Landing Robert might cost the Mets third baseman Mark Vientos, according to one report. At this point, New York might jump at that given Vientos' struggles, and it might become even more likely if they could also swing a Eugenio Suarez trade. There's nothing specific about Mullins in the capsule, but the Orioles outfielder is a decent Plan B. He's a left-handed batter (Robert hits from the right) who's having a down year. He's a former top prospect who does have a Silver Slugger to his name after a career season in 2021 when he had 175 hits -- 30 of them home runs -- and was a six-win player for the Orioles. He's been a pretty reliable player for most of his career, but like a lot of O's, he's having a bad season this season. Maybe a change of scenery would get Mullins back on chance. More MLB: Red Sox Make Jarren Duran Trade Decision Ahead of Deadline: Report
Chicago Tribune
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Chicago Cubs offense has been a machine so far — but it still could use a little help
With the Chicago Cubs on pace to finish with their best run-producing season since 1930, manager Craig Counsell was asked over the weekend if he ever was associated with such a high-efficiency offense as a player or manager. The Cubs entered the final road trip of the first half Tuesday in Minnesota with 492 runs in 90 games, second in the majors to the Los Angeles Dodgers' 501 runs. Counsell paused for a second and said he wasn't sure. 'I don't think so. Nothing really comes to mind,' he said. 'But as a player I don't know if I was ever really aware of that necessarily. I mean, I thought I was a great offensive player when I was a player. I look back and I wasn't that great.' True, though Counsell did compile a 5.5 WAR with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005, eighth among National League position players. He was a so-called grinder who lasted 16 years and played on two championship teams — the 1997 Florida Marlins and 2001 Diamondbacks — that mostly relied on great starting pitching. The '97 Marlins ranked 20th among 28 major-league teams with 740 runs, while the '01 Diamondbacks ranked eighth among 30 teams with 818 runs. The 2025 Cubs entered Tuesday on pace to score 885 runs, which would be their highest total since the 1930 team finished with 998. That was the season Cubs outfielder Hack Wilson set a longtime NL record with 56 home runs and drove in 191 runs, which remains the major-league mark. It was a much different era, of course, but the same home ballpark, Wrigley Field, and the same general wind patterns by the lake: blowing in early and late in the season and blowing out during much of the summer. In the current century, the closest offensive equivalent would be Lou Piniella's 2008 team that won 97 games and then got swept by the Dodgers 3-0 in the NL Division Series. If the Cubs hope to get to the World Series, the Dodgers once again appear to be in their way. The key would be to finish with one of the top two NL records and avoid the wild-card round, then win a division series. Facing the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series would be a tall task but doesn't seem quite as imposing as it did in March, when the two met in the season-opening series in Tokyo with the Dodgers winning both games. Like the Cubs, injuries have affected the Dodgers' starting pitching, though they have Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow on the mend and remain the best team in baseball even without the two bona fide aces. Meanwhile, several Cubs hitters have outperformed expectations — notably Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch — to make the offense a first-half juggernaut. No one would've predicted that a year ago. Outside of right fielder Kyle Tucker, catcher Carson Kelly and rookie third baseman Matt Shaw, it's mostly the same group of hitters that stumbled for two months in the first half of last season, giving the Cubs a 6.1% chance of making the postseason on July 6, 2024. On Tuesday gave the Cubs a 95% chance of making it and a 41.3% chance of clinching a bye. Starting pitching will be the focus at the trade deadline, but another bat also would be preferable, especially if Shaw doesn't start to come around. He was 1-for-18 in July entering Tuesday and was hitting .165 with a .480 OPS since May 31. Shaw hasn't even hit lefties (a .196 average), but he has remained the starter thanks to his stellar defense and a lack of better bench options. Cubs third basemen overall are last in the majors in hitting (.199) and slugging (.261). That means any deadline deal by Cubs President Jed Hoyer likely would be made with an eye on the postseason, when opponents are likely to throw left-handers against a team that has been vulnerable to lefty starters. 'You need right-handers (at the plate),' Counsell said. 'That's kind of the name of the game.' Switch hitter Ian Happ is hitting .225 against left-handers, while left-handed hitters Crow-Armstrong (.187) and Busch (.191) also have struggled in that category. Busch has only 47 at-bats against lefties because Counsell usually platoons him with Justin Turner, a plan he might reconsider after Busch's monster week and Turner's subpar season. 'I've always felt pretty comfortable against lefties,' Busch said. 