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Mike Rizzo On Nats’ Extension Talks With Anthony Rendon

By Jeff Todd | July 3, 2019 at 6:41am CDT

It’s rather uncommon to see significant, mid-season extensions. And it emerged recently that the Nationals have not made recent headway in their efforts to strike a deal with star third baseman Anthony Rendon. But that doesn’t mean Nationals president of baseball operations/GM Mike Rizzo is giving up hope of a deal that keeps the key veteran with the organization and off of the open market.

In an appearance on The Racing Presidents podcast, Rizzo made clear that the club is “not going to stop” trying to reach agreement until Rendon provides “a definitive decision” one way or another. There continues to be keen interest on both sides, Rizzo suggests, and he still believes “there’s a deal to be had.”

While the Nats’ top baseball decisionmaker understandably did not get into details, he did say that the team has “made very respectful, very market value offers.” Rendon’s true value in an extension scenario remains debatable. The recent deal between the Rockies and Nolan Arenado (seven years, $234MM) undoubtedly represents a key data point for both sides to consider. No doubt the Nats would also point Rendon’s agent, Scott Boras, to the much more modest deal he negotiated with the Red Sox for Xander Bogaerts. That these and other significant players elected to forego free agency is also a factor in projecting what Rendon might take down on the open market, where he’ll stand out as one of few premium players.

It’s obviously going to be harder now to convince Rendon not to test the open market. He has finally been tabbed for an All-Star game after an exceptional start to the year; no doubt his prominence will rise yet further as less attentive observers realize that the game’s quietest star is nearing free agency.

“It all comes down to what makes it work and what entices him to sign with the Nationals and not go through the free agent process,” said Rizzo. “And it’s gotta make sense for us also.”

Whether the sides can arrive at a number that suits both remains to be seen. But it doesn’t seem the Nationals have wavered in their desire to add another big salary to the books. The club has been on a tear of late, bouncing back from a messy start to climb back to within six games of the division pace. And the team’s core — Rendon aside — remains under contract for the foreseeable future.

By all indications, Rizzo is preparing to act as a buyer this summer. But if the club again ends up in a bit of a gray area, he won’t have as much flexibility to change course in August. Asked about how the new trade deadline rules will impact the market, Rizzo says he expects it will “keep[] more teams in the mix” and produce “more activity before the [July] 31st deadline.” Though he says it won’t much impact the Nats — “when we see opportunities we usually jump on them and take them” — Rizzo does note that the changed rules only “give you one bite at the apple.”

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Washington Nationals Anthony Rendon

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Willie Calhoun Could Be Infield Possibility For Rangers

By Connor Byrne | July 3, 2019 at 1:48am CDT

Willie Calhoun was primarily a second baseman during his days as a touted Dodgers prospect, but he has shifted to the outfield since the Rangers acquired him for Yu Darvish in 2017. Calhoun did man the keystone three times earlier this season in Triple-A ball, though, and now the Rangers are exploring using him in their infield, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

The 24-year-old Calhoun spent about 20 minutes working at second with infield coach Tony Beasley before the Rangers’ game against the Angels on Monday, according to Grant. Beasley wants it to become a regular occurrence for Calhoun, who Grant notes lost 30 pounds during the offseason and is now more equipped to line up in the infield. He could become an option at both second and third for the Rangers.

The way the slimmed-down Calhoun’s hitting, his bat will play at any position. It’s a small sample of 71 plate appearances, though Calhoun’s slashing a terrific .313/.352/.567 (134 wRC+) with four home runs in the majors this year. He has also raked in 2019 with Triple-A Nashville, having hit .302/.417/.540 (137 wRC+) with eight HRs in 152 tries.

For the most part, Calhoun has played left field for the playoff-contending Rangers. However, a healthy Rangers team has a vast selection of other outfield choices, including Joey Gallo, Nomar Mazara, Shin-Soo Choo, Hunter Pence (on the injured list at present), Danny Santana and Delino DeShields. Meanwhile, the Rangers haven’t gotten stellar overall production from second or third – two places they could potentially squeeze Calhoun’s bat into the lineup.

