The resurgence of Padres outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. is “opening eyes,” according to Friars general manager AJ Preller, who told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that the 31-year-old is garnering trade interest as a potential 30/30 player (Twitter link). Upton has racked up 16 home runs and 20 steals this year, so he at least has an outside shot at joining the 30/30 club. Overall, he has hit an above-average .262/.311/.454 through 353 trips to the plate this season. Dating back to last year, Upton has accounted for 3.2 fWAR while logging 581 plate appearances, thereby reviving his career after back-to-back poor seasons in Atlanta. The longtime Ray is expensive, though, with a $15.45MM salary this year and $16.45MM coming his way next season.
More from the National League:
- Given Cardinals reliever Trevor Rosenthal’s ongoing struggles, manager Mike Matheny isn’t ruling out sending the right-hander to Triple-A. “You never know how guys are going to respond,” Matheny told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “We’ve got keep trying to figure out whatever it is we have to do to get him right. I don’t think you take anything off the table.” Rosenthal would join Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk as the third Redbird to unexpectedly receive a demotion this year, though the latter two responded well to theirs and are now back in the majors. A late-game ace with the Cardinals from 2012-15, Rosenthal has posted some ugly numbers – namely a 5.64 ERA, 7.12 BB/9 and 15.8 percent home run rate – leading the team to remove him from the closer role earlier this summer. Rosenthal also picked up his fourth blown save of 2016 on Friday, when he retired only one of four seventh-inning batters and allowed an earned run.
- In light of Rosenthal’s troubles, the Cardinals will search for bullpen aid before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, writes Hummel. General manager John Mozeliak doesn’t seem particularly worried, though, saying, “That’s not necessarily a thing (where) we have to do that.” The Cardinals rank 10th in the majors in bullpen ERA (3.66) and 11th in K-BB percentage (14.8). Help from within could come from star right-handed prospect Alex Reyes, Mozeliak stated, though the executive added that Reyes is likelier to receive a promotion as a starter. For now, Mozeliak is content with Reyes, 21, continuing to develop at the Triple-A level in Memphis, where he has accumulated 41 1/3 innings this year. The flame-throwing Reyes is Baseball America’s second-ranked prospect.
- Diamondbacks standout center fielder A.J. Pollock is making “ridiculously good” progress in his recovery from April surgery to repair a fractured elbow, and he expects to play this season, he told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. “With these types of injuries, I’ve done research in the past and for some reason you don’t always see bone-to-bone healing,” Pollock said. “Maybe you see a little bit, but usually you have kind of fibers that bridge the gap. They don’t expect 100 percent bone-to-bone healing, but if you can get 50, 60 percent … but I’m way past that. I’m up in the 80s or 90s.” A return to the D-backs is nowhere near imminent for Pollock, notes Piecoro, who points out that the 28-year-old is only hitting off a tee right now, still has to rebuild his throwing strength and will need to embark on a multi-week rehab assignment upon receiving medical clearance to come back.
- The Rockies’ next 16 games might decide whether they hold or sell at the deadline, opines Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. At 42-48, Colorado sits six games out of a Wild Card position, but it has a chance to inch closer with its next eight matchups coming against the bottom-feeding Braves and Rays. If not, outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon, left-handed starter Jorge De La Rosa and southpaw reliever Boone Logan are among the players the Rockies could ship out, Saunders contends.
I really hope the Rockies don’t sell because it will feel like starting over yet again. The past 5 years have been very bad, I don’t want another 4 like that. At this point I would be thrilled with a 78 win season because at least it would feel like the Rockies are moving forward. Yeah trading a bunch of players could get you about 10 picks higher in the draft, but the Rox already have a fine farm. It’s time to start trying to compete. The Dodgers are weaker than normal and the D-Bags and Padres are not really a threat. A strong couple of weeks could put Colorado in the running for a WC. And even if they don’t make it, like I said, I would be very happy just not to lose 90 games again this year.
Not about doing a huge rebuild for Colorado, it’s about looking at the team realistically and who fits the timeline. If Rockies play it right and get some breaks with young players living up to expectations the Rockies could have a solid fun young team in 2018.
Problem though is Cargo is a FA after 2017 and doesn’t fit the timeline from a age perspective. He will be 32 at that time and shouldn’t be on a upstart team. No one is suggesting Rockies trade likes of Arenado/Jon Gray. Just it makes a ton of sense from baseball perspective to trade Cargo in this market, when he doesn’t fit TL and is likely gone after 2017. Blackmon as well is 30 already.
It makes just as much sense to sign him to an extension. When did everyone get the idea that an entire team has to be the same age? Veteran leaders are needed on young teams.
You do realize that trading him doesn’t bar them from re-signing him after 2017, right?
Why would the Rockies waste money on Cargo when they can spend it on pitching? Any decent batter will put up monster numbers at coors, finding a decent pitcher is much more difficult.
It is a complete fallacy that any decent batter will put up monster numbers at Coors. Gerardo Parra’s OPS has dropped 80 points from last season in Milwaukee and Baltimore to this season in Coors. Jose Reyes’s OPS dropped 50 points following the trade from Toronto in 2015.
