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MLB Issues Four-Game Suspension To Pirates’ Dennis Santana

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June 29: As relayed by Alex Stumpf of MLB.com, Santana’s suspension has been reduced to three games following the appeal and he’s expected to begin serving it today.

June 20: Major League Baseball has imposed a four-game suspension on Pirates reliever Dennis Santana for “aggressive conduct toward a fan” during the second game of yesterday’s doubleheader in Detroit. Santana, who was also fined an undisclosed amount, elected to appeal. He remains on the roster pending the result of that process.

Santana was in the bullpen last night when he got into a spat with a heckler in the first row. He jumped and took a swipe at the fan, though he didn’t appear to make contact (social media video). The fan was removed by Comerica Park security. Santana was not ejected and was called upon in the ninth inning. He recorded one out before the game went into a rain delay that led the Pirates to remove him rather than risk warming him back up.

After the game, Santana told the Pittsburgh beat via an interpreter that the fan had “crossed a line.” He declined to provide any more specifics (link via Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Santana conceded that did not “justify (his) actions” and said he’d already expressed regret to manager Don Kelly. “You guys know me and I’m a calm demeanor type of person,” he told reporters. “I’ve never had any issues with any of the teams that I’ve played for and I guess the guy crossed the line a few times. I would not like to go into it.”

A waiver claim from the Yankees last June, Santana has been quietly excellent over a full calendar year since landing in Pittsburgh. He owns a 1.72 ERA with five saves and nine holds through 32 appearances this season. Santana has a year and a half of remaining arbitration control and should be a solid trade chip as the Pirates approach deadline season as clear sellers.

Latest On Luis Severino

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Luis Severino is scheduled to take the mound for the Athletics later today, and he certainly seems to be relieved that this start will come on the road. Severino recently went public with criticism of the team’s stadium situation. After departing the Coliseum in Oakland at the end of the 2024 campaign, the A’s have temporarily moved into Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, the home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. Severino compared the feeling of pitching at his current home ballpark to a Spring Training game, as noted by Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

“Because we play in a big-league stadium on the road,” Severino said when asked why his road splits are significantly stronger than his home numbers, as relayed by Kuty. “We don’t have that at home right now. It’s not the same. It’s not the same atmosphere. We don’t have a lot of fans. Our clubhouse is in left field. So, when we play day games, we have to just be in the sun. There’s no air conditioning there, too. It’s really tough.”

If those home/road splits are anything to go by, it’s hard to disagree with Severino that he’s been impacted by the new stadium situation. The right-hander has looked solid in seven road starts with a sparkling 2.27 ERA, but that same figure balloons up to 6.79 when looking at his ten starts in Sacramento. Aside from the criticism Severino mentioned in the above quote, it’s undeniably that Sutter Health Park heavily favors hitters. According to Statcast, it has an overall park factor of 112 this year, making it the most offense-friendly ballpark in the majors ahead of Coors Field (111) and Camden Yards (110). The environment is only likely to improve further for hitters as the summer continues, with temperatures sure to continue rising in a park that has little protection from the sun.

Severino’s comments seem to have been noticed by Athletics brass, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Nightengale writes that the A’s “can’t wait” to trade Severino after his recent comments about the ballpark in Sacramento. For a 34-51 ballclub like the A’s, a seemingly unhappy veteran starting pitcher who might welcome a change of scenery would seem like a no-brainer as a trade candidate on the surface. That’s especially true given the fact that many clubs, even including some buried in the standing like the Orioles, are still holding out hope that they might be able to fight their way back into the postseason picture before the season comes to a close. That lack of surefire sellers is sure to limit the supply of quality arms on the market, and it’s easy to see why the A’s might want to take advantage.

With all of that being said, there’s some very clear obstacles standing in the way of a Severino trade actually coming together. Severino’s numbers are undeniably lackluster, with a 4.83 ERA and 4.00 FIP to this point in the season, While his ERA is much better on the road, his already weak 15.5% strikeout rate is actually even lower (12.9%) on the road this year. He’s also posting the lowest ground ball rate of his career, and his 7.7% home run to fly ball ratio is far below his career norms in spite of calling the bandbox that is Sutter Health Park home. Severino’s 4.73 SIERA is the seventh-worst figure among qualified starters this year, and rival clubs would be justified in proceeding cautiously regarding the righty.

