It was only a couple of weeks ago that the AL East boasted only one team with a winning record. Now, the Yankees, Rays and Blue Jays are over the .500 mark and the Orioles are right on the line with an even 31-31 record. The only team yet to turn things around are the Red Sox, who have lost six in a row to drop to 27-37 on the season (tied with the Marlins for the fourth-worst record in baseball). Here’s some news from around the division…
- Though the Red Sox have continued to struggle, manager John Farrell and GM Ben Cherington “remain safe for now,” Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. Earlier this month, owner John Henry said both men were in no danger of being fired.
- The Red Sox, Yankees and Tigers each had a scout at Johnny Cueto’s last start, FOX Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi reports (Twitter links). As Morosi notes, it’s hard to see Boston buying at the trade deadline given their current record, and Cueto isn’t a fit on a non-contender since he’s only under contract through 2015.
- Chris Parmelee is thought to have a June 15 opt-out date in his minor league deal with the Orioles, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter). Parmelee, owner of a .709 OPS over 901 PA with the Twins from 2011-14, took a .319/.388/.454 slash line over 260 Triple-A plate appearances into today’s action. If the Orioles don’t promote Parmelee and he opts for free agency, Rosenthal lists the Rays as a team that could be interested the first baseman/outfielder’s services.
- Nolan Reimold’s agent and some family members thought a “fresh start” might be best for the outfielder rather than rejoining the Orioles last offseason, but he tells MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski that he wanted to return to Baltimore. Reimold signed a minor league deal with the O’s and returned to the bigs last Tuesday, already delivering two homers and a 1.232 OPS over his first 16 plate appearances.
Parmalee waived his out-clause on the contract to remain with the Orioles throughout the season.
I don’t think that’s the case. I’m quite sure I read one of the local writers say he waived one out-clause date, but had more than one in his contract. TBH, I’d like to see him up and given a shot as the regular RF. If this means the end of Travis Snider’s time with the club, so be it. I just can’t take another day of Delmon in the outfield, and Snider just hasn’t done anything except take up roster space. Lough gets to stay because no one else is capable of being a CF if Jones misses a day.
Well, our outfielders leave a lot to be desired. (Obviously sans Jones)
Also, it is nice to see Reimold swing the bat well and playing a decent outfield. The thing with the Orioles and I saw this today again.
I don’t understand the inconsistency with almost the whole team at the plate when at bat. Usually Snider works the count and today he didn’t have a clue. One other player (O’s) and I forget who it was had a great first at bat, then his second at bat, he looked lost. Which makes no sense to me because it was the same Yankees pitcher in Andy Warren. Flaherty looks lost again. Maybe, we are just a .500 club this year, I don’t know.
Dude, come off the ledge. We lost a game primarily because a rookie pitcher who has experienced control problems in the minors lost his release point against one of the most patient teams in the league and walked the bases loaded, and even then we were within literally one inch from getting out of that inning tied.
I am so not on the ledge.
Although, I do agree with you that the Yankees are a very patient team and they have been that way for years.
The O’s would do well to absorb the way of the Yankee Patience.
Or the Red Sox patience. Heck, Buttermaker convinced the Bad News Bears to take one for the team once in a while. This is one of the reasons I hope Parmelee comes up in place of Snider and hits enough to claim a regular place. We need the likes of him and Reimold and Davis to counterbalance Jones and Schoop and Delmon. Even Manny is getting some walks this year.
I hate the Yankees but I’ve always respected how they work the count and get opposing pitchers pitch counts up. And I have to believe the more pitches you see the better chance you can hit a pitcher. Tigers are terrible at this and have too many guys who swing at every pitch, no matter how many times it bounces before it reaches the plate.
So you’re excited about 4 games out of Nate Reimold, a guy who has only been healthy enough to play over 40 games twice in his entire career? Seriously…as a Tigers’ fan he reminds me of reliever Bruce Rondon who mgt. keeps claiming is going to be an important fixture to our bullpen. I’m not sure he’s EVER been healthy for longer than a two week period and I don’t “count” on him for anything. If you do make the playoffs, make sure you play Delmon EVERY game. He’s the only player who hit anything for us in multiple playoffs.
The Yankees may have had a scout at Cueto’s last outing but I doubt they are seriously considering trading for him. I just don’t see them making a move like that until the see how Nova does when he returns. We’ll see a lot obaseball let until the trading deadline.
Ortiz should be in danger of getting cut….
Never going to happen.. Bank on it. Retire (after mutual consultations) possible, but they aren’t going to release him this season.
3 hrs in the last 4 games. Doubt he’s getting cut any time soon. He just found his stroke.