CarGo has a 126 OPS+, which accounts for park factors. You are not replacing that with a “decent” batter.
Everyone says that, but how often does it actually happen? Aside from Jason Hammel with the Cubs, who is not exactly a superstar that would cause a FA bidding war, I can’t think of any. Besides why would you want to give up the leverage of negotiating an extension before he hits the open market?
For one, you have no leverage towards an extension. Cargo won’t take an extension because taking one makes no sense in any way, shape or form from his perspective.
He’ll re-sign with the Rockies if they offer him the most money regardless of whether or not they trade him. He knows that this is a business and that if the Rockies trade him it won’t be because they don’t like him as a person or doubt his ability as a player.
Usually when one says “for one” it is followed by a second point, but I guess you are still trying to think of that one.
The second paragraph was my second point. But I guess you’re just too stupid to realize that.
Why do you have to bring in name calling? Do you think it makes you a big man? It really doesn’t, it just makes you look very juvenile.
I think the Rockies have always been able to sign batters but not pitchers. And if pitchers are what’s needed, then pitchers are what the Rockies should trade for.
No Ray Ray. Westcoastryan nailed you with the first ‘for one” comment. Nothing else was needed
Haha you do realize you saying the rockies have no leverage in extension and he’ll resign only if the rockies offer the most ARE NOT separate points. Which nullifies your use of for one. It’s sad you think they are and try to defend your poorly worded argument.
My point still stands. An extension makes no sense from Cargo’s perspective and he would still be open to signing with the Rockies as a free agent even if they do trade him.
A strong couple of weeks will put ANY team in the running for a WC, so holding onto players with minimal value going forward won’t help the Rockies be legitimate contenders next year and beyond.
Basically, with a low percentage chance of making the playoffs this year for the Rockies, for them to hold onto a piece like Hundley – who’s an FA after this year – is a waste. Trade him, CarGo, de la Rosa and any other 30 year old veteran for pieces to increase their playoff-making percentage for next year and many more to come.
Break it down in order to build it up. It’s the popular model right now and it’s rather effective.
Please, Mr Monfort: trade those players!
I have no problem trading Hundley. There is a ready made replacement group of Wolters/Garneau/Murphy. Between those three, you should be able to find a capable catching tandem. I also have no problem moving Blackmon for the right package, IF David Dahl is brought straight up to take his place and we don’t go into the politics of service time. De la Rosa I would move only for a solid prospect. CarGo needs to be resigned to a 3-4 year deal to be the veteran leader this young team will need. As I mentioned before, if you want to watch an entire under 30 team, then go watch a AA team. There are 30 of them and they all need fans. Big league teams need a few veterans to go along with a youth movement.
Why not trade Cargo THEN re-sign him a year from now? Then you get prospects AND Cargo.
Because people (fans and players) don’t like being jerked around like that.
He’s probably going to get jerked around no matter where he signs so why not land in Colorado? He apparently likes it there.
Where do I sign up for a jerking around?
That’s a stupid suggestion. If you’re not going to make the playoffs you might as well go 0-162. There is no place for stupid moral victories in baseball.
Congratulations, that is officially the dumbest thing I have ever read on this site. If you don’t think a 10-15 game improvement over last year is a cause for optimism, then I have no desire to talk to you at all. Have a nice life.
Lol coming from the guy who said the Phillies would contend this year and then went with the “So you can see the future?” remarks when everyone disagreed with you.
A 10-15 game improvement doesn’t mean jack if you still miss the playoffs. And no, losing the fail card game doesn’t count as “making the playoffs.”
I never said the Phillies would contend. I said I thought they might surprise some people and have an outside chance at a .500 record. And if things broke the right way, they could have a chance at a WC. They have surprised people. They have an outside chance at a ,500 record. The WC thing probably won’t happen. But people like you were saying that they would be the worst team in the league and had no chance at competing. I think my prediction was a little bit closer to the truth.
I never said they would be the worst team in the league. I said that they would have a protected draft pick again in 2017 and that they need to be gearing up for 2018, when the last of the bad money comes off the books. Their starting pitching has been surprisingly good this year tho.
And the “So you can see the future?” thing was your defining moment as a commenter on this site.
Maybe you didn’t, but others did. However, right now they DON’T have a protected pick. If the season ended right now, they would have pick #11.
I am glad I have a defining moment, because to be honest with you, I didn’t even remember you at all. I am glad I have made such an impact on your life though.
They still are definitely sellers at this year’s deadline and probably next year as well
Agreed. The wild card game is to determine which is the last playoff team. It determines the wild card. Losing it does not make you a playoff team. A ten game improvement is not impressive by itself. Going from 80 to 90 wins would be. Going from 65 to 75 is not so impressive. Optimism comes when you can see the reasons for the improvement and if its sustainable
This is one of those comments that makes me upset that they took out the voting feature. +1 for you
Your 0-162 team will not sell lots of tickets, or ads and will have stations trying to get out of their contracts. It’s a business, so incremental wins mean something.
Whatever. For me personally, a team’s record is only a means of deciding who makes the playoffs and who plays who in the playoffs.