Second baseman Rougned Odor has posted cataclysmic numbers this year, though he has inched toward respectability of late (.746 OPS in June). The Rangers would have an easier time moving on from struggling third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera than Odor – something Grant raised as a possibility last week. Cabrera, whom the Rangers signed to a one-year, $3.5MM contract in free agency, has batted .228/.310/.406 (82 wRC+) with minus-5 Defensive Runs Saved over 287 PA. Fellow veteran Logan Forsythe has been the more productive of the two, but he stumbled to a single-digit wRC+ (9) in 57 PA last month.

Even if the Rangers don’t believe Calhoun’s ready for regular infield duty this year, it could become a possibility in 2020. Both Cabrera and Forsythe seem likely to be out of Texas by then, which will leave the Rangers looking for an answer at the hot corner.

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Texas Rangers Willie Calhoun

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Twins To Place Jake Odorizzi On Injured List

By Connor Byrne | July 3, 2019 at 1:07am CDT

Twins All-Star right-hander Jake Odorizzi is headed to the injured list with a blister, Dan Hayes of The Athletic tweets. The issue should only shelve Odorizzi for one start, however. They’ll recall righty Zack Littell from Triple-A Rochester to take Odorizzi’s 25-man roster spot.

Odorizzi’s blister helped force him out of the Twins’ loss to the Athletics on Tuesday after he threw just three innings. He yielded six runs (five earned) on three hits, including two home runs, with three walks against two strikeouts. Odorizzi has now gone four outings in a row without posting a quality start, thereby raising his ERA from a near-spotless 1.92 on June 9 to 3.15 in less than a month.

Recent problems notwithstanding, this has been an impressive contract year for Odorizzi, who has helped pitch the Twins to a 53-31 record and a seven-game lead in the AL Central. The 29-year-old has capitalized on an increase in velocity to log a career-high 9.74 K/9 (against 3.05 BB/9) and a personal-best 3.59 FIP in 88 2/3 innings. While Odorizzi continues showing an aversion to grounders, he has largely avoided HRs. That hasn’t been the case during his recent slide, though, and now he’ll take a short breather.

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Minnesota Twins Jake Odorizzi

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Zack Wheeler Rumors: Yankees, Braves, Brewers

By Connor Byrne | July 3, 2019 at 12:16am CDT

Trades between the Yankees and Mets have been rare during the crosstown rivals’ histories. The clubs have made just 15 deals since 1966, in fact, but we might see No. 16 this summer. With the starter-needy Yankees pushing for a World Series and the Mets looking like non-contenders, the New York franchises could come together on a trade for soon-to-be free-agent right-hander Zack Wheeler this month. The Yankees are already known to like Wheeler, and the Mets wouldn’t be averse to sending him to the Bronx, Andy Martino of SNY.tv says.

The Mets are more focused on getting the best offer for Wheeler than where they’d trade him. But the Yankees are sure to face plenty of competition for Wheeler if they do make an earnest attempt to pull him in before the July 31 deadline. Martino names Atlanta and Milwaukee as just a couple other teams with interest in the 29-year-old. The Brewers were “enamored” of Wheeler’s upside as recently as last offseason, per Marc Carig of The Athletic (subscription link).

The heat-throwing Wheeler put on a show for an array of scouts Tuesday when he handled, of all teams, the Yankees. Wheeler fanned eight over 6 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and a walk. He’s still running an uninspiring 4.42 ERA through 114 frames this season, up significantly from last year’s 3.31. It hasn’t helped that Wheeler has pitched in front of a dreadful defense, though, and the rest of his output is far more promising than his simple run prevention numbers. Wheeler has struck out 9.71 batters per nine while walking 2.53, giving him an outstanding 3.71 K/BB ratio. He’s also inducing grounders at a 45.3 percent clip and infield flies 14 percent of the time – the latter of which ranks 13th among qualified starters.

