Star Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper provided a ringing endorsement for embattled skipper Matt Williams, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports. “Truly, I love him as a manager,” said Harper. “Flat out I absolutely do. If I didn’t, everybody would know.” Player sentiment only goes so far, of course, but the comments do seem particularly meaningful with Harper set to finish off a compelling, breakout season as one of the lone bright spots on a disappointing team.
Here’s more from the eastern divisions:
- While there was a report yesterday that the Braves could have interest in Yoenis Cespedes as a free agent, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears (Twitter link) that the team has no such intentions. As I noted at the time, that match seemed curious on paper not because Cespedes wouldn’t be an appealing target for the team — he would — but because his price tag seems likely to move quickly into a range that the Braves would not find palatable.
- Rays closer Brad Boxberger says that his recent struggles may be the result of inconsistent usage earlier in the year, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Another strong campaign from Boxberger, 27, has started to trend downward in recent weeks, and he said that could be due to “all of the early use in non-closing situations.” While Boxberger says he does not want to place blame on the team’s lack of a designated closer role — which he has filled, de facto, for much of the year — he obviously seemed to suggest that as a possibility. Boxberger will still be a season away from reaching arbitration eligibility after this year, though his saves tally this year will set him up for a big payday thereafter — if he can remain healthy and effective.
- Red Sox righty Joe Kelly has flipped the narrative on his season, but as Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reports, he may have thrown his last pitch of 2015. While that decision has yet to be made, the 26-year-old exited his outing last night with shoulder tightness — obviously not an area that the team will want to take any chances at the tail end of a lost season. Kelly’s solid late-year results have surely given nsew president of baseball operations plenty to think about in planning next seasons rotation.
- Another Red Sox right-hander, reliever Junichi Tazawa, has already been declared shut down for the rest of the year, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports. The move is not related to any injury, says interim manager Torey Lovullo. Instead, Boston wants to avoid too much stress on the 29-year-old’s arm after he topped sixty frames in each of the last two years. The steady Tazawa has faded down the stretch this year after a typically strong first half. He’ll enter his final year of arbitration in the offseason.
That people put any stock into comments like Dave O’brien’s re: Cespedes is laughable. If a team was planning on going balls to the wall to recruit a free agent, they wouldn’t come right out and say it, less they end up having to pay even more to get them. John Hart is no stranger to this game, and it would be ridiculous to reveal his true intention to a beat writer to broadcast to the world…
no GM would be dumb enough to say they’re going after ANY soon-to-be FA that isn’t on their roster. It would be considered tampering and would result in big fines.
It’s not like he quotes Hart, who of course wouldn’t comment one way or another on a pending free agent.
I’m not sure why you think it’s any more laughable to put stock in O’Brien’s report than the one that it contested.
Because it’s Dave O’Brien. Anyone from ATL treats him like that crazy uncle from your mom’s side of the family that happens to be a MLB writer. He has as much credibility as Brian Williams from the frontlines.
Well I respectfully disagree with that assessment.
gee Jeff…if you don’t like comments that disagree with your take, then why does this site allow for comments?
I didn’t delete it, I responded. I’m free to offer my opinion, too.
Are you complaining about the fact that the authors here converse with the regular posters, and in a respectable manner to boot? What is the problem here?
Sounds like Mr. Boxberger is making excuses for this years decrease in strikeouts, saves, and increases in hits, bases on balls, earned runs allowed, walks, and overall effectiveness.
This years Rays aren’t as successful as last years which may be a little clue here. His innings pitched seems to be on the same trend as last year and I don’t remember him complaining then.
He should stop crying and pitch. That’s what he gets paid for.
Boxberger has been used to face 25 batters in the 7th and 8th this year, as opposed to 218 in the 9th. So why was he so good last year when he was used sporadically in 4th-12th inning? Did he magically become not worthy of pitching those innings?