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Aaron Judge Says He’ll Be Ready For Opening Day

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Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge appears to be a full go as Summer Camp opens. He told reporters including James Wagner of the New York Times (Twitter link) that he’s ready for action and preparing for Opening Day.

Judge’s health likely would’ve been a big storyline and major area of uncertainty for the Yanks had the season gotten underway as normal. But when the pandemic put things on ice, Judge had a chance for a lengthy respite to heal from nettlesome rib injury that originally took quite some time to diagnose.

While camp just got started, it’s just over two weeks until baseball’s bizarre 2020 season will be rolling. The quick ramp creates a bit of added concern, but Judge indicated he has already been hitting and putting himself through the paces before reporting for the second preparatory phase of the year.

If indeed Judge — and some other notable Yankees — are fully healed up, they’ll make for an immensely imposing lineup. The short season is generally disadvantageous to the most talented teams, since shorter swings of fortune will create more opportunities for other organizations. Then again, it also means the loaded Yanks roster will not have to endure as long of a grind before launching a hopeful postseason run.

Kole Calhoun Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Diamondbacks outfielder Kole Calhoun has tested positive for COVID-19, manager Torey Lovullo announced Monday (via Zach Buchanan of The Athletic). Fortunately, Calhoun’s asymptomatic and doing well, per Lovullo. Whether Calhoun will be ready for the start of the regular season is unclear, though, as he’ll have to quarantine for two weeks and test negative for the virus twice before returning to action.

A member of the Angels from 2012-19, Calhoun joined the Diamondbacks in free agency on a two-year, $16MM guarantee over the winter. The 32-year-old will bring a lifetime line of .249/.322/.424 and the strong right field defense he’s known for whenever he makes his Diamondbacks debut. The club has the likes of Ildemaro Vargas, Jon Jay, Tim Locastro and Josh Rojas among its potential outfield options in the event Calhoun does miss time.

Calhoun’s the third known member of the D-backs’ roster to test positive for the virus, joining pitchers Junior Guerra and Silvino Bracho. But they’re just a few of several individuals in the organization who have tested positive, while starter Mike Leake opted out of the season altogether because of health concerns.

Steve Cohen Expected To Reenter Mets Bidding

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Move over, A-Rod/J.Lo? Steve Cohen, whose prior deal with the Mets collapsed, is evidently lurking for a second attempt. Thornton McEnery of the New York Post reports that the billionaire is preparing to participate in the first round of bidding.

Cohen had an agreement all but locked up with the existing Wilpon ownership group. But the unusual accord left substantial control rights with the Wilpons for a period of time and the sides ultimately came to disagree over how the transition would occur.

That original pact fell apart in early February, making for an inopportune timeline for the Wilpons. Cohen was (and is) a minority owners of the club; talks with him occurred without a broader bidding process. So when things collapsed, there wasn’t another party to turn to. And then came the coronavirus pandemic.

While there are multiple parties showing real interest in pursuing the franchise, there’s no indication to this point that a serious bidding war is underway. Cohen is said to have been “monitoring” the situation and still seems to be far and away the most qualified bidder. The Wilpons are reportedly asking for $2B — well less than what they would’ve originally received from Cohen — and don’t appear to have much hope of reaching that figure unless he jumps back into the picture.

MLB, MLBPA Seeking Additional Medical Lab Site For COVID Testing

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COVID-19 test results haven’t come in at an acceptable rate for several Major League Baseball teams early in Summer Camp. The slow process has negatively affected the Athletics, Angels, Astros and Nationals, though MLB expressed confidence Monday that it won’t be an issue going forward.

For its part, the MLBPA sent a memo to player agents Monday saying that it and the league are “actively pursuing an additional medical lab site to increase the speed and efficiency of test processing and reporting,” Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets.

It’s a common-sense move to work to expedite the process of receiving test results, considering the season is supposed to start in under three weeks and players are expected to undergo testing every day. A player who tests positive for the coronavirus is required to quarantine for two weeks, and he must test negative twice and exhibit no symptoms before he’s able to rejoin his team. With only 60 games scheduled for each club this regular season, it’s all the more crucial for everyone involved to find out test results as quickly as possible.