Adding to Wheeler’s appeal, he’s on a $5.975MM salary that every contender should be able to afford. It appears he’ll join Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner as one of the top two rental starters available in July, barring a miraculous Mets turnaround. The Mets have won two in a row, though they’re still just 39-47 and six games out in a jam-packed National League playoff race. Assuming New York elects to sell, dealing Wheeler would give the team a chance to replenish its lackluster farm system to at least some degree. The Mets just may be able to do that at the Yankees’ expense.

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Atlanta Braves Milwaukee Brewers New York Mets New York Yankees Zack Wheeler

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Yangervis Solarte Will Reportedly Sign With Japanese Team

By Connor Byrne | July 2, 2019 at 11:53pm CDT

Veteran infielder/outfielder Yangervis Solarte is less than a month into his Marlins tenure, but it appears it’s already over. Solarte is set to sign with a Japanese team, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports. The minor league deal Solarte inked with the Marlins on June 7 gives him the right to pursue opportunities in Asia, per Frisaro.

Solarte caught on with Miami a couple weeks after San Francisco released him. The switch-hitting Solarte wound up slashing .314/.345/.451 (93 wRC+) with one home run in 55 plate appearances as a member of the Marlins’ Triple-A team in New Orleans.

Now 31 years old, Solarte has appeared in the majors with four different clubs – the Yankees, Padres and Blue Jays prior to the Giants – since debuting in 2014. While Solarte was a useful offensive contributor earlier in his career, his numbers have cratered over the past couple seasons. He struggled enough with the Jays in 2018 for them to non-tender him, and even though Solarte parlayed a minors pact with the Giants into a season-opening roster spot this year, his production worsened.

Dating back to 2018, Solarte has batted a dreary .224/.273/.370 (72 wRC+) with 18 home runs and minus-1.6 fWAR in 584 major league attempts. It now appears if Solarte’s ever going to resurface in the bigs, he’ll first have to revive his career in Japan.

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Miami Marlins Transactions Yangervis Solarte

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MLB Draft Signings: 7/2/19

By Connor Byrne | July 2, 2019 at 11:31pm CDT

Here’s a look at the latest noteworthy draft signings, with the newest moves at the top of the post.  Click here for the full list of slot values and draft pool bonuses, and you can find prospect rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America’s Top 500,  Fangraphs’ Top 200, MLB.com’s Top 200, and the Top 50 of ESPN.com’s Keith Law….

  • The Rockies have agreed to sign sign second-round right-hander Karl Kauffmann, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. Kauffmann’s pick (No. 77) came with an assigned slot value of $805,600, and that’s just what he’ll receive, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). Callis and colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked the 21-year-old Kauffmann as the 110th-best player available entering the draft, crediting the ex-Michigan standout with “one of the livelier fastballs in the college ranks.” His fastball sits between 91 and 94 mph, though it’s capable of hitting 96, and he showed an ability to maintain his velocity deep in games with the Wolverines. Kauffmann complements his heater with a good changeup and an inconsistent slider, per Callis and Mayo, who write he possesses “a relatively high floor.”
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2019 MLB Draft Signings Colorado Rockies Notes

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17 Above Average Hitters Who Could Be Available This Month

By Tim Dierkes | July 2, 2019 at 10:30pm CDT

Looking to trade for an impact bat this month?  Options are limited, but here are 17 position players who are projected by Steamer to post a weighted on-base average of at least .321 (the American League non-pitcher average mark) from here on out.

First Basemen/Designated Hitters

  • Jose Abreu, White Sox (.351 projected wOBA) – As a player about to hit free agency on a non-contending team, you’d think Abreu would be a prime candidate to be traded by the White Sox.  However, interest is mutual in keeping the 32-year-old in Chicago, and that seems the most likely outcome.
  • Brandon Belt, Giants (.347) – Though underpowered for his position, Belt gets on base and can still help an offense.  The obstacle to a trade is his contract, which still has more than $37MM remaining through 2021.  He also has a limited no-trade clause that allows him to block deals to ten teams.
  • Justin Smoak, Blue Jays (.347) – Smoak is best utilized in a platoon, since he doesn’t hit well against left-handed pitching.  He’ll have less than $3MM left on his contract at the trade deadline and is a strong candidate to be traded.
  • Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (.345) – Cabrera’s power hasn’t shown up this season, and he’ll require a DH spot.  But the real impediment is the $142MM owed to him through 2023, plus a full no-trade clause.  It seems impossible the Tigers could find a way to unload that contract, even if an accomplished veteran hitter like Cabrera could help a contender.

