Pirates third baseman David Freese spoke fondly of his two-year tenure with the Angels on Sunday and told reporters, including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, that he had hoped to re-sign with them last offseason. “I wanted to be an Angel. I can’t hide that,” stated Freese, who was an Angel from 2014-15. “From Day 1, I wanted to come back. I loved the guys. We had unfinished business. It just didn’t happen.” Freese said that he and the Angels discussed a return, but the team never actually made an offer. The Angels instead acquired Yunel Escobar, leaving Freese to eventually sign with Pittsburgh. Freese hit a decent .258/.322/.401 and accounted for 4.3 fWAR in 981 plate appearances with the Halos.
Elsewhere around the American League…
- Red Sox catcher/left fielder Blake Swihart landed on the disabled list earlier today with a left ankle sprain, and manager John Farrell revealed that he won’t be back within the 15-day window. Farrell called the sprain “severe” and added that Swihart will be immobilized for two weeks, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald was among those to report (Twitter link). With fellow left field option Brock Holt also out, the Red Sox are down to Chris Young and Rusney Castillo at the position.
- Twins infielder Eduardo Nunez has hit a terrific .331/.359/.497 with six home runs in 193 trips to the plate this season, but manager Paul Molitor isn’t sold on the 28-year-old as an everyday long-term option for the club (via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). “It’s a slippery slope as far as projecting a guy into that role who has played well for a couple months,” said Molitor. “If you base it on how he’s performed, it’s easy to speculate he could be one of those guys who sheds the role as a utility guy. But I think it’s too early for that.” This has easily been Nunez’s best season in an otherwise unremarkable career since he broke into the majors with the Yankees in 2010, so Molitor’s position is certainly understandable. Nunez, to his credit, has been far better in Minnesota than he was in New York, though. Since joining the Twins in 2014, Nunez has batted .286/.318/.435 with 14 homers in 607 PAs, also chipping in 28 steals.
- The Rays placed outfielder Brandon Guyer on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain Sunday and recalled infielder Nick Franklin from Triple-A Durham, Bill Chastain of MLB.com was among those to report (Twitter link). Guyer is now the second notable Rays outfielder to hit the DL in recent weeks, joining center fielder Kevin Kiermaier. The 30-year-old had gotten off to an excellent start pre-injury, evidenced by his .271/.365/.472 batting line in 168 PAs, and helped his cause by reaching base 15 times via the hit by pitch. That’s nothing new for Guyer, whom opposing pitchers have struck a combined 50 times since he started seeing extensive big league action in 2014. Franklin, a former well-regarded prospect with the Mariners, has spent this year in the minors after hitting an unsightly .158/.213/.307 in 109 PAs with the Rays last season.
- Speaking of the Rays, they entered play Sunday with the second-worst record in the AL, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times offered some potential ways the team could save its season before it slips away. Among Topkin’s suggestions: Cut $3.3MM outfielder Desmond Jennings loose or demote him to Durham (either option could be difficult now with the Rays’ depth already having taken multiple hits), promote top pitching prospect Blake Snell and find an outside catcher solution – even if it means surrendering a significant haul for Brewers backstop Jonathan Lucroy.
No way the rays give up Snell for Lucroy
They never said anything about trading Snell for Lucroy, they said promote Snell as well as trade for Lucroy.
I bet thats who the brewers would ask for
I’d ask for Willy adames tbh. Too much volatility with pitchers. Plus a possible infield of arcia, villar, adames by the end of next year. Just take the top college bat in the draft unless grooms falls to them. Potential to be a truly potent lineup. I would take arcia and adames over Swanson and albies imo.
They could get Adames and Snell. Lucroy is too hot of an item not to fetch more, but the way the rays spend, I would expect them to try for a more controllable catcher. I.E. Wilson Contreras
Lol lucroy doesn’t get snell and adames. They aren’t trading with Dave Stewart. It’s only a year and a half of lucroy and Tampa isn’t going to compete this year so it would just be next for next year. I think they would offer like jake bauers and a couple arms. Cubs wouldn’t do conteras in any deal. They are going to wind up with 7 yrs of control of contreras. They would include Victor Caratini or pj Higgins.
