On a quiet transactional night in MLB, we’ll take a look at a few playoff and offseason related matters from the National League.
- Nationals center fielder Víctor Robles isn’t in tonight’s lineup for the club’s pivotal NLDS Game 3 matchup against the Dodgers. Per Jamal Collier of MLB.com, that’s at the discretion of manager Dave Martinez, who overruled the rookie’s requests to start in order to be particularly cautious with his prized 22-year-old. Nevertheless, Martinez described Robles’ injury as a “very, very mild” hamstring strain, and noted that the speedster could come off the bench tonight. The Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty adds (via Twitter) that the Nationals don’t anticipate any scenario in which they would scratch Robles from their NLDS roster, so it indeed seems an exceedingly minor concern for the defensive stalwart.
- Adam Wainwright, 38, gave a brilliant performance this evening in the Cardinals’ Game 3 loss to the Braves, tossing 7.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. It was a vintage performance for the former ace, who gave the Cardinals 171.2 innings of league average pitching (4.19 ERA, 20.5% K%, 8.6% BB%) in the regular season. Clearly, Wainwright can still perform at a high level, but given his age and the upcoming expiration of his one-year contract, there are questions about his future. Wainwright, though, doesn’t sound like a man on the verge of hanging up the spikes, telling Joe Trezza of MLB.com postgame he “never felt for one second that today was going to be (his) last day.” That’s not a definitive statement that he’d be returning to the big leagues, or to St. Louis specifically, but it stands to reason both sides could have interest in a similar incentive-laden arrangement (which Waino went on to maximize for $10MM) as they hammered out last October.
- While Wainwright stayed healthy all season, the same can’t be said for left-hander Alex Wood, who started just seven games for the Reds after they sent two noteworthy prospects to the Dodgers to acquire him, Yasiel Puig, and Kyle Farmer last winter. Dealing with a back injury, Wood was ineffective when he did manage to take the mound, working to a 5.80 ERA with dreadful peripherals. It was hardly the platform season the 28 year-old (29 in January) wanted as he nears free agency for the first time. With the offseason offering an opportunity to get healthy, the sinkerballer tells Bobby Nightengale of Cincinnati.com he’d like to return to the Reds, admitting that his injury-riddled season wasn’t what the organization had in mind when they acquired him. As Nightengale notes, it’s difficult to see the Reds winning a bidding war for Wood given their strong staple of returning starters. That said, president of baseball operations Dick Williams has made clear the organization plans to be aggressive in free agency this offseason and wants to bolster the club’s pitching depth, so perhaps a Wood reunion could be in the cards depending on how his market shakes out.
Any contract comparisons comes to mind anybody? 840 frames of 3.40 era ball, not great strike out numbers? he have to settle for a 1 year bounce back type contract?
Here come the Braves!
Are you asking about Wainright? I could see the most recent Mets-Vargas contract as a good comp. That was 8 mil a year for 2 years. But some fringe pitchers like Gio didn’t even get a guaranteed contract.
So I see around 3-7 mil per year, 2 years.
I’m rooting for the Braves, but it was a shame to see Wainwright’s performance get wasted like that. Great game, though.
Great game but at least Soroka’s equally impressive performance wasn’t wasted
Agreed and you can even argue that Soroka was more dominate. After Ozuna’s dink double, Soroka retired 17 straight.
If it wasn’t for that dink double by Ozuna and the barely going over the line doubles from game 1 by the Cardinals this series would be over.
You neglected to mention that Matt Kemp was also part of that Reds-Dodgers trade. Reds didn’t get much value in that trade, but they did manage to unload Homer Bailey.
Yeah I didn’t include Kemp since it didn’t feel right to say the Reds wanted to acquire him so much as his contract was necessary to offset the Bailey money. As Williams told C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic a few days ago, Wood was the key piece of the deal for them, although Puig and Farmer brought them a little bit of value (in Farmer’s case, unexpectedly perhaps).
If Kemp had only been able to come out strong with the bat (the whole team stunk offensively, pun intended) they would have held onto him for this one season. I like that the Reds took the chance on this trade. As for Homer…bad attitude coming in, steadily improved for a few years, and bad attitude goin out. Really a shame. I remember just before his rookie year he was included in an SI piece called, “Eight who could be Great”…
Value? They got scammed. Sure they unloaded Bailey but gave up Downs and Gray. But hey at least they saved some money
What?