Outfielders

  • Yasiel Puig, Reds (.348) – As rough as Puig’s year has been, from May 3rd onward he’s hitting .275/.335/.534 in 194 plate appearances.  A case could be made that he’s the best hitter available this month, though with playoff odds of 6.9%, the Reds might hang around just enough to prevent a Puig trade.  He’s a free agent after the season.
  • Michael Conforto, Mets (.347) – The Mets have similar playoff odds to the Reds, and may be reluctant to punt on their season unless that changes.  Even then, trading the 26-year-old Conforto with two years of control remaining seems unlikely.
  • Nicholas Castellanos, Tigers (.344) – A free agent after the season, Castellanos is very likely to be traded this month.  At the deadline he’ll have about $3.3MM left on his contract.  Castellanos continues to struggle defensively, but he’s clearly an above-average hitter.
  • Trey Mancini, Orioles (.334) – Mancini, 27, is having what appears to be a breakout year and probably should have represented the Orioles at the All-Star Game.  He’s controlled through 2022, so the Orioles should be in no rush to trade him if the offers aren’t impressive.  But teams seeking a controllable corner outfielder/first baseman will certainly be calling on Mancini.
  • Jorge Soler, Royals (.333) – Perhaps the most remarkable stat about the oft-injured Soler is that he’s played in every single Royals game this year.  A healthy amount of time at DH plays a part in that.  Soler could wind up with 40 home runs if he stays healthy, though he’s not hitting for average or drawing walks this year.  He still brings undeniable right-handed power, and he’s controlled through 2021.
  • Starling Marte, Pirates (.333) – Since returning from a collision-related injury on April 30th, Marte is hitting .295/.340/.485 in 257 plate appearances.  He’s also the only player here who profiles as a regular in center field.  Marte can be controlled affordably through 2021.  However, the Pirates don’t seem inclined to give up on their season, so Marte and the rest of their outfielders will probably stay put.
  • Mitch Haniger, Mariners (.329) – Haniger, recovering from a ruptured testicle, is not expected back until after the All-Star break.  The Mariners control him through 2022 and seem unlikely to rush him back in late July to make such a crucial trade.
  • Domingo Santana, Mariners (.327) – Santana has two years of control remaining, and the Mariners will likely prefer to keep him in their outfield with Haniger as they try to contend in the near future.  But with Jerry Dipoto at the helm, I had to list Santana here.
  • Corey Dickerson, Pirates (.323)
  • Melky Cabrera, Pirates (.321)

Infielders

  • Derek Dietrich, Reds (.329) – As with Puig, the Reds may be close enough to contention (and the offers unimpressive enough) that they ride with the players they have rather than execute a sell-off.  But with Scooter Gennett back, the Reds could at least consider trading him or Dietrich this month.
  • Tommy La Stella, Angels (.321) – The Angels’ surprising All-Star is under team control only through next year, and the club’s playoff odds sit at 2.2%.  Given that La Stella only just hit his way out of bench duty with a stellar half-season, the Halos would likely have a hard time cashing him in for notable prospects.
  • Wilson Ramos, Mets (.321) – If you’re seeking an offensive-minded catcher, Ramos is your guy.  The Mets could try to unload the $13.5MM still left on his contract, though they’d have to hand over the reins to Tomas Nido full-time at least for the rest of the season.
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MLBTR Originals

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Injury Notes: Carpenter, Hamels, Athletics, Pence

By Connor Byrne | July 2, 2019 at 10:24pm CDT

The Cardinals placed third baseman Matt Carpenter on the injured list Tuesday because of lower back spasms, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. They recalled reliever John Brebbia from Triple-A Memphis to take Carpenter’s roster spot. Expectations are Carpenter will return July 12, the first game of the season’s second half, as Mark Saxon of The Athletic tweets. Injury aside, the normally excellent Carpenter is one of several Cardinals to come up short of expectations so far in 2019. The 33-year-old’s off to a .216/.325/.381 start (90 wRC+) with 10 home runs in 326 plate appearances, putting him on pace to fall way shy of last season’s 36-HR outburst. Carpenter hasn’t started since last Tuesday, which has left third base to Tommy Edman and Yairo Munoz over the past week.

