AL East Notes: Moreno, Rutschman, Red Sox
With Alejandro Kirk, Danny Jansen, and top prospect Gabriel Moreno all vying for playing time in 2023, there has been constant speculation over which of these catchers could be dealt to help the Blue Jays address other needs. However, a trade isn’t necessarily a sure thing, as one (at least temporary) answer could be to move Moreno out from behind the plate, as noted by Shi Davidi in a piece for Baseball America. Moreno played in a handful of games at first and third base in the minors, and the final game of the Blue Jays’ 2022 season saw him play as a second baseman and left fielder for the first time in his pro career.
“We have to be open to everything. That’s why you’ve seen him play in different positions,” Toronto GM Ross Atkins told Davidi and other reporters. “But we have to be open to any way to maximize our 40-man roster at this point, and (catching) is clearly an area of depth.”
A catcher athletic enough to play other positions carries extra value, and depending on how well Moreno adapts, his ultimate future might not even be behind the plate. For instance, the Diamondbacks find themselves looking for catching help since former catcher-of-the-future Daulton Varsho has delivered such strong glovework in the outfield. Finding a way to fit Moreno, Kirk, and Jansen into the same lineup would be a boon for the Jays, as Moreno doesn’t have much left to prove at Triple-A. Returning Moreno to the minors “is not our best outcome, most likely, given his progress,” Atkins said.
More from around the AL East…
- Orioles GM Mike Elias has already stated that his team plans to spend more in 2023, though the size and nature of the payroll boost will naturally only be determined as the offseason progresses. Not all of the Orioles’ expenditures would have to be on new talent, as The Baltimore Sun’s Nathan Ruiz opines that “arguably no move made this winter would benefit [the team’s] future more than ensuring [Adley] Rutschman is a part of it.” Locking up Rutschman to a big multi-year extension would follow the pattern of teams looking to lock up star young talents, as we’ve seen with the Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez and the Braves’ Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider just within the last couple of months. There isn’t necessarily any rush for the O’s to make a deal since Rutschman only just finished his rookie season, yet extending the catcher or any of Baltimore’s many up-and-coming young stars would seem like a logical next step in the front office’s process.
- The Red Sox are one of many teams facing some tough 40-man roster decisions this winter, and NBC Sports Boston’s John Tomase takes a look at some of the prospects under consideration to receive roster spots. Some decisions are easier than others, as shortstop/center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela will certainly be added to the 40-man following a great season at the high-A and Double-A levels. Rafaela hit .299/.342/.539 with 21 homers and 28 steals over 522 combined plate appearances at the two levels in 2022, and also flashed some excellent defense at multiple positions.
Quick Hits: Turner, Cardinals, Girsch, Shaw
Trea Turner is back in the Dodgers lineup for tonight’s critical Game 4 of the NLDS, even though Turner suffered a Grade 2 sprain in his right ring finger in yesterday’s game, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times). Turner felt good enough in pregame warmups to play, and play in the field at shortstop, turning down Roberts’ option of only acting as the designated hitter. X-rays were negative on Turner’s finger, and though Roberts said Turner “might take a day” with such an injury if it had happened in regular-season play, it wasn’t anything that would land a player on the injured list.
The Dodgers can hardly afford to lose such a key regular as they face elimination, down 2-1 to the Padres in the series. Turner has also been one of Los Angeles’ hottest bats in the series, with two homers and a 1.154 OPS over his 13 plate appearances. After singling in the eighth inning of Game 3, Turner hurt his finger while diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt.
More from around baseball…
- General manager Michael Girsch is one of several members of the Cardinals front office whose contracts are up now that the season is over, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters (including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that he is hopeful of retaining all the staffers. Girsch is the most prominent name, working in the organization since 2006 and acting in the GM role since June 2017, when Mozeliak was also promoted from GM to the PBO position. Girsch’s history in the organization and the Cardinals’ track record of recent success would seemingly make it likely that he remains on a new contract, though that same organizational success could also naturally make Girsch or other front office members attractive to other clubs looking to make hires.
- The Guardians outrighted Bryan Shaw off their 40-man roster at the end of the season, and he accepted the assignment rather than opt for free agency. In somewhat unusual fashion, Shaw has also remained with the Guards throughout their postseason run, acting as taxi squad depth and continuing his season-long role as a mentor to Cleveland’s young pitchers. “There’s no point in going home and just sitting there. I would rather stay here with these guys, root everyone on, and be here for moral support,” Shaw told Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. A veteran of 12 Major League seasons, Shaw had limited success on the field this year, posting a 5.40 ERA over 58 1/3 innings out of the Guardians’ bullpen.