Poor performance by itself isn’t enough to make a player an unrealistic trade candidate. Plenty of clubs are willing to buy low on players they think they could help turn things around, happy to pay a lower acquisition cost and bank on their own internal development to make up the difference in quality. That figures to be a much tougher sell with Severino specifically due to the nature of his contract. He’s set to make around $10MM for the remainder of the 2025 campaign, which is already a hefty price to pay for clubs with limited payroll space available. He’s then due $25MM guaranteed for 2026 and holds a $22MM player option for the 2027 season on top of that.

Perhaps taking on upwards of $57MM in salary over the next two-and-a-half seasons could be worth it for a team with money to spend and confidence that they can turn Severino into a reliable, playoff-caliber starter, but if Severino is healthy and successful in 2026 he’d be likely to simply opt out of the 2027 campaign entirely for another bite at the apple in free agency. It seems very unlikely that there will be a significant number of teams interested in taking on Severino for more than a marginal return without the A’s eating substantial money on the deal, and it’s unlikely that a team with competitive aspirations in the medium term and a $78MM payroll in 2025 (per RosterResource) would have much interest in taking on dead money.

Even if there was a deal to be made, it’s an open question whether or not it would actually behoove the A’s to make it. After all, A’s brass acknowledged outright that convincing free agents to join a club that had averaged more than 102 losses over the previous three years and would play the next few seasons in a minor league ballpark was a tough sell. That’s likely a big part of the reason they made such a lavish offer to Severino in the first place. It’s hard to imagine the A’s being able to replace him via free agency this winter following what looks to be another unsuccessful season where high-profile players like Severino, Zack Wheeler, and Carlos Correa have criticized the ballpark conditions and pitchers have seen first-hand what a difficult environment the park creates for pitchers. All of that makes a Severino deal seem unlikely even before considering the fact that the A’s would reportedly risk a grievance if their luxury tax payroll for 2025 were to fall below $105MM, a threshold which they would fail to clear if they traded Severino without retaining substantial salary.

Reds Release Jeimer Candelario

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June 29: Candelario has officially cleared waivers and been released by the Reds, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

June 23: The Reds announced that infielder Jeimer Candelario has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list and designated for assignment. He had been on a rehab assignment but the club has decided against adding him back to their active roster. The move drops their 40-man roster count from 39 to 38.

The Reds signed Candelario to a three-year, $45MM deal heading into last year and that pact will now go down as a big bust. He did hit 20 home runs last year but with a low batting average and on-base percentage. His .225/.279/.429 line translated to a wRC+ of 87, with poor defensive grades to boot. Here in 2025, it’s been even worse. Thanks to poor health, he has only played 22 games with a dismal .113/.198/.213 line. FanGraphs has credited him as being one win worse than replacement level since signing with the Reds.

Today’s transaction very likely ends his time with the organization. The Reds could take five days to explore trade talks but won’t find much interest. As mentioned, his performance has been rough this year. Even on his recent rehab assignment, he hit just .211/.318/.333 in his 15 Triple-A games, production that translates to a wRC+ of 80. He is making $15MM this year and will be owed $12MM next year, plus a $3MM buyout on a 2027 club option.

Candelario has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency while keeping all that money coming to him. It’s possible the Reds will skip that formality and release him. Either way, he’s likely to be a free agent in a few days. At that point, any club could sign him and would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum salary, which would be subtracted from what the Reds pay.

At that price point, some clubs may be interested in taking a flier. Candelario was a solid player before joining the Reds, which is why they gave him that hefty deal in the first place. With the Tigers over 2020 and 2021, he slashed .278/.356/.458 for a wRC+ of 124. His production dipped in 2022, as he hit .217/.272/.361 for a wRC+ of 80 and got non-tendered. He signed with the Nationals for 2023 and bounced back, getting flipped to the Cubs at that year’s deadline. He finished that campaign with a .251/.336/.471 line and 118 wRC+.

