As MLB’s regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. McClanahan to visit team doctor:
Rays lefty Shane McClanahan exited his start after just four innings in yesterday’s 7-2 loss to the Yankees. As noted by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, McClanahan felt tightness in his forearm while warming up ahead of the fourth inning. While the southpaw managed to complete the fourth inning, Topkin adds that he’ll fly back to Tampa to have the issue examined by the team’s doctor. Missed time for McClanahan would be a devastating blow to the Rays, who have fallen to a game and a half behind the Orioles in the race for the AL East crown thanks primarily to a brutal 8-16 record in the month of July. In the event that McClanahan misses time, youngster Taj Bradley seems likely to return to the club’s rotation alongside Tyler Glasnow, Zach Eflin, and the newly-acquired Aaron Civale.
2. Traded starters making their club debuts:
A trio of starters are poised to make their debut with their new club today. Things will kick off at 11:10am CT, when right-hander Michael Lorenzen (3.58 ERA in 18 starts) will make his first start with the Phillies after the club acquired him from the Tigers on the day of the trade deadline. He’ll face the Marlins in Miami for his first start as a Phillie. Next on the docket will be veteran ace Max Scherzer’s debut at Globe Life Field following his trade from the Mets to the Rangers, which begin at 1:05pm CT.
Scherzer’s struggled relative to his Hall of Fame-caliber standards this year with a 4.01 ERA in 19 starts, but will have the opportunity for a fresh start with a new club today against the White Sox. Wrapping up the trio of debuts will be right-hander Jack Flaherty, who was acquired by the Orioles in a deal with the Cardinals just before the trade deadline. Like Scherzer, Flaherty has also struggled somewhat in 2023, with a 4.43 ERA in 20 starts, but will look to make a strong impression on his new club at 2:07pm CT during a start against the division-rival Blue Jays in Toronto.
3. Keuchel decision:
Former AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel triggered an opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Twins on Tuesday, giving Minnesota 48 hours to add him to its 40-man roster or else grant him his release. The 35-year-old lefty had a disastrous decline in 2021-22, pitching to a 6.35 ERA in 222 2/3 innings while playing out the final two seasons of a three-year, $55.5MM deal he originally signed with the White Sox. Keuchel signed with the Twins earlier this summer after spending months working out at Driveline Baseball, and the results in Triple-A have been genuinely intriguing: 32 innings of 1.13 ERA ball with a 21.2% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate and huge 61.5% ground-ball rate. The Twins will have to decide today whether to select Keuchel’s contract to the Major League roster or cut him loose. Given that trades are now no longer permitted, most clubs will be looking for ways to bolster their pitching depth. Based on his pre-2021 track record and small-sample intrigue in Triple-A this year, it’s easy to see Keuchel latching on elsewhere if the Twins choose not to make room for him on the active roster.
The Reds pretty much have to try and sign Keuchel if he’s cut loose.
I agree. I was thinking the same thing.
If Keuchel is cut loose by the Twins there will most definitely be multiple teams willing to give him a shot.
Twins need Lefty Long Relief. I can’t see them letting him go. But who knows
Keuchel isn’t pitching in relief lol. He’s proven he deserves another chance as a starter. He’s not accepting a relief assignment and he’s probably not suited for it
I mean he’s under contract to the Twins. If they decide to add him to the roster today and put him in the bullpen, he’ll be pitching in relief. He may not be well suited for relief but it’s not exactly his call.
There is something terribly wrong with the Rays pitching development department in regards to arm health. It feels like they lead the league every season in organizational pitching injuries.
Yes. Every team has this problem but not to this extent. There’s simply no way this is random bad luck.
It’s not from overuse if we examine innings pitched, so what is it? Not saying you are wrong but it’s a valid question to ask what the cause is.
Research has pointed to pitch design, max effort, and velo. I’m sure it’s much more complicated than that, but the TBR are the poster child for what has been an increasing problem league wide.
The rays took the splitter from us citing safety,. yet push for 5% spin rate at the cost of 40% longevity and health.
Disgusting.
> something terribly wrong with the
> Rays pitching development
> department in regards to arm health
No. They hold a diverse investment portfolio spread across the Tommy John Growth Capital Fund and UCL Brace Futures. They simply want what’s best for the team and their investments.
I agree it does feel that way. Within the past few months someone released a year over year report looking at arm injuries and TJS by team. Maybe surprisingly the TBR were not the top team on the list, but they were within the top 5-7 teams in the league.