Phillies Notes: NLDS, Robertson, Long
The Phillies continue to dance their way through the playoffs, clinching the NLDS with an 8-3 win over the Braves in today’s Game 4. Two trade deadline acquisitions from the Angels played key roles in Philadelphia’s victory — Brandon Marsh‘s three-run homer in the second inning gave the Phils an early lead that they would never relinquish, and starter Noah Syndergaard allowed one earned run over three innings of work. J.T. Realmuto‘s inside-the-park homer in the third inning was another highlight, as Realmuto became the first catcher to ever hit an inside-the-parker during a postseason game.
Entering the playoffs as the lowest seed in the National League bracket, Philadelphia upset the Cardinals in the Wild Card Series and have now eliminated the defending World Series champions. The Phillies will now head to the NLCS for the first time since 2010, and will await the chance to oust another higher-seeded opponent in either the Padres or the Dodgers.
More from the City of Brotherly Love…
- David Robertson was left off the NLDS roster due to a calf strain suffered while jumping to celebrate Bryce Harper‘s home run in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. Talking to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber and other reporters about the “embarrassing” injury, Robertson said he received an injection last Monday, and is hoping to be available when the NLCS begins on Tuesday. The veteran right-hander has yet to throw off a mound, but he is throwing on flat ground. Another deadline addition, Robertson posted an impressive 2.70 ERA and 30.3% strikeout rate over 23 1/3 innings for the Phillies after being acquired from the Cubs.
- Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long has been considered for past managerial openings with the Nationals and Mets, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (via Twitter) that Long is again gaining some “buzz” as a managerial candidate. Long is in his 16th consecutive year as a big league hitting coach and his first in Philadelphia, after past stints with the Nationals, Mets, and Yankees. He worked mostly as a hitting coach in the minors prior to his MLB work, but Long was a manager in the Royals’ farm system from 1997-99. Long also spent all eight of his seasons as a player in Kansas City’s minor league ranks, so speculatively, these past ties could be of interest to a Royals team looking to replace Mike Matheny as manager. The Marlins, White Sox, Rangers, and Blue Jays are the other teams in search of a new skipper, though Toronto may be leaning towards retaining interim manager John Schneider, and the Rangers are reportedly favoring ex-Giants manager Bruce Bochy.
NL East Notes: Stallings, Hassell, Chernoff, Mets
As the Phillies take a 2-1 lead over the Braves in the NLDS, let’s check out some other news from around the NL East…
- Jacob Stallings‘ offense declined in his first season with the Marlins, and public defensive metrics from Statcast and Fangraphs indicate that his framing and overall defense also dropped off in 2022. However, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears that the Marlins didn’t have any interest in moving Stallings earlier this season, though there is a possibility Miami’s feelings may have changed since Goold’s last inquiry. Nick Fortes played well in part-time action last season, and could be viewed as a candidate for a larger role if the Marlins did indeed move Stallings.
- Nationals outfield prospect Robert Hassell III underwent surgery to fix a broken hamate bone in his right hand, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo reports. The Talk Nats blog reported last week that Hassell seemed to suffer the injury on a swing in Arizona Fall League play. Since hamate surgeries typically take roughly 6-8 weeks of recovery time, the Nats expect Hassell to be ready for the start of Spring Training. Hassell was one of the key pieces of the six-player package Washington received in the Juan Soto/Josh Bell trade with the Padres, as the outfielder entered the season as a consensus top-40 prospect in baseball. While he struggled after the trade and the move to the Nats farm system, the 21-year-old is expected to begin the 2023 season at Double-A ball.
- Guardians GM Mike Chernoff was on the Mets‘ radar when they were looking for a new front office leader following the 2020 season, but Chernoff rejected an interview request and still doesn’t seem interested in a move away from Cleveland, as he told the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. Both Chernoff and Guards president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti reiterated how much they like their current positions, and Antonetti has also frequent turned down other interview requests from rival teams over the years. With current Mets GM Billy Eppler building a 101-game winner, it would seem a little unusual if the Mets hired another baseball-focused executive as their next team president, and the club might just hire a business-focused executive and leave Eppler in charge of baseball ops. However, the Mets have been linked to so many notable front office names over the last two years that it can’t be ruled out that owner Steve Cohen might finally land a big target.
