A late-season reinforcement is on the way for the Brewers, who will see right-hander Chase Anderson return to their rotation Sunday in Colorado. Rookie left-hander Brandon Woodruff is headed back to Triple-A in a corresponding move. An oblique injury has kept Anderson from the mound since the end of June, before which he turned in 90 1/3 innings of 2.89 ERA ball, with 8.47 K/9 against 2.69 BB/9. The Brewers were two games over .500 at the time of Anderson’s DL placement and are now four above, sitting at 64-60 and two back of the NL Central-leading Cubs. If the 29-year-old Anderson’s breakout continues down the stretch, he could end up as a key figure in a tight division race.
More from the National League:
- Set to become a free agent in the offseason, Rockies catcher Jonathan Lucroy explained to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com what an ideal situation for him would look like going forward. “I’m hoping to be somewhere where I can contribute on an everyday basis and help the team win, where I can go out and be depended on to do the job,” Lucroy said. “That’s what I’m looking for. Whether that is here [with the Rockies] or somewhere else, I don’t know what’s going to happen with all that. I do love it here, though. I like it a lot. It’s a great place.” Lucroy, whom the Rockies acquired from the Rangers last month, posted a meager .635 OPS in 306 plate appearances with Texas this year but has hit a much-improved .333/.473/.452 in 51 PAs with his new club. The onetime pitch-framing demigod’s newfound struggles in that department have continued with the Rockies, however, according to Baseball Prospectus.
- The Cardinals placed righty Adam Wainwright on the DL on Thursday with an elbow impingement, but president John Mozeliak is “optimistic” the former ace will pitch again this season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. However, it’s uncertain whether Wainwright will reclaim a spot in the team’s rotation if he does return in 2017. “I think how he’s used will really be dictated by where he’s at,” Mozeliak said. “Prior to his last outing, he indicated to us that the more he threw the better he felt. That would indicate that it would be very difficult to be used in a short-reliever role, then the other relief roles — would he be able to go back-to-back and get hot?” Wainwright received a platement-rich plasma injection Friday and won’t throw for 10 to 14 days. Luke Weaver will slot into St. Louis’ Wainwright-less rotation for the time being.
- More on the Cardinals, whose refusal to match the Angels’ 10-year, $240MM offer to St. Louis icon Albert Pujols in 2011 is a sign that they won’t pursue a trade for Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Post-Dispatch reasons. Stanton is a potential trade candidate who’s due $295MM from 2018-28, and that enormous commitment could cause a mid-level payroll team like the Cards to shy away. Indeed, Mozeliak expressed wariness toward Stanton-like contracts to Ortiz, saying: “When evaluating long-term investments you have to understand the impact on the out years and not simply on the day it’s signed. These types of investments tend to have a lot of risk or downside.” Chairman Bill Dewitt Jr. offered a similar sentiment. “As you can see, some of the long-term free agent contracts don’t really work out toward the end,” Dewitt said. “Clubs wish they hadn’t done them. We can afford a payroll that is very competitive and in the top third, which is where our revenues are, and that’s the way we look at it.”
werfighting
Why Stanton to cards? he he is going to the phillies
RunDMC
As a Braves fan, I hope this is the case. Drain the war chest of some prospects and money. PHI is a sleeping giant that has been asleep for longer than I would have expected, but they have been building a nice farm and counting their money. Look forward to seeing them competitive again.
BlueSkyLA
As a fan I get no joy out of teams owners who count their money, only from the ones who spend it. The Phillies may be rebuilding the farm system (a good thing for both the team and fans) but if they aren’t prepared to spend to pick up the complimentary pieces required to make the team competitive, then they are simply rebuilding profits. If I was a Phillies fan, I’d be asking about what direction ownership is going with this team. Seems to me they should not have been snoozing for as long as they’ve been.
Out of place Met fan
It’s only been 2 seasons since they started deconstructing the roster of the aged core. It’s not like they were in a place to attract free agents at that point, nor we’re any worth over paying to act as an anchor towards the next competitive period.
No doubt they should have begun the purge earlier than they did, same can be said of the present day Tigers.
A sleeping giant in terms of payroll capabilities, I do expect them to overpay for one of the OF available this year (Bruce is my pick) but Martinez, Cain, or Upton if he opts out. Along with chasing a veteran arm.