It’s not his choice as to which role he gets
I’m interested in reading that report, do you know where I can find it?
It does seem like it for sure, I’m not sure what will happen with McClanahan but they have a history of trading for guys with extensive injury histories and trying to get what they can out of them. I said before, when they had guys like Price, Snell, Shields, homegrown guys who were used to pitching a lot of innings, things were ok, however taking on talented guys who were once relievers like Springs and Rasmussen, and oft-injured types like Glasnow, it’s not really a shocker they keep getting hurt.
@Astros, TB takes chances on high risk high reward guys, they’re usually much cheaper. With their limited payroll it’s how they have to operate.
That’s what I’ve been saying. If you can criticize them about one thing it’s the amount of pitcher injuries they’ve had
Cleveland
That’s the perfect landing spot. He’ll go directly into that rotation and be able to exact some measure of revenge on MIN. Makes a lot of sense.
I think the Braves might even try to get him. Although Chirinois was great through 5 yesterday. It was the 6 that got to him.
Yeah they need someone to eat some innings the next 2 months. I doubt Wrights coming back this year….they really needed to add starter at the deadline. Playoffs are going to be tough without a reliable 4th starter
If a Keuchel is released from the minor league deal does he become a free agent or is he eligible to be claimed?
He’s free to go where he chooses
HARRIS really screwed the pooch at the deadline. If the Tigers had offered the Reds E-Rod, Lorenzen, Cisnero and Shreve for Encarcion-Strand, and a lotto ticket, do you think the deal would have been done(assuming Reds were not on his no trade list)?
As a Reds fan, I think the Reds would’ve jumped all over that. CES is a back-end top 100 prospect who is limited defensively and although he’s clobbered minor league pitching, has yet to prove himself as a big leaguer. So even in my opinion, think you’d be overpaying
That would be way worse than not making a trade. You will have to do better than that.
Would it have been? HARRIS traded Lorenzen for what appears to be a utility fielder from a weak Phillies system, a fair return. Lee seems solid all around but doesn’t have any single tool that stands out, and is likely to end up at 2B, due to his arm, if he becomes a regular and he’s years away. 2B is the position that they just moved Colt Keith to. Henry-Malloy was just moved to OF. McKinstry may be a good utility player, but he’s not what you want at 3B. Ibanez and Maton have also failed there. I don’t see HARRIS signing Chapman or Candelario in free agency. Packaging all the rentals together to get a long term solution doesn’t seem like much of an over pay. The Reds could offer Encarcion-Strand, or Baltimore could offer Westburg or Mayo as the main piece coming back, plus a farther off prospect to balance. Without the overpay, I don’t see either team putting these players on the table. While Avila was able to get players like Candelario, Lange and Short back in deals for rental players, I don’t have faith in HARRIS being as successful, especially going forward. As the Detroit Free Press opined, HARRIS and the Tigers were the laughingstock of the deadline.
It could not have been worse for Detroit. Harris failed to deliver for the fans who had bought into what his drafting high school players said about the team. Next year the owner will be happy for sure the payroll will drop by a lot. We are still going to have Baez if they couldn’t move him at the deadline with any type of package deal to anywhere. This is still A.A’s system after drafting H.S. players.
How is Lange still closing games ? Too funny, you start the year with the proclamation of closer by committee, and we can’t have Holton closing games now ? He looked pretty good again bailing out Lange.
The Tigers still have a lot of problems. The lead off tandem feels like it’s not doing well either. Next season the fans will feast upon Parker, Colt, and the hyphenated one. O.M.G it’s going to feel like when they stopped calling A.O.C by A.O.C, and started using her full name. Good grief, and they do that with a bizarre Latino accent.
Sure A.A has not only the memory of bringing E rod and Baez here, but also the worst trade in the history of baseball. Meadows for Paredes will go down in history as the worst trade ever, and when his brother comes up it will be a constant reminder as well. How does anyone believe Tampa had no idea of his condition before the trade as well ? It should have been voided last year.
Harris will and must be judged under a harsher light going forward after this deadline no deal. D.D wouldn’t have did it, and A.A did manage to move J.V way back when as well. The fans now have only the kids to look forward to, and the progress of all of it’s injured pitchers returning.
I can’t agree with you on Lee. I think Harris made two good moves at the deadline getting Lee and Eddys Leonard (for nothing but cash). Doesn’t make up for the Erod snafu but the more I read about it the more I think Erod got cold feet at the last minute vs no one asked the question if he would go there. He was already hinting that he wanted to stay before the deadline and now he’s said it. I’m not happy with what happened at the deadline but at the same time he is a good pitcher and playing well for us so I’d be good if they restructured his contract and kept him. That makes the pitching staff a continued strength next year.