Yankees Notes: Judge, deGrom, Montas, LeMahieu, Marinaccio, Benintendi
The ALDS is tied 1-1, as today’s Game 2 saw the Yankees suffer a tough 4-2 loss to the Guardians in 10 innings. Giancarlo Stanton‘s two-run homer gave New York a 2-0 lead after the first inning, but the Yankees managed only four more hits and zero additional runs in the next nine innings against Guards pitching. The series now shifts to Cleveland for the next two games, with Luis Severino slated to face Triston McKenzie in tomorrow’s Game 3.
More from the Bronx…
- According to four agents and a non-Yankees executive polled by the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, Aaron Judge‘s next contract is going to be worth at least $300MM, with some speculation that he might approach the $350MM or even $400MM thresholds. It would be a gigantic and possibly record-setting deal for the slugger, yet Judge’s huge 62-homer campaign has made a strong argument for such a contract. With other teams surely interested and possibly driving the price up, it remains to be seen if the Yankees will retain Judge, though GM Brian Cashman said this week that “we’d love to keep him if we can.”
- It also seems like you can rule out any chance of a crosstown swap of free agents, as Heyman doesn’t believe the Mets will make a true run at Judge, nor is it likely that Judge would leave the Yankees for New York’s other team. A league source also flatly told Heyman that “the Yankees aren’t going after [Jacob] deGrom,” as there has been speculation that deGrom might be looking to leave New York for a team closer to his home in Florida.
- The Yankees are missing several notable players on their ALDS roster, but manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner) that four injured players could perhaps be available if the Yankees advanced to the ALCS. In preparation, Andrew Benintendi, Frankie Montas, and Ron Marinaccio are all heading to Tampa to work out in a live game setting. As Montas recovers from shoulder inflammation, Boone said that Montas would be used as a bulk pitcher (behind an opener) or as a multi-inning reliever, rather than in his usual starting role. DJ LeMahieu is still traveling with the team as he recuperates from his foot injury, with the Yankees specifying that LeMahieu is suffering from a ligament issue with the second toe of his right foot.
Rays Notes: Offense, Choi, Arozarena, Kiermaier, Zunino
For a fourth consecutive season, Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander held a press conference to discuss his team’s playoff exit — this time after seeing the Rays’ lineup held to just one run in 24 innings during a two-game Wild Card ousting at the hands of the Guardians (links via Adam Berry of MLB.com and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). In broad terms, Neander spoke of a need to improve the offense, particularly against right-handed pitching, while also praising the depth and quality of the returning pitching staff.
As a collective unit, Rays hitters batted just .234/.305/.373 against right-handed pitching. Their 24% strikeout rate against righties was seventh-worst in MLB (and trailing only one playoff club, Atlanta). Rays hitters connected on 108 homers against righties, placing them 22nd among MLB clubs.
There are varying reasons for the struggles against righties. Playing much of the season without injured lefty-swinging Brandon Lowe, a career .257/.353/.505 hitter when holding the platoon advantage, deprived the Rays of one of their top power threats against right-handed opposition. Wander Franco and Kevin Kiermaier also missed substantial time, and the Rays received a fairly pedestrian showing from deadline pickup David Peralta, who was largely acquired for his track record in this specific area. The spate of health issues pushed the Rays to lean on younger, unproven players more often than they’d have liked and also brought about more right-on-right matchups than the team would surely have preferred.
To that end, Neander indicated that changes are likely on the horizon. While of course declining to mention specific names, the team’s top decision-maker indicated a need to “raise” the team’s “offensive standards” and plainly indicated that the Rays cannot simply “stand pat and assume things will get better.” As ever with the Rays, an active offseason seemingly awaits.
Some degree of turnover was always to be expected, given the Rays’ massive slate of 19 arbitration-eligible players — the most of any team in Major League Baseball. That group will cost a projected $42MM next season, per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Paired with the roughly $25MM in guaranteed contracts on next year’s books (Franco, Lowe, Manuel Margot, Tyler Glasnow and Brooks Raley), plus a handful of pre-arbitration players to round things out, that $42MM sum would push the Rays north of $70MM — a small payroll number for most organizations but one that’s more significant at Tropicana Field. The Rays ran out a franchise-record payroll in 2022 but still clocked in around $85-86MM, illustrating the relative heft of this year’s arbitration class.