Just need to bench him vs LHP. Being a platoon DH at nearly 40 isn’t a bad thing.
He just needs to find his stroke with risp. He is 0-6 with the bases loaded also. Im not trying to say he has to hit a grand slam every time, but at least put the ball in the air when it’s less than two outs.
Yankees don’t have the pieces for a Cueto rental…they where probably scouting Leake…..
They were probably scouting Leake at Cueto’s last start? How does that one add up?
That was my thought too. Maybe they were scouting his sunflower seed spitting distance.
I believe Leake started in that series…the scout probably caught both starts….but was mainly their to cover Leake….
It says nothing about being there for the series though, it just mentions Cueto’s start, so that would be jumping to conclusions. I’d also like to add that NY probably could swing a Cueto deal if they were serious enough, but that’s a separate point entirely.
Yes they do. Judge and Severino would be more than fair for 2 months of Cueto, if not an overpay.
Yea but they wouldn’t trade those 2….for any rental……
Oh…so you’re saying they DO have the pieces? Thanks for your quality contribution.
Other than their untouchables…….who would the Red’s want….oh yea that’s right…..nobody……
Because you know what the Reds do and don’t want, right?
Obviously coming from a NY fan, this could seem biased(though I’m usually decent at overlooking team bias in value assessment), but it would be an overpay imo. That’s a top 30 and top 100 prospect, I think one of the two plus additional intriguing prospects(depending on which of the two would decide the number and caliber of additional pieces) would make more sense and be close to fair, just a matter of if NY would do that and what it is other teams dangle.
While you’re here you should probably say something to poke Orioles, Rays and Jays fans. You wouldn’t want to leave anyone out in the AL East.
another dodger fan comment?
Will sell his soul to fund the $95MM owed to Sandoval to see him gone.
If Farrell is “safe” so is Red Sox “safe” to keep loosing.
Nah, it’s not his fault. If anything it’s Cherington’s for signing all the wrong guys or Chili’s for not getting any production out of normally above-average bats. Can’t wait to see this team hopefully blow up at the deadline, fingers crossed for a 2012-Dodgers-type deal involving Sandoval and Porcello. A man can dream.
If Farrell has nothing to do with Red Sox underperforming this season then he had nothing to do with 2013 also. And I think both Porcello mainly and even Sandoval will be ok.
I don’t know, there’s really no way to quantify a manager’s contributions. I’ve always been one to not give too much credit to a manager for better or for worse. I give the bulk of the responsibility to the GM and players. I could be wrong, but that’s the way I see it.
Well, when you cannot motivate the players and you lose the clubhouse kind of looks bad on a manager. And Farrell was happy for the players Ben brought as far as I remember.
Managerial decisions in the postseason are pretty much the key contributions though between winning and losing. Ask Grady Little (leaving in Pedro), Joe Girardi (PHing Raul Ibanez for A-Rod), Terry Francona (letting Bill Mueller hit and not bunt), Bruch Bochy (letting MadBum finish the 9th of Game 7) , Ned Yost (Letting Lorenzo Cain steal 3rd in WC game), etc.
But for the regular season, there’s a number of factors. And I agree that the bulk of it is with the GM and players.
i agree they need to get rid of porcello. pitching staff is about average without porcello and masterson so another young pitcher like rodriguez would make the coming years playoff chances higher. also, i think we should keep in mind that cherington is currently working for the future. sure he aimed to have a post season club this year but you can bet he estimated that things might not go as planned. by bringing in guys like joe kelly and wade miley who are both under thirty you have young starters that are waiting for their career years in the near future. to me, what this team really lacks is a guy who can lively up the players like hunter pence, ryan dempster, and jason varitek have all done in the past. the red sox need something or someone to rally against. one time it was varitek’s fight with jeter, another time it was the Boston marathon bombings.
The guy only had one winning season right , How does he keep his Job.
Safe to say the Red Sox will have no part in the Cueto-stakes at their current rate. Destined sellers
I feel like the jays are probably going to inquire about cueto and chapman if they continue to play well.
How can the red sox be this bad!!!! I knew coming in the season the rotation was going to be below average, but their on a whole level of garbage.
Who knows what’s wrong with the Red Sox, but it’s serious. All these guys, all this money, yet they’re playing like a rag tag softball team. It’s really embarrassing.
Parmelee is a Triple A stud. Most Twins do very well once they leave so someone should jump all over him
Trading for Cuerto, then watching him walk at the end of the year sounds like something the Sox would do—-given the year they’re having.
what do the tigers have left to trade? (please say alex avila)