Back to baseball talk hopefully, I think the time is right to trade Cargo. He’s healthy and has a proven track record consistent with his current, well above average, offensive production.
It makes more sense to me to sign Blackmon to a 3-4 year extension who can move to a corner spot as his play declines with age as opposed to becoming a DH-only type player in the NL should Cargo lose speed/range. In a few years the Rockies should have Arenado, Story and Brendan Rodgers in the infield, add the return on a Cargo trade, plus David Dahl sliding into Cargo’s roster spot with hopefully Gray, Jeff Hoffman and Kyle Freeland in the rotation (with Riley Pint and Mike Nikorak moving up the minors), add in free agents to round out the roster and for veteran leadership and that should be a fun, competitive team to watch.
1; also, referring back to some comments, a 10-15 game improvement is nice to see, but a pennant is even nicer. No one wants an all under-30 team and no one should aim for 0-162. But the stagnancy with which the Rockies are maintained is enough. I’m from Colorado and asking the Monforts to dump the veterans. If they make a conscious effort to build for 2018 (through careful trading of veteran players), then the Rockies will have a legitimate chance to win the NL West and possibly do so for a few years. Until they do this, they will continue to float in mediocrity as they have for most of the past ten years.
Most spot on. As a Padres fan I also grow tired of seeing my team float around just below .500 every year. Never good enough to make the playoffs but never bad enough to draft in the top 5. If we can learn anything from the Cubs and Astros, it’s that when you rebuild, you have to commit to rebuilding.
One report has it the Jays are supposedly interested in Melvin..
Screw that, ill never forget him fighting with Longoria back in 2011.. (due to Upton’s lack of hustle). Then didnt he have a scuffle in the dugout while with Atlanta? They better not trade for him or ill totally lose respect for the new jays gm.
Upton Jr. to Cleveland for Triston McKenzie
I would be interested in that trade for the Padres but I would imagine we would need to eat some salary to get someone that is a well regarded prospect. I am hoping for more quality than quantity.
More like Upton Jr. And cash for Shawn Morimando. OF isn’t our biggest need anymore so an Upton trade is unlikely anyhow.
Melvin would still provide above average defense and more power than the others in your OF. Almonte is more of a AAAA type player and I believe had a PED suspension. I would take Morimando as a decent return but there would not be very much cash coming with Upton.
OF may not be the biggest need, but adding Melvin and moving Ramirez to 3B instead of LF would be an offensive boost. Uribe has provided his typically excellent defense but continues to provide well below-average offense.
Absolutely NOT a high upside arm for Upton. Since there is a lot of Rockies talk here, I would be very interested in Boone Logan to the Tribe. One of their High Single A Lynchburg starting pitchers Luis Lugo, Mitch Brown, or Sean Brady, along with an Indians bullpen arm like Austin Adams or maybe Zach McCallister.
Maybe Adams but not McCalister.
Parra to Nats?
When will the Rockies realize that they will never be a good team until they get some pitching. A great lineup only gets you so far when your pitching is shit.
Easier said than done when the ball acts differently in altitude and seems to be looking to have maybe some play in more frequent injuries.
Hard to believe Melvin’s only 31. Not a spring chicken, but he’s played a loooot of big league baseball for a guy his age.
Rosenthal SHOULD be demoted, especially seeing how Grichuk and Wong responded when recalled, it could do the same for him.
I find it funny that when they went down the came back better. Maybe the Memphis hitting coach needs a promotion.
lol exactly, so I think it makes sense to send Rosie down
Could Cargo to Boston make sense? Or would that be overkill for the lineup?
And as for Blackmon, maybe KC? I know KCs farm is quite depleted but I think blackmon would fit in well. Although KC has a lot of LH batters.
Boone Logan to the mets also seems possible seeing as how the mets are in need of another lefty in the pen who is reliable next to Blevins.
And maybe someone bites in mark Reynolds. He seems to have turned a page hitting wise. He doesn’t seem to be going for home runs every swing as he only has 9, which comes to a surprise for a few I’m sure seeing as how he plays at coors. And his average is 70 points higher then it used to be so there’s some good signs there from him. Colorado has a chance to get some good young players and really improve as a team and should trade this year as opposed to waiting.
So glad Bossman Jr. found time to be the biggest free agent flop in Braves franchise history in between stints as a quality big leaguer.
Haha that is for sure.
Matheny needs to be fired.
I tell ya, with the way he’s handled the bullpen, rotation, and even lineups occasionally, it should be considered.
It’s not Matheny’s fault. He’s playing the hand that’s given to him the same way LaRussa did. Mo is the one who should be considered to be fired cause he’s the one who put this team together.
I tend to disagree. Cards have a run differential of +90 and yet are barely floating above .500. One might argue that falls on the players’ shoulders, but Matheny is in charge of what personnel is on the field and when, so I’d put that disparity on Matheny’s shoulders more than anyone else in the organization.
I tend to disagree. The Cards have a run differential of +90 and yet are barely floating above .500. One might argue that falls on the players’ shoulders, but Matheny is in charge of what personnel is on the field and when, so I’d put that disparity on Matheny’s shoulders more than anyone else in the organization.