The Blue Jays have told teams that right-handed reliever Drew Storen is available, reports Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. Storen, whom the Jays acquired from the Nationals for outfielder Ben Revere in the offseason, is on an $8.38MM salary this year and is then slated to become a free agent. Formerly a capable late-game option with the Nats, Storen has already allowed 13 runs on 22 hits in his first 15 innings with the Jays. To his credit, the 28-year-old has continued his career-long trend of posting quality strikeout and walk rates (9.6 and 2.4 this season, respectively), but PITCHf/x indicates that his velocity is down a couple miles per hour.
Now let’s check in on some other clubs from baseball’s two East divisions:
- If lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez and right-handed reliever Carson Smith don’t serve as adequate in-season reinforcements, the 26-17 Red Sox are open to acquiring outside talent and increasing their $201MM-plus payroll in the process, writes Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. Team ownership is “as committed as ever” to putting a winner on the field after enduring back-to-back last-place finishes, said club president Sam Kennedy.
- The Phillies’ front office has put Pete Mackanin in a tough position with first baseman Ryan Howard, whom the manager is hesitant to bench, opines Ryan Lawrence of Philly Voice. Howard is hitting a paltry .161/.233/.381 in 133 plate appearances, but he’s a popular figure in the clubhouse and Mackanin doesn’t want to send the wrong message by removing him from the lineup in favor of recent call-up and platoon mate Tommy Joseph. Thus, writes Lawrence, the front office should step in and handle it for Mackanin. Howard, 36, has long been in decline and is likely in his last year with the Phillies, who will buy him out for $10MM at season’s end in lieu of paying him $23MM to remain on the team in 2017. Considering both that and Howard’s weak output, it would make sense for the Phillies to give Joseph the lion’s share of time at first.
- A scout who has followed Matt Harvey since his amateur days offered his assessment of the struggling Mets right-hander to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. “There’s no deception in his delivery. “He is throwing across his body and the hitters are getting a good look at everything,” said the scout, who added that Harvey looks out of shape and is presenting “no fear factor, no intimidation.”
Ryan Howard is to the point where playing Emmanual Burriss everyday would be more of a benefit for the sole reason that he can actually play some kind of passable defense.
Let Tommy Joseph play everyday, if he bombs, look at Brock Stassi, if he bombs too, look at Andrew Knapp. The Phillies can’t have 2 longterm everyday catchers, might as well see if Knapp can hit well enough to play everyday 1B if Alfaro is the future at C.
A good manager should be able to do what’s best for the team and have the team buy into it
Very concerning that he can’t bench Howard
When your offense is as poor as the Phillies (and its awful), it hards to bench a guy who can hit the ball over the fence. Matt Klentak backed the decision to keep Howard in vs RHP because he can hit the homeruns.
If he actually believes it’s best for the team, then sure, play him.
But that’s not what this says. If he’s playing Howard because he doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, then that’s not good. If the GM has to get rid of him just to get him out of the lineup, not good.
Sad with Howard…..he was on his way to the HOF until that injury.
I doubt it. The injury hastened things, but he’d been declining for years before that, and seemed to be on the Mo Vaughn / Cecil Fielder career trajectory.
Howard had averaged about 32hr and 110rbis the two previous years before his injury. Of course, we can’t know what Ryan would have produced had he been healthy. Yes, big body guys like Mo (who also suffered a bad injury and missed an entire season) and Cecil did suffer drops in production pretty fast. Prince Fielder seems to be going thru that right now as well. But David Ortiz has done well in his late 30’s so you never know.
How about stolen for revere #reverse
I meant storen stupid auto correct
In his defense, reveres been injured and bad for Washington
I think I’d trust Revere to pitch over Storen at this point.
They shouldve never made that deal in the first place we in toronto loved revere plus hes a true leadoff hitter… now the jays can make storen available but theyll be lucky to fet a bucket of baseballs for the guy…. what a start blue jays shapiro great first impressions you let price go and aquire store for a great guy like revere horrible moves… datwin barney is working out great this year though but attribute that deal to ALEX A. YOU SUCK SHAPIRO AND JAYS MANAGEMENT. Wanna do something productive?? Fire John gibbons THAT would be productive!!
Hey everyone our terrible, over payed reliever is available. Anyone?
The sox have an overpaid and now injured 3rd baseman i trade to on for storen lol
Think Drellich is writing to make an article alone for his paper.. Boston’s pen has been just fine without Smith so far. Hembree has finally emerged as a multi inning.middle reliever and Barnes the same. Barnes today was throwing 97-99.
Kimbrell, Koji and Taz have been just fine, then Ross and those 2 with Layne as the LH specialist have all combined for a fine BP thus far, Smith would be an icing on the cake episode is all.
Another starter is an area that could see them go after. Kids Owens and Johnson have had issues and Elias they got from Seattle over the winter as the throw in with the Smith/Miley deal never was a legit MLB starter.
Owens has never had the stuff to survive in the Little League parks the AL East plays in. I never understood how so many people were excited about him. You watch him pitch and just say “so how is going to get major league hitters out!”
Stores available? Wow.