Whether he can bounce back to something resembling that kind of production is anyone’s guess. The most charitable explanation for his recent struggles is that he hasn’t been healthy. On June 21st of last year, it was reported that Candelario had been battling knee tendinitis. He had a .255/.310/.506 batting line and 118 wRC+ on that date, very much in line with his previous good seasons. He had already hit 14 of the 20 home runs he would finish the season with.

After the news of that knee issue, he hit .182/.233/.318 the rest of the year. He finished the campaign on the IL due to a toe fracture. As mentioned, his performance has been bad here in 2025 as well, but he landed on the IL due to a lumbar spine strain after just 22 games. He hasn’t been hitting much on his recent rehab but that could be a bit of rust after his injury layoff.

The Reds clearly ran out of patience with waiting for a bounceback. He was coming to the end of his 20-day rehab window and they opted to give up on him, as opposed to adding him back on the roster and hoping for the best. That’s a little bit of a curious decision. Their corner infield playing time is currently being shared by Gavin Lux, Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Santiago Espinal. Lux is providing league-average offense but none of the other three has a wRC+ of 72.

Cincinnati could have reinstated Candelario and optioned Steer or Encarnacion-Strand to the minor for regular at-bats. CES, in particular, is hitting just .202/.229/.384 for a 58 wRC+ this year. But the club has decided that they want to move on from Candelario and stick with those other guys. They will be eating a little under $23MM in the process.

There are other clubs out there who might be more willing to take a chance on Candelario and hope for that bounceback. Teams with holes at the infield corners don’t have many options for addressing those deficiencies right now, with the trade deadline still over a month away. Those clubs could try out Candelario for a few weeks at no real cost, then move on and acquire someone else at the deadline if it’s not working out.

Photo courtesy of Robert Edwards, Imagn Images

Dodgers Designate Luis Garcia For Assignment

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The Dodgers announced today that they’ve designated right-hander Luis Garcia for assignment. His spot on the active roster will go to right-hander Noah Davis, who has been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Garcia’s 40-man roster spot was used to activate right-hander Edgardo Henriquez from the 60-day injured list, though he was optioned to Triple-A rather than added to the big league roster.

Garcia, 38, is in his 13th season as a big leaguer. He’s pitched for the Phillies, Angels, Rangers, Cardinals, Padres, Red Sox, and now Dodgers across his lengthy career, though he’s never spent a significant amount of time as a high leverage reliever with just 15 total saves across his 573 career appearances. Taken together, Garcia has been just about league average over the course of his career with a 4.20 ERA (98 ERA+) with a 3.97 FIP. He’s taken a step backwards in recent seasons, however, with a 4.62 ERA in 146 innings of work with a 4.06 FIP.

Zooming in on just this year, Garcia’s time with the Dodgers has been uneven. His 5.27 ERA in 27 1/3 innings this year has certainly been lackluster, and his peripherals are a mixed bag. His 19.0% strikeout rate is lackluster, especially when compared to his elevated 12.7% walk rate. With that being said, it does seem as though there’s some poor fortune baked in. His .388 BABIP allowed is extremely elevated, and a 54.1% ground ball rate suggests his relatively low home run rate should be able to remain static. Garcia has a 3.54 FIP and 4.24 SIERA, which when taken together suggest he hasn’t been all that different from his usual self. The Dodgers will have one week to either trade Garcia or attempt to pass him through waivers, though he has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency.

Garcia’s spot on the active roster will go to Davis, who had a 7.71 ERA in 51 1/3 innings with the Rockies across parts of three seasons with the club. He signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox over the offseason and was traded to the Dodgers just before Opening Day. He’s made four appearances for the Dodgers since then and has surrendered four runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings of work after walking two and hitting three batters to go with five strikeouts. His 40-man roster spot is set to go to Henriquez, who had been rehabbing at Triple-A. Henriquez made his big league debut last year and posted a 2.70 ERA and five strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of work. It would hardly be a shock to see Henriquez join the big league club at some point this year, though he’ll need more time to shake off the rust after posting a 6.75 ERA in 12 rehab innings at Triple-A this year.

Orioles Select Matt Bowman

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The Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Matt Bowman this morning, according to a team announcement. Right-hander Kade Strowd was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Bowman on the active roster, while right-hander Luis Castillo was activated from the minor league injured list and designated for assignment.