'I just think we have a group that, no matter who is pitching, no matter who is in the lineup, whoever is in there, just try to do your best.' Counsell has navigated his way through the obstacle course so far, and the Cubs' 54-36 record speaks for itself. He's the likely NL Manager of the Year front-runner with a team that was favored to win the division but not be a serious World Series threat, and he could join former Cubs managers Jim Frey (1984), Don Zimmer (1989), Piniella (2008) and Joe Maddon (2015) in winning an award based on regular season only. With a team on pace to win 97 games, Counsell's decision-making will be scrutinized by fans more than ever. He's fine with that, pointing out he's in a job 'where a lot of people place their opinions on (his performance). I've done that job for a long time, so it's pretty normal.' A reporter told Counsell on Saturday that 'now everybody thinks you're the greatest manager ever' after the same people criticized him last year. Not everyone thinks that, of course, and not everyone blamed Counsell for the 2024 offense that careened into a ditch in late April and didn't recover for two months. He's the same guy with many of the same hitters. But it's a better offensive team and Counsell has seen much better results. Is it the manager? The Tucker effect? The rise of PCA? Counsell tiptoed around the topic instead of outright rejecting the 'greatest manager ever' narrative, saying his role is simply to help players win games and provide entertainment value for fans. 'I've always thought you wake up and try to make good decisions from that lens every single day,' he said. 'It gets you where it gets you. Some years you're going to be disappointed where it gets you. That's the nature of competitive sports. … I go to sleep every night fine.' Sounds like a mattress commercial might be in Counsell's future.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Manaea's return to injury-depleted Mets rotation delayed by elbow issue
FILE - New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) NEW YORK (AP) — Mets pitcher Sean Manaea complained of elbow discomfort following his most recent minor league rehab outing, and his return to New York's injury-depleted rotation will be delayed. Manaea had an MRI on Monday that showed loose bodies in his left elbow. He received a cortisone shot and was shut down from throwing for two to three days. Advertisement 'They're telling me that he should be fine for the rest of the year. But again, we'll see what happens there,' manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday. New York's top starter last season, Manaea has been sidelined since spring training by a right oblique strain. After a gradual progression, the left-hander pitched well for 5 1/3 innings last Friday at Triple-A Syracuse and was expected to come off the 60-day injured list in early July after making one more rehab start this week. Instead, he was returned from his rehab assignment Tuesday and won't pitch in the minors again until at least next week. 'After what just developed here after the last outing, we've got to take it one outing at a time,' Mendoza said. Advertisement The skidding Mets had been counting on Manaea's impending return to help replenish a rotation minus ace Kodai Senga (right hamstring strain) and fellow right-hander Tylor Megill (elbow sprain). They are among nine Mets pitchers on the injured list. The team did get a starter back Tuesday, when veteran right-hander Frankie Montas was reinstated from the 60-day IL to start against Atlanta in his Mets debut. Right-handed reliever Chris Devenski was optioned to Triple-A following Monday night's loss to the Braves, and designated hitter Jesse Winker (right oblique strain) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. The goal is for Winker to begin a minor league rehab assignment by the end of this weekend, Mendoza said. He's been out since getting hurt on May 4. Advertisement The 32-year-old Montas, sidelined all season by a right lat strain, signed a $34 million, two-year contract as a free agent in December. He was roughed up consistently in six minor league rehab appearances, compiling a 12.05 ERA. New York had lost nine of 10 heading into Tuesday night, dropping the Mets 1 1/2 games behind first-place Philadelphia in the NL East. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Montas and Manaea to make rehab starts this weekend as they near return to Mets
FILE - New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) FILE - Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Frankie Montas throws during the first inning of Game 2 of a National League wild card baseball game against the New York Mets, Oct. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, file) FILE - Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Frankie Montas throws during the first inning of Game 2 of a National League wild card baseball game against the New York Mets, Oct. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, file) FILE - New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 6 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Oct. 20, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) FILE - Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Frankie Montas throws during the first inning of Game 2 of a National League wild card baseball game against the New York Mets, Oct. 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, file) NEW YORK (AP) — Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea will make minor league rehab appearances this weekend and both could join the New York Mets' rotation in the coming weeks. Montas will make a fifth rehab start Friday and Manaea will take the mound two days later for his third, manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday. Advertisement Mendoza said he isn't worried about how to sort out seven pitchers for five rotation slots when Montas and Manaea both get back. 'Usually it plays itself out,' Mendoza said. 