The Mets have placed righty Jacob deGrom on the MLB bereavement/family medical emergency list due to “complications” with his son Jaxon, according to various reporters, including the New York Daily News’ Kristie Ackert. Jaxon was born Monday. Mets manager Terry Collins did not offer specifics on deGrom’s son, but described the matter as a “real-life situation.” We at MLBTR wish deGrom and family the best. We’ll provide updates as the story develops.
Here’s more from the East divisions.
- The Red Sox optioned young backstop Blake Swihart to Triple-A in favor of the just-promoted Christian Vazquez. As Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald tweets, Swihart will continue to work as a catcher but will also see time in left field. Mastrodonato explained on this week’s MLBTR podcast that the Sox have always seen Swihart as having potential in other areas even as they’ve maintained hope that he can elevate his game behind the dish. There are implications here for his long-term outlook, as well as his possible usage at the big-league level later in the season.
- It’s been a rough season so far for the Braves, who only won their first game yesterday. But GM John Coppolella isn’t making excuses for his team’s poor start in an interview with MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. Coppolella points out that many teams that have enjoyed recent success went through tough times before emerging as winning teams. “I’m sure the fans of the Royals, Pirates, Cubs, Astros and Mets were frustrated a few years ago,” says Coppolella. “It took Kansas City nine years to reach the playoffs, and the Royals started out 3-14 in 2012, but they stayed patient and were ultimately rewarded.”
Swihart as trade bait > Swihart as LF/1B, If it comes to that.
I agree I think his days as a catcher are over
If he can’t catch then his value is greatly diminished. He could hit for a good average with light power but not likely to be a plus defender or baserunner.
As a catcher his value is greatly diminished and wont change no matter how well he hits. Its kind of a catch-22 with him and I doubt anyone in the Sox org. expects much in return for him in trade.
What? If he learns to better play the position (which he started playing in his final year of high school so it’s not unreasonable to think he could improve) then his bat will play very well at catcher and his value will be maximized. That same bat won’t play as well at another position, which is why it would be beneficial to trade him as a catcher rather than convert him to another position. He easily has enough trade value to garner a #2 starter from a rebuilding team.
Haha. He’s not getting a #2 as a main piece at his current value. He’s no Swanson, Blair or Inciarte. What did the Sox get for Cecchini from the brew crew?
if he could get them a #2, he’d have been shipped out already.
Exactly
So Betts or Bogaerts couldn’t net a number two starter because they haven’t been traded either. Swihart’s isn’t on the table. That’s why he hasn’t been traded.
Yes. And every good player in baseball who isn’t traded can’t land a #2 either. I think it’s pretty obvious that there is a large value difference between Betts…Bogaerts…………………………..Swihart. Boston’s rotation is absolute garbage. If they could get a #2 for Swihart they would, I know red sox fans love to over rate their prospects, but swihart really isn’t that good, or valuable
Great post though…
Playing a position in ‘high school’ is the professional equivalent of saying he played shortstop in little league ..
No chance of a #2… Actually no chance of anything (at this point) of a mid level prospect at best.
Part of the problem is how much Boston over ‘hyped’ him, now his lack of immediate success = failure … (Sounds like a pattern … You now have the same problem with Castillo)
They need to develop him in order to re establish any kind of value… Or cut their losses and package him off.. I suspect dombrowski (who has never cared much for ‘prospects’ anyway) will ship off a bunch of your farm system before 7/31 …
Agreed. All of the posts last year about Swihart being a stud perrenial all star when he was first called up got old fast. I like much they love prospects but to assume someone like Swihart or JBJ is worth a #2 starter is ridiculous. Now we are hearing the same thing about Devers and Benentindi. Great prospects but until they prove themselves with advanced pitching their value isn’t nearly as high as Sox fans truly believe. Look at how many had to be traded for Kimbrel. Chances are likely only one of those prospects becomes an everyday player.
I’m not entirely sure if his value has gone down across the league, it may have. It’s just that a #2 starting pitcher is a really expensive commodity to acquire.