Bowman, 34, made his big league debut in 2016 and spent four seasons with the Cardinals and Reds before injuries sidelined him for several years. He returned to the majors in 2023 and bounced between four other teams before settling with the Orioles in 2024. He’s been a frequent rider on the shuttle between Triple-A Norfolk and the big league club in Baltimore since then, and this is the fourth time Bowman’s had his contract selected by the Orioles this season alone. In total, he’s pitched to a roughly league average 4.10 ERA with a 4.22 FIP across 37 1/3 innings of work as a member of the Orioles over the past two seasons.

This latest stint for Bowman in the majors comes at the expense of Castillo, who departs the Orioles organization without making an appearance for the big league club. The 30-year-old righty was acquired from the Mariners in early May after he was designated for assignment by Seattle, but he was optioned to the minors immediately and has spent most of his time in the organization on the injured list with just two appearances at even the minor league level. Castillo began his pro career in the Diamondbacks organization and briefly pitched in the Tigers organization as well before departing affiliated ball for Nippon Professional Baseball. He spent two years in Japan and pitched to a 3.01 ERA across 143 1/3 innings of work before returning stateside to sign with the Mariners on a minor league deal prior to the 2025 season.

Going forward, the Orioles will have one week to either work out a trade involving Castillo or place him on release waivers. Castillo was on the injured list at the time of his DFA today, meaning that the Orioles cannot attempt to outright him to the minor leagues and that he will have to be released when his DFA window expires. That makes a trade somewhat unlikely, and if the Orioles do end up releasing Castillo he’ll have the opportunity to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs. His 7.71 ERA in the majors this year isn’t exactly inspiring, but it’s a sample of just seven innings of work. It’s not at all difficult to imagine clubs having interest in getting Castillo into their organization on a minor league deal given his success overseas.

As for Strowd, the right-hander made his debut earlier this year and has looked solid in three appearances for the Orioles, with a 4.15 ERA in 4 1/3 innings. He’ll head to Triple-A as an optionable depth piece for Baltimore going forward and seems likely to get another opportunity in the majors at some point. If the Orioles opt to sell this summer, that could open up spots in the club’s bullpen and offer players like Strowd and Yaramil Hiraldo more regular opportunities at the big league level.

Mets Sign Richard Lovelady To Major League Deal

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The Mets announced a pair of roster moves this morning. Southpaw Richard Lovelady has signed with the club on a one-year deal. Lefty Colin Poche was designated for assignment to create room for Lovelady on both the 40-man and active rosters.

Lovelady returns to the Mets after being designated for assignment by the club last week and electing free agency shortly thereafter. The 29-year-old has pitched in parts of six MLB seasons but has not yet had an extended period of substantial success. A career 5.35 ERA pitcher in 102 2/3 innings, Lovelady’s surrendered six runs in 3 1/3 innings of work with the Blue Jays and Mets this year with four walks and four strikeouts. It’s not an especially inspiring profile, but Lovelady has long been viewed as an intriguing, high-ceiling arm given his quality stuff from the left side. He’s shown flashes of that potential in the past, most recently when he pitched to a 3.77 ERA in 28 2/3 innings of work for the Rays last year.

Making room for Lovelady on the roster is Poche, who is not too far removed from substantial success as a member of the Rays organization himself. He posted a strong 3.27 ERA in 156 2/3 innings of work for Tampa during the 2022-24 seasons, though he posted pedestrian peripherals in two of those three years. His 2023 was utterly dominant, as he posted a sterling 2.23 ERA with a 24.8% strikeout rate and a barrel rate of just 5.6%, though he did walk opponents at an elevated 9.8% clip. Those peripherals regressed last year, however, and the Rays non-tendered him over the offseason as a result.

Since being non-tendered, Poche has signed with both the Nationals and the Mets but has struggled badly with both teams. Poche made 13 appearances in D.C. but left the nation’s capital with 12 runs (11 earned) allowed in just 8 2/3 innings that saw him walk (12) as many batters as he struck out (10). His stay with the Mets was much briefer, as he made just one appearance and surrendered two runs in two-thirds of an inning of work while walking two and striking out one. The Mets will now have one week to either work out a trade involving Poche or pass him through waivers, at which point he would have the option to either accept an outright assignment to the minors or elect free agency. Perhaps Poche’s past success with the Rays will keep getting him attention from big league clubs despite his deep struggles with his command this year, but it seems likely he’ll remain limited to minor league deals until he can turn things around.