Here’s more on a few other notable injury situations…

  • The Cubs seem to have dodged a worst-case scenario with injured southpaw Cole Hamels, who suffered a strained left oblique last Friday. Manager Joe Maddon revealed Tuesday that Hamels is “feeling a lot better quicker than we anticipated,” adding the 35-year-old’s MRI delivered positive results (via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times). However, there’s still no timetable for the return of Hamels, who has joined the just-returned Kyle Hendricks as one of the Cubs’ top two starters this season.
  • A right knee sprain forced Athletics right fielder Stephen Piscotty to the IL last Sunday. While an MRI didn’t show a tear, Piscotty could still miss a month of action, according to manager Bob Melvin (via Martin Gallegos of MLB.com). Meanwhile, the Athletics finally activated catcher Chris Herrmann from the IL on Tuesday. Herrmann hasn’t gotten to play for the A’s yet since signing a one-year, $1MM deal with the team in the offseason, having undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in early March. Oakland optioned fellow backstop Beau Taylor to Triple-A Las Vegas to clear a 25-man spot for Herrmann and moved injured catcher Nick Hundley to the 60-day IL to open up 40-man space.
  • Rangers All-Star designated hitter/outfielder Hunter Pence suffered a setback during his minor league rehab game Monday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. There’s no new injury for Pence, who has been out since June 17 with a right groin strain, though it’s now possible he won’t be healthy enough to participate in the All-Star Game. Manager Chris Woodward said Tuesday that Pence is unlikely to return until after the break, but he could still get an at-bat in the Midsummer Classic.
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Chicago Cubs Notes Oakland Athletics St. Louis Cardinals Texas Rangers Chris Herrmann Cole Hamels Hunter Pence Matt Carpenter Nick Hundley Stephen Piscotty

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Dilson Herrera Opts Out Of Mets Contract

By Connor Byrne | July 2, 2019 at 10:04pm CDT

Infielder Dilson Herrera has opted out of his minor league contract with the Mets, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. Herrera had been with the team since late November.

This ends Herrera’s second stint as a member of the Mets, who originally acquired him from the Pirates in a 2013 trade involving outfielder Marlon Byrd and catcher John Buck. Herrera was a well-regarded prospect at the time who continued climbing up lists after the deal, but shoulder problems stunted his development and hastened his departure from the Mets. They traded Herrera to the Reds for outfielder Jay Bruce in August 2016, after the former had collected just 169 plate appearances in a New York uniform.

Herrera was a member of the Cincinnati organization until rejoining the Mets last winter. He only collected 97 trips to the plate as a Red, all last season, and owns a .203/.293/.394 line with a 91 wRC+ and 11 home runs in 266 major league attempts. The 25-year-old has been much more productive in Triple-A ball, where he has slashed .285/.350/.477 with 57 HRs in 1,561 attempts. Herrera added 17 of those homers this year as a member of the the Mets’ top affiliate in Syracuse and batted .258/.355/.566 (126 wRC+) in 256 PA.

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New York Mets Transactions Dilson Herrera

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The Surprisingly Disappointing Paul Goldschmidt

By Connor Byrne | July 2, 2019 at 9:25pm CDT

There haven’t been many better major leaguers than first baseman Paul Goldschmidt since he made his debut with the Diamondbacks in 2011. From Goldschmidt’s first big league at-bat through last season, he slashed .297/.398/.532 with 209 home runs in 4,708 plate appearances and showed off rare athleticism for his position, adding 124 stolen bases. During his first seven-plus years in the bigs, Goldschmidt tied for sixth in wRC+ (144) and ranked ninth in fWAR (36.2). Goldschmidt did a large portion of that damage on a sweetheart contract for Arizona, which signed him to a five-year, $32MM guarantee entering 2013. When the club made that commitment to Goldschmidt, he was about to begin his first of six straight All-Star seasons.