There is no guarantee Keith stays at 2B. The dude has a wicked arm that plays at 3B so I’m notvdurecwhy they moved him. Jung plays 2B and moved up to AA. He’ll be here sooner rather than later and then there’s Lee, Graham and McGonigle et al who will come later. Too many infielders is not a bad problem to have.
Utility infielders come and go. McKinistry, Short, Maton, one of the guys in the minors, who knows who will have success next year. Hopefully one will and if they have to fill in until Jung and Keith get there to occupy the spots who cares. There’s a good framework for the offence there. Greene, Tork, Rogers, Carpenter, Vierling. Malloy and P Meadows will get their shot to be a part of that. Add in some placeholders to fill the holes until then.
The sky is NOT falling because they didn’t trade Erod dude!
No, the sky is not falling. But it sure would be sunnier if HARRIS had actually done his job. E-Rod would not have had an option to get cold feet if HARRIS had traded him to one of the 19 teams not on his no trade list. As Joe Pesci said “You were serious about that?” (My Cousin Vinny)
I agree, and that wasn’t his first unforced error. The media doesn’t talk about Turnbull, another one who had the right to do what he did. The Tigers lose him after next season. Mize whose never shown he’s good anyways goes in 3 years along with Skubal. Then Manning in 28, and Faedo in 29.
The Tigers don’t impress me as looking to add payroll going forward. Keeping E rod around is not the best thing with all the pitching they’ve started the clocks on the last two years. I don’t expect any player to give up their rights for anything, I’ve worked to many years in my life to do that.
I’ll buy drafting the high school guys, no problem there as I think the Tigers farm system is not that bad with what they have now. Not finding a team not on E rod’s list is catastrophic for the team. He darned sure could have helped some team. Cohen of the Mets took ownership of their failure, and spent more that the Tigers payroll to start anew. Asking C.I. to bid against himself trying to sweeten F rod’s deal is too much to expect.
This fan was looking for something more after the draft day. I just say the honeymoon is over with Harris, he’s going to judged differently whether it’s fair or not. The fans have high expectations. Lange needs to be the next quick fix. Move him out, and another in the close spot. Holton deserves the shot, as Foley works the 8th well enough. Billy the kid was left handed so lets not hold that against him.
Oh I agree the honeymoon is over but ibwant tonsee what Harris does in the offseason. If he goes out makes some trades, finds some more gems like Lorenzen and Holton and signs some complimentary players that’s good, if he sits on his hands and does nothing then I’ll sour in him too.
Strider Elder Morton Fried(assuming he returns) in whatever order you choose. Wright is a lottery ticket.
If you bring in Keuchel, where does he fit in? I think he’s going to want to see a path where he plays and I don’t see that with the Braves. I’d stash him in AAA, sure. But I doubt that’s what he wants.
@Hemlock
You listed 4 starters. So he would be the 5th starter. If…a huge if Wright comes back they will be in a position to use a 6 man rotation for the last few weeks to month resting and protecting Fried, Morton, Strider, and Elder for the playoffs.
All good points. A team can never have enough pitching depth. Is Elder on an innings limit this year? I have not seen anything written about how they will take care of him as his innings accumulate.
Cardinals
Should be a Reds target, if they release him.
I fully expect all three pitches to get hit hard, take the loss, and drive their new team’s fan base into a rage.
I think the Mets could be his best landing spot. The Mets now need starters so much he is guaranteed a lot of starts to prove himself.
What was the logic for the Rays sending down Taj Bradley? I know it’s lazy to say “Service Time Manipulation,” buuut…..
Nevermind. A 5.5something ERA and a Home Run surrendered every 3 to 4 innings speaks for itself
exactly. And if you watched the games, you know that may not be accurate as to how hard he has been shelled lately.
Forearm tightness? Yikes. The dude has not been himself the last few starts, maybe this helps explain it? *This* is why I wanted the Rays to pick up at least one more starter…too many injury concerns with a four-man rotation while trying to win your division? Eek. I like Taj, but he is not ready.
They better be in on Keuchel because there are very few viable options remaining
Makes me wonder what A’s ask for Blackburn was because he looked like an affordable fit for a back rotation job with the Rays AND Orioles. Flaherty is almost gassed now…