MLB Releases 2020 Schedule

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Even as it deals with early coronavirus testing stumbles, Major League Baseball has unveiled significant aspects of its 2020 schedule. You can find the full slate at MLB.com.

As is evident from a brief scan of the schedules, this won’t be a typical season. Even beyond the shortened format, there’s a notable realignment of the regular season. Opening Day is July 23rd.

Two-thirds of the contests will occur against division rivals, but each of those series will be unbalanced in terms of the home-park mix. The remainder of the contests are interleague affairs between teams of corresponding geographic divisions.

Teams are releasing information in a bit of an ad hoc manner, it appears, with MLB Network revealing the series matchups and clubs following up with specific dates and times. Obviously there could be quite a lot of modification as the season goes on, depending upon the course of the coronavirus pandemic in various localities.

Jimmy Nelson To Undergo Back Surgery

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Dodgers righty Jimmy Nelson is slated to undergo lower back surgery tomorrow, the team announced (h/t J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group, via Twitter). Precise details of the procedure aren’t yet known, but it’s expected to sideline Nelson for all of the 2020 season, per MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick (Twitter link).

Nelson had signed on with the Los Angeles organization in hopes of launching a comeback. Once a high-quality young hurler, he had fallen prey to arm issues in recent years. The 30-year-old dealt with some back and groin issues during camp and evidently was not able to overcome them during the leaguewide shutdown.

The deal that Nelson inked with the Dodgers certainly contemplated both upside and downside scenarios. He was promised just $750K in the pact, but could’ve earned another $2MM in roster bonuses alone. His deal came with a floating-value club option that will now end up being priced at the minimum $2MM.

It seems unlikely that the Dodgers will end up picking up that option at that price, but perhaps that can’t be ruled out entirely. If not, he’ll end up going back onto the open market after rehabbing yet another significant injury. Odds are, Nelson will be looking at minor-league offers over the coming offseason.

Dombrowski, La Russa, Stewart Join Nashville Franchise Effort

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A trio of heavy-hitting veteran MLB executives is looking for a new angle back into the game, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter links). Dave Dombrowski, Tony La Russa, and  Dave Stewart are all now united in a potential bid for a new venture.

That notable group is said to be joining Music City Baseball, LLC to aid in a dedicated effort at bringing Major League Baseball to Nashville, Tennessee. Precisely what role each will occupy at this point isn’t clear, but the long-time baseball insiders certainly bring some gravitas and connections to the bid. They’re currently listed as advisors to the undertaking, with Stewart also tabbed as a board member.

The group is said to be attempting to compile an African American majority ownership group. Negro League Hall of Fame president Bob Kendrick is another board member of note. R.A. Dickey, Barry Zito, and Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin also rank as “baseball advisors.” The organization lists real estate executive John Loar as managing director and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as Chairman of the Board.

Nashville is currently home to the Triple-A Sounds, the top affiliate of the Texas Rangers. That club has also engaged in talks with MLB about potentially hosting a satellite league for unsigned players in 2020. Nashville, of course, already hosts the NFL’s Titans and NHL’s Predators.

There certainly appears to be some upcoming opportunity for Nashville to grab a MLB franchise. Some existing clubs are dealing with ballpark issues and could conceivably be candidates to move. More likely is the possibility of expansion, particularly as the league looks for ways to boost revenue to help deal with the lost opportunity this year. Nashville would appear to rate as one of the most desirable potential landing spots for a new ballclub if the league decides to add another pair of outfits.

MLB Issues Statement On Testing Delays

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Major League Baseball has released a statement regarding the delays in COVID-19 testing that have hamstrung the efforts of several teams to prepare for the season. The league acknowledged the issue but says it expects to iron things out moving forward.

While several teams are presently missing or delaying workouts owing to testing delays, MLB claims that “more than 95% of the tests under the Intake Screening period have been conducted, analyzed, and shared.” That leaves a not-inconsequential number of players and others that still haven’t passed the initial gate.