As far as potential candidates for a change of scenery, Topkin unsurprisingly indicates that first baseman Ji-Man Choi “seems to be on the way out.” Given Choi’s projected $4.5MM salary, his proximity to free agency (next winter), and the fact that he’s seen his power dip while his strikeouts have risen over the past couple seasons, he stands out as a fairly obvious trade or non-tender candidate. The Rays regularly find low-cost platoon options at first base and designated hitter, which is how Choi landed in Tampa Bay in the first place. (Southpaw Ryan Yarbrough, who lost his rotation spot this year, is out of minor league options in 2023 and could earn more than $4MM in arbitration, seems like another clear candidate, in my view.)
More interestingly, Topkin suggests that the Rays will at least be open to the idea of trading Randy Arozarena this winter (though, to be clear, that’s a far cry from suggesting he’ll be shopped or that he’s likely to be moved). The 27-year-old is still controllable for another four seasons and is only projected to earn $4MM next season in the first of what’ll be four trips through arbitration as a Super Two player, so there shouldn’t be any urgency for the Rays to move him. At the same time, Arozarena could fetch some immediate MLB help in other areas if the Rays are either confident in their in-house outfield options or if they’re able to acquire some additional corner outfield help, be it via trade or free agency.
While subtractions from the arb class — be they via trade or free agency — will lower the club’s payroll, so will the expected departure of some veteran mainstays. Kiermaier’s $13MM club option will surely be declined in favor of a $2.5MM buyout after the perennial defensive standout saw his season truncated by July hip surgery. Catcher Mike Zunino, meanwhile, underwent surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome. That pair accounted for a combined $19MM in salary this past season.
Neander noted that both players have been important to the Rays over the past several seasons and that the team will be open to discussing returns with each of them. Obviously, with Kiermaier and Zunino both less than three months into their rehab from notable surgeries, the status of their recovery will be paramount both with regard to the potential fit and price point in free agency. Both figure to draw interest from other clubs, too, considering their defensive excellence and the near-perennial scarcity of quality open-market options in center field and behind the plate.
Ross Atkins Addresses Blue Jays Offseason
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins addressed reporters following the team’s playoff exit at the hands of the Mariners. With a manager still holding the interim tag, a young core that’s getting more and more expensive, and veterans dealing with injuries there’s plenty of question marks going into the offseason in Toronto.
Atkins didn’t make any firm commitments at manager just yet. Asked about the status of interim skipper John Schneider, Atkins noted that it would be “very difficult for us to find better than [him]” but cautioned he “wants more time to work through the (hiring) process” (via Julia Kreuz of MLB.com). The Jays fired Charlie Montoyo in July with the team 46-42. Schneider was handed the team through the end of the season, and the Jays went 46-28 with him at the helm. While the improvement under Schneider is evident, the team did still fall well short of expectations in the playoffs. Atkins and his front office staff certainly wouldn’t rule Schneider out because of two games, and there’d seem to be a good chance he’s retained, but he wasn’t prepared to make any move at this point.
On the playing side, Atkins seemed to indicate running back the current core to be the best path to a championship for the team. The GM both downplayed any urgency to make a core-altering trade and indicated the club had laid the groundwork in extension talks with some core players in hopes of further discussions this offseason (via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). Atkins didn’t divulge any specifics, but it stands to reason players like Alek Manoah, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Bo Bichette would fit into that group. Guerrero has three more seasons of arbitration control but is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $14.1MM next year after qualifying for early arbitration as a Super Two player in 2021. Bichette is projected for $6.1MM in his first year of eligibility and is likewise controllable through 2025. Manoah is controllable through 2027 and not yet arbitration eligible, although he’s likely to qualify for Super Two at the end of next season.
Atkins was non-committal on how active the Jays will be in free agency, but Nicholson-Smith mentions they’re expected to pursue starting pitching help. Kevin Gausman is a lock to lead the rotation, but Jose Berrios struggled to a 5.23 ERA in 2022, while Yusei Kikuchi pitched his way out of the rotation with a 5.19 ERA. Berrios will get a chance to turn things around in 2023, while Kikuchi is expected to get another crack at pitching out of the rotation next year. However, Ross Stripling is an impending free agent and Hyun Jin-Ryu will miss most, if not all, of next season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Atkins also addressed the status of George Springer, who left the Jays final playoff game after colliding with Bichette while pursuing a shallow fly ball. The Jays announced this morning that Springer had sustained a concussion and a strained left shoulder. Atkins indicated today that Springer also has a bone spur in his right elbow and could undergo offseason surgery (Nicholson-Smith). In any event, the expectation is that he’ll be ready for spring training, although given he’s 33 with a checkered injury past and declining defensive numbers it’s fair to wonder how long the Jays will count on him as an everyday center fielder.