Pax vobiscum
They might overpay for pitching but not outfield help
jbigz12
Phillies are willing to spend. They gave hellickson and Saunders 25 mil for this year this offseason. They dealt for Howie Kendrick, neshek, Benoit. They don’t want to tie up money to vets right now because they suck. The rebuild is basically just starting. A few pieces are up in the majors. It’s going to take some time but spending isn’t going to be the issue. They can’t buy a whole team right now and make them good next year.
Caseys Partner
The Phillies are in Year Six of their rebuild. The rebuild began in the Front Office and in John Middleton’s mind when the Phillies failed to advance in October 2011. However, the ballpark was sold out and John Middleton was not going to do anything to adversely affect ticket sales, so they lied and they lied even after unloading Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino for nothing (Pence and Victorino combined to help deliver three World Series championships to their new teams). on July 31, 2012.
The problem was the same as has afflicted the Angels and Tigers in recent years, an empty farm system. A major part of that was a refusal to spend money on top available international talent. Also before 2012 there were no draft pool$. In 2011 the Pirates drafted Josh Bell in the second round and signed Bell for $5 million. If the Pirates were sure Bell would last until the 20th round they could have drafted him then and paid him the $5 million.
The Phillies needed Bell then, but they wouldn’t pay cash for farm talent just as they refused to pay Cubans and have never signed a star out of Japan or Korea.
John Middleton has made Mad Money every year since 2011 and has rebuilt the farm for nothing. That’s his philosophy on the farm:
“Keep It Free”
msjrn509
A LOSING TEAM ,Philadelphia NO
Polish Hammer
Good for Lucroy…should’ve taken that deal to Cleveland last season, but soooo glad he didn’t.
dodgerfan711
Was Lucroy not able to block a trade to the Rockies? The no trade was a non story when he was traded
ReverieDays
Why would any struggling hitter, especially a pending free agent, deny himself the chance to play games in Colorado?
dodgerfan711
Seemed like he liked the Rangers. And globe life park is no pitchers park either
Polish Hammer
His no trade clause was limited.
” Lucroy can block trades to the Twins, Angels, Athletics, Padres, Mariners, Nationals and, most interestingly, the Indians and Tigers”.
BrewBucksVikes
Woodruff is a righty
johnmillerjones
If the Cardinals open the pursestrings by trading for Stanton and making some key FA signings, they could have a nice 2019 lineup:
C: Y Molina/C Kelly
1B: S Otani/G Stanton platoon
2B: K Wong/P DeJong platoon
SS: D Perez/M Machado
3B: M Machado/M Carpenter platoon
LF: M Trout
CF: M Sierra/H Bader platoon
RF: G Stanton/D Fowler
cards4141
Where do you buy your drugs?
Ry.the.Stunner
Mike Trout isn’t a free agent until 2021 and the Cardinals aren’t trading for him either. I’m just going to guess that you’re trolling with the fantasy lineup you put up there.
johnmillerjones
Whoops, you’re right. I’m tempted to put Harper in there, but he’s probably signing with WAS or NYY, so maybe put Grichuk in LF.
Caseys Partner
No really, you can bet your house on Harper signing with the Phillies.
So is Machado. Same winter. You need to process that.
Payroll tax the Phillies have to pay after those two signings?
ZERO
Polymath
He forgot Kershaw, Sale, Scherzer, Syndergaard, and the Ace … Sidd Finch.
KiahFJ
Not necessarily. A relatively obscure provision under California law — specifically, Section 2855 of the California Labor Code — limits all personal services contracts (i.e., employment contracts) in the state to a maximum length of seven years. In other words, this means that if an individual were to sign an employment contract in California lasting eight or more years, then at the conclusion of the seventh year the employee would be free to choose to either continue to honor the agreement, or else opt out and seek employment elsewhere.
So Trout legally can become a free agent and many in the industry think he will.
Buuuuut it wouldn’t be to the Cards.
KiahFJ
Also that paragraph was taken from Fan Graphs. Forgot the quotes and citing.
El Duderino
The problem with that is all professional sports get exemptions from regular laws that affect regular people. Trout won’t become a free agent before he’s completed his service time.
Codeeg
He completes it at the end of this season.
JFactor
1. He signed a new contract.
2. I’m sure the Angels legal team was aware of this and had Trout sign off on an exclusion.
3. I imagine the MLB and the MLBPA already worked around this years ago.
The Oregonian
I guess if the purse is actually Fort Knox they could get Trout, Stanton, Machado, and Otani in the same lineup.