With Goldschmidt on the brink of a contract year in 2019, he understandably wasn’t going to take a discount this time. And the Diamondbacks weren’t willing to splurge on Goldschmidt, even though he’s a franchise icon, prior to his age-31 season. As a result, the Diamondbacks made the difficult decision to trade Goldschmidt to the Cardinals last December for three players – right-hander Luke Weaver, catcher Carson Kelly and infielder Andy Young – as well as a draft pick after Competitive Balance Round B. It looked like a solid haul at the time for one year of Goldschmidt, and indeed, Weaver and Kelly have impressed this year in the desert.

The Cardinals, who missed the playoffs in each of the previous three years, thought the Goldschmidt acquisition would inject new life into their lineup. The team was thrilled to reel in Goldschmidt, who finally got his enormous payday with a five-year, $130MM extension on the cusp of the season. So far, though, it hasn’t looked like a great allocation of funds. Goldschmidt has underwhelmed enough that he won’t be an All-Star this year, and the Redbirds have consistently taken one step forward and another back en route to a 41-41 record.

St. Louis’ offense ranks 21st in the majors in both runs and and wRC+. After adding one of the premier hitters of the past decade, the club expected much better. Goldschmidt hasn’t done a lot to help matters with his .246/.336/.405 line and 98 wRC+ through 352 plate appearances. While Goldschmidt has slugged 14 home runs, three came in the Cardinals’ second game of the season, when it looked like the start of an ideal match between him and the team.

On its surface, Goldschmidt’s middling production doesn’t mean this is the beginning of the end of an illustrious career. Just last year, he struggled through May before going on a three-month tear to restore his numbers. That said, it would be reasonable to sound some concern over Goldschmidt’s issues this year.

While Goldschmidt put up an expected weighted on-base average of .367 to .404 from 2015-18 – the first four seasons of the Statcast era – he’s down to .343 in that category this season. Granted, that’s definitely not awful – it ranks in the league’s 62nd percentile – though it’s not befitting of the superstar we’ve grown accustomed to watching. Moreover, a high batting average has always been a calling card for Goldschmidt, who’s a lifetime .294 hitter in part because he has registered a .351 BABIP in the majors. Goldschmidt’s BABIP this season has dropped to .302, which could be a sign of bad luck on its face, yet there’s almost no gap between his .246 average/.248 expected BA in 2019. He’s also walking less than he has since 2011, albeit at a still-solid 11.4 percent clip, while chasing more out-of-zone pitches than ever and making less in-zone contact than he has in any season but his rookie introduction.

Less contact on strikes has led to less power for Goldschmidt, who has limped to a .159 ISO thus far. That’s a 75-point drop in comparison to 2011-18 (.234) and a below-average mark relative to the league (.180). Going back to 2018, Goldschmidt showed power all over the strike zone, including on the inner and outer halves of the plate. This year, though, those pitches have largely thrown him for a loop.

When Goldschmidt has gotten on base this season, his long-established ability to steal has been nonexistent. Goldschmidt has swiped at least 15 bags in five seasons, though that number dipped to seven last year and has fallen to zero in 2019. He has only attempted to steal once, in fact, likely because his top speed has waned. Goldschmidt’s sprint speed has gradually come down in recent years and only ranks in the game’s 37th percentile, per Statcast.

Three months into Goldschmidt’s Cardinals career, it’s much too soon to say this type of production is his new normal. Frankly, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Goldschmidt go on a vintage run in the coming months. Considering the Cardinals’ place in this year’s NL postseason chase, not to mention the $22MM per annum they owe Goldschmidt through 2024, they need a rebound from their franchise player sooner than later.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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MLBTR Originals St. Louis Cardinals Paul Goldschmidt

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