Rays End-Of-Season Notes: Fairbanks, Free Agents, 40-Man
With the Rays 15-inning marathon loss yesterday, their 2022 season has officially ended. Heavily impacted by the injury bug, including Wander Franco, Tyler Glasnow, Shane Baz, and Mike Zunino, the Rays managed to piece together their fifth consecutive winning season, leading to their fourth-straight playoff appearance. Beginning with a strong April and May going 38-21 (.571 win percentage), by the end of the season the Rays were fighting to hold onto a Wild Card berth, going 14-19 in September and October regular season games, finishing their last eight regular season games 1-7 before being swept by the Guardians in the Wild Card series.
Reliever Pete Fairbanks‘s departure from yesterday’s game was likely due to a circulation issue, or possibly Raynaud’s syndrome, in his fingers per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. It’s the latest injury for Fairbanks, who has dealt with a right rotator cuff issue, right shoulder inflammation, and a right lat strain since the 2021 season. Making his 2022 debut in mid-July, the righty pitched a 1.13 ERA in a limited 24 innings. On the heels of this strong regular season performance, he was selected to Rays postseason roster, but could not record an out due to the finger injury.
Transitioning to the 2023 season, the Rays have a few notable free agents including starter Corey Kluber, outfielder David Peralta, and catcher Mike Zunino. Kluber joined the Rays on a 1-year, $8MM contract and pitched to a respectable 4.34 ERA in 164 innings (31 starts). The 36-year-old pitched his first full season since 2018 with a below-average 20.2% strikeout rate, but an excellent 3.1% walk rate. Peralta began the season with the Diamondbacks, slashing .248/.316/.460 before being traded to the Rays where his numbers dropped to .255/.317/.335. The Rays picked up Zunino’s $7MM club option for the 2022 season after his strong 2021 season, but the catcher underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in July, ending his 2022 season early. The power-hitting catcher was having a cold start to his season, posting a meager .148/.195/.304 line in 115 at-bats.
Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier is also likely to become a free agent, with the Rays holding a $13MM club option for his 2023 season that they will most likely decline. Kiermaier’s 2022 season ended in early July with a hip injury, with the righty posting a substandard .228/.281/.369 slash line in 206 at-bats.
In addition to these free agents, the Rays currently have 19 players who are arbitration-eligible entering the 2023 season, including bullpen forces Jason Adam, Nick Anderson, and Colin Poche. It is very likely that the team won’t retain all 19 players but will instead opt for non-tendering some of them.
As a whole, the 2022 Rays were marked by a surprisingly weak offense. Likely affected by injuries to key bats, Tampa slumped to a collective .239/.309/.377 batting line in 2022, a far cry from the .250/.327/.424 slash line the team put up during the 2018-2021 seasons. Interestingly, the Rays’ catching fell flat after a strong 2021, likely due to the absence of All-Star Zunino.
Tampa’s 2022 catching core, primarily composed of Francisco Mejia, Rene Pinto, and deadline addition Christian Bethancourt, posted a combined measly .224/.248/.373 line. Comparatively, Rays’ catchers slashed .234/.309/.494 in 2021. This team primarily relied on Zunino who broke out and batted a strong .216/.301/.559 in 2021. With Zunino becoming a free agent following the conclusion of the 2022 season, the Rays may opt to bring the veteran back or search for a new slugging backstop for the 2023 season.
Moving sixty feet, six inches from the Rays’ backstop to the mound, once again injuries severely impacted Tampa Bay’s performance. Starters Glasnow and Baz both dealt with elbow injuries that resulted in Tommy John surgery. At an individual level, only one pitcher made over 30 starts, Kluber, and only four pitchers made over 10 starts. Additionally, similar to Zunino, Kluber is a free agent at the conclusion of the season.
These injuries forced Tampa to continue to rely on their bullpen, with starters pitching the fewest innings in the league (753) to the third-lowest ERA (3.45) and the bullpen pitching the most innings in the league (682 2/3) with a low 3.36 ERA, stranding a hefty 74.3% of base runners. While this strategy worked for the majority of the season, by the end of the season Tampa’s bullpen was beginning to crack. Over their last 51 1/3 innings, the Rays’ bullpen ERA increased to 4.38 ERA, and they only stranded 67.6% of base runners.
Nevertheless, the Rays will look to retool this winter and update their roster in hopes of reaching the playoffs for the fifth-straight season.