Yankees Activate Marcus Stroman

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June 29: Stroman has officially been activated by the Yankees, per a team announcement.

June 28: The Yankees are planning to activate right-hander Marcus Stroman to start Sunday’s game against the Athletics, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Larry Fleisher of the Associated Press) last night. Stroman has been on the 15-day injured list since mid-April due to a knee injury. As Stroman has remained on the 40-man roster and right-hander Allan Winans was optioned to Triple-A following the club’s game this afternoon, no additional corresponding moves will be necessary to activate Stroman tomorrow.

Stroman, 34, signed with the Yankees on a two-year guarantee that came with a third year vesting option prior to the 2024 campaign. Coming off a three-year run with the Mets and Cubs where he pitched to a 3.45 ERA (120 ERA+) with a 3.60 FIP and earned the second All-Star appearance of his career, Stroman seemed like a solid mid-rotation veteran addition for the Bronx Bombers when he signed for $37MM guaranteed. Unfortunately, his work last year wound up being fairly pedestrian. His 154 2/3 innings of work was good for his highest figure since 2021, but he surrendered a pedestrian 4.31 ERA (95 ERA+) and paired it with lackluster peripherals. He struck out a career-low 16.7% of his opponents, an 8.9% walk rate nearly matched his career high, and he generated ground balls at a clip below 50% (49.2%) for the first time in his career.

All those red flags led the Yankees to try and shed Stroman’s salary this offseason, but they quickly found themselves unable to do so. That led to the possibility of Stroman starting the season in the club’s bullpen after they signed Max Fried earlier in the winter, something Stroman seemed to push back against upon arriving in camp for Spring Training. Injuries to Luis Gil and Gerrit Cole quickly opened a path to a rotation job for the veteran, but he struggled badly in three starts with 12 runs allowed in 9 1/3 innings prior to his placement on the shelf. Now ten weeks removed from his last big league action, Stroman is ticketed for another shot at a rotation job in New York.

It’s unclear how long Stroman will have the opportunity to keep making starts. Cole will miss the entire 2025 season and as such won’t be a consideration, but both Gil and Ryan Yarbrough are expected back from the injured list this year and could be ahead of Stroman on the rotation totem pole unless he manages to turn his season around. What’s more, the trade deadline is just over a month away and it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Yankees look to make an addition to their starting staff after they’ve dealt with so many injuries in the rotation all throughout the season. That could make Stroman’s first few starts off the injured list crucial if he wants to remain a starter, although he has seemed more open to a role change in the months since he declared himself a starter back in February.

Making room for Stroman on the active roster figures to be Winans, who surrendered three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out two in today’s 7-0 loss to the Athletics. It was his second outing of the year for the big league Yankees after allowing four runs in 4 1/3 innings of work during a start earlier this week. He’s now set to head back to Triple-A, where he had been dominating to the tune of a 0.90 ERA in 50 frames. Winans figures to be leaned on again in the future if the Yankees are in need of a spot starter or long relief option out of the bullpen.

Rays Notes: Kim, Bigge, McClanahan

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The Rays signed infielder Ha-Seong Kim to a two-year, $29MM contract back in February but he has yet to play a game for the club after undergoing shoulder surgery late last year. That may be close to changing, however, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Kim is set to be evaluated for a possible return to the majors after he plays what could be his final rehab game with Triple-A Durham later today. Rays manager Kevin Cash suggested that the club is “very encouraged” by Kim’s progress, but president of baseball operations Erik Neander made clear that an immediate return to the majors is not guaranteed.

“We’ll get through these next three days and then just get an idea of where he’s at,” Neander said, as relayed by Topkin. “If he needs a little more time, we’ll be there to provide it. If he feels like he’s close and ready, then we’ll keep an open mind. We’re hopefully closing in on an activation but still kind of day-to-day to see how he responds to the added workload.”