Shelby Miller is likely a #3 more than a #2 and despite the fact that trade was a pretty clear over pay/terrible trade for the dbacks, it still shows some idea of what a legitimate #2 type pitcher may cost.
It’s going to be more than 1 Blake Swihart.
That’s why the Phillies wanted him as the centerpiece of a Hamels deal. Because there was no way any team would trade a number two starter for Swihart. I know other fans like to downplay the value of Red Sox prospects. And I also know swihart’s value is easily dinged by his demotion. But before the season started, he could have easily been the centerpiece for a deal for a good starter. Last year he was one of the top catching prospects in baseball AND he played fairly well at the ML level even after an early promotion. I’ve never liked him as much as Vazquez. I prefer the defensive to the offensive skill set in a catcher, but swihart was a top twenty prospect in baseball as a catcher. That’s not Red Sox fans overvaluing their prospects. That’s the facts. That’s a prospect that has value.
I wouldn’t propose a straight up deal because that would be foolish. But it’s well known that Swihart wasn’t on the table. That’s why he wasn’t traded.
Thoughts and prayers to DeGrom and his family.
Absolutely… From us cubs fans as well.
Prayers to the DeGrom family from middle of Cub/Card country.
For the past year here I’ve been reading how Blake Swihart is such a sensational prospect, and is going to be the next great catcher. Now I read “that the Sox have always seen Swihart as having potential in other areas even as they’ve maintained hope that he can elevate his game behind the dish.”
Why does he have to “elevate his game behind the dish”? And he can’t hit much either?
This is the problem I have reading about the Red Sox prospects over the years. All their guys are publicized as being superior to almost all teams prospects, but only a handful seem to have solid careers. Their roster is turned over more then 50% almost each year as they are constantly bringing in established players in trade and free agency – usually by spending a lot of money. Recently I read here that they have so much OF depth they can’t play all their young guys. Yet today they’re moving the next great catcher to……..the OF…….where I read the other day that people don’t think he can hit enough to play a corner OF or 1B. OK.
I like Bogaerts a lot. Always liked the way Vazquez called a game, handled a staff, and played defense – thought he could become another Varitek. But he was moved aside for Swihart. Betts looks like he might become very good. Shaw and Holt look ordinary at best. Bradley Jr. looks like he would be effective if he played his home games in a large park where he could cover a lot of CF space – i.e. KC, San Diego, Detroit, etc. – but he doesn’t hit enough to justify playing 81 games a year in Fenway. Marrero, Castillo and others don’t even look MLB ordinary. And the pitching – where are the young guys? They’ll be needed because the ML roster has a #1 starter and a closer, 2 so-so starters, and maybe 2 so-so set-up guys……and how bad must the ALE be to have people picking that team as the division winner?
Dombrowski has a lot of work to do. It appears as if he’s on the case.
When was Vazquez “moved aside” for Swihart? Do you mean when he blew out his arm and needed Tommy John surgery?
So that’s why Swihart was the starting catcher at the beginning of the year, but 2 weeks later Vazquez arm suddenly healed?
Uh, yeah? He was just re-activated. Do you do any sort of fact finding before posting ridiculous rants?
Vazquez wasn’t moved aside, he had tjs.
Is that not all propects?
I read alot about Vazquez being hyped with his defense but never read anything other than mediocre ratings for Swihart if anything at all. You sure your not confusing the two of them?
Swihart was ranked 17th in the Top 100 prospects prior to the 2015 season. He wasn’t rated mediocre.
Swihart was thrust into a situation last year because of injury, and not because they were ready to play him.
Shaw, and holt average at best? I’d really disagree with you on there. Both seem to be big time team players who’ve managed to come through for us many games.
What a long, rambling and altogether uniformed post.
Although I do agree, especially with the beat writers, that Red Sox prospects are very often overhyped. To be fair, they have developed some great players in the last several years. Not many pitchers have been THAT strongly overhyped.
Really?