Cardinals Notes: Wainwright, Arenado, Molina, Pujols
Following yesterday’s 0-2 loss to the Phillies, the Cardinals’ magical 2022 season has drawn to a close. After an above-average first half going 50-44, the Cardinals moved into a higher gear, winning 43 of their final 68 games (.632 win percentage) to take the NL Central with authority. Pivoting towards the 2023 season, the Cardinals have two key players with decisions to make, and two players who are expected to formally announce their retirements.
One of the most important free agents for the Cardinals is 41-year-old Adam Wainwright who didn’t appear during the Cardinal’s Wild Card series. Wainwright, a rotation stalwart for the Cardinals since 2007, signed a 1-year, $17.5MM extension for the 2022 season on the heels of a strong 2020 and 2021 season, pitching to a 3.08 ERA in 272 innings. He followed those strong numbers in 2022 with a 3.71 ERA in 191 2/3 innings, following his trademark of limiting hard contact (87.8 MPH average exit velocity, 36.6 HardHit%). However, he was hit hard over his last five starts, giving up 35 hits and 19 runs over his last 23 2/3 innings.
Wainwright has yet to officially announce whether he will return for the 2023 season, but hinted that he has decided on his status, as reported by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Regardless, Wainwright is expected to release something soon, with the veteran saying postgame that “we should know pretty soon if something happens … if not, then it’s been a good run.” The 17-year veteran added that he did not “like not pitching in a playoff season,” before coyly saying that fans could take the statement one of two ways, “as it’s been a good run” or “as a motivation to never let that happen again,” per Goold.
The Cardinals’ other high-profile free agent Nolan Arenado is technically under contract through the 2027 season; however, he can opt out this offseason. Acquired from the Rockies in February 2021, Arenado has posted back-to-back All-Star seasons with the Cardinals, slashing a combined .273/.335/.513 while playing superb defense at the hot corner (30 Outs Above Average). Arenado’s 2022 season has been particularly strong, batting .293/.358/.533 with 30 homers and 15 Outs Above Average.
Arenado has $144MM and five years remaining on his current contract, but he would be the clear-cut top third basemen on the free agent market. For his part, Arenado has previously stated that he’s “not opting out” and that he “will be coming back,” per Goold. He followed up these comments after yesterday’s game saying, “I love it here. I love the guys. I just feel like I fit well with this orgnaization.” Nevertheless, the seven-time All-Star will be 37 at the end of his current contract and may opt to find a longer agreement.
Elsewhere on the Cardinals, 19-year veteran Yadier Molina and 22-year veteran Albert Pujols are set to retire with the close of the 2022 season. Both legends in Cardinals’ lore, the duo won World Series titles with the Cardinals in 2006 and 2011, among numerous other awards throughout their careers. In a fitting moment, both players laced singles in their final at-bats at Busch Stadium.
Injury Notes: Nick Sandlin, George Springer
Guardians righty Nick Sandlin departed yesterday’s win over the Rays with right upper arm tightness, reported by Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal. Sandlin has a small history of shoulder problems, missing the last month of the 2021 season with a right shoulder strain, but it is unclear of the exact nature of his new ailment.
Sandlin, playing in his second major league season, improved upon his strong rookie season (2.94 ERA in 33 2/3 innings) and pitched to a robust 2.25 ERA in 46 appearances this season, allowing only 2 homers in 44 innings pitched. He has been particularly tough on right-handed hitters, holding them to a measly .149/.265/.238 line.
With the Guardians earning a trip to the ALDS following their two-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays, Sandlin will have two days to recover before facing the New York Yankees. If he is unable to return to the field, right-handed Aaron Civale, a notable omission from the Wild Card roster, is a possible candidate to replace him on the postseason roster.
In other Wild Card series injury news, Blue Jays outfielder George Springer was carted off the field in yesterday’s game following a collision with shortstop Bo Bichette in the eighth inning. Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider said in his postgame conference that the All-Star center fielder, who signed a six-year, $150MM contract with the Jays prior to the 2021 season, was “doing ok” and that Springer was going to “be evaluated for a couple of different things,” per Julia Kreuz of MLB.com. Schneider followed up by saying that the team would know more about Springer’s injury in the next few days.
Springer has had another successful year, slashing .267/.342/.472 en route to his fourth All-Star game appearance while playing slightly above average defense in center, earning one Outs Above Average. With the Jays ending their 2022 season following yesterday’s defeat to the Mariners, Springer will have a few months to recover before the start of the 2023 season.