'We still are at least two weeks away from making those decisions and I'm hoping that by the time we get there it is going to be a difficult decision. That means everyone's healthy. That means everybody continues to throw the ball well and we have some good problems.' Montas strained a lat muscle early in spring training and made his first minor league appearance on May 24. The 32-year-old right-hander has a 9.00 ERA in two games each for Class-A Brooklyn and Triple-A Syracuse, striking out nine and walking eight in 12 innings. After his next outing for Syracuse, he could make his Mets debut. 'Let's get through this one on Friday and then we'll see where we're at,' Mendoza said. 'This is kind of like spring training for him and hitters now are like midseason form. And it's hard to put too much into it where, you're not game-planning, you're just going out there, which I think we've got to do a better job of that, in preparing him and giving him a little bit of an idea.' Advertisement Manaea arrived at spring training with a strained right oblique and the 33-year-old left-hander made his first rehab appearance on June 6. He has a 6.23 ERA in two outings and 4 1/3 innings with Brooklyn, and Mendoza didn't specify where Manaea will make his next appearance. New York entered Wednesday with the best record in the National League at 43-24, leading the NL East by 4 1/2 games. Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning have combined to make 63 of 67 starts for a rotation that began the day with a big league-best 2.91 ERA. ___ AP MLB:
San Francisco Chronicle
08-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Padres believe all their close wins have helped prepare them for 1st matchups with Dodgers this year
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The San Diego Padres are about to face the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time since their memorable NL Division Series matchup. They believe all the close games they've played lately prepared them for this test. San Diego's last seven games have been decided by a total of eight runs, a stretch that continued Sunday when Manny Machado's seventh-inning homer gave the Padres a 1-0 win and series victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. 'We know who we're going to run up against, and we definitely got ready for it this week,' Machado said. This run of close games actually started earlier than that. Thirteen of San Diego's last 14 games featured a margin of no more than two runs, and the Padres have gone 9-5 during that stretch. 'These are kind of the games we've been playing the last 2½ weeks here now,' infielder Jake Cronenworth said. 'They're just kind of become the norm for us. I think (if) you can win these one-run games and win them late – good pitching, good defense and timely hitting – that's kind of the recipe for success.' Now they finally get to measure themselves against the Dodgers in seven of their next 10 games. The Padres and Dodgers begin a three-game series Monday at San Diego before meeting again in Los Angeles for a four-game set starting June 16. The Padres are a game behind the Dodgers in the NL West standings after both teams won Sunday. 'It's crazy that we haven't faced them,' reliever Jason Adam said.. 'I'm excited for the series. I'd take this team over any team in baseball, top to bottom. I'd go to battle with them against anybody, so I'm excited for the series. Yeah, that's our focus. We took care of business here. Now, fly home and take care of business there.' How unusual is it for these NL West foes to wait this long before facing off? Aside from the pandemic-delayed season of 2020, the last time the Dodgers and Padres didn't meet until this late in a season was 2000. 'I used to think about the schedule and look at it and then think, 'Wow, that's odd,' ' manager Mike Shildt said. 'And then I started taking a holistic picture of the schedule. The schedule's got to be a nightmare to put together. There's just going to be quirks in it.' This has become one of baseball's top rivalries, thanks in part to their recent postseason showdowns. San Diego defeated the top-seeded Dodgers 3-1 in the 2022 NL Division Series before losing 4-1 to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Championship Series. Last year, the Padres had the Dodgers on the brink of elimination before falling 3-2 in the NL Division Series. The Padres led that series 2-1 and had a chance to close it out at home, but they fell 8-0 as eight Dodgers pitchers combined on a shutout. The Dodgers then returned home to win 2-0 in Game 5 as Yoshinobu Yamamoto outdueled Yu Darvish. Darvish hasn't pitched for San Diego yet this season as the 38-year-old right-hander recovers from inflammation in his throwing elbow, but the Padres still have an outstanding pitching staff. San Diego has allowed a total of 15 runs over its last seven games and has three shutouts in that span. Sunday marked the Padres' MLB-leading 12th shutout of the season. The Padres have needed that stellar pitching because their lineup has struggled at times. Machado has gone 12 of 31 this month and has three homers in his last four games, but two-time All-Star Fernando Tatis Jr. is hitting .185 since the start of May. That combination of impressive pitching and inconsistent hitting is producing plenty of close games, and the Padres are winning most of them. They're hoping that provides a long-term payoff. 'I think it's not only a help for (preparing for) the Dodgers,' Adam said. 'It's a help for all the future. It's a help for the playoffs. Very rarely are you blowing out a team in the playoffs. Of course, we love blowouts when they happen, and we love winning by 20, but the reality is there's a lot of important games played that are really close. A team that can battle together and win those games is special. That's what we have here.'