The league defended its overall handling of the early rounds of testing. On those samples that haven’t yet been tested, the league offered an explanation that seemed to contain a bit of an internal contradiction: “Unfortunately, several situations included unforeseen delays.  We have addressed the delays caused by the holiday weekend and do not expect a recurrence.”

No doubt the league tried its best to avoid these testing snafus. And MLB notes its appreciation for “the great cooperation from the players as well as the hard work of the Clubs and many internal and external staff members under these challenging circumstances.”

But this is a results-oriented matter. While some early difficulties aren’t surprising, that doesn’t minimize the concern with the halting lab work. Preparing for and playing the 2020 season in a safe and logistically workable manner will require a smooth and efficient management of the coronavirus. It’ll be necessary to settle into a groove sooner than later.

Joey Gallo Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Rangers slugger Joey Gallo has tested positive for COVID-19, general manager Jon Daniels tells reporters (Twitter link via Levi Weaver of The Athletic). Gallo initially tested positive back on June 29, per Daniels. And while he had one negative test in the days thereafter, a second and more recent test again came back positive. Gallo is presently asymptomatic, thankfully, but he’ll need two consecutive negative tests, with more than 24 hours separating them, before he’s cleared to report to Rangers Summer Camp.

Gallo’s most recent test on July 2 came back negative yesterday, per Weaver, so despite the fact that he’s not showing symptoms at the moment, it appears he’ll be out at least several more days. Gallo joins lefty reliever Brett Martin as the Rangers’ second known positive test case. Martin, who is diabetic, tested positive last week and has been showing what the team termed “mild” symptoms.

The 26-year-old Gallo has emerged as the centerpiece of the Rangers lineup. The 26-year-old turned in consecutive 40+ home run seasons in 2017 and 2018 before reaching new heights in an injury-shortened 2019 campaign. In 297 plate appearances last year, he swatted 22 long balls and posted a .253/.389/.598 batting line — all while delivering highly rated glovework in center and left field.

Needless to say, the Texas organization is hopeful that Gallo will knock out his infection and make it into Summer Camp soon. If all goes well, he won’t exhibit any deleterious reaction and could perhaps even ready for the start of the 2020 season.

Brandon Guyer Announces Retirement

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Veteran outfielder Brandon Guyer announced his retirement as a player on Monday. In a statement to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link), Guyer wrote:

As I sit here and think about my baseball journey, I am so grateful for the life baseball has given me. I met my wife and raised three children in the game, made friendships that will last a lifetime, played on some amazing teams, and traveled the world making memories. None of it would have been possible without all my former teammates, coaches, trainers, friends, and family. Thank you all for being by my side during this amazing ride.

Guyer goes on to make clear that he isn’t walking away from the game entirely — just his time as a player. He’s launched an online training platform, FullyEquippedAthlete.com, and now strives to help shape the careers of a new generation of baseball players with that venture.

A veteran of seven Major League seasons, the now-34-year-old Guyer hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since 2018. He spent the 2019 season in the White Sox organization but was on the Triple-A injured list for most of the year, and he was cut loose by the Giants right around the time the league initially shut down. He’d signed a minor league pact with San Francisco over the winter.

Guyer split his career between the Rays and the Indians, tallying 517 games and 1487 plate appearances while hitting .250/.339/.388 with 32 home runs, 72 doubles, five triples and 22 stolen bases. While he was never a full-time outfielder, the right-handed-hitting Guyer was a constant thorn in the side for opposing lefties, as evidenced by a career .274/.376/.449 slash against them. Guyer was particularly adept at getting on base when holding the platoon advantage, in no small part due to his league-leading penchant for getting hit by pitches (as explored at great length by FanGraphs’ August Fagerstrom back in 2016). He was also a notable contributor in the Indians’ 2016 World Series run, going 6-for-18 with three RBIs, a double, four walks and, yes, a pair of hit-by-pitches that postseason.

The former fifth-round pick banked more than $7MM in his career (prior to agent fees, taxes, etc.) and will now step into a hands-on role in developing younger talents. Best wishes to Guyer in whatever the game has in store for him next.

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