Caseys Partner
Trout will be in the Phillies lineup with Harper and Machado if Trout decides to leave the Angels.
Polymath
Trout and salmon thrive best in cold waters (e.g., Minnesota, Seattle, or Toronto.)
jd396
Is that on Xbox or PlayStation
Outlaws12
You are nuts
Cardinals17
Big contracts seem better when they are front load. At least the teams are paying big for prime years rather big for the nothing years. But then again. As much money as Mozeliak has wasted on players he and the owners have had to eat their salaries, he could have had Stanton.
kbarr888
Stanton isn’t “injury-prone”. He got HBP in the face one year, broke his hamate bone another year…..those two injuries do not count towards the label “injury prone”.
Stanton’s contract might actually be a great value. He has an Opt-Out after the 2020 season, and if he continues to hit HR’s like they are candy, he will definitely Opt-Out.
That means he carries a 3 yr/$77 Million contract, which the Cards can easily afford, while providing the desperately needed “Big Bat” for the next 3 years.
adshadbolt
Stanton To the Phillies for Velasquez, Crawford, Gowdy, Appel, and a ptbnl ( position player), for Stanton and 25 mil
dwhitt3
Lol no way that nets Stanton
Caseys Partner
No way Stanton is getting the Marlins talent like that. Too many injuries, too many whiffs, too many $30+ million years after age 30.
RedFeather
Mo- I get that you need to look at the future but you also have to look at the now. You dont need to worry about 10 years down the road. A solid piece like Stanton makes them contenders for the next 5 years. Also 10 years from now Stantons contract wont look that big compared to what Trout, Harper, and Machado will get. Lastly – YOU CAN AFFORD IT! St . Louis has been hording money for years. You even offered Heyward 200+ million which is a complete joke. Trade and pay the man so the Cards can actually show up like the fans always do.
thor would look better in red
just pay. get a couple of royals and jd Martinez and that is a better lineup than just Stanton
Doorman550
“Mid Level Payroll Team”. Give me a break. That’s stupidity absurd. They are getting the 1 Billion TV deal next year. They could easily double the payroll and still be highly profitable. I’m tired of hearing this sh*t.
JFactor
No they can’t. Their tv deal only raises team revenue by 18 million per year.
They spend in accordance to their revenue.
Just A Nice Mate
I was so pumped to hear Brewers were getting Anderson back until I heard we are gonna stick with Garza in the middle of a playoff push and send down woodruff…….
ballnglove
No kidding! You, me, and every brewer fan think Garza stinks. CC sure must see something different….
thestevilempire
What DeWitt said is true. Sadly, most of the top stars of the game have priced themselves out of many great baseball markets. Most 8 – 9 – 10 year deals look terrible after year 5 or 6.
Stanton would be a fantastic fit with the Cardinals in the playing sense, however, financially it just don’t work. I would rather the Cardinals spend wisely, build a good farm, and wait for the right deal to come along so they aren’t sacrificing the future.
RedFeather
Soooo Machdo then?
thestevilempire
Let’s be honest though, Stanton is priced out, with only 3 to 5 markets being able to bring him aboard ( Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Cubs maybe).
We know Machado is going to command a big salary. How big is still in question to me. Machado is more valuable to the Orioles than any other team. Some big market will likely fetch him one day, but that’s still a while off.
As for the Cardinals, they need to keep doing what they’re doing. I know (even as a Cardinals fan myself) that seems like a hard pill to swallow, however, they’ve been masking a rebuild for a couple years now without falling into an abyss of losses. That’s actually fairly impressive considering most teams that rebuild disappear for a decade or longer. We got a top 15 farm system and salary capabilities that like DeWitt said, can be in the upper third. That means we can develop talent, afford to keep the talent we develop, and occasionally go get a free agent that can be a difference maker. I’m not complaining, they could be far worse off.
kbarr888
Machado will be looking for a contract somewhere in the $300 millions……maybe as high as $375 Million. Sure he’s 2.5 years younger…..sure Stanton has played in 180 more games and had 500 more AB’s……..but check out the difference in stats.
Machado Career
.281/.331/.480/.811 2932 AB’s 131 HR’s 392 RBI’s
Stanton Career
.268 /.360/.552/.912 3422 AB’s 252 HR’s 634 RBI’s
If the money is the same, Stanton is better.
BobbyJohn
Given the youth in their rotation, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if the Rockies were able to re-sign Lucroy for another couple of seasons beyond this one.