If it wasn’t Tampa I wouldnt pass the notion of Lucroy for 2 top prospects. Tampa wouldn’t pay him anyhow, but Lucroy should bring a haul just because of the lack of top catchers.
Lol at Jake Bauer and a couple of arms for Lucroy, hahah.
Snell or Honeywell for sure.
Nunez is better than Plouffe or Dozier. Wake up Molitor. Try to manage this team
Your team sucks Molitor. Why not clean house.
And everyone was saying that about Escobar for all the same reasons.
Why would the Rays entertain cutting Jennings if they could option him? Are they that hard up for a 40-man spot?
I doubt the Rays would give up top prospects for a catcher that could potentially walk at the end of the season. Especially with their track record with catchers.
Lucroy has a cheap team option for next season, so he isn’t a one year rental, but will cost a ton to acquire. The Rays are a team that could definitely use him though.
He can’t walk at the end of the season. He’s under control through 2017.
This one is for the cubs fans, Snell for Wilson Contreras? Thoughts?
Why would the Rays trade Snell for Contreras when they could trade Snell for Lucroy?
Because Contreras is young and inexpensive, while Lucroy is neither. I find it very hard to believe Theo trades his 2nd best prospect unless the piece is a surefire benefit to the team and I dont think Snell comes close to that. More likely flip Contreras for an Andrew Miller type.
Lucroy is making less than 10 mill for the next year and a half. That is almost next to nothing. He is also one of the 3-4 best catchers in the game right now. It amazes me how obsessed fans are with prospects. Contreras might be good but there is a very high bust factor, as is with all prospects. Every year there’s a new story about how so and so won’t trade this can’t miss prospect and he just flops never to be heard from again. But they would rather take that chance than get a top 3-4 catcher in the game right now. Baffles me.
Unless they feel Schwarber can catch when he comes back, I doubt they trade Contreras. Ross is retiring and Montero is only signed through next season.
I don’t believe in many prospects, but Contreras isn’t Jesus Montero…. I would say the type of hype Contreras has only would bust around half the time, but for every Willy More Pena, there is also a can’t miss prospect like Harper. Remember, in this particular scenario Snell is also a prospect…. So I wouldn’t buy the bust excuse.
Yeah it was such a terrible move when they traded for that prospect named Anthony Rizzo.
Exactly, 50% so its basically a coin flip on whether or not Contreras will bust or not. Thats an insane risk the Rays would be taking when they could just cut the risk completely out and get one of the games best catchers. Now add on the odds of Contreras not only not busting but becoming one of the 3-4 best catchers in the game like Lucroy is. Seems like such an easy decision to me but hey people like their prospects I guess. Also Contreras is nothing like the prospect Harper was, not even in the same country comparison wise.
Really and the Rizzo statement? Can I start listing all the times teams did trade for prospects and the prospects ended up being crap? Ya cause it would take the rest of my lifetime.
It’s 7 yrs of control of contreras. The cubs window isn’t just this and next year. Victor Caratini will be a top 100 prospect by the break. He can be offered.
The Ray’s would never pay Lucroy when his contract is upup…. So by the rays philosophy, acquiring a top prospect catcher like Contreras (if possible) would be a good move.
I believe there would be just as many that succeeded. Every success in the majors was once a prospect, so like I stated 50/50. Snell is 50/50 so why not try a 50/50 with Contreras.
Because you have the opportunity to get one of the 3-4 best catchers in the league. Why wouldn’t you just eliminate the 50/50 risk and the risk that Contreras might not be anything more than average? It basically comes down to you really HOPE Contreras will be good while Lucroy IS really good. I don’t know how else to explain it.
Rays have bullpen arms to offer at MLB level, Contreras hasn’t come up and I haven’t (maybe you have) heard of a timeline on him coming up. Caratini could take over for Montero after next year and Cubs could add to bullpen or rotation or wherever they see fit. Bottom line, the way I see it tbe Cubs are playing the best baseball in the bigs so moving a prospect for MLB talent at another position would seem wise.
With the rays it comes down to $$$ another team that’s contending yes I would go for Lucroy.
lucroy isnt worth snell or honeywel,l he isnt a superstar catcher like posey
Moliter it’s time to play the younger people who are batting hot or a veteran player who is batting hot like joe. Wake up moliter the season is dead.