Hey, I thought your post was uninformed and short.
Esxcuse me, but I’ve spent 2 years here reading comments from Red Sox fans about how great Swihart was going to be, and how great the Red Sox farm system was. And I read all about the can’t miss prospects – including a lot of pitchers that suddenly I don’t read anything about.
Samuel,
Get prepared buddy because I’m sure we’re going to hear the same things we heard about Swihart with Vasquez from those objective Sox fans.
The next Johnny Bench has played and started a total of 50 games at catcher and carries a .240 stick so far in his short ML career.
Probably why all we hear about is how great his catching skills are….there are lots of defensive catchers in the majors that can do the same thing but of course they aren’t Red Sox players so they are inferior for sure.
Holt is ordinary at best? Lol, please.
That kid has the talent to be a great everyday player. He’s not a power hitter so he’s not as glamorous, but he gets on base, has good speed, and can gun you down from the warning track. Thats far beyond ordinary as far as I’m concerned. Holt’s going to be a great player. I was glad as could be when I got promoted to more of an everyday outfielder instead of just relegated to being a utility guy. He deserves it.
B-Strong
Try and be a bit objective here as its obvious who you root for.
Holt’s stats aren’t that impressive and are pumped up playing in Fenway.
He may be a nice utility piece on a team which seems to be highly valued these days and that’s about all he’s going to be.
Gets on base, good speed, and an arm…..doesn’t that sound like the requirements for our average major league ballplayer? This isn’t a one tool guy, and you make him sound like a 5 tool guy.
You guys really need a reality check about your players.
(Sorry, I read your post after my comments above).. You are absolutely right and did a much better job of providing the details than my ‘comments’..
Samuel
One of the best posts I’ve read to date. You hit this one out of the park.
That’s a really long way of saying “as far as Red Sox prospects go: there’s a Lars Anderson AND a Ryan Lavarnway for Anthony Rizzo.” We know and it’s that way with every team, The Boston media just gets more attention because frankly a higher percentage of its market are sports fans than most.
They tell us the braves will be competitive in 17, I see the worst team in mlb. I see no pitching, no hittin, no defense. We traded the best shortstop in the game for a washed up player and if Newcomb doesn’t make at least a no 2, will go down as one of the worst trades ever. Simmons alone was worth the price of admission
Simmons is not the best ss in the game. Might not even be top 5
I think he meant to say best defensive short stop
While I personally was a fan of watching Simmons play he definitely wasn’t the best shortstop in the league. He only would be if shortstops were prevented from ever batting.
And even if the Braves get nothing out of the Simmons trade it still wouldn’t even crack a top 100 worst deals ever list. You’re acting like he was a perennial MVP candidate. Doubt many Braves fans will even care about this trade for very long if/when Albies and Swanson are in the majors…which isn’t that far away.
Agreed, Newcomb is top 10 in all of baseball for left handed prospects. Trust me I loved watching Simmons defense, but what did Simmons, Gattis, Heyward, and Justin do for the team? Haven’t won a playoff series with any of them.
Rebuild was the best idea, Wren screwed us royally. Hart and Coppy have it going the right direction. Although should have sent Julio going at deadline last year, if not offseason.
This recent and current Braves team is the team of the 80s.
Don’t trade Teahran. It is time to add a couple veterans thru next years free agency. I would focus on 3 in particular Matt Wieters, Jake Peavy & Mike Dunn. And then possibly maybe trade for a 1 year stop gap type 3B depending on how Garcia develops this year. Ruiz is lighting it up in Gwinnet so I think he can be there long term.
Wait, Swihart’s not the second coming of Johnny Bench? I can’t believe the guys who make up the prospects lists would overrate Red Sox prospects!
I kept reading comparisons to Carlton Fisk. Granted he was overhyped but I also think he was promoted too soon and needed more time in the minors. With Vazquez returning maybe Swihart will get another year or so of seasoning and have a better chance of reaching his ceiling. Time will tell.
Doug,
File yours under the name Pete Gammons.