When he does return, Kim will be joining a resurgent Rays club that has jumped out to a 47-36 record, just half a game back of the Yankees for control of the AL East thanks to a 17-8 run in the month of June. While the team has largely been firing on all cylinders in recent weeks, they have been forced to rely on somewhat middling production out of the shortstop position as Jose Caballero and Taylor Walls split time at the position. Kim is a 106 wRC+ hitter over the 2022-24 seasons and a Gold Glove caliber defender all over the infield, which should be a substantial upgrade over that duo’s lackluster hitting while maintaining the quality defense Tampa has gotten from the position.

Topkin also writes that right-hander Hunter Bigge’s recovery from surgery to repair multiple facial fractures after he was struck by a 105 mph foul ball off the bat of Adley Rutschman is going well enough that the Rays do not expect the surgery to interfere with his ability to return this season. Bigge remains on a soft food diet and has not yet been cleared for physical activity amid concerns that it would put stress on the surgically repaired areas of his face, but he’ll start playing catch once cleared to do so. Of course, Bigge was already shelved by a lat strain when he was struck by Rutschman’s foul ball, so Bigge will have to resume rehabbing that prior injury once he’s cleared for physical activity. Prior to those injuries, Bigge was making himself a major part of the Rays bullpen with a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings this year.

In other positive news, Topkin notes that southpaw Shane McClanahan is expected to throw a full-distance bullpen session this coming Tuesday. It will be the southpaw’s first full bullpen since he paused his rehab earlier this month to visit a nerve specialist. The lefty is surely still a ways away from a return given that he hasn’t resumed facing live hitters and would need a significant rehab assignment after such a long layoff from big league games, but with the Rays now firmly in postseason contention it’s not hard to imagine McClanahan taking a big league mound for the club at some point this year. Should McClanahan make it back in time for October, he’d form a terrifying one-two punch at the top of the Rays rotation alongside Drew Rasmussen.

Dave Parker Passes Away

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Hall-of-Famer Dave Parker passed away at age 74 today after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, as the Pirates announced just prior to the start of today’s game.  The sad news comes less than a month before Parker was officially set to be inducted into Cooperstown, as Parker and Dick Allen (like Parker, a former MVP and seven-time All-Star) were voted into the Hall by the Era Committee last winter.

A veteran of 19 Major League seasons from 1973-1991, “the Cobra” was one of the sport’s most feared hitters for the majority of his career.  Parker batted .290/.339/.471 over 10184 career plate appearances and 2466 games, amassing 339 homers and 2712 career hits.  Along with his seven All-Star nods and the 1978 NL MVP Award, Parker was a two-time batting champion and a three-time Gold Glover.  With 154 steals also on his resume, Parker was a legitimate five-tool threat during his prime years, before knee problems sapped Parker’s speed and ability to regularly play the field.

This spectacular career arose from a modest start as a 14th-round pick for the Pirates in the 1970 draft.  A part-timer in his first two MLB seasons, Parker emerged as an everyday force in 1975, joining forces with Pittsburgh legend Willie Stargell and other notables of the era like Al Oliver, Bill Robinson, and Richie Zisk to wreak havoc in the middle of the lineup.

The Pirates had several outstanding teams during Parker’s 11 seasons in Pittsburgh, but back in the days when only the two division winners reached the postseason, playoff success was harder to come by.  The Buccos won three division titles during Parker’s tenure but didn’t reach the World Series until 1979, when the “We Are Family” Pirates overcame a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Orioles and capture the franchise’s most recent championship.  Parker naturally played a big role in the title run, hitting .341/.396/.415 over 48 postseason PA to help the Pirates capture the crown.

Parker also achieved a notable contractual milestone before the 1979 season even started, as he signed a five-year, $5MM contract with the Pirates that was (at the time) the sport’s biggest contract.  Technically the deal made Parker the first player to earn $1MM per season, even if some deferred money within the deal left his actual annual average value south of the seven-figure mark.

That contract led to increased expectations, and while Parker’s outgoing and bombastic personality made him a fan favorite during the good times, some in Pittsburgh started to view Parker as arrogant when the Pirates’ play tailed off after 1979 and Parker’s own numbers started to diminish.  Parker’s knee problems and a cocaine addiction were clearly impacting his performance, and he left Pittsburgh to sign with the Reds following the 1983 season.

