The Marlins’ top two extension priorities over the offseason are middle infielders Dee Gordon and Adeiny Hechavarria, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports. It remains to be seen whether Miami will be able to gain traction in talks with the pair, which it already controls through the 2018 campaign. But, per Frisaro, the club is more concerned with striking new deals with Gordon and/or Hechavarria than it is with acquiring any particular player on the open market. A deal with Jose Fernandez still seems unlikely, he writes, and the same holds true of Marcell Ozuna.
More from Miami and the rest of the NL East:
- While it remains unclear whether Fernandez will make it back to the Marlins this year, slugger Giancarlo Stanton appears to be on track to return to action at some point, as the Associated Press reports (via ESPN.com). Stanton began hitting yesterday, though his precise timetable remains unclear. The club will surely be cautious given its place in the standings and massive commitment to the 25-year-old.
- Nationals ownership is “unhappy” with the team’s performance this year, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. It would be hard to imagine any other general reaction to a club that suddenly finds itself below the .500 mark despite a big payroll and high expectations, of course, and it’s not at all clear whether that sentiment will manifest itself in any modification in the decisionmaking structure. Rosenthal goes on to discuss the team’s front office situation, but it all seems to boil down to one key point: change is unlikely unless the Lerner family no longer wishes to place its trust in GM and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo. (For what it’s worth, from my perspective, it seems difficult to blame him for the sudden fall-off of numerous key contributors, and the organization appears well-prepared for a coming offseason that will feature roster turnover at multiple key positions.)
- The insurance policy on Matt Harrison’s contract — which was acquired by the Phillies in the Cole Hamels deal — could still pay out to Philadelphia, Rosenthal suggests, though there is plenty of uncertainty. As he notes, too, the Phils would need to use at least some of any savings to fill in innings that might otherwise be occupied by the veteran lefty.
- The future for the Phillies, of course, will depend less on freeing some extra cash than it will on the development of the team’s best young players. Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News profiles one if the organization’s most important assets: 20-year-old shortstop J.P. Crawford.
- Braves reliever Chris Withrow, who was acquired along with Juan Uribe earlier this year, is progressing but likely won’t pitch this year, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Withrow is still working back from Tommy John and back surgeries. Meanwhile, another Atlanta upside grab — Rule 5 pick Daniel Winkler — is on track to take the bump in fall or winter league action, O’Brien adds on Twitter. Once activated from the DL, Winkler will need to stick on the active roster next year for the club to retain his rights.
Vandals Took The Handles
Commented on the Nationals yesterday. Their inability to play in big games has become more of a topic of discussion today in DC.
I watched the Cardinals win last night against the Giants. They had just placed Randal Grichuk on the 15-day disabled list, when Jason Heyward goes out with a hamstring issue in the 2nd inning. The Cardinals have lost so many key players to injury this year that it’s just ridiculous. But they have the best winning percentage in MLB.
Some teams seem to know how to win, and many more don’t.
RunDMC
Credit that to their winning culture and incredible farm system that keeps spitting out high-ceiling guys, not to mention the braintrust not trading much of that away in silly deadline deals (i.e. Rob Kaminsky for Moss, notwithstanding).
formerlyz
I would explore trading Dee Gordon in the offseason. We wont get anything near what we gave up for him in that ridiculously dumb trade, but we should sell high on him for multiple reasons, with one of those reasons being that I’m sick of seeing him constantly get thrown out on the bases. Its not just the caught stealing number. he has been picked off at least 6 times too, and he just makes unbelievably dumb decisions. He also literally swings at everything. Its a good thing he is somehow hitting .330 b/c his OBP is barely .350, which it really isnt considering all the times he gets thrown out
whodunnit
Trade away a three tool, gold glove candidate? And who will Miami play in his spot? Doesn’t seem likely.
Your concerns about him are extremely magnified. Yes he has some troubles baserunning, but that skill can easily be improved upon in the off-season. Additionally, you need to consider other parts of his game which have greatly improved. For instance, last year he was worth -5 DRS and had a UZR of -3.5. This year he’s not only a plus defender, but easily a gold glove candidate. He’s ranked 2nd in DEF, 2nd in UZR, and 5th in DRS.
Offensively, he ranks 3rd in BABIP in the entire MLB and among 2nd basemen, ranks 8th in offense. He also doesn’t swing at everything. His Swinging Strike rate is 11th, ahead of guys like Cano, Kendrick, Dozier, Phillips, Walker and Wong. He’s tied with LeMahieu. So far, four out of five months of the season, he’s hit over .300, which is pretty impressive and not easy to do.
The only thing to gripe about his game is his BB rate, which is awful but it doesn’t mean he won’t improve as he grows as a player. This is only his second year as a starter.
whodunnit
Let’s slow down there a little bit. Your concerns about him are overly magnified. Removing him would make the Marlins worse, not better. Gordon is a three tool player: average, speed, and fielding. Replacing that is no simple matter.
Consider the following:
Gordon rank 2nd in DEF, 2nd in UZR, and 5th in DRS. Last year, he had a -3.4 UZR, and -5 in DRS. Offensively, he ranks 6th in WAR, 8th in OFF, and 2nd in BABIP.
As far as him swinging at everything, he actually doesn’t. His swinging strike rate ranks 10th tied with DJ LeMahieu, ahead of Cano, Wong, Walker, Phillips and Kendrick.
He’s only been picked off five times, not six. And his baserunning can easily improve. That’s why there’s an off-season.
The only major gripe about his game should be his BB rate. But consider this, this is his 2nd year in the majors and his last year in AAA he had a BB rate of 11.8%.
He could easily improve this part of his game, but the Marlins are asking him to be aggressive at the plate. The Dodgers didn’t. They asked him to be patient and get on base. This aspect greatly affects his BB rate. But again, it doesn’t mean he can’t improve.