At 22-15, the Phillies have been among the standings’ biggest surprises this season, but rookie general manager Matt Klentak isn’t losing sight of the fact that the team is in a rebuild, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Klentak also realizes that the Phillies have one of the majors’ worst run differentials and probably won’t be able to sustain their early success in the win column. “We’re not blind to the fact that our run differential is negative by a significant margin,” he said. “We’re well aware that there has been a lack of offensive production throughout much of the lineup.” Only the Braves’ historically anemic offense has been worse than Philadelphia’s thus far, but the good news on the offensive end is that the Phillies have seemingly found an enviable long-term piece in 24-year-old center fielder Odubel Herrera.
More from the National League:
- The Dodgers were considering promoting 19-year-old prospect Julio Urias to bolster their bullpen as of last weekend, and the left-handed phenom’s stock has risen even higher since. Urias fired six scoreless innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday, extending his streak to 22 straight frames without allowing a run, according to Vince Lara-Cinisomo of Baseball America. Urias is laying waste to the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, where he has a 1.25 ERA and 39 strikeouts against eight walks in 36 innings, and looks primed to jump to baseball’s highest level soon.
- Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes is still capable of being a “serviceable” option at the position, though he’s clearly on the downside of his career, a longtime scout told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Reyes, who’s suspended until the end of May because of a violation of the league’s domestic violence policy, could be done in Colorado. A trade might be difficult, though, considering Reyes’ contract (he’s still owed roughly $41MM, including a $4MM buyout in 2018), off-field troubles and on-field decline, according to Saunders. That could lead the Rockies to release the 33-year-old, which is a possibility, some close to the team have told Saunders.
- The Cardinals have taken a tough-love approach with pitching prospect Alex Reyes – who’s nearing a return from a 50-game suspension for a second positive marijuana test – as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details. The Cardinals could have lifted Reyes’ 50-game ban at any point by putting him on their 40-man roster, but they elected against it and didn’t even invite the right-handed 21-year-old to Spring Training. “There are two things for him to take from this,” stated general manager John Mozeliak. “No. 1, he made a mistake and cannot make that mistake again. No. 2, because of this mistake he has to realize he was risking a lot because of what he can do with his talent. Time will tell the direction this sends him.” Reyes seems to have taken the discipline to heart, saying, “That day, I changed my mentality.”
Now there’s a loophole in the CBA. How can MLB justify allowing a team to erase a suspension by adding someone to the 40 man roster?
Marijuana suspension differences between MLB and MiLB is almost as silly as DH and no-DH.
I think what they meant by that was, they put him on the 40 man to serve out his suspension knowing full well they would not use him this early.
Nope. From the article:
“At any point during Reyes’ suspension, the Cardinals could have put him on the 40-man roster and, because of collectively bargained policies, the suspension would have been lifted. Players on the 40-man are not subject to marijuana-related suspensions.”
Oh ok, my apologies. I must have assumed him just sitting on the 40 man. Good call and thanks for the clarification.
If the Dodgers are seriously thinking about promoting Urias before his 20th birthday then they have to be thinking about who they are going to move. In a month or so they will probably need active roster slots for Ryu and McCarthy, and potentially for Anderson, Garcia, Van Slyke, and Ethier. Something will have to give one way or another. Add Urias to that mix and it gets even more complicated.
Urias will be on a strict innings limit, most likely would start for another month or two then move to the pen.
Probably, but it’s still a roster issue. Potentially six players coming back from the DL over the next month or so is complicated enough, add Urias to the mix and now over a quarter the active roster slots have to be emptied to make room. No small feat. Don’t see where the Dodgers have seven players they can readily demote.
I don’t think it’s as complicated as you make it to be. Who ever is playing well, is going to play, unless they take the players salary into consideration. I’m sure they have SP/RP w/ options to get sent down. All this assuming they call up Urias before the roster expands.
Don’t forget that we still have Eithier
Braves and Rockies swap:
Braves receive:
Reyes, Blackmon, Gray, and Nunez
Rockies receive:
Olivera, Markakis, Aybar, and Pitching prospect outside Braves Top 20.
Even the Rockies aren’t that high
The most winning comment of the day!
Not happening. Gray will be in Colorado for the foreseeable future
I don’t know the Rockies system too well, but I think that proposal would never happen. Rockies have Story and LeMahieu up the middle, so no need for Aybar. Blackmon is better than Markakis. Markakis is on the downside of his career although he has started out very well this year and Blackmon has started his prime.
So essentially it would be Gray and Nunez for Olivera and a pitching prospect. I’d rather keep Gray than a prospect outside the Braves top 20. I’m assuming the Nunez you’re talking about is their catching prospect and I don’t see them giving him up
Good call, I just figure they get value as opposed to dropping Reyes. Aybar was just a throw in to balance contracts. Reyes and Blackmon are about $25M, Olivera, Markakis, and Aybar equal about $23 and Aybar is FA after the year.
But I agree, hard to part with Gray.
Both on-field and contract swap considerations make scenarios involving Jose Reyes and Hector Olivera the most logical to me, though probably with COL including cash to cover the salary difference and either one-for-one or with a fringe prospect going to ATL for the favor (since speculation so clearly indicates that COL may just dump Reyes for nothing).
Unfortunately, trading one player suspended with domestic violence issues for another undermines the ethical and/or public relations positions that the Rockies FO probably wants to take by cutting ties with Reyes.
Good call. Hell in that scenario, you could drop Olivera from the trade. Granted trade would never happen, but fun to play around with.
Haha! Lessee, the three most valuable assets in that deal are all going the same way — from the Rockies to the Braves. Let me guess what the response might be in Denver!
(For those unfamiliar with the Rockies system, Nunez is one of the better catching prospects in the game.)
Take Gray out for sure (he’s the Rockies second most valuable asset after Arenado). Gotta add in Inciarte if you’re including Blackmon. And make that Braves pitching prospect one of their 2 or 3 best, and you might — MIGHT — be close.
And Reyes is the least.
So? Rockies are .500 right now and you want them to give up the 2 best mlb assets just to not pay reyes who their payroll has already taken account of… Even if they start losing as a rebuilding team You expect them to give up the best long term assets in the deal just to save money? There is no pitching in this year’s free agent class so they have nothing to spend money on anyway. 2018 there is pitching and they are free of reyes then. This was a terribly thought out trade proposal.
“A simple wrong would have done just fine. – Billy Madison
I like what the Cardinals have done with Reyes!!! According to
His changing his life style, he could either be rich and famous, or his future can be on welfare. His choice!