Steven Souza celebrated his 27th birthday in spectacular fashion today, hitting two home runs during the Rays’ 8-1 win over the Yankees. It was the second two-homer game of Souza’s career and his second in just a few weeks, as he also hit two long balls on April 6 against the Blue Jays. Here’s some news from around baseball as we kick off a new week…
- An MRI on Yovani Gallardo’s shoulder revealed no changes from his previous MRI in February, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports (Twitter links). Gallardo received a cortisone shot in his shoulder and is expected to be sidelined for roughly four weeks. The Orioles righty was placed on the DL yesterday due to tendinitis in his bicep and right shoulder, the first time in Gallardo’s 10-year career that he has ever hit the DL due to an arm-related injury.
- An AL scout tells John Perrotto of TodaysKnuckleball.com that Carlos Gomez’s slow start (and overall lackluster stint with the Astros) could indicate a decline rather than just a slump. “He’s had a lot of leg injuries and I think it’s started to catch up with him,” the scout said. “He doesn’t steal many bases anymore and he doesn’t move as well as he used to in the outfield. I’m not ready to totally write him off but he definitely slipped last year and he’s been worse this year.” Gomez entered today’s play with only a .197/.222/.262 slash line through his first 63 plate appearances, and he’s still looking for his first homer of the season. A down year could cost Gomez a fortune — MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes’ initial 2017 free agent power rankings tabbed Gomez as having the most earning potential of any position player hitting the open market.
- David Murphy is hoping for another stint in the majors both this season and beyond, though the veteran outfielder tells Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that his longer-than-expected stint in free agency this winter has made him confront the idea of retiring. “I realistically thought that it could be over. I guess I’m to the point where I know that any day could be my last. I need to enjoy every day,” Murphy said. After settling for a minor league deal with the Red Sox during the offseason and then getting released, Murphy signed another minors deal with the Twins that contains a May 1 opt-out clause.
- Orioles fans may want to avert their eyes for this one, as Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune recaps how the Cubs targeted and acquired Jake Arrieta from Baltimore as part of a four-player trade in July 2013. Arrieta was disagreeing with Orioles coaches and struggling to harness his stuff, yet a trio of Cubs scouts convinced Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer that Arrieta was well worth the risk. The rest has been history, as that trade (Arrieta and Pedro Strop for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger) is looking like one of the most one-sided trades in recent memory.
Gomez issue isn’t his legs, his problem is that he’s trying to knock the ball out the park every time he swings the bat. If he would stop swinging so hard at each pitch the problem would be solved. Singles work too.
Legs are a huge issue for hitters, especially when the injuries are hips and hamstrings. Just changing his approach to a contact-oriented style is only going to lower his value to a club because his legs and defense will push him to a corner OF spot. Selling out for power might be in his, and the Astros’ best interest. Rather than trying to make him something he isn’t, it may be better if he simplifies his swing. Losing the leg kick, not standing as tall and widening his base may serve him better than trying make all those moving parts line up to just hit the ball over the infielders.
I wonder who those 3 scouts were that convinced Theo and Jed to make the trade ,they should give them a big raise
Yeah, the O’s seem to have this organizational pitching philosophy that hasn’t done them many favors. With Arrieta they took away his slider and tried to elevate his arm angle to get more tilt on his curve, plus I think they moved him over to the extreme third base side of the rubber. The Cubs just, supposedly, let Arrieta pitch the way he wanted to. I remember seeing Arriea pitch a AAA game against Indianapolis several years ago, and his mechanics were really out f whack. Yu could tell the stuff was there, but he just seemed to be really overthinking on the mound – long pauses between every pitch, etc.
They took away pitches from Bundy and Gausman too, although in Bundy’s case that may have been injury concerns. Regardless, Bundy was a consensus top-10 prospect in baseball at one time and now he’s a middle reliever. Gausman still hasn’t put it together.
They’ve been successful, but it seems to be in spite of the organization’s questionable approach to developing starters, not because of it. Imagine the O’s with a rotation headed by Bundy, Arrieta and Gausman?
This would be precisely why I’m glad the Brewers sold high on Gomez. That trade keeps looking better and better for the Brewers.
Imagine if the Brewers sent the Astros an insignificant minor leaguer to get Gomez back and he became his old self? Then they dealt him again this July for another prospect. It would be the gift that kept on giving!
I think Buxton need to be trade to the Cubs for McKinny
Because the Cubs need more OFers………. they only have about a half a dozen that could be starters already.
I don’t get why people keep acting like the Arrieta deal is the only lopsided deal in recent mlb history. IMO it is only so lopsided because not only did they get Arrieta but also one of the better set up guys in the NL in Strop as well. Arrieta was trash when he was traded from the O’s. How can you blame them for trading him? I remember when the deal was made and i thought it was a steal because Strop was already showing potential to be an imposing threat out of the pen in Baltimore.
It’s not like the Cubs haven’t had trades that bit them in the a** in recent history. Josh Donaldson anyone? Donaldson, Matt Murton, Eric Patterson, and Sean Gallagher for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin. Imagine had they kept him. Rizzo at 1B, Donaldson at C (drafted as a catcher) or 3B, and Bryant at 3B or in LF. That would have been nasty. 3 MVPs on one team. Oh yeah, they still have the insanely promising Schwarber as well. Bryant in LF, Donaldson at 3B, Rizzo at 1B, and Schwarber catching……. that’s like 150 HRs just between the 4 of them. What could have been.
OR, how about the DJ LeMahieu and Tyler Colvin for Casey Weathers and Ian Stewart deal. LeMahieu is a gold glove winning all-star 2nd baseman. I have no clue who Casey Weathers is and Ian Stewart was a joke….. even with the Rockies.
OR, this one isn’t as bad since Garza did turn into Justin Grimm and Neil Ramirez, two quality arms out of the bullpen….. but still. Cubs traded Sam Fuld, Hak Ju Lee, Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, and a dude named Chris Archer for Matt Garza, Fernando Perez (?), and Zac Rosscup. Imagine a rotation of Arrieta, Lester, Archer, Lackey, and Hammel/Hendricks……. coupled with the offense mentioned above of Bryant, Rizzo, Donaldson, and Schwarber…… and Russell, Soler, Heyward, Fowler, etc.
Point is, trades either benefit no team, or there is usually one team who makes out like bandits in the deal. Rarely do trades work out well for both teams.