I don’t think the bidding on Alex Wood is going to get all that out of hand.
probably 1 yr $10m will get him.
The Braves have got into Carlos’s head. Could see it in game 1 and again tonight.
No one is in Carlos’ head as much as Carlos is and has been since the first day he took the mound for the Cardinals.
+1
Cant believe they didnt pull Martinez in the 9th. They had no one warming up and left him out there to struggle. Its basically a must win game theyre playing.
Also can’t believe they didn’t pitch to McCann. Or why 3B wasn’t playing back on Donaldson. Or why a red flag wasn’t raised on Martinez from Game 1.
It’s the one thing that hasn’t changed much since the switch of skippers. They still seem a day late when going to the pen. I would’ve had someone going the second Carlos left for the mound.
Who else saw the article refer to puig has having been a prospect last year
I’ve personally vouched for Duvall for 2 years now as a guy that just needs his shot and just isn’t a pinch hitter off the bench..Dudes a baller and his talent was given up on far too early In Cincinnati!
Braves guna do this!!!
Disagree. The guy is better of coming off the bench. His power plays better at a pitch hit spot. He is not a good hitter.
With that being said, Swanson and Duvall are both the MVPs of the offense so far. I expect Acuna to hit a bomb or two tomorrow after getting intentionally hit. Hopefully, he has a big night because Freeman, Markakis, and Donaldson are not reliable right now.
Duvall isnt a born bench hitter, he’s a bonafide 30 hr 100 rbi hitter no doubt.. Just needs the repetition!
Disagree. He had his moments in Cincinnati but I think 30 homerun/100 rbi seasons are past him. The Braves lineup is not strong enough at the bottom to withstand Duvall’s inconsistency. Now if the Braves get somebody like, say, Mookie Betts to play RF, then maybe the Braves will get away with Duvall in the lineup. Until then, Duvall, Joyce, Markakis outfield (w/ Acuna) is underwhelming.
Duvall has had his chances, he’s a role player now. Anyone in today’s game can hit 30 bombs with full playing time and 100 RBIs if you’re hitting in the middle of the lineup. He’s great in spurts, but you need more consistency from a starter.
Duvall is a better hitter than every single outfielder on the Reds roster not named Aquino. Fact.
I would take Winkler and Senzel both over Duvall.
I’m a Duvall fan, but that’s not even close to a fact. Winker and Senzel are better hitters than Duvall.
Hahahaa!! Wnker ALONE is a better hitter, as is Ervin
..put the bourbon down…
Yep!! And Ervin..
Same here! I hated when they basically gave him to Atlanta. Cincinnati’s front office is garbage!
Duvall is a 4th OF. Many, many more OFs who can ball better than Adam.
He’s ok. I wouldn’t put him in a full time role, but he’s a solid bench bat who can hit 20 home runs and play really good defense in the outfield.
you don’t get far in the playoffs without a closer. martinez needs to be shipped out. too bad the cardinals saved mo’s job
Alex Wood seems like a made to order Zaidi signing. Giants need SP, Zaidi and Wood are familiar with one another from LA, and Wood has the potential to be a middle rotation starter and signed to what should be an incentive laden deal. I think Alex Wood is a Giant in 2020, especially if he wants to rebuild value and go back into free agency the next year with hopefully better numbers and health.
Take him…
Blue Jays may be all over Alex Wood.
Take him…
Hard to envision a bidding war but surely there will be interest in a incentive based contract that allows Wood to rebuild his value and return to the open market after 2020. If he wants to return to the Reds I could see that happening. He isn’t going to get huge offers but likely have his choice of landing spots on a major league contract
Hard pass after watching him. Do not want a bad back lefty who can’t break a window pane with his fastball any more.
Agreed…and William’s has already mentioned Lodolo’s name possibly by mid season. Crazier things have happened, the shoplifter came in as a rookie and was good for 13-14 wins a year for a nice stretch…
The Cardinals will keep signing Wainwright to the same annual incentive contract, year after year as long as he has positive results as he has this year.