The second act of Parker’s career had several more memorable moments, including a big comeback year in 1985 that saw him lead the NL in total bases, doubles, and RBI while finishing second in NL MVP voting.  Parker followed up his four seasons in Cincinnati with two seasons with the pennant-winning Athletics in 1988 and 1989.  While not quite the premium bat of his prime years, the Cobra still helped the A’s win the World Series in 1989.  The move to the American League also allowed Parker to become a designated hitter for the first time in his career, and he was essentially a DH-only player with plenty of pop still in his bat from 1989-91 with the A’s, Brewers, Angels, and Blue Jays.

After retirement, Parker had moved into coaching, and spent a long time waiting for his eventual call to Cooperstown.  Parker never received much support from the writers during his 15 years on the BBWAA ballot, with his cocaine habit and his involvement in the 1985 Pittsburgh drug trials often viewed as the key reason for the lack of voter support.  It is bittersweet that Parker will be a posthumous induction at next month’s ceremony in Cooperstown, but he at least received the satisfaction of learning last December that he had finally been properly minted as a Hall of Famer.

All of us at MLB Trade Rumors share our condolences with Parker’s family, friends, and many fans.

AL West Notes: Severino, Pena, Langford

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The Athletics are playing all of their games for the next few years at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento while they wait for their stadium in Las Vegas to be constructed. It’s been expected from the very beginning that playing in a minor league stadium would be an adjustment for the players, and before the season began there were issues raised by the MLBPA that resulted in a brief scuffle over whether the park would have grass or synthetic turf. Even with concessions such as the use of grass, however, some players were bound to find the change jarring.

According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Luis Severino is one such player. Severino has performed much better on the road this year, with a 2.27 ERA in seven road starts as compared to a 6.79 ERA in ten starts at Sutter Health Park. When asked about the discrepancy, Severino was quick to attribute it to the fact that the team gets to play in a traditional MLB stadium when on the road.

“We don’t have that at home right now,” Severino said, as relayed by Kuty. “It’s not the same. It’s not the same atmosphere. We don’t have a lot of fans. Our clubhouse is in left field. So, when we play day games, we have to just be in the sun. There’s no air conditioning there, too. It’s really tough.”

The A’s are expected to remain at Sutter Health Park through the end of the 2027 season, so conditions aren’t likely to change in the short-term. Severino signed with the A’s for three years and $67MM over the winter, and while his deal comes with an opt-out clause after the second season he’s still locked into that contract through the end of the 2026 campaign.

Given Severino’s displeasure with his home ballpark and the Athletics’ lackluster 34-51 record, it’s easy to speculate about the possibility of a trade benefiting all parties. The righty was floated as a possible trade target for the Cubs earlier this week, but there’s plenty of reason to think the A’s might be reluctant to part with Severino considering the struggles they’ve had luring high-dollar free agents into the organization previously. While most clubs would expect to be able to replace a high-dollar veteran they part with in trade via free agency the following winter, it’s not hard to imagine the A’s ballpark situation making free agent pitchers reluctant to sign there.

More from the AL West…

  • Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena was out of the lineup today after getting hit by a pitch in the ribs during yesterday’s game against the Cubs, but manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic) that Pena came in today feeling better after being considered day-to-day yesterday. Espada added that Pena would receive treatment and do light baseball activities but be held out of tonight’s game. That creates reason for optimism he could be back in the lineup for the series finale on Sunday, which would be a huge boost given that Pena has put himself into the MVP conversation with a blistering first half. Mauricio Dubon has filled in at shortstop in Pena’s absence.
  • Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford was placed on the injured list due to an oblique strain yesterday, but MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry writes that both Langford himself and Rangers brass have suggested the issue isn’t a serious one. President of baseball operations Chris Young told reporters that the team having two upcoming days off on the schedule played a role in the decision to send Langford for what the club expects to be a minimum IL stint, and added that the injury was “right on the cusp” of being something they’d just rest Langford on the bench for a few days for. Langford has struggled to a lackluster .224/.286/.342 in June this year, so perhaps a ten-day reset could benefit the 23-year-old in more ways than one. Alejandro Osuna has joined Evan Carter and Adolis Garcia in the regular outfield mix while